Grandmother Born1876

A Memory of Gateshead.

My grandmother used to tell me stories of Gateshead days when I was a kid, for example Tommy-on-the Bridge, area Bottle Bank, apparently was a permanent fixture in those days, he stood on the Swing Bridge, might have been begging. Coffee Johnny, either called that because of his colour or because he sold tea or coffee in the same area. Skint Fart the Grosser, had grocer's shop of Railway Terrace, I used to get one gill of milk from a large milk urn using a ladle, also half a pound of butter from a great golden block of butter on the counter, tea from the plywood box, help yourself to half a pound of best Indian. Dummlers the pork butcher on Sunderland Road, pork chops, black pudding, pease pudding in a huge dish. Those were the days, tasted lovely. Perhaps I should write a book?