George Holliday

See the reply buttons regarding the article published on 12/01/2009 [Hitler, Soccer Gleghorn and More]. Mr Holliday is interested in hearing about John Ramm, Raymond Race, Nora Jackson, Greta Turnbull, Robin Proctor and any other people that recall him.

WB

They Came From Far And Wide

This effort is not an essay. It is not a tightly worded academic piece that has been tooled and crafted with assistance from a dictionary, much inner reflection and a shot of received wisdom. Rather it is another one of my brainstorming 'let 'em have it'  short articles that may bring anything ranging from shame to universal praise - or  perhaps more realistically - disbelieving silence. Whatever the response, if there is one, it is eagerly awaited. Those dreaded noughts, that are frequently associated with reply boxes, have seldom got me down.

Many men came from far and wide to work at the mine, although the majority came from County Durham. Their main desire was to make money and their chief asset was brawny strength. In the 1880s they were subjected to a mine owner who was armed with some negative Victorian attitudes. That obnoxious demand for deference existed in and around the colliery and perhaps a smattering of Thomas Carlyle's influence was also in the air. Reports indicate that Chaytor's appointed manager, Robinson, often behaved in an out of control manner.I would have loved to down a pint with him at The Flass and chat with a view to understanding his view points. As for the  workers, and their families, they deserved much better. They had a  traumatic time until Chaytor tired of it and left the scene.  A detailed account of the mining dispute at Ushaw Moor is on site.

A  fair share of the young women soon left Ushaw Moor to enter domestic service. Some  employers barely understand them and some even thought that they were wild and unworldly -in relation to their comfortable world anyway.

This was the time when many girls did not know where babies came from, but suspected that a kiss might produce one or more children nine months later. Moving on into the early 20th century one of my favourites, Marie Stopes, saw how badly treated women were and sought to provide information and family planning clinics.Stopes wrote a book called Married Love which, amongst other things, demanded more refinement and consideration from men in their relationship to women. She enabled some women to be empowered, although I believe in the early days it was largely middle class women that took advantage of her information, facilities and inspiration. Marie Stopes was a  somewhat flawed individual but nevertheless a brilliant one. Guardian readers voted her woman of the millenium at the end of the 20th century. They were probably right to do so.

WB

Delve Into The Comment Boxes

The casual Internet surfer, albeit with Ushaw Moor connections, might easily miss little gems. A case in point are the recent details supplied by Alf Rothwell and John Graham in their responses to the article published on the 17th of March that started - Debate the 7......

There are other gems hidden away in replies to main posts so I recommend that you do not neglect to read the comments boxes!

WB

David Simpson

David is a very accomplished author and journalist. He clearly loves the North East and you can find out much more about him and his output at www.northeastengland.talktalk.net/DavidSimpsonHistory.htm 

Actually there seems to be a problem with the above link so instead just type: David Simpson North East - in a Google search box and up will come several sites featuring him. I like the very first one - it features a lot about the North East, with some fine pictures.  

WB

School Log Book 1899

You may be interested in this item. I recently stumbled across the Siver Tree Primary School site at www.silvertreeprimary.co.uk . On entry to the site go to  - Old Photos and Documents - for access to an extract from the Ushaw Moor Junior School log and some pictures.

WB

Perhaps One Of Them Was Sleeping In Your Bedroom 118 years ago?

Phillip Illingworth was originally from Rainton and was living at 16 Whitehouse Lane all those years ago. Meanwhile at 19 Whitehouse Lane Wilkinson Oxley was most probably sleeping like a lamb. Yorkshireman John Kirby probably had a quiet drink of something before  retiring to bed at 21 Whitehouse Lane.

Philip, Wilkinson, and John were not always sleepy; being workers at a local pit they no doubt worked very hard indeed.

WB

Large families

While doing my family history I was looking at the 1911 census which has just come on line, My grt grandad Stephen Vasey who was one of 15 children to Thomas Vasey had previously lived in Dale street Ushaw Moor, he had now got married to Hannah Graveling and according to the census they have moved in with the Graveling family at 343 Broompark, this was a two bedroom house with 14 people living there. What luxuxry we all live in these days.

Edward Vasey

Durham Amateur Football Trust

With the very kind cooperation of Crook Town Football Club the trust are organising a weekend of under 14 football on July 18th and 19th at Crook's Millfield ground. The idea is to make today's youth aware of the importance local football had to 'ordinary' people in the immediate post-war years and to record the successes of County Durham's teams in a national competition. Trust committee man, Tom Kelly, has contacted teams  to take part in the colours of the four Northern League clubs who played at the old Wembley Stadium in the FA Amateur Cup Final during the 50s and 60s. They will wear replica shirts of the period. For more details  of the trust's work visit its website  at www.thedaft.org.uk   

Why not become a member of the trust?

WB

Dixon Of Dock Green And The Lone Ranger

Those were two of my favourite television programmes in the 1950s. I loved old Jack Warner, not only for his portrayal of Dixon, but also for his role as Mr Hugget in 'Meet the Huggets'.  Dixon of Dock Green came to our screens in 1955 and although it did not have the realism of Z Cars, and The Bill, it was very reassuring as a child to see Dixon solve a crime or comment about the criminal characters; they all seemed to specialize in petty larceny.

Ofcourse growing up brings reality and we witnessed the battle between miners and police in the miners' strike of the 80s - if only on our  television screens. It was not pretty and much removed from Dixon. Were there really a number of policemen waiving fivers at the half starving miners in one almighty taunt? Stranger things have happened and are happening right now!  This is emphatically not a rant at the police, afterall the large majority of them do a fine and admirable job, nevertheless I really cannot understand why a police constable commands c35k a year even after ten years service. That figure is astonishing to me but good luck to them because their job can be dangerous from time to time, or all the time for a few of them, depending upon their locality.

Clayton Moore was The Lone Ranger when I enjoyed the programme . He was partnered by Jay Silverheels as Tonto. All good stuff. I recall seeing it on television just before listening to the football results on the 'wireless'. My wife still calls it the wireless and I like that so much that I call it the wireless to! De dum De dum... here are today's football results Fulham 2 Derby County 0 - ah well what are we going to have for tea mum? Meat sandwiches and jelly.

WB

Culture Clash Between Coalminers And University People?

A fairly distant member of my family collected a galaxy of glittering prizes from his university but a few of the miners in our family sometimes expressed how disconnected he was from their daily lives and conversations. Being rather impressionable I absorbed and accepted this criticism of the 'family scholar' without evaluating the merit of their point of view. Lately it has been put to me that the 'scholar' was actually a rather shy and reserved person prior to the beginning of his middle age. Could the miners not have contemplated the  possibility of that? In any case could it not be that a youngish man, armed with glittering educational prizes, would find the world of the miner somewhat uninteresting? 

 In truth a substantial benefit from higher education ought to be a cultivated interest in, and tolerance of, all honourable people, whatever their 'station' in life, but that is easier said than done and can take time to achieve.

You will already know that  family history can be a learning process and is not just a chart of names going back to Tudor times [I would be so lucky!]. Were things what they seemed to be? Are you sure?

WB

Debate the '7'/Pigeons/Genner/Scott Family

Well we have two more candidates for the Magnificent 7 list: Dr Millyard and Billy Dawson. Let's hope for more!

With regards to pigeons I would be very pompous and ill informed to write about that subject when faced with the decades of knowledge that Alf Rothwell has about the subject. One of the best websites specializing in pigeons is at www.forum.pigeonbasics.com and as a matter of fact Alf has contributed to that very good site himself.

Sticking briefly with pigeons I note that  last year a chap called Gary mentioned on a website - I forget which one - that he would be pleased to hear from anyone who may be related to him. He pointed out that his wider  family lived in the Bearpark and Ushaw Moor locality and included such surnames as Holliday, Harrison, Turner, Pearson and Rothwell. One name that seems to stick in my mind regarding pigeons is Mcaleavey or similiar - that may well be an incorrect spelling - Alf will probably know whether that name has Ushaw Moor pigeon connections.

You may recall that I gave a Mr Aaron Genner a mention or two in an article regarding the year 1928. Does anyone know of the Genner family for historical purposes? I know that there were two Aaron Genner's in the locality back in 1900 - believe it or not! It may be that Aaron's wife was called Mary.

The Scott family lived in 20 Unthank Terrace, Sleetburn about 50 years before I did. Just to remind you I lived their in the late 1940s and 50s. The Scott family  was large - comprising: husband Samuel, wife Sarah and their nine children - John, William, Ellen, Mary, Sarah, Samuel, Abel, Lily and Charlotte. Any current trace of their descendents in the Deerness Valley?  

WB

Ushaw Moor's Magnificent 7?

To be truthful I am not best qualified to compile such a list but I have had a go anyway - to hopefully start things off!  Yes the magnificent seven of all time. A list of residents that have made a difference to the village at sometime during the last hundred years plus.  Just for fun why not contribute your own list?

My list in order of merit:

1 All Ushaw Moor's Pit Wives

2  Jack Joyce

3  John Thomas Hope

4  Ebenezer Shuker

5 Lilian Sowerby MBE

6 Philip Stoddart

7 Norman 'Soccer' Gleghorn

We’re still in tune after 60 years

GazetteLive - Middlesbrough,UK The couple, both 81, of Severn Road, Redcar, were childhood sweethearts in County Durham and married in St Luke’s Church, Ushaw Moor, on March 12, 1949. ...

Read MORE

If Witton Park Can Do It So Can Ushaw Moor

Almost nine years ago  Witton Park had a fantastic reunion. A huge number of people, filled with community spirit and joy, returned from far and wide e.g. Australia, New Zealand, America, Holland, Belgium, Zambia and all parts of the UK. It was a joyous and wonderful reunion. Dale Daniel organised it by using the power of the Internet. Has Ushaw Moor got a 'Dale Daniel' that can produce something similiar for Ushaw Moor?

I can see it now: it's the year 2010. There is a big marquee on the Ushaw Moor football pitch [is it still there or is it a housing estate now?] drinks supplied by Ushaw Moor Cricket Club - thus providing them with a tidy sum for cricket equipment - a photographic section for viewing old pictures and creating new ones plus the finest of music to suit all tastes. We could even get the Tees Valley Jazzmen to perform - now they are a good bunch of musicians!  Sunshine will be the order of the day with many half recognized people and old friends to chat with.....

What do you think? Who is the Dale Daniel of Ushaw Moor? It has to be someone living in or reasonably close to Ushaw Moor - so it cannot be me. Mind you I would attend! 

WB

A Blank Sheet Of Paper

A blank sheet of paper combined with spontaneous writing can be a dangerous thing but let us wait and see. Here we go!

For the last three years I have had immense fun researching and writing for this site but inevitably there has been an opportunity cost. It is not exactly a case of do I work in the garden or write an article? Nevertheless you hopefully get the drift of my thinking. I believe I have a reasonable understanding of how a north eastern mining village ticked so perhaps it is time to move on just a bit.

I find the immediate past and present ever absorbing. For example I attend a play reading group - largely women who need me and one other male participant to take the romantic or evil roles! Well the Monday before last two of the women performed absolutely brilliantly- infact I told them that I would have paid thirty pounds to hear them. They were sensational.

The following Wednesday I attended a local church bible reading class called a 'Beta Group'. In recent years I suppose I have become their resident agnostic verging on atheist. It is fascinating to experience the group's exploration of Church of England dogma and how they respond to my questioning of the same.  They tell me that non believers have no moral code and as a consequence tyranny is inevitable. All breathtaking stuff! My centre piece question is to ask them whether they think it reasonable for God to have produced a world based on a food chain that results in trillions of animals frightened out of their wits on a daily basis. Many of them are ofcourse eaten, animals that is not Christians. If a food chain was the only way to have advanced life dominated by humans surely it would have been better not to have bothered.

Of late I have been studying the Stuart period at a nearby university. What does it tell me? It tells me that devious plots, cruelty, abuse of women, greed and goodness knows what are characteristics of life that just go round and round. There is hope for mankind though! By thinking out of the box, nurturing loving relationships and ignoring bigotry we can just be fine. Sadly I believe there is a fat chance of getting an agreement on that.

Which brings me around to pigeons.I know a lad that can tell us a lot about the importance of those flyers to the local mining community of past and present. No names no pack drill.

WB

Sammy And Freda Crooks

Sammy was the most famous professional footballer to come out of the Deerness Valley. He was born in Bearpark on the 16th of January 1908 and my understanding is that he was one of seventeen children. He had a spell with Tow Law, as well as Durham City, but in  1927  he signed for Derby County. His first game for Derby - known as  the Rams - was in a 2-1 win over Leicester City.

He became one of the very best outside rights in the English game and in 1930 he got his reward with a debut for England against Scotland. For the record the score in that game was England 5 Scotland 2. In the following year he scored twice against Spain in a 7-1 victory! The first serious challenge to Sammy's place in the England team came from a man called Stanley Matthews - have you heard of him? Mind you I understand that once a judge stated that he had never heard of the Beatles so there is no absolute certainty that you have heard of Stan Matthews, or Sammy for that matter.

Sammy Crooks and Raich Carter formed a very good partnership in the Derby team but very unfortunately Sammy sustained an injury and missed out on playing in the very first FA Cup Final after WW2 - in which Derby beat Charlton Athletic 4-1, after extra time.

All in all Sammy scored 101 goals for Derby in 408 games. After hanging up his boots he had several spells as a manager  ie with Retford Town, Shrewsbury Town, Gresley Rovers, Burton Albion and Heanor Town. Sammy was at one time Chief Scout for Derby and also spent many years serving as Secretary of the  Football Players Union. Sammy is sadly no longer with us having died at the age of seventy three.

Sammy's wife, Freda, dedicated a huge part of her life to teaching children and many others to swim. Although she had retired as a swimming teacher at Derbyshire County Council, when 64, she then went on to teach at a sports centre. She really was dedicated to teaching swimming and did it with great distinction!

Freda was an avid Derby fan right up to her death at the grand old age of 96. Yes -  she had good taste.

I did actually ring her about 12 or more years ago because of a what seemed to be a horror story in my family. I was encouraged by one of them to believe that my great grandfather possessed one of Sammy's football caps. I later found out that Sammy had one of his caps stolen. I panicked a bit at the thought that my great grandfather had possible secured one of Sammy's caps in doubtful circumstances. I  telephoned Freda and she confirmed that a cap had been stolen but she assured me that it could not have been my great grandfather that had done the dastardly deed! Family honour was saved and I felt guilty to even doubt my great grandfather; afterall he  was a fine man himself - a gentleman infact!

WB

Woolton Pie

World War Two brought rationing and a need to be clever and creative regarding  food for the table - whether you lived in Exeter or Ushaw Moor! Woolton pie was a creation of a Savoy Hotel chef and it was named after Lord Woolton, who was head of the Ministry of Food.

A version of Woolton Pie:

1lb of diced potatoes, 1lb of diced cauliflower, 1lb of diced carrots, 3 spring onions, 1 teaspoon of oatmeal, a little chopped parsley and then add anything else that you might have, can spare and think suitable.

Cooking method:

Cook everything together for about ten minutes with just enough water to cover it. Stir often to prevent it sticking to the pan. Let it cool. Spoon it all into a pie dish and then sprinkle it with chopped parsley. Cover with a crust of potatoes or wholemeal pastry. Bake in a modest oven until golden brown. Serve hot with gravy.

Good luck - WB

Some Mining Personnel Of Old

Direct memories of its coalmine are fast fading in the village. Quite a few of the current generation are  employed in the service industry and covet designer goods rather than work in a dangerous and dirty mine with jam sandwiches at 'bait' time. Perhaps that is a good thing! I wonder if the following details are of some interest to the 'young ones' [as Cliff would describe them]:

The Colliery Manager, before Nationalization in 1947, was responsible to the colliery owner's agent. He had to complete monthly and annual reports, construct plans and create estimates. He required a very good knowledge of mining engineering - even though he would have  professional engineers on site to cover electrical and mechanical aspects of the mining operations. He would have an under manager; I believe that after WW2 many of the newer under managers were ex university men. If you look on the Durham Mining Museum site you will have the opportunity to take one of the old colliery management exam papers -  set over a hundred years ago, if my memory serves me right.

Overmen could be described as supervisors. Their main aim was to ensure good coal outputs. They allocated work and monitored the number of men working for pay purposes. They kept an eye on conditions in the mine and ensured that the right materials were available at the right time. They were often wary of the manager and supported each other by 'covering each others backs' when necessary!

Deputies were usually promoted from the hewers , that is from the winners of coal.By their nature they were trusted and respected. They were required to write reports and keep the Overman aware of the conditions in the mine. Part of their role was to remove redundant props and that made it one of the most dangerous jobs in the pit because of the danger of roof collapse. A significant number of deputies were accidentally killed over the years.

Hewers were brave and super energetic coal producers - often over 21 years old. They dug the coal out and filled it into the coal tubs  provided by what was called the 'putter'. For the sake of brevity I am not going to descibe developments in mechanized coal getting - such as shearers etc.

Some of the workers around the colliery yard included masons, fitters, joiners, painters, tub menders, saddlers, farriers and electricians.

It was a very important industry and  the jewel in the crown that made the Industrial Revolution possible. Without coal miners the young ones of today would very probably not be part of an advanced nation. Even people on welfare benefits are wealthy compared to the vast majority of humans on this planet of ours and much of that is surely down to the heritage of coal  and  the raw courage of the miners.

WB

Brief Notes On 1967 And More On The Bucket List

In 1967  Ushaw Moor Cricket Club entertained Etherley Cricket Club.The Moor batted first and reached a modest total of 123. It would have been less had it not been for Alan Bibby's 33 runs and Jimmy Dumighan's undefeated 26. In reply Etherley succumbed to almost a  one man bowling display from George Delap: he took 7 wickets for 43 runs. Ushaw Moor won by 29 runs.

In the same year that  illustrious local - Jack Joyce - passed away.

It was a good year for the Ushaw Moor 'A' Team in the Durham Morning Sunday Football League - in that it  finished runners up in the second division. Two years later it finished champions of the league's first division.

You might have read my reference to the 'Bucket List' in my article entitled 'This and That'. The big question is do we grow old gracefully or as magnificently as talent, time and money permit? I have been looking at the next twelve months and wondering whether my plans are exciting yet realistic. Yes the plans are exciting because I think they are - it is all about approach and enthusiasm. What parameters should I set myself and what should my considerations be? Well I believe that any 'annual Bucket List' should, in totality, include a mixture of activities such as: physical exercise, mental exercise, creativity, practicality and some shared activities with my far better half. Having worked all that out the hard work begins - but I will only make it a recurring theme on this site if you specifiically request it. It is a memories site after all!

WB

A Bunch Of Flowers

I have just a bit of scented name dropping this evening - of the Edwardian kind as follows:

Sleetburn: Daisy Hume, Lily Hutchinson, Lily Jackson, Lily Harrison, Lily Adamson, Rose Elliott, Violet Jackson, Violet Teeder

Ushaw Moor: Lily Johnson, Violet Fitcher, Violet Herron.

Any connections?

WB

This And That

1902 - First a bit of name dropping; it rarely brings a response but you never know. Three of Sleetburn’s skilled workers in Edwardian times were William Smith [butcher] A. Gardiner [female typewriter assistant] and Edward Butler [bricklayer]. Does anyone recognize them?

Circa 1957 Mackay’s Sports Club 5 Ushaw Moor 1 [HT 0-1]. That was a cup final played at Ferens Park. Clearly it all went wrong in the second half. Can anyone name any of the players that day? Soccer Gleghorn stated in 1998 that he did not have any knowledge of that particular game.

How is the sweet tooth in the Deerness Valley? My favourite is Spotted Dick and custard. Would you believe that its popularity comes and goes? More startling is the fact that some people objected to the pudding’s name and therefore renamed it Spotted Richard – how utterly ridiculous! Some people seem to be frightened of their own shadows. Those of you that are familiar with my writing will be aware of the motive behind my choice – naked nostalgia. Spotted Dick and naked nostalgia – I have just made myself laugh. I do not get any better do I? My second favourite is New York Cheese Cake, but only a version that can be ordered in a particular Kingston-Upon-Thames restaurant.

Speaking of New York brings to mind Maggie Blue – not that she lives there - but she is, if my memory serves me right, American. Maggie has contributed to the site from time to time and loves writing. One of her books is about Ushaw Moor and within the plot is a murder – so watch out. I think she sometimes blends Sherlock Holmes into her writing as well as the Cumbria Police Force - so occasionally I get a bit confused – but I am convinced that she has writing talent. Maggie is not the only person to feature Ushaw Moor: A Durham University club, specializing in all that is mediaeval, claimed that Ushaw Moor was attacked in those times. We know that cannot be.

Have you noticed that as you get older time seems to go more quickly? Of course you have! But why is that the case? Is it simply that as you get older each year is less of a slice of your whole life and therefore seems to go more quickly? I mean to a five year old another added year is still a big chunk of a six year old’s life whereas at the age of seventy that is not the case. Is it more to do with the routine in your life? For those older people that have similar days – day in day out –Groundhog almost – then time would seem to go more quickly - or would it?

Bucket time – no not kicking the bucket – have you not seen the film? Two elderly and incurably ill people decide to spend the remainder of their lives in exciting fashion. It is all made possible because of the wealth and resource of one of them – played by Jack Nicholson. They dream up wonderful and exciting things to do, and do them. What would be on your bucket time list? Mine? Being well read, well dressed and with good posture! Not just those things of course. I would love to visit New Zealand and laugh a lot more than I do. I would like to have a couple of pints with Terry Webster the old Derby County goalkeeper -he played for them from the late 40s up to and including 1957. He has seen them all including Frank Swift and Billy Steel. I would also like to have a chat with Eric Sykes although that would be a bit difficult because Eric is pretty deaf these days. I would like to spend a fortnight walking in the Lake District – eat good food as a reward for ten mile walks - and try the beers. I would love to be a percussionist with the London Symphony Orchestra – in fact any orchestra! The list might seem very conservative but that is only because I have much good fortune today and have experienced quite a lot already.

I have spent the last seven years studying religion part time. One of the things that puzzles me is the popularity of having eternal life. I do not understand it. Many of us, especially in the western world, are so lucky to be alive that asking for, or expecting, eternal life is just greedy. That brings me on to sin. I am human and therefore I am flawed – but I have not sinned this week – perhaps I will have better luck next week.

Did you like that Alfie? Which reminds me: Derby forever Newcastle never. Gentle humour that is all it is  – I have a soft spot for Jackie Milburn.

WB

I Get it Alf I Get It

Thanks Alf for you kind and generous response to my 'end of an era' article. As a result I have had another look at my commitments and dropped something else instead - so you win. I know that Paul is making quite an effort to attract a few more writers so we can both live in hope that he manages to find them. Meanwhile I will continue to contribute at least once a month.