Gran, Granda, Dad (David Meek), Aunty Elisabeth - Trafalgar Square 1947 - Submitted by David Meek

[caption id="attachment_4870" align="alignnone" width="509"] Gran, Granda, Dad (David Meek), Aunty ElisabethTrafalgar Square 1947 - Submitted by David Meek[/caption]

Gran, Granda, Dad (David Meek), Aunty ElisabethTrafalgar Square 1947 -  by David Meek

Kenneth Clegg with Dog Shandy - Submitted by David Meek

[caption id="attachment_4867" align="alignnone" width="456"] Kenneth Clegg with dog Shandy[/caption]

Keneth Clegg with my dads dog Shandy - David Meek

David Meek with Alfie Rothwell 1956 - Submitted by David Meek

[caption id="attachment_4862" align="alignnone" width="517"] David Meek 19 yrs old with Alfie Rothwell 1956[/caption]

Photo courtesy of David Meek - Sorry for quality of PHOTO, tried to re-touch as best I can. (Paul :)

 

David Meek with Kenneth Clegg Oakridge Road - Submitted by David Meek

[caption id="attachment_4859" align="alignnone" width="511"] David Meek with Kenneth Clegg Oakridge Road[/caption]

Photo courtesy of David Meek. Date Unknown

John Wigham, New Brancepeth Hotel And Scouts House Farm

In February 1875 a John Wigham was accidentally crushed to death by a steam thresher which he was assisting to move at Cockhouse Farm, Ushaw Moor. The name Wigham is fairly well established in the area: Ron Nightingale referred to a John Wigham on this site on 09/01/2013 and Olga Bradley recalled that particular Wigham as being a big lad. Ron's view was that Wigham was not such a big lad, although he conceded that he was bigger than him! I wonder whether the two John Wigham's in this piece are related - 50/50 I guess.

I recall the New Brancepeth Hotel of the 40s and 50s. In the 50s, if my memory serves me right, Ada Bainbridge [a relation of mine] was running it.  She did run it for a period. Much later she became a civil servant employed in London and it was during that period she became an innocent and injured victim of the Brixton Riots.

Back in the 1890s and 1900s the hotel was run by the Bewley family. Down the years their family tradition dictated that several of them were called Samuel. The landlord in 1891 was Samuel Bewley and his wife was called Mary. He died in early August 1900, at the age of 55. His son Robert Bewley took it over.

The hotel was positioned at the top of Unthank Terrace and the houses running down the hill from it were called Bewley Terrace. It's still there.

 In early July 1916 Miss Cairns, of Scouts House Farm Sleetburn, advertised for a country girl for the end of July. The girl had to be able to milk. So who might the girl have been?

WB

 

Ushaw Moor Historical Website - Ushaw Moor Viaduct - Help with DATE

CLICK FOR BIGGER IMAGE

PHOTO of Ushaw Moor Viaduct, was wondering if anyone could help with the date, maybe early 60's. Local Council housing can be seen, lots of "spotters" . maybe one of the last passenger trains ?

Thanks to Roy for information on this photo:-

Stephenson Locomotive Society (North West Area) / Manchester Locomotive Society West Durham Rail Tour

Comments from Facebook FAN PAGE


Alan Mason i remember walking across
· 14 February at 19:19

David Clarkson It had to be early 60's, I can remember playing there in 64 and the line had been closed for a couple of years. The station was also in ruins then.
· 14 February at 20:01

Bill Williamson, The Greyhound,The Plank And Beulah's Pub

The Morpeth Herald carried a report  on 22/02/1879 along the following lines.

William Williamson, as well as being a cinder drawer at Bearpark colliery,also trained greyhounds. He trained one for a Mr Sharp of Brancepeth and one day he took the dog to run in a trial at Brancepeth. Returning to Bearpark via Sleetburn he first called at Beulah's public- house and then continued on his journey. Anyone heard of that pub? I have not.

In order to get to Ushaw Moor and then Bearpark he had to cross the Deerness stream and the only crossing available consisted of a dangerous plank. There had been various meetings in the community to discuss how inadequate the plank was as a mode of crossing the stream. Mr Pearson, the manager at Sleetburn colliery, repeatedly brought the subject up at the local board but the problem was the cost of replacing the plank with a bridge.

Anyway, Mr Williamson was on the journey to Bearpark on what was a very dark and stormy night.The following morning the dog was found whining and Mr Williamson's dead body was then discovered not far away. It was supposed that he had missed his footing when negotiating the plank and fell into the beck which was a little flooded at the time. To make matters worse there there had been a strong current running. 

Brian Mcloughlin referred to a plank as far back as 2002 although I am not sure that it was the one described.

So, Mr Bill Williamson,that pub and that plank. Any thoughts?

WB

Whatever Happened....

I have the gist of what happened to the Ushaw Moor Modern pupils of form 4A 1959/60 vintage, thanks to a reunion in 2002; quite a few achieved associate professional or skilled status and many of them led fulfilling lives that are continuing!  In contrast the so called ‘lower’ forms are a virtual mystery to me. I believe there were three other ‘lower’ forms at the time i.e. B, C and D. Forms S were just setting out on a longer road to GCE so they are not part of my consideration.

In terms of career did any of the B, C and D pupils achieve distinction and or satisfaction in their lives? Of course it’s a minefield to define distinction and satisfaction is a personal matter, but I am positive that some of them could, and hopefully did, do well. Although they were largely written off at the time it seems clear to me that under the present educational system several current pupils, on a par with our form 4B, would progress to a university!   

WB

 

Tragic Events Unfolded

For a period of time Brodie Cochrane employed two gamekeepers named Bramley and Drury. I want to concentrate on Mr Bramley because I spotted in the Middlesbrough Daily Gazette, of November 1894, that a Mr George Bramley, a gamekeeper of Eshwood Terrace Sleetburn, had experienced a very sad and traumatic tragedy. His son and two daughters had been playing in the kitchen at Eshwood Terrace when the horrific event unfolded. The lad picked up a gun and began to show his sisters how his father carried the weapon. As he raised the gun it went off killing his thirteen year old sister Dora.

We can only imagine how that family felt, perhaps by reference to the love we have for our own children. I certainly worry about them. I have, for example, always been very careful to make sure that hot drinks were not left around that could burn or disfigure young loved ones. Of course what happened in Eshwood Terrace is of another order all together. Actually it affected me to read about it even though the actual event happened a very long time ago. At the time it caused a sensation in the valley.

No blame was attached to Mr Bramley. The gun had not been loaded but the young boy knew were the bullets were kept....

Different standards and regulations apply these days but certainly there is no point in judging the man harshly. He and his family were likely to have been emotionally broken.

But it would seem that the story did not end there. A Scottish newspaper reported, in July 1917, that a George Bramley of Sleetburn, formerly gamekeeper, shot his married daughter through the head with a sporting gun, killing her instantly. He then produced a revolver and took his own life. It seems likely to have been the same George Bramley but I cannot be entirely sure.

WB

 

From Sleetburn And With A Nervous Disposition? Look Away Now

At 4 am In early August 1871 a married pit man called James Robinson was found cut in two on the railway line about a quarter of a mile from Durham railway station. He was a lodger at Sleetburn at the time.

In 1877 a small boy called Hutchinson was admitted to Durham County Hospital having been run over on the railway line at Sleetburn Colliery. I am not sure of his fate.

In May 1885 the body of a newly born child was found at Sleetburn by some children. 

Something less serious - In 1887 the Durham County rugby authorities expelled Sleetburn Old Boys Club from the Union because some players and spectators had attacked the referee during the semi-final of the Durham Junior Cup at Sleetburn. Rugby at Sleetburn?

Mind you Ushaw Moor had its problems as well - Tommy Doyle, last seen [perfectly sober] at 10.30 pm in early May 1883, was found dead the following morning at the bottom of Ushaw Moor Colliery pit shaft.

WB

20,000!

Here is a bit more on that 1934 carnival. A local newspaper of the time reported that in early July of that year the Durham County Bench refused an application for the extension of licensed hours for the Ushaw Moor Carnival, which was due to take place on July 21st.  The application was made on behalf of Ushaw Moor Working Men's Club, Albion House WMC, Station Hotel and the Flass Inn.

They had hoped to open at 11am and close at 10pm. The report highlights that about 20,000 people were in the village for the previous year's carnival and that fifty pounds was distributed to old people of Ushaw Moor from carnival proceeds.

That's a bigger gate than several current Championship football teams! Perhaps it is also an indication of  stronger community ties.

Meanwhile New Brancepeth Cricket Club scored  110 runs against Ushaw Moor Cricket Club [Martin 34 not out]; the dismal response from the Moor was a disappointing 58 runs.

WB

Memories PHOTOS - by Patsy Hopkins - Broompark, St.Josephs, Ushaw Moor Seconday Modern

PHOTOS Posted on behalf of Patsy Hopkins - CLICK IMAGES FOR BIGGER PHOTO

[caption id="attachment_4618" align="alignnone" width="595"] This was taken in the Loves Hotel in Broompark, not sure when but certainly in the early fifties.
Pat Fehily is second from the left, Pat Neary is third from the right standing up, drinking.
I would be guessing if I gave other names - I think Mr Clark is on there and Mr Burlison.
Others will know I hope.
I have no idea why the photo was taken but the Loves was where all the men went and we kids used to go to the hatch that opened at the end of the bar and try to catch our dad's eye to get crisps bought for us. It usually worked.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4620" align="alignnone" width="595"] First Holy Communion service at St. Josephs, around the mid 50's.
left to right...Dennis Campbell, unknown, Bryan Fehily, Ronny Nightingale..[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4621" align="alignnone" width="595"] This was my class at the secondary modern school in Ushaw Moor, and was taken June 24th 1964.
the class had been bigger than this but I am guessing others left as soon as the exams were over while this group hung around a bit longer.
I think that in general we had been sorry to be leaving.. Those in this class was from several of the surrounding villages.
back row: Billy Jones, Ian Bailey, Kenny Rowlinson, Ian Maguire, Jim Grossert.
next row: ? ,?, David Hepburn, Andrew Rome, Trevor Nancarrow.
next row: Judith Rudge, Avril Storey, Kathleen Holmes, Joan Mountain, Patsy Fehily.
front row: Ann Stoddart, Elsa Fleming, Jean Thorpe, Carole Sewell, Marion Carr, Catherine Rowan, Marjorie Skillcorn.
others were Colin Gott, Keith Newman, Colin Hindmarsh, Derek Toase, Joan Cowan, Barbara Hutton, Rod Buchanan.
I dont know what happened to most of the class and sadly not all are still with us. However I do still talk to and see Ann Stoddart regularly.[/caption]

I hope those who check the Blog are interested to see these.

Patsy H.