Like Tinsel On The Christmas Tree

I spoke to my aunt Doreen earlier today. The main purpose of the call was to see how she was but in passing I threw a few names at her; would she recognise such names as: Nora Jackson, Jacky Watson, Billy Nattrass, Barbara Shuker, Angela Wilson, George Graham, Phyllis Mountain, Ruby Watson, Noreen Dixon and Dorothy Elliot? Well the short answer is no, apart from Barbara Shuker. Barbara is mentioned briefly elsewhere on site and there is a photograph of a Ruby on site - same one?

Doreen could recall Joan Thompson as well as people called Clark and Rothwell - all of whom lived opposite her, that is over the road from the pit. She also recalled a lady called Milly Mountain as living opposite the Working Men's club in Station Road - possibly in Ushaw Villas. She could also, just about, remember a Brough's employee called Jackson. Was the person who owned that store called Brough or Broughs? I never know where to put the apostrophe when writing the name. Obviously I have guessed the name was Brough!

In passing, Doreen mentioned that she had recently spoken to Maureen Peel in a local store. I was in the same class as Maureen;  she was like tinsel on the Christmas tree, that is, a lovely girl - not noisy but certainly an attentive scholar. That reference to tinsel is not meant to be a sexist comment - in the manner of a Victorian gentleman treating a women as decorative chattel! I would not describe Edith Smith as tinsel but she was also a lovely girl and a very good scholar. Yes Edith, Pauline Newman and Maureen were good scholars. Edith and Pauline were full of chatter, chatter and more chatter. They were smashing girls - once seen and heard, never forgotten!   

As it stands at the moment I have three articles planned for the site - one for each of October, November and December. So between now and October it would be nice to have a brand new 'author' on site.  Just think, a nice new shiny site for your imaginative articles or musings about Ushaw Moor. Have a laugh or shed a tear - bring it on for all to hear. Groan.

WB