We always went to Cullercoats Bay when we were young because when the tide was in it was a very safe bay for bathing. A poultry store in Newcastle upon Tyne displays its goods and one of its workers. I got lost lots of times. I met my husband at the Prudhoe Street Mission. Posts. 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s. I knew something unusual was going on - my Mother was still in bed at lunchtime! 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s, Ten-year-olds would carry glass jars full of sulphuric acid to and from the shops and no-one thought anything of it. A walk of interest, history, beauty and nostalgia to me, now aged 87. You know that lad, he wants to meet you, but I said, I dont know him!. We covered the shelter with soil from the park and my dad put an armour plated door on it. Handrails were used to fasten washing lines from one side of the square to another; clean sheets would flap loudly in the breeze. Went there all the time in the 60s. My white dress for the Confirmation ceremony at church was made out of parachute silk. Subscribe. Pevsner, The Buildings of England County Durham, 1953, 1983. Boxes were provided for customers to sit down until it was their turn. If I wanted to buy a dress I went to Bell Bros. or D Hill Carter. She herself was spanking clean, as was her barrow. childhood house-home my-life transport working-life. This is a 35mm slide. In 2007, it imported two million tonnes of coal. celebrations-events childhood health house-home pastimes-entertainment. They handed over their wages every week and an allowance was given to each of them. Elsie Wilkinson recalls her childhood in New York village during the 1920s and 30s. According to the 2011 census, the town had a population of 75,337. La Strada in South Shields opened around 1962 and ran throughout the 1960s. If he missed the train (which he often did) he would come back from the station and incredibly get back into bed for half an hour. Explore. DT.TUR/2/27286). My first recollection of WW2 is standing at the door with my mam watching the searchlights. You didnt go to dances to meet anyone, just to dance. If I wanted dresses I went to Bell Bros. or D Hill Carter, they were both nice shops. We don't want to rely on ads to bring you the best of visual culture. We had lovely glass toys and tin candle holders which dripped on the branches. There was a lost childrens tent where you had to go. It was taken in 1964. This is a 35mm slide. Thirty-two commemorative stones were laid that day. celebrations-events pastimes-entertainment. There was always a carnival king, queen and jester. Champion, Dads got a smile on his face a mile wide, so he must have got a good rebate. for our site. According to the 2011 census, the town had a population of 75,337. It cost 5/- and she carried it home over her head. The first toy I made was the typical Cowboys Gun, or Revolver', drawn out on a thickish piece of wood, then carefully cut to shape with a fretsaw. When there was a ship in distress a rocket was fired and the men had to stop what they were doing and rush to the brigade house. Read and share [41] The lighthouse currently displays an occulting sector light with white, red and green sectors; the green sector is used to indicate safe waters near the coast to the north of Tynemouth, while red indicates an area with numerous wrecks to the east and south of the lighthouse. You can walk around it. Any child who had freckles could get in free. [48], In 1999, the white sector of the light was intensified by the addition of a PEL sector light above the optic, with the same occulting characteristic but a range of 19 nautical miles[49] (rather than 13, as previously). They currently play in the Durham & Northumberland 3rd Division, the ninth tier of the English rugby union pyramid[99]. It was taken in 1966. At the end of the war, the Yemeni population of South Shields had swelled to well over 3,000. This is a mens gift display in Binns department store, Newcastle upon Tyne. The Callers department store name is spelt out in festive lights. At eighteen she was called up for the army where she served on ack-ack guns. This story is covered in a documentary film, The King of South Shields. Elsie Wilkinson recalls work and family life in New York village in the 1930s, 40s and 50s. This is a 35mm slide. but if some spark good memories they are available to buy in a wide range of products, including framed prints, canvas prints and personalised photo gifts including tea towels, mugs, jigsaws, tableware, cushion covers, customised calendars. This is a 35mm slide. Children were encouraged to help out by potato picking. The sickening strong smell of Trichloroethylene could make you feel dizzy. I have often wondered how they explained it to the Captain and what punishment they received. 497 Reviews. [43], There is a third lighthouse, just upstream of the pier, on the Herd Groyne at South Shields (which was constructed in 186167 to preserve Littlehaven Beach, then known as Herd Sands, which had begun to be washed away by the change of currents caused by the new piers). Originally built and used by the Dean and Chapter of Durham, it was sold by them to the town Corporation in 1855. We would put one plant pot on top of another with a lighted candle inside to keep warm. celebrations-events childhood house-home my-life pastimes-entertainment shops-shopping. This is a 35mm slide. Many ruins still exist today and some structures have been rebuilt as part of a modern museum and popular tourist attraction. Our aim is to encourage people, either living in or with a connection to North Tyneside, to share some of their life experience to create a personal context for the momentous times theyve lived through. It was taken in 1963. It shows the illuminated Christmas windows of the Westoe Road cooperative store in South Shields. Sandford Goudie's La Strada Club in South Shields. The arcade of Callers store, Newcastle upon Tyne. Although attracts alot of young people with cans of lager etc. The bag was really heavy and on Sundays I needed two, which were even heavier! Notable buildings in and around the town include: Work on the North and South Tyne Piers was begun in 1854 by the newly formed Tyne Improvement Commission, for the protection of shipping entering and leaving the river. Honour satisfied, we became friends again. celebrations-events house-home my-life wartime working-life, He was often seen with his easel lashed to a rock. St Mary's C of E Primary School was a Christian voluntary aided school educating children aged 311 located in South Shields. for our site. In went the brown paper parcel, eggs on top. It was taken in 1964. Our 'made-up' chant at sports events was "Western - the best 'un! Fly away Valiant Heart on your silver wings. To go forward you would walk backwards on the drum and to go backwards you walked forward. I used to read in the cupboard under the stairs where my mother had a lot of True Romance magazines. About a week before Dorothy was born, I was so big I couldn't get out of the seat until all the cinema patrons had left. I remember being taken upstairs to the ward by "a woman" in a white coat, shouting as I went, "I hate you, I want my Mammy". It was taken in 1963. Gradually throughout the late 20th century, the coal and shipbuilding industries were closed during the Thatcher political era, due to competitive pressures from more cost-effective sources of energy (including workers) and more efficient shipbuilding elsewhere in Eastern Europe (e.g. UXB was written on pieces of paper, and two or three men went out before us and put them anywhere. The local authority (South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council) is also controlled by Labour. I could see the lake frozen over and thought it was worth the hike. Located between the excellently refurbished Marine Park (fantastic children's Park and a boating lake with swans and ducks) and the brilliant beach (with skate Park , basket ball courts). Everything had to be immaculate for kit inspection. Cleadon Hills are made conspicuous by the Victorian Cleadon Water Tower and pumping station (opened in 1860 to improve sanitation)[citation needed] and a now derelict windmill, both of which are listed and can be seen from many miles away and also out at sea. We would take our dolls and prams and dress up in our mothers' high heels. All rights reserved. There were vague memories of a dentist living in the big house near the Hall, with a caravan in the garden which he used as a surgery. Another happy playground I would visit was called Harbottles Field. 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s. Thankfully, only three people were injured including the leading fireman. This is a 35mm slide. We didnt play games, we couldnt because the beach was absolutely packed with people, you had to see it to believe it; this was before the war about 1938/39. My grandfather walked each day to and from the pit, a distance of approximately five miles. Our neighbour next door kept rabbits and wed swap a chicken for a Flemish Giant for a bit of variety. 1911. those pioneering days we have evolved sophisticated and Ocean Beach Pleasure Park Sea Road, South Shields NE33 2LD, England. When I was 15 years old I went to the Maternity Hospital on the Green, Wallsend as a nurse cadet. A trip to the movie theatre was a place for boys to meet girls and girls to meet boys - a place for relationships to begin that would last a lifetime. . The shipyard men had their own distinctive tea cans and red and white spotted bait hankies. memories of South Shields. earsdon monkseaton west-monkseaton whitley-bay. You always loved their chips because they were cooked in proper dripping. Our childhood memories remain the best, the happy times, fantastic, It was used as an air-raid shelter during World War II. Poland) and in South East Asia. South Shields boasts extensive beaches, sand dunes and coves, as well as dramatic Magnesian Limestone cliffs with grassy areas above known as The Leas, which cover three miles of the coastline and are a National Trust protected area. I remember a gramophone that had to be wound up to play records. This is a 35mm slide. Linskill Terrace childhood house-home my-life pastimes-entertainment schooldays shops-shopping working-life. It was taken in 1965. English: View of a band playing at the Majestic Ballroom, South Shields, September 1961 (TWAM ref. My brother and I were warned not to touch the table, but we always had our own little selection with a bottle of Tizer to drink. Particularly, a bomb shelter in the market place of South Shields, where the deceased were commemorated in a cobblestone of the British flag. What life was like in South Tyneside 60 years ago - pictures of Marsden Grotto, South Shields fair and the Horsley Hill Hotel in the 1950s and 1960s Another selection of poignant photos of. South Shields Town Hall was built. [54], A prominent landmark is South Shields Town Hall, built 19051910, a sumptuous building "the most convincing expression in the county of Edwardian prosperity". It was taken in 1965. It is on the south bank of the mouth of the River Tyne. We explore how tensions in the town led to two race riots in 1919 and 1930. The snug was nicknamed Turnbulls Waiting Room after the name of the local Funeral Director. St. Petersburg. All these maps are available to buy as a wide range of products, including Framed Prints, Canvas Prints, Jigsaws, Mugs, Tea Towels, Cushion Covers. My mother had lost all her money and the coat too! Glasper, Ian Burning Britain: The History of UK Punk 19801984, Cherry Red Books, 2004, p132, Learn how and when to remove this template message, South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council, South Shields (UK Parliament constituency), "North East England (United Kingdom): Counties and Unitary Districts & Settlements", "Arbeia Roman Fort - Visit South Tyneside", "The Scottish Campaigns of Septimius Severus", "Remember When: Images that shed light on rich past of South Shields", "South Shields St. Hilda burials 1820-1840 | Durham Records Online", "Detached chimney at Cleadon Pumping Station, non Civil Parish - 1416041 | Historic England", "When war in the air came to the North East", "Ten interesting facts about South Shields", "Local Area Report South Shields Built-up area sub division (1119884118)", "David Miliband MP Maiden Speech to Parliament", "Less Cookson, more Ali: Tyneside town finds hidden Muslim history", "MP backs moves to mark Muhammad Ali's South Shields visit", "British-Yemeni Society: From South Shields to Sheffield: A photographic journey", "Inspector George Gently is back for four new single dramas for BBC One Gently In The Blood", "PICTURE SPECIAL: Exhibition marks collieries' closure", "Version 5, Change in Claimant Count / Unemployment rate in the borough", University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, "Tyne, (River) including Moorings and Marinas up to Newcastle". It was taken in 1963. lots of rides and you can get a ticket to ride most rides for a set price. To my horror, they slipped down and were all broken and dripping from the bag. from Yorkshire. As with other resorts tourism is a large part of the town's economy: to attract tourists the town has an extensive network of cycle paths and walking trails; a promenade; parks-and-gardens; fairground rides; amusement arcades, crazy golf, laser tag, a miniature steam railway; boating lake; a ten-pin bowling centre and an amphitheatre.[35][36]. There used to be tons upon tons of sprats swimming up and down the river then. [citation needed], There is a frequent pedestrian ferry service to North Shields on the opposite bank of the Tyne. And you can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. It serves as the headquarters of South Tyneside Council. The Flashbak Shop Is Open & Selling All Good Things. One peaceful Sunday afternoon (the date was Sept: 17th 1944 ), Chris and his friends, aged about 11 years old witnessed hundreds of men dropping from the sky, some in gliders and some by parachute. When he wasn't flying around the room he was on my head being carried. The undertaker went as pale as the corpse and a fierce argument began. Long trains arrived, which were the length of Whitley Bay station platform, to be met by boys with their bogies. Play in the arcades or the We were returning home when the sirens started. This photograph shows the display for Fenwicks, for all your Christmas presents. in Fenwicks department store in Newcastle upon Tyne. The South Pier was finished in 1895 and its lighthouse was operational that same year (it was equipped with a third-order fixed optic and a clockwork occulting mechanism, by Chance Brothers & Co.). Explore the areas you know before the railways, roads and places you know became what they are today. At the end of the march we were all given an orange. This form part of the Hadrian's Wall World Heritage Site. my-life pastimes-entertainment schooldays, It was so clean that Newcastle University made a study of his methods, After about a week a pretty usherette approached me and asked was I the new person working with Fred. Yes I have a dark side, doesnt everyone? A photograph of one of the football teams at Linskill School. I literally had to lock the doors and hand in the keys, One corner was lined from ceiling to floor with finely pleated white linen. We had passed the fried mouse in a stew stage (a sure cure for bronchitis) by the 1930s. Gowan (that was the ferry's name). Kitty Brightwells memories of living in Jesmond Dene in the 1930s. However, over time, attitudes to Yemenis in the town were softened and there was no significant recurrence of this violence. It was taken in 1962. Fish cakes in those days were two slabs of potato sandwiched with flaked fish, and the whole lot dipped in batter and fried. St Cuthbert's (North Shields) Catholic Church football team. It was taken in 1962. Hills the hardware shop was an Aladdins cave. We had a Cinema Club, although I seem to remember that most of the films were Laurel and Hardy. celebrations-events childhood my-life schooldays. In this photograph shoppers look at the festive displays at Callers department store in Newcastle upon Tyne. It has six miles of coastline and three miles of river frontage, dominated by the massive North and South Piers at the mouth of the Tyne. Terms & Conditions of Use Sometimes I would run to school and use the bus fare to buy sweets or broken biscuits at Kidd's shop. . Not necessarily interesting to others, but since Im asked; We arrived home with all three of us soaking wet - while the four people inside the car were warm and dry. How many black bullets could we take from my father s jar before he noticed theyd gone? His nurse had to bar the door to stop us escaping. This photograph shows children as they meet Father Christmas in Santas Grotto, Fenwicks department store. The main reason for the Yemeni arrival was the supply of seamen, such as engine room firemen, to British merchant vessels. People, being hard up, loved to see the gasman coming. [44][45] This very unusual lighthouse resembling a 1940s sci-fi movie space craft was built by Newcastle-upon-Tyne Trinity House in 1882 (ownership was passed to the Tyne Improvement Commission the following year). We would walk for miles around Forest Hall selling fish. Parents were only allowed to look through a window and were not allowed onto the ward to see their bairns. Gift time at Binns. This is a 35mm slide. Poultices on boils - hot bread or onion and sugar. Coming home from school, I turned into our street to see a huge silver barage balloon wedged sideways in the street. I spent 15 months of my apprenticeship on board that ship. The length of your dress was measured with your shoes on, and it had to have so many pleats round. 1925, 3-Map Boxed Set This is a 35mm slide. Sign up for our newsletters. The photos were taken by South Shields amateur photographer Ronald Sanderson and his wife Mabel and given to the South Shields Museum . The side currently play in the Northern Premier League's Premier Division after winning promotion to it in 2018, the seventh tier of English Football. This is a 35mm slide. [17] Nearly all of the ethnic minority population in South Tyneside is concentrated in South Shields town centre and suburban areas immediately to the south such as Rekendyke and Westoe. You can browse through the collection or, if youre looking for something specific, you can use the search facility below. Ocean Beach Pleasure Park. On Sundays a big crowd of people used to gather at Marshis Ice Cream Parlour at the top of the High Street. It was taken in 1962. Given its beautiful setting, parks and trees, this street was often the setting for a number of books by the novelist Catherine Cookson. Don't miss other visitors' Memories and maybe connect with those who have shared their memories - you may even know the names, or learn more about the locality. Our family was poor as pee but all I remember is having fun. In July when the mackerel were abundant, Ross could catch up to a hundred big fish in one session. celebrations-events health house-home my-life pastimes-entertainment shops-shopping transport working-life. However, Yemenis have been in South Shields a lot longer. As barbers go, Rudi was irresistible to us teenagers. By 1961 another two farmers had lost most of their land and a great new estate was thriving on it. South Shields benefits from significant public and private sector investment. enquiry@rememberingthepast.co.uk, Remembering the Past [60][61] However this school closed in 2020. A shovel full of coals was brought upstairs, still merrily burning, to ignite the newspaper and sticks tidily laid in the grate. If you enjoy what we do, please consider becoming a patron with a recurring monthly subscription of your choosing. From 1985 to 2009 the area marketed itself as "Catherine Cookson Country", which attracted many visitors. Ellen thought that when she went to the corner shop on the corner of Rudyerd Street for her mother that the shopping she got was free! No hospital exam was necessary then. South Shields in the 1950s: Ten Years that Changed a Town, by Eileen Burnett. It was taken in 1963. One winters day the travellers were so cosy in the waiting room that they were unaware of the train having stopped, and then moved on! I had often used the old B.A. They were run off mains electricity (the gas lights being retained as an emergency standby). This photograph is part of a set that has been created to celebrate the opening of South Tyneside Council's new leisure centre, Haven Point, on 28 October. Play in the arcades or the We went to the funpark but it was closed. This broadly centre-right party was formed in the 1950s to address hostility towards the Conservative Party. If it was a cowboy picture they would play fast, if it was a love scene the music would be slow and romantic. of We just romped about the place as youngsters never thinking of time we just played and played and played. celebrations-events childhood fashion shops-shopping. Past. I used to hold concerts and buy wool for people to knit for the forces. The store cloed in 2008. Website hand-made by Frith, since 1998. Elsie Wilkinson recalls New York village in the first half of the 20th century as a thriving busy place with many shops and farms. We would go three or four times a week, sometimes twice on Monday. Another industry that was introduced, was that of salt-panning, later expanded upon in the 15th century, polluting the air and surrounding land. I purchased what I believe is a needle holder, leather, with gold writing. The butter boat used to go past our front room window. Population data from the 2011 United Kingdom Census return classifies South Shields as a medium-sized coastal town. If you were going somewhere special you'd put a bit of soot in, to make the teeth sparkle. At night, each child was given one sweet, but not if they were diabetic! The yard belonged to Catty Nelly and the cats and kittens were her kids so to speak. From HMS Ganges I got my first posting to a ship - but what a ship! This is a 35mm slide. But, away from the 50s, of course, there is much to the towns rich story. On Saturday morning I used to clean six doorsteps in our street and put rubbing stone on the edges. New housing estates and factories were built, bringing increased prosperity to the area. flexible offerings for business. The Groyne shows an occulting light which marks a safe entrance course between the piers, showing white to a vessel approaching from seaward on the correct course, green to a vessel off-course to the north, and red to one off-course to the south. The UKs leading archive and publisher of local photographs Something went wrong, please try again later. It was taken in 1964. The trouble was getting the money off the clients after Christmas. So she said, "well work your way up". The latest issues were added in Dec 27, 2022 . For some unknown reason, we used to put flour on burns, which was horrendous, but that was the remedy at the time. A poetic look back at a trip from Newcastle to the coast in the 1920s. Registered charity no. Recently, the town were also represented by Harton & Westoe C.W. We dreaded the nit nurse, but she was not as bad as your mother armed with the dickey comb. My father wasn't impressed - he was busy with the roses in the front garden. When it comes out of the frying pan - It brings happiness to your eyes. How could anyone make such a mess of the traditional hot cross bun? Currant scones, with money wrapped in greaseproof paper in some of them, were a great attraction. What a wonderful sight there were eggs everywhere you looked! The river at this time was bursting at the seams with ships carrying cargo or being repaired. I went to St Cuthbert's in the West End of Newcastle, but my local friends all went to Longbenton High. It was such a novelty to see a car in those days it was put into a car showroom window while he went to the match. A trip to Kays the Sweety Shop saw all our money spent. On Tuesdays, the Cullercoats fish wife called, wearing her navy blue serge skirt and carrying her creel. house-home my-life pastimes-entertainment working-life. . As most were too big to get through the filter system, now and again we got some good sized whiting, haddock and cod that had no escape and were doomed anyway. They also have a women's team who play in the fifth tier of the Women's pyramid, the North East Regional Women's League Premier Division. celebrations-events shops-shopping working-life. My grandmother never drank, but always carried a miniature bottle of brandy in her shopping bag for medicinal purposes. Nothing can break the human spirit as long as you can have a good laugh. Because of my experience I worked at Tynemouth Infirmary. We were young and indestructible. Climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. 15 memories of South Shields to read. We lived for the pictures. Leg tan was a thick liquid and you had to keep it even or you had blotchy legs. Salvation Army, free from sin, we all went to heaven in a corned beef tin. 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s, During the air raids, we used to use the culvert. Imagine the futility of car spotting these days. "Bliddy mackerel" he roared, giving me a clip across the ear, "go back tomorrow and get some herring"! South Shields County Borough Education Committee: minutes 1955-59 Gosforth UDC: new street expenses 1937-80, file on extension of the Coast Road 1972 . The barracks were glorified mud huts, made with a combination of rubble, straw, soil and camel dung. This will bring up all of the stories that you can listen to. My childhood was an idyllic one and St. Josephs played a major part in this. This is a 35mm slide. [42] The pier is 5,150ft (1,570m) long (accessible from South Shields seafront, it is open to the public except in bad weather). Mother hated it when I brought a goldfish home! The new school was built at a cost of 19 million on the King George V School site and was opened in September 2011. It was a long haul with 3rd rate equipment. In 1930 we played in the Tyneside Senior League and had a reputation for encouraging young, talented players. The town's museum & art gallery, includes a permanent exhibition dedicated to the life and times of Catherine Cookson. Anyone living along the line could hitch a ride from Backworth down to Percy Main! Events. Parcels for the station, thrown from passing trains, sometimes missed and ended up in our garden! old photos of south shields. celebrations-events my-life pastimes-entertainment working-life. [105] It is currently held by Emma Lewell-Buck who won the seat in a by-election held on 3 May 2013 which had been triggered by the retirement from politics of the previous incumbent David Miliband, who had served as Foreign Secretary in the government of Gordon Brown. I used to do shopping for other people, and Id get a 1d for going. I really missed my lovely friends and neighbours when we moved into a house with a bathroom and a garden and a dog. Longbenton was one big, muddy building site! The beaches were full of people. I was released from Scaffold Hill isolation hospital, with the hope of never returning to what seemed more like a prison than a hospital. Binns occupied two different locations until it closed its doors in 1996. This photograph shows the Tynemouth Police First Aid team of 1956 in the Muster Rooms after winning a trophy in 1956. It was taken in 1963. The Shields Ferry carries tens of thousands of commuters and pleasure trippers each year. They make wonderful, unique and personal gifts for almost any occasion. We ran races along the sands and played cricket and rounders. This is the window of Waring and Gillow, Newcastle upon Tyne. It was taken in 1965. 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s. it was taken in 1966. It is the fourth largest settlement in Tyne and Wear; after Newcastle upon Tyne, Sunderland and Gateshead.[1]. Whenever I asked the time it would always say "One o'clock". of I used to love to go out with the carts and then take the horses to their stables, childhood house-home my-life working-life. BLYTH SPARTANS v WILLINGTON . Binns department store, Newcastle upon Tyne, was bought as James Coxon & Co Ltd in 1929 and incorporated into Henry Binns empire. Newcastle upon Tyne The wall separated the schoolyard from the old cemetery. The date was 3 September 1939. There were other girls like me on the base, two or three pregnant at the same time as me. I told them I have to live here and they have to come into my shop so they got more friendly. South Shields, Tyne and Wear Old Photos, Historic Maps, Local History Books and Memories of South Shields Frith photos prompt happy memories of our personal history, so enjoy this trip down memory lane with our old photos, historic maps, local history books, and memories of South Shields.