Ushaw Moor Colliery

Ushaw Colliery

Originally uploaded by Ushaw Dude

Early photo of Ushaw Moor Colliery, does this bring back any memories ?

Paul

Memories of Ushaw Moor

My connection with ushaw moor is I am a cousin of Valerie Snaith, my maternal grandfather was John Bell of Cockhouse farm, my paternal grandfather was steward of "Cub House" in Ushaw Moor. I lived in New Brancepeth until 1955 when along with Mum & Dad & brother Duncan emigrated to Australia.

I have been back to England a couple of times and am again coming in June 2010. I certainly enjoy visiting ushaw moor cricket club where my fathers photo is still on the wall. would enjoy meeting you during my visit.

Posted on behalf of:

Kind regards
AdrianRoss

Alfred Bates Turner

I was wondering if you could give me some help regarding a resident of Ushaw Moor in 1917. Private Alfred Bates Turner was the Son of James and Eliza Turner, of 2 Broadgate Cottages, Flass Hall, Ushaw Moor, Broadgate, Co. Durham, he was serving with the Sherwood Foresters when he was killed at Houthulst Forest, nr. Elverdinghe, Belgium.

I was in Ypres last weekend attending a dedication of a Memorial Stone to The Foresters at Tyne Cot Cemetary, I was talking to a fellow W.F.A. (Western Front Association) Member from Belgium who told me they had the original headstone naming Private Turner and it would be nice if we could find any information out about Pte. Turner or if there were any living relations who we could make contact with, with regards to the headstone as we near the 100th anniversary of World War 1.

Could you tell me if Ushaw Moor has a W.W.1 memorial and is Pte Turner named, also any information that may lead to finding a relation would be gratefully received.

Yours

Lloyd Cartwright

W.F.A. Member

From Here To Eternity

The memories page is a wonderful facility and I have thanked Paul several times for creating it. Having said that - are memories just an exercise in both rampant nostalgia and remembered pain, or something much more? I think there is much more to memories: they are a tool that enable 'stock taking' and they provide information to enable each and everyone of us to move on. I have experienced  joy, but much of it was chaotic and badly planned - if planned at all. It is time to achieve some coherence together with positive action. What about you?

So how am I going to achieve this all action coherence? Well I am old enough and wise enough to know what I want to do, given my present circumstances and likely budget. I do not need old time religion. I do however need a fair amount of luck. The rest is down to me. One thing I have not got is the foresight to know how much time I have remaining - annoying that one.   So many of my past friends are no longer on the planet; David my best man at my wedding; Brian the lovely lad, together with his pint of beer, last seen hitching a ride through the galaxy on a 42 bus; Dennis my old left winger and neighbour, long gone. Those lads are a warning - to get on with it. So how many years to build into the plans? I will make a bold guess : how about eleven?

If I have something like eleven years it is time to list the aspirations and cut my cloth - with inbuilt flexibility of course. Mind you I need to build in four years of decreptitude so that leave me with a vigorous seven years.

Seven years? Not long is it? Well as you  know it is not how long you live - it is what you do with it. I'm off for a pint.

WB

Pitmen Painters

They were the inspired, and in turn inspirational, painters from Ashington of bygone years. Like any other group, or social stratum, miners had their fair share of sensitive, spiritual and talented people. You can google them - pitmen painters Ashington - UK of the web is best rather than the whole world -  and find a lot of interesting information. 

Again it is not about Ushaw Moor people - but it is about a group of the very same type - hardworking underpaid miners that enabled and fed our advanced economy, especially during wartime.

WB

Pass It On

The memories site appears busy and varied but that is misleading. There are too few contibutors - and if they were to cease their twittering, tapping and often thoughful contributions - what would be left to keep memories alive, entertaining and fresh?

If you have found time to delve into the local pathways of history provided by this site - pass it on to a friend! Show enthusiasm that is a bit more than a passing interest. Keep village history alive and fresh. Better still interview a senior citizen or a 40 odd year old, or whatever, and with their approval get their story on to the site.   

Pass it on. You might also consider yesterday's article entitled 'Are you an ex miner'and respond to it - if at all possible.

WB

Early Planning - Christmas Cake 1947 Style

Rationing did not end until almost the middle 1950s. The 1947 Christmas Cake was therefore not quite the version one could enjoy a few years later!

Ingredients:

85 grams sugar - soft brown - then - let me think - let's have a few bullet points!

• 2  eggs


• 3 tablespoons Golden Syrup


• 225 grams plain flour


• 2 1/2 grams Bicarbonate of Soda


• 5 grams cinnamon ground


• 5 grams mixed spice


• 450 grams dried fruit mixture


• 3 tablespoons tea cold and well strained


• 1 pinch salt and finally


• 115 grams of margarine

Instructions

[1] Line a 7" (18 cm) cake tin with greaseproof paper.
Preheat the oven to 150C 

[2] Cream the margarine and sugar and gradually add beaten eggs, then the syrup.

[3] Sift all dry ingredients together - add to the creamed mixture along with the fruit and  tea.

[4] Then spoon into the cake tin  - then make a hollow in the centre so the cake will stay flat on top.

[5] Bake for 2 hours until firm to the touch and the sides have shrunk away a little from the sides.

[6] Cool in the tin. When cold remove from the tin & store in an airtight container

This receipe is at your own risk: the writer cannot be held responsible for wrecking your Christmas or dampening your spirits.

WB