Adeline wrote to us after seeing an article in At Home, about the history of Catchgate and it brought back happy memories of her childhood in the village. She tells us more…
“I was born in Annfield Plain but grew up in Catchgate alongside my younger brother, Ronny.
In my days it was a very busy place. I was brought up in an area now known as Greentree Lane. I lived in the ambulance house, where the ambulance for the miners was stationed. My uncle, Bob Hall, was one of the first ambulance drivers.
As kids, we played in a stream that ran down towards Century Terrace – and we’d catch frogs and tadpoles. In the war a soup kitchen was set up in one of the houses on the hill and you could go with your dish or pan and get a dinner. How good it was!
I remember lots of pit heaps. We used to slide down them on bits of cardboard or shovels. There was also a big pit pond. Prince’s Street was a good sledging street in the winter when the snow was roof high.
Houses were named after trees and councillors. In fact, Hilda Street was named after my great aunt Hilda, my grandad’s youngest daughter. He was a councillor and Chairman of the council, as well as the checkweighman at the pit where he was responsible for weighing the coal of each miner.
But the highlight of the year was the children’s outing. There would be about 17 or more buses on our way to South Shields in lovely summer weather, with our egg and tomato sandwiches and our bus ticket pinned to our clothes.
These days I live independently in my Karbon Home in East Stanley and enjoy knitting, crochet, reading, and cooking. I’ve really enjoyed letting my mind wander, recalling my memories.”
As told to At Home
Adeline wrote to us after seeing an article in At Home, about the history of Catchgate and it brought back happy memories of her childhood in the village. She tells us more…
“I was born in Annfield Plain but grew up in Catchgate alongside my younger brother, Ronny.
In my days it was a very busy place. I was brought up in an area now known as Greentree Lane. I lived in the ambulance house, where the ambulance for the miners was stationed. My uncle, Bob Hall, was one of the first ambulance drivers.
As kids, we played in a stream that ran down towards Century Terrace – and we’d catch frogs and tadpoles. In the war a soup kitchen was set up in one of the houses on the hill and you could go with your dish or pan and get a dinner. How good it was!
I remember lots of pit heaps. We used to slide down them on bits of cardboard or shovels. There was also a big pit pond. Prince’s Street was a good sledging street in the winter when the snow was roof high.
Houses were named after trees and councillors. In fact, Hilda Street was named after my great aunt Hilda, my grandad’s youngest daughter. He was a councillor and Chairman of the council, as well as the checkweighman at the pit where he was responsible for weighing the coal of each miner.
But the highlight of the year was the children’s outing. There would be about 17 or more buses on our way to South Shields in lovely summer weather, with our egg and tomato sandwiches and our bus ticket pinned to our clothes.
These days I live independently in my Karbon Home in East Stanley and enjoy knitting, crochet, reading, and cooking. I’ve really enjoyed letting my mind wander, recalling my memories.”
As told to At Home
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