Special Holidays

A Memory of Easington Colliery.

My grandfather moved to Easington and worked at the pit for two spells. He married a girl from the village and they had 7 children. The family moved to the Midlands in the 1930s. One uncle returned after the war and ran the local garage.
In the 1950s my mom, sister and myself came to Easington for our holidays and to see relatives. My great-uncle lived on the Village Green, sadly the terrace of houses is long gone. His was burnt in a fire and he moved to Cannock Chase to live with his daughter and her family. My Grandmother's uncle and father were miners and photographers. It is said they took photos of the sinking of Easington Pit.
The great-uncle played the violin and was in the colliery band. I learnt to play the violin and on holidays would go to a Mr Sample in a retired miner's small house to improve my playing. My great-uncle introduced him as they were friends.
On holiday we would go to Easington 'beach' and light fires and watch the waves crash in. I remember the miners wheeling their bikes with coal gathered from the 'beach' in sacks slung over them. We returned and even in the 1980s we still saw this. It was sad to see that the colliery had been flattened but the area is a lovely place. The pit ponies used to be in fields by the colliery when we used to walk along the clffs. We would go to Horden and Crimdob Dene, and I still recall the wonderful aroma of wild garlic as we walked down the denes.
When we stayed on The Green there was the most wondeful fish & chip shop where we had many a gorgeous fish supper.
There was usually a goat or two tethered on the green. Also the road through has been moved a few times. Up the street to the left of my great-uncle's there was a lvely sweet shop where I would buy 'red lips', a small hard jelly sweet a real holiday treat. There was the Kings Head pub on the corner but sadly I was far too young to go in.
Mom lived until 2008 but always called Easington home although she lived away for over 78 years.
A very special area to me and my family.

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