Metal Bridge My Grandfather Harry Holmes My Childhood

A Memory of Metal Bridge.

Harry was born at spennymoor 1877, he moved to metal bridge in 1898 when he
married Elizabeth Joyce born 1878 from Easthowle.They were married at St Lukes
church, Ferryhill by vicar Lomax, I actually went along and and saw the entry in a
very old register.
They had 10 children, my mother, Lydia b.1912 was the 8th child and youngest
daughter. When mum married dad, Richard Mitchinson b. 1910 from Coundon, I went
to see if the house was still standing, I was amazed to see it was. After my
my older brother was born they moved to surrey where myself and 2 sisters were
born.
Every year we came to Metal Bridge for the August school holidays to see all Mum's
relatives, we absolutely loved it. Apart from the Front Street all the roads were dirt tracks. Grandad lived in the block houses (2 block 8). I was so fascinated with the way people lived there, so different to the way we lived in Surrey. There wasn't a bathroom so the old tin bath had to be fetched from the yard and put in front of the black leaded kitchen range, this being the total asset where water was heated, food was cooked and the only heat to keep warm in the cottage. The table was used for preparing the baking, doing the ironing and eating on, I hasten to add it was scrubbed clean before each use. The scullery was off this room. The only tap in the whole cottage was in the wall with a bucket under it to catch the drips. There was a large stone shelf to keep the food cold and everything was covered to keep flies off. I must tell you I found all this way of living so exciting, much more than living in a modern house in Surrey. Metal bridge was one of the last places to have electricity, so when they only had gas the place was dimly lit. There was no lighting upstairs, so when grandad went to bed, Uncle George led with a lamp and he also carried his pot up. I rushed down to ask mum what it was for and she explained the toilet was outside and very dark so he used the pot for a wee.
Now for washing their clothes - a hose pipe was put through the scullery window and attached to their only tap they had, and the other end went into the wash - house in the garden. I can describe the mod- cons as I remember them ha' ha' these consisted of what I thought were two cauldrons surrounded by brick walls and uncle George lit a fire underneath to heat the water. It took my Aunty Ellen all day to do all the washing. I asked could I put the washing through the huge mangle. I remember her smiling to herself, I soon found out why, I huffed and puffed trying to turn the handle and the damn thing would not turn, by the way I was only about 8 at the time, she was so kind bless her when she told me I would be able to fettle it when I got bigger.
Now my grandad, I loved him so much it hurt. I remember that when I went to ask him a question he would take take hold my hands and look into my eyes with his smiley ones and I knew I had all his attention, that made me feel so very very very special. I kept that memory, it made me feel so happy and when things hurt or upset me I would think of his lovely smile and it helped through those times.
There was an old tin chapel in the village and grandad took the after service. I was so proud of him. He once let me read a piece from the bible and I was a bit frightened in case I got it wrong and he might be disappointed in me, but I managed it. I forget to mention Andrew Ramsey - he played the organ in the chapel and he was younger than me.
What I loved most about metal bridge was the people were so friendly. Alot of them were born stayed when got married there was a lot of tears when the block houses were condemned in 1968-9 and they were moved into modern houses. None of them wanted to, even though they now had bathrooms they would have preferred to live at Metal bridge instead of Ferryhill. I could go on forever but it is 2am and I am shattered. I hope some people will enjoy the memories I have
shared with them. Thankyou, Maureen.