Woodhorne Colliery School

A Memory of Newbiggin.

Some of my time at this Junior school stays in my memory. I recall the Headmaster, Mr Chater and Miss Hall who ran the class I started in. Having come from a tiny three teacher school in Nunthorpe the size and bustle of Miss Hall's with a spirited rendering of the Creed which I'd never heard of and was expected to join led to copious tears. I had to leave after a few months as my mother was seriously ill and we went to Whitehaven. Later I came back to Year Two (?) I don't remember the teacher's name: she was a tall woman with specs and a bustling, no-nonsense manner and I recall having a good year under her tuition. Then we moved up to Miss Sanderson's class. Might have gone to Mr Heaton's ('Heatspots') but was fortunate to go to Miss S. What a lovely person she was and how caring. I have the year photo still although I cannot recall any names expect, perhaps, Andrew R....son, a good friend. One of the strange things I do remember is going to the school in the morning from Front street and through a gas works and across slag heaps and very manky waste ground. Can that be possible? After the 11plus I went on to boarding school and only revisited the school once -- as was the fashion. Everything seemed so small and the children, so young!

---

---