Up The Wood

A Memory of East Howle.

We had no TVs, and there was not much on the radios so we made our own entertainment. One activity was playing up the local wood. We had two woods close to East Howle. One was called the Side Wood and the other was known as the Middle Wood. We just did the usual things, like making camps, climbing trees, playing on rope swings, eating worms, just the sort of things that young lads did in those days. Most of the time we were in the side wood, because as the name implies, the middle wood was in the middle of a field and to get there we had to cross the farmer's field which in the summer was always planted with something, invariably corn of one type or another. It was always risky crossing the field because you never knew when the farmer would appear and chase you. If he was on foot he always seemed to have a shotgun with him which was quite scary. On reflection I assume the gun was for shooting rabbits but we never thought that at the time.
Another memory that has stayed with me all these years is of our butcher. My parents, like quite a few more people in East Howle, used to have a butcher called Billy Dale. Mr Dale had his business in the nearby town of Spennymoor and used to come to East Howle on a Saturday, sometimes very late at night. As all the houses were two up and two down most people had a table under the window in the living room. It was a regular occurance for my mother to leave the window unlocked, a plate, a note of what she wanted and some money on the table for Mr Dale then off to bed. When we got up on Sunday morning, meat on the plate, change was on the table and the window was closed. My memories of East Howle are many and varied, most of them good.


Added 21 July 2010

#229022

Comments & Feedback

I could have written the first part of this myself, it took me right back to my childhood in East Howle when I also played in both of these woods. The side wood was the most popular and had fantastic rope swings where even parents used to occasionally play. It was scary going into the middle wood and I remember crawling on all fours so as not to be seen.
Other memories of East Howle are walking to the school beyond Pine Road in all weather's especially deep snow. Walking to Hett with friends on a sunny day with a bottle of pop to keep you going. Each class at school had its own little garden and we were taught to cultivate plants which gave me my love of gardening. I and my brother Lester lived in the pub which is the only building still standing and we were one of only two houses to have a proper bathroom in the early days. Everyone was friendly and came together to build bonfires for Nov 5th, one each side of the railway line. On warm nights, people carried stools to the ends of the streets to chat, knit and watch the kids playing often with long skipping roles when everyone joined in.
Happy Days
Cliff Atkinson
I was born in number 4 Railway Cottages in 1948 and was the last of 6 children,and went to the school in East Howle until we moved to Ferryhill when I was 7.The headmaster(I think) was Danny Wallace(I think)

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