Image Of Youth

A Memory of Dunston.

I lived in Dunston from 1946-1964. This area of Dunston was a place I knew quite well. The lamp post on the left was almost outside a dental surgery. I well remember the experience of having a tooth extracted here, and the staff's struggle to administer the gas anesthetic to knock me out! I learned to dislike visiting the dentist from here. To the right there were the "bankyfields". There used to be a pond there where we collected frogspawn in spring, fished for newts and minnows in summer. In the winter, the bankyfields came into their own for sledging. That is all gone now due to the medical centre and swimming baths which now occupy the fields. The school dominates the picture on the right. The windows running off to the right were those of the infant section of the school (5-8 years). The block continues off to the right where the junior section was situated (8-11 years). Continuing straight ahead brought you to a gate entrance on the right which was the entrance to the infant dept, with the domestic science for girls below. They were taught cookery and sewing in that department. On the left of of the picture, facing was a general store, which latterly became a tuck shop. It was very small and the house next door was home for the proprietor and stock room too. I don't think it is open now.
I still pass by regularly, as my son lives not very far away.