My Roots 1962 Onwards Annitsford John Douglas

I too lived in a flat in jubilee terrace no 64 was an upstairs flat with 2bedrooms what luxury as I had 3 other siblings. There was only one cold water tap with a large Belfast sink which my mother would bath us in till we became to big for her to lift us into, then it was the tin bath in front of the range. I wonder now how she managed to empty it. We also moved to coronation street and lived next door to the picture house. The fish and chip shop was run by a man called Tommy and he always gave us kids scraps with our much longed for chips (what a treat).

I lived on Barras Gardens next to the welfare gates and browns shop. Went to St Johns school from 1965 till it closed and moved to St. Paul’s cramlington. Used to play in jubilee terrace. Very fond memories of fish and chips from tommy’s Also the draper shop at the co-op with all the wood cabinets stuffed with ribbons buttons etc. My brother reminded me this evening that on 6/11/77 the picture house that was due for demolition collapsed on some children and one of them named Paul Ainsley sadly died. We can’t find any info online however we remember it vividly. Don’t know if anyone else remembers or has more info on it.

I was born at 10 Jackson Street...went to Annitsford Primary School in the late 1940's. We lived in two rooms downstairs with an outside toilet , wash house and coal house in the yard. Moved to Burnside Ave in the 50's then to Harrogate and have lived in the USA since 1963. I have fond (and not so fond memories)of my childhood there. Would love to reconnect with any of my friends still living.

My parents lived at 47/48 Jackson Street before I was born. I was born in 1969 and we moved immediately to a brand new council house in Wardle Drive, the rear of which overlooked the old 'line'. I remember Auton's sweet shop next to the big black gates of the welfare. I also recall a Sunday school along the same road, closer to the allotments, and wondered why some poor children had to go to school at the weekend!! I remember Tommy's chip shop - my Dad was paid weekly on a Thursday and we would have fish, chips and batter whilst watching some Kung Fu thing on TV. George and Mildred, Robin's Nest and The Six Million Dollar Man were among our favourites!
I also remember the old cinema collapsing, and even at the age of only 7, felt a sudden sense of despair in the community when poor Paul Ainsley died. I am unsure how old he was, but certainly remembering feeling empathy for the very first time.
I remember that we used to play in abandoned cars that had broken windows. There seemed to be several of those back in the 1970s! Also, there was a shop called Harlequin that was built in Wardle Drive, probably in 1977 or 1978. I used to be able to shimmy up the wall between the new building and the end house of Wardle Drive. No health and safety issues in those days. My Mam would have passed out if she had seen how high I managed to get.
Anyway, we left Annitsfor on June 18th 1978 to move to Cramlington. We did a 'three way swap' with others in council houses. I continued going to St Paul's School in Cramlington and was able to walk there. That was the whole point of us moving: to save paying extra money on buses, and my Mam & Dad were closer to work to walk as well. (That was the reason I understood anyway, aged 8).
Some of the surnames I recall were; Ritson; Boyes; Bland; Larmouth; Teague; Padden; Duncan. I'm sure more will come to me once I have posted 😊

I lived 40 Front street from around 74/75 to 79. Would have been age 7 to 11. I played footy in the Welfare Field or "welly" as we called it then with the Fryers(Tony and Tracy) Michael Briscoe(best mate), Andrew Mckilvenny and others. We had non PC nicknames then, I was "Packy" Keith Smith was "chinky" lol, You had "Bull" "Dicky" to name a few. There used to be a model shop not far away from the welly or at least they sold airfix stuff, thats when I built my first planes lol. I remember the old picture house,I used to play in it, so was very lucky not to be in it on the day it fell. I did know the lads who suffered and felt the grief at the time as they were mates. I also remember my mums panic as she thought I might be amongst it, fortunately not. It was a close nit community where everyone knew each other. You had Jackie and David Brown, Dawn Adams, The Rowntrees, The Pyles, I could go on. I remember jumpin off the Annitsford first school roof into straw, we had piled up, playing in the drainage channels under the viaducts, playing british bulldogs on the patch of grass off Harrison court and mucking around in the cornfields behind the school which are now built on. I played in goal for the Dudley middle school which I loved, used to watch the Jazz bands practicing in the hall nearby, those were the days.

Based on true events. On Jubilee Terrace

1940

Listen to what I say to you
As each and every word is true
About the time when Heinkels flew
To bomb the Tyne and villagers too

The RAF flew every night
Surprised the Luftwaffe,
By continuing the fight
One sad bomber got shot down
Crash landing south of Annitsford

The Home Guard came to watch
The wreckage lying in the field
The time has come now to regale
Private Povey’s wartime tale
From a month before.

Jubilee Terrace was his home
His wife and son, and daughter too
Nothing special to the eye
But home is home, you can’t deny
Regardless of the size

Paris had fallen, days before
At Dunkirk , a miracle escape
Defiant Povey did declare
The Nazis the would never take
Himself or his family

A black out village street
Filled with crashing jackboots loud
Caused young Povey to collect
The family at theStairs
One strike of the gaspipe
Then the family would be gone

The jackboot march got louder still
The family more defiant still
It was then that Povey had a thought
Why was half the German Army
Marching hard on Annitsford

To be certain he Mondrian out of his snook
Out of his door, he had to take a look
Right before his very eyes
Raising a smile of pure surprise
Stood a herd of cows