Kelloe, Bowburn, Cornforth

Kelloe, Bowburn & West Cornforth’, are all very individual, independent unique villages. All, have been supported by their own Collieries that employed a high percentage of the personnel from the communities. All of the villages had Workingmen’s Clubs, Community Centres and a host of shops and licensed premises where they spent leisure hours away from the grime and hard work of the pits. All of the Villages also had allotments where they grew fruit and vegetables, where they grew leeks and other produce good enough to exhibit at annual shows.

I have published the book ‘Areas around’ ‘Kelloe Bowburn & West Cornforth’, in three sections which are shared equally between the three villages. I was lucky enough to have been able to acquire enough photograph’s of the three areas which I feel will create much interest. I have also set aside an area for a series of photograph’s that I have received from Raymond Johnson, his father W. R. Johnson was a Forman joiner for the Co-Operative and he also advised other branches on their joinery needs generally, or at the time of expansion. He was also part of many Community projects in the area such as the ‘Boys Brigade’, & ‘Home Guard’. Raymond sent many photograph’s of these times too late for inclusion in the Coxhoe books so I have included these in a section especially for this reason in this particular book. Raymond now lives at Lancaster many miles away from this area these photograph’s are unique but may have not been available for the present Coxhoe people to see. The photograph’s contained shots of the home guard, which his father was part and I have also included these that I am sure, will contain photographs of many people from our area.

There is now a Cornforth Web site on www.cornforth.org.uk and it is presented brilliantly. One of the administers is Stephen Pennick and he very kindly sent me many West Cornforth Photograph’s which I have included in the book; just as I have mentioned before there are still many ordinary people within our community who have no access to computers and therefore the Internet, and I hope I rekindle a few memories for these people.

My source for Kelloe was mainly from Ronnie Taylor and includes many people that were employed at Kelloe Colliery; I was also lucky enough to get from John Chisholm details of the Stan Seymour family and their association with Kelloe. Seymour was nick-named ‘Mr. Newcastle’, and he brought many trophies to the Football club which is in short supply today. His sister Isabella Alice Seymour in the book writes a wonderful story about early life at Kelloe. There are also many photograph’s of very brave people; involved in both world wars; one of these being the late Tom Hardy who won the M.M. early in the war, he served in the Royal Marine Commandoes. Tom was one of the first to land on D. Day and later killed at Hamburg on 11/4/1945 two weeks before the end of the war.

Harry Wilson helped me out with the supply of Bowburn photograph’s and also names; anything Harry can do to help further memories of his younger life at Bowburn he goes out of his way to do.

Just prior to going to press I have been informed by my friend Ken Robinson that there is a story about Bobby Bateson and Yvonne his daughter, by John Gaffney in this month’s ‘Ringwise ‘, and My friend Maxi Walsh is sending me a copy. I intend including this story in the ‘Coxhoe Extra’, section of this book:

 

A well known view of Bowburn, showing St. John' Mission built 1926 at the height of the strike. Was converted by Mr. Granger to a house in 1967 a little further north is the 'Hare & Greyhound'. For years they had two small monkeys at the back of the pub. Below Durham Road and the first Colliery houses. On the right 'Durham Road West'. Later the Co-Op traded here; the 'Picture House', was also sited here and very popular. Later the Village Hall and the Library which was on the left served the Bowburn people for years: 

Above ‘Pit Laddie’, Nr. Bowburn at the start of the Construction for the Motorway. Below, ‘Pit Laddie’, 1926:

 

Durham Road and Chapel Bowburn 1930; Below Durham Road West Bowburn 1930

  

Stevenson Street Bowburn 1970; Below Durham Road Bowburn 1930

 

Cape Universal factory (closed 1990) Below Bowburn Colliery Banner.

 

Bowburn Modern School 1959; Below Bowburn School 1913

 

Above It would seem now a house but in the 50s it was a café where teenagers met and enjoyed the company of friends. Below Bowburn Post Office: 

 

Above the Bowburn Library and below the Methodist Church: 

 

Modern day approach to Bowburn Village, so important in the past for supplying work at the Colliery and also the brick yard, below the Recreation centre: 

 

Christmas Party Miners Institute Bowburn 1938; Below 25th. Anniversary:

 

Bowburn Junior School class 1952 Among others Norman Blenkinsop, Harry Wilson, John Wilson, Jeff Hewitson, George Baker, Smudge Smithsun, Terry Wood, Jim McGlochlan, Valerie Latue, Shirley Lloyd, Barry Peters

Group in front of the ‘Pit Laddie’, 1950, among others Mattie Hall, Alf, Swainston, Harry Stevens, Harry Cairns, Reg. Fenwick, ?Jones, Geordie ?, ? Wright. Below a group of men in ’Crowtrees Working men's Club’, 1950:

 

Above Bowburn Colliery man riding Shaft:

Bowburn NUM Lodge banner by the original miners Institute, Among others Jack Ramshaw, Joss Wright, Jack Allan, Harry Ebdon, Tommy Roberts, Harry Wilson, Tommy Graham, Harry Wood 

 Bob Greathead and Bob Ward shoeing a horse at the Forge; Below Bowburn pit pony racing was popular early in the century.

 

 

Dedication of Bowburn War Memorial 1995; Below workers from Barkers Brick Flats who produced the bricks to build the Colliery rows:

 

St. Pauls Church Quarrington Hill; Below Tug of War team 1947:

 

Above Bowburn Albion Football Team 1910-11 Only two identified middle row Bill Whitman and Jack Willey:

 

Bowburn Football team photographed by Chisholm of Coxhoe 1930-01 back row Frankie Morris, Charlie Bainbridge, Arthur Thomson, Tommy Moore, Mr. Haigh. Rear Ralph Kirkup Jack Walsh.

 

Above Miss Stainthorpe & Harry Wilson she looks very much like a ’Guardian Angel’ with the lay-out behind her. below L/R, John Gray, Harry Gray, Harry Wilson, Violet Gray, Miriam Wilson.

 

Above, Miriam Wilson & Violet Gray:

Below L/R John Gray, Elizabeth Milburn (jun), John Wilson, Harry Wilson (Jun), Jack Milburn, Elizabeth Milburn (sen), Harry Gray, Violet Gray, Harry Wilson (sen), Miriam Wilson:

 

Left Miriam Wilson

BelowL/r front Harry Gray, Violet Gray, Miriam Wilson, Harry Wilson (sen), Harry Wilson (jun.), John Gray, John Wilson.

 

  

Above L/R Trevor Willey, Harry Wilson, John Wilson, Harry Gray, John Gray, Violet Gray, Elizabeth Milburn, (jun), Elizabeth Milburn (sen)

Below among others John & Harry Wilson:

 

Above among others John Wilson, John Gray, Harry Wilson (jun.), Violet Gray, Harry Gray, Harry Wilson (sen), Miriam Wilson, Elizabeth Milburn, (jun), Jack Milburn, Leo Hall, Mrs. Hall, Elizabeth Milburn (sen); below among others Miriam Wilson, Violet Gray, Harry Gray, Mrs. Kirkup, Mrs. Orton, Charles Orton, Harry Wilson, Raff. Kirkup: 

 

Above L/R Violet Gray, Mr. Martin, Miriam Wilson: Below Having a lie down Harry Wilson, Miriam Wilson, Mrs. Isabel Reid, Richard Reid ?

 

Among others John Gray, John Wilson, Violet Gray, Harry Wilson (jun), Miriam Wilson, George Hilary, Dennis Taylor, Harry Gray, Harry Wilson (sen), Elizabeth Milburn below Harry Wilson with the London Chief Executive holding the Document for the freedom of London:.

 

 Above Geoff Atkinson and Harry Wilson below L/R, Chris Arnold, Ned Headley, Dave Wilson, Don Millon, Darren Millon, Dean Smithson, Brent Smithson 

 

Top L/R Linsey Millon, Harry Wilson, Joanne Wilson, Carol Freak

Bottom Paddy Lenagh, Beverley Hudson, Trist Hesler, Colin Hesler, Mary Leckenby:

 

Harry Wilson, Don Millon, Brent Smithson, Dean Smithson, Chris Arnold, Darren Millon, Ned Headley:

Bottom L/R, Billy Hardy, Harry Wilson, John Davison: 

 

During the fifties a new estate was established at Park Hill which was built to house many workers for Collieries in the area; many moving from the Grove at Coxhoe. Bella Taylor was one of the families she is seen left with a cousin from Wallsend. Below some neighbours of Mrs. Taylor and below right a young Winnie Short:

Friends at Park Hill among others are Ernie and Tony Gardner Peter Taylor, Eddie Robinson Alan Kingston & Peter & Mike Cleary: 

  

The ‘Pit Laddie’ was the pride and Joy of Bowburn and even ‘Park Hill’, but it had to go to make way for progress and the new A1M north:

 

Walter Greathead senior Bowburn Horse keeper with pit pony

Below Bowburn Blacksmith Walter and Robert Greathead: 

 

Above Bowburn Secondary Modern School 1959; below Bowburn Mixed school 1950 class names unknown:

 

 Football once was a boys only game, but not these days above under 13 Girls team; below, Below Under 12 Girls ‘Holden's generously supplied the strips:

 

Again girls football, this being girls under 10 team Holden's again supplying the strips they seem very generous supporters of sport in the Bowburn area; below Under 8s. Play in the Russel Foster Legue seen receiving a sponser cheque from Bowburn & Park Hill Partnership:

 

The ‘Cooperage’, settled quickly into the community as a modern themed public House; below it has its own successful football team:

 

Boys young footballing side, again lovely football strip supplied by it appears to be ‘BLC Builders’, in the team below one of the players a girl; below the photograph taken in winter time, sadly no team names: 

 

Shincliffe Station and village below, only a matter of two miles walk from Bowburn on the A167 road. At the south entrance the ‘Seven Stars’ . Hotel where fine evenings Bowburn people walked for refreshment, near by, was High Shincliffe and the notorious bank that had to be climbed in winter by traffic, (since improved). Shincliffe had its own station, Colliery and beautiful church, St Mary’s consecrated 1910:

 

Bowburn Colliery I worked here, from leaving school, for the following 5 years, working, in the Hutton, on a Loader, then as a Hand Putter. The early owner of this pit was William Hedley, and later ownership was passed to West-Hartlepool Harbour and Railway Company, after this the Bell Bros., Colliery was sunk by the piling method, in 1906, by E. Johnson and sons, mainly to relieve the excessive haulage from Tursdale Colliery. Later Dorman and Long owned the pit, a new screening plant and washer was added to the pit in 1932. The coal from Tursdale was drawn through the goaf, by a drift, to the Bowburn shaft, in 1930, using the old shaft for ventilation, coal drawing and man riding. In 1930 639 men worked at the pit, rising to 2,358, in 1940, and 2,102, by 1960, finally closing in 1967. Below emergency staff covering the Colliery during the 1926 strike:

 

Above the ‘Hare and Greyhound’ for years a popular public house and where we all met when completing a shift at Bowburn pit in the 50s. Below the ‘Oak Tree’, further up on the estate and is very popular always had music weekends:

Photograph’s by Author:

 

The ‘Church of Christ the King’ idea more or less of Father Bill who was a well known eccentric Minister in the 60s also called ‘The Pineapple Church’, opened 1978 the last service was 5/9/04; it was actually a landmark for years. It will be shortly demolished and replaced by a new church, the spire will remain. On my visit I took the above photograph and it was in a bad state of repair: 

 

 

 

 

The Continuation of Station Road only interrupted by the Welfare Hall. The road runs right to the Railway Station. On the other side of the road is Coronation Terrace; these houses look nice and tidy with the mosaic tile bordering. Below The Oval showing the shops on the right these served a busy West Cornforth new development established post war:

  

Above and below again the historical railway of West Cornforth showing the level crossing below that allowed motor traffic to use the road into West Cornforth:

 

West Cormforth Station said to be the shortest branch line on the North Eastern Railway; this particular line serviced the mineral line and Coxhoe Basics north of Coxhoe and Coxhoe’s second railway line: below In contrast the same line with now up-to date diesel locomotives:

 

Thrislington The Bottom Hutton was proved in 1835, by a series of borings that year, by 1843, the pit started production, and later was sunk to Main Coal, and later operated as the Mary pit, by the Rosedale and Ferryhill Iron Company, mainly to supply the Ferryhill Iron Works in 1867, until the Company collapsed due to the recession in 1879. Thrislington Coal Company took over operations shortly after, by 1911, most of the Hempstead was destroyed by fire. In 1914 it passed to the North Bitchburn Coal Company, then in 1932, to Henry Stobart & Company. In 1930 there was a work force of 1005, but by 1940 this total dropped, but later peaked to 1,124, in 1950, later in 1960 dropping to 805, finally closing on 4th. March 1967.

Above West Cornforth Colliery Banner at a May day procession at Coxhoe; below the banner at Durham Big Meeting:

 

There was a serious fire at Thrislington Colliery 25th. November 1911. The heap stead was completely destroyed. Fortunately the shaft was okay and within a short period production re-started, below after the fire:

 

Just a short distance from Coxhoe & Cornforth is Mainsforth Hall in 1920, seat of the 'Surtees Family’, The Hall was re-built in 1725 and was described at the time as a good specimen of an English Mansion. The house was combined with comfort and elegance. The Hall sadly fell into disrepair after the second world war and finally was demolished in 1962: Below St. Michael's Parish Church taken in 1967. Robert Surtees the brilliant Historian and writer of the History of Durham is buried here together with his family. Another famous soldier is also buried here, Sgt. Robert Oswald scaled the heights with General Wolfe to capture Quebec in 1759:

Above Thrislington Hall, taken summer 1974; below Thrislington Villa, was built by the owners of the ‘Iron Works’, for their Manager and other important personnel:

Above a very vibrant and busy Cornforth High Street. The ‘Good Intent Hotel’, can be clearly seen where Andrew Smart played the Piano and Claveline most nights; below looking at the High Street from the other direction and probably the same period. To the left the entrance to the new housing estate built to house miners that worked at the thriving Thrislington Colliery; to the right the entrance that led to West Cornforth Club & Institute:

Above and below Staff employed at the West Cornforth Co-operative; it would seem in various tasks, in at least two of them flour for making bread and confectionary; below probably the meat cart that took meat to customers. The store was proud of their Shire horses all were looked after well. The above picture taken around 1893

 

The 1926 strike was a terrible period for the population of the North East, but it brought people together and each village formed soup kitchens to feed the less unfortunate; above the West Cornforth people busy with this task. Below prior to 1800 this was the mode of transport, especially Doctors. The quality of some of the combinations was amazing with highly polished brasses and leather harness. Most Inns and Hotels offered stabling facilities:

 

Above and below West Cornforth ‘s First Post Office; the above photograph taken a few years on, and now shows the young gentleman wearing a watch and chain like his father or possibly Grandfather there is also an increase in staff:

 

Two very successful business, above H. D. Bailey ‘Grocer and Provisions with a very well stocked window with hams and barrels of flour in the foreground with Also very interesting people one of which having a bowler hat and looking like a Tax inspector or official. Below an impressive line up of staff from West Cornforth Co-operative; the dividend this particular year showing £2: 

Above Newmans Groceries one of the best Grocers in the area also did a great deal of business in Coxhoe, Kelloe and Bowburn; the picture shows 16 staff so one can imagine the various departments. Below one of West Cornforths most popular pubs just across the street from where Newman's traded. This particular day the Horse drawn hearse can be seen.

wo local Cornforth Hotels, the above the ‘Victoria Inn’, it would seem the pub had a good following of locals; below the ‘Thrislington Hotel’, built 1870 and it was demolished 1968. This was a massive Hotel and owned by the well known Hartlepool brewers ’J. W. Cameron’ who supplied many local Pubs in the area: 

 

Above a very impressive and stylish wedding all dressed up in fine fashion of the day, the bride and groom and the two little girls at the front are examples of the period. Below a school class later in the Century, I went close into the board that the young gentleman held and it reads ‘Cornforth Lane, Council mixed, Group 1, 1920, an amazing thing about this group photograph was that there are at least three sets of twins on the photograph:

Above and below West Cornforth Hair dressing salon, the top photograph shows Watkins or Watkinson in the window' Hair Dressing & Shaving’. The same premises now showing Wm. Easter , with two possible apprentices and a dog. Getting shaved at the barber’s was common place in these times, the barber’s using cut throat razors and Leather belts to sharpen them.

 

Above West Cornforth School at Vicarage Road, West Cornforth, Below the board reads West Cornforth, UM Junior Choir, winners of the Golightly Shield, September 5th. 1931, obviously some very good vocal youngsters at West Cornforth all smartly dressed for the occasion:

Above on reading the board it says Class 1 1950 possibly the first class in the senior school below a photograph of kids later in the century; they all look happy:

 

Above 1960 a senior athletic class obviously successful showing a cup. Below, one thing about girls they are not afraid to act out an occasion; these in particular could be ‘St. Trinians’, possibly for a local carnival:

The interest in the ‘St. John’s’, Ambulance at this time was tremendous at West Cornforth. The unseen work that they do attending free, at any event was brilliant and they must have saved thousands of lives over the years. Below numbers were maintained in the Fire Service because of the Wars, below the Firemen from West Cornforth were as good as any; in this photograph there is a young lady in the front and a person on the left is wearing an army tin helmet:

Above West Cornforth Accordion band, playing at the Church Garden party, Eddy Crosby , Fred Crosby, Jack Glancey, Rene Greenwell, George Walker, Bill Vasey. The Crosby’s were well known for years as a quality Accordion band my sister Hilda played with the band at this time she could also play an accordion well:

Gwen & Tommy Dodd's; photographed with some of the Youth Club in 1980. Many years ago in the fifties Gwen worked at the confectionary section of the Spennymoor Co-op near Queens Street in Spennymoor. Gwen spent her dinner hour at my wife’s parents home where she was friendly with them and knew all of the family well. Tommy and Gwen ran the Youth Club at West Cornforth and infact would do anything for anybody:

 

 

Again the West Cornforth Youth Club which seemed to be thriving at this time, with at least two pool tables and other equipment with Tommy and his wife supervising:

 

Again Youth Club activities at West Cornforth; it would also seem that they played five a side football

 

Above Roman Catholic Church 'St. Joseph's', West Cornforth. First built 1875, demolished because of subsidence 1968, making way for 'St. Joseph's', at Coxhoe. My family walked through the fields to West Cornforth 'St. Joseph's', Sundays and Holy days for years. Below looking towards West Cornforth, on the right Aged Miners homes at Joseph Hopper Terrace, the last home of my sister Cherry Porrit ne. Ord .

racking back towards the well known ‘Slake Terrace, Public House one of the most popular Inns in West Cornforth; next to it was Garage of the same name and where local car owners got their car repairs completed for years. Central to the picture is the entrance to West Cornforth square a picturesque area of West Cornforth: Below as noted the beautiful village of Old Cornforth:

Two views of West Cornforth ‘Holy Trinity Church, Old Cornforth consecrated 1868, set in the picturesque village of Old Cornforth:

Above the three bridges and the route from Coxhoe to West Cornforth; below as can be seen the bridges were modernised in later years. The bridges carried the trains to Coxhoe Bridge Station and on to Hartlepool:

The ’Old Mill’, at West Cornforth about a hundred yards on the Coxhoe side of the three bridges and was another short cut to Coxhoe coming out at the Pottery:

Tursdale School, Tursdale was an independent little place having its own Colliery and Working Men's Club. Below Old Peoples bungalows taken in the wintertime by the photographer, the road led up to Cornforth Lane, Coxhoe:

 

War Memorial Tursdale, even though a very small village Tursdale supplied men for the war effort and even paid for this wonderful tribute to the fallen, these days there is no soldier on the top of the monument:

Above old Tursdale Club, for years used by the working men of the area; now called the ‘Old Mill’, and is a very good Hotel Restaurant used by the area; below the old ‘Tursdale Hotel’, now ‘The Poachers’, again a very good Hotel Restaurant; the road leads to the old Metal Bridge that housed the Northeast Railway to London/Scotland, now unused:

 

 

The continuation down from Cornforth Station and having sight of the Metal Bridge above, a Policeman was stationed here every year as the Queen travelled north to Scotland & Balmoral for annual holidays this was now the main north/south railway, these two photograph’s were taken in winter and left a wonderful winter Christmassy scene; it would seem taking into account the picture below a very bad winter and it is a great shame they don’t come like this any more:

The Metal Bridge road, near by Metal Bridge Catholic Cemetary where centuries of Roman Catholic ancestors lie, my own included; a sign post to East Howle on the left. Below last three ponies out of Metal Bridge Drift their working lives over, when they can retire in peace with blue skies and green fields:

Heading towards the Thinford road ends and the important main road north to Newcastle & Scotland (old A1)is the small hamlet of East Howle again self sufficient with its own Colliery School & Church, the Colliery worked for years. Just how successful it shows in the amount of miners houses and the modern cars. When the Colliery closed, much the same as Tursdale the villages died; Tursdale was regenerated when the National Coal Board opened an Engineering works in the old Colliery yard called ‘Tursdale Shops’.

Above and below the Thinford cross roads a very important junction on the Great North Road. The photograph shows the same area about 100 years apart with below the advancement from Horse carriages to Motor cars. The cross roads led to Spennymoor, Ferryhill, Coxhoe and of course Durham Newcastle and Scotland. The Thinford Inn and the early garage is evident in the photograph; no road markings & its unbelievable that it is the main road to Scotland & south to London

 

 

Methodist Church, Station Road, West Cornforth below some of the Church workers: 

 

This Wonderful photograph above of my sisters says everything about life; Cherry Porritt ne Ord, & Hilda Bartlett, ne Ord lived at West Cornforth most of their lives; below the Porritt family with my brother Len McCormick centre, L/R Cherry, Pat, Yvonne, Norman with friend. The Porritts were a well known Cornforth family: Bob Porrit not shown was a well known and experienced miner at Thrislington as was my brother Len McCormick.

Pat Porrit and Charles Heslington Cornforth born and bred; very good ballroom dancers.

Below Bob & Cherry Porritt with my brother Len McCormick and his wife Margaret. Len and Bob spent most of their working lives working at Thrislington also known as Doggy.

 

Cherry Porritt ne Ord receiving flowers on her 80th. Birthday from all of the Porritt family at West Cornforth, Pat, Norman and Yvonne with partners;

below four generations of the Heslington family, my mother, Jane Fletcher McCormick, Hyda and Sybil Heslington, with grandson John Amer.Above my sister Hyda, with husband Ike. Nick-named ‘fun’. In later life suffered terrible from Emphysema brought on because of coal dust. Wonderful caring couple, he was a typical hard working miner of the time; his sons escorted him home after a hard shift. at the pit each day.

Some of the brave West Cornforth men who lost their lives in the ‘Great War’ my mother’s first husband named first, C. Bartlett also Hyda Heslington’s father previous page; he died on 25/5/1915 at Flounders, France like thousands of other fine young men defending their Country; my mother was left with two children, Charlie & Hyda not Primary School age and without a penny to raise them, I don’t know how she managed ? but she did:

Above a different set of letters viewed on the War Memorial; below another very old bus, probably with wooden seats proudly exhibited by Mr. Blenkinsop show just how long the Company was established, see over page:

 

The Blenky Bus or ’Scarlet Band’, served the area of Cornforth, Coxhoe and Bowburn for years. The Blenkinsop family resisted all attempts to buy them out and even in the present day runs very efficiently by Mr. Blenkinsop and his wife Nancy; the bus Company is also well established in Scottish and Continental holidays. The bus group was always supported by the local people as shown above and was never known to let people down, shown in the picture above an early ladies outing and below a very early smart bus with white wall tyres:

 

The Salvation Army did a great deal of work in the West Cornforth area, the band played regular especially at Coxhoe I can remember clearly the band playing all over the district and collecting from door to door to finance their charity work:

Carnival time at West Cornforth and the community spirit was tremendous and as shown backed by local business with floats. Above the local children's jazz band also in attendance.  

 

Above more floats catch the atmosphere and excitement of the day; while below a beautiful young lady obviously the local beauty queen rides on a pony and trap 

 

 

 

East Hetton (Kelloe)

The Colliery:

After various test sinking’s and bore’s in the Quarrington Hill, Kelloe, Coxhoe areas it was decided to sink a shaft in the area of Kelloe in 1836. This was one of a sequence of sinking’s at this time and further shafts were sunk at Coxhoe and Quarrington Hill. The shaft at Kelloe was fed directly into the ‘Main Coal’, seam.

By 1837 the Mineral Railway was active to Coxhoe Bridge; this was fourteen miles distance to Hartlepool and twenty-three miles distance to Middlesbrough. By this time the Railway was easily able to ship coal to the home market and also export; making it a very viable and cost worthy opportunity to progress the production of coal from the new winnings.

From 1836 to 1880 the ‘East Hetton Coal Company’, owned the colliery and by the end of 1837 there were three shafts sunk. Two being approx eleven feet in diameter; one to the Harvey and one as mentioned to the ‘Main Coal’. The third was sunk to the Tilley and was only bored out to six feet in diameter being for pumping purposes. People flocked to the area with its newfound wealth and the Colliery produced quality coals right into the present century.

The Harvey produced coals until 1933; the Tilley, then the ‘Bottom Busty’ began producing coals in abundance from 1937. The Tilley measuring coal seams of three feet nine inches; the ‘Bottom Busty’, measuring three feet. Later in 1959 the production of coal was so good that they introduced power loading at the Colliery. Information 

 

1855 A further shaft was sunk at Kelloe in 1855 when limestone water was encountered in the workings. This began pumping in 1859.

1880 There was fifty coke ovens a gas works and a brick works.1882 There was an explosion in the Harvey Seam at Trimdon Grange. This Colliery was connected to Kelloe and it cost six men their lives who were working at Kelloe.

1883 There was an inrush of water from ‘Cassop Harvey’ old workings; ten men lost their lives.

1901 There was 101 Coke Ovens working

1933 There was a dry cleaning plant in operation.

1934 All coal was mechanically cut.

1937 All of the Pit ponies were withdrawn; the coal was hand filled onto conveyors and there was a new Screening Plant erected.

1939 Pit Head bath’s and a canteen was evident at the Colliery.

1954 A Medical Centre was opened in March that year.

1959 Power Loading was introduced.

1960 There was new Head Gear erected on the South Shaft.

1962 A new winder was fitted also to the South Shaft.

1965 All coal was power loaded; there was a new surface tub circuit.

1968 All coal was loaded into tubs near to the shaft bottom fed from the new belt system.

1975 New winder installed in the North Shaft. All coal was now conveyed to the South Shaft (Skip Winder Installed). The North Shaft was now restricted to men and material use only.

East Hetton Colliery description in 1880

In 1880 the owners of Kelloe & Trimdon Grange Collieries decided to have their assets at the Collieries valued; the valuation was very efficiently carried out by ‘Staunten & Atkinson’, of Newcastle. They described all of the assets held by the owners and I feel that those who have any interest in the Colliery will be interested in their comments at that period.

The Colliery is connected to a branch of the N/East Railway by a private line 1.5 miles long. The pit has two shafts, one sunk to the Harvey and also a pumping shaft sunk to the Main Coal and 2310 yards to the east of the Royalty. The working shaft is divided into two, one servicing and drawing coal from the Harvey and the other side servicing the Main Coal and is actually a downcast shaft.

The other shaft was sunk in 1855; my great grandfather John Coulson who was a colliery sinker was commissioned to do this work with others and moved into the area to complete this task. It was decided to sink this shaft because of the increase in the amount of limestone and heavy water feeders in the area. Eventually the water had to be stopped by putting in 40 fathoms of metal tubing. There was also another factor in this and that was because the limestone was very soft and the sides quickly crumbled and needed repairing. The amount of water in this area was tremendous and a special engine had to be fitted as the amount of water was detrimental to the whole pit including Trimdon. This was a ‘Compound Differential Pumping Engine ‘, of 400 horse power which pumped 1400 gallons a minute, it was one of the finest engines in the district and it was estimated that 630 gallons from East Hetton and 320 from Trimdon was pumped from the Colliery.

Part of the Royalty consisted of Gas Works and Brick Works, quality bricks were manufactured with fire clay brought from the Harvey.

There was also coal washing apparatus to wash the duff coal before making coke because of high amounts of shale.

There was 50 Coke Ovens, measuring eleven feet producing 275 tons of coke a week; these were very efficient coke ovens and the coke was very easily sold for the manufacture of iron by Bolckow and Vaughan in Cleveland. These were so successful that there were plans for another 20 to be built.

Garmondsway Moor Royalty 1160 acres.

Rented from the Brethren of Sherburn Hospital on a rent of £300 per annum. The Colliery here was sunk many years previously when the Butterknowle Dyke was found 40 fathoms below the surface, this hindered the full production of coal. The Dyke was found at Garmondsway 50 to 100 yards south of the shaft; this cut off 1010 acres of the Royalty. Naturally the Colliery owners explored the south side of the Dyke spending pounds on drifting, until finally abandoning this and concentrating on the area north of the Dyke. The seams that produced coal was the Main Coal and Harvey, working to the full extent of the north boundary. These seams dipped heavily to the north but the Colliery was however progressed over some years before it was abandoned. All machinery, railways, engines and pumps were removed and the pit was allowed to fill up with water.

East Hetton Colliery at this time built a total of 413 cottages for miners and their families who worked at the Colliery. 274 had tenants who had their rent deducted from wages.

At the end of the report in 1880 it was estimated that there was 9,005,094 tons of coal in the Royalty which would take 34 years to produce. Therefore accordingly it would provide work until 1914.

The overall value of the Royalty was £35, 302,50;it was a fact however that the Colliery produced far more coal than this and carried on until 1989 and even then if there had not been water problems from ’Thornley ’, old workings then there was enough coal to carry on indefinitely.

Later Colliery Progress

In 1983 the Colliery Manager Mr. E. Dunbar convened a meeting. It was to be held in the Colliery Board room on 3rd. March 1983 at 2.30 on that day. The objects of the meeting was to report on the progress of the Colliery in the future. Two representatives from trade unions and other employee’s representatives were invited and attended; they were. Mr. D. Orton. & G. Parnaby (NUM), M. Wharrier & J. Thubron (MECHS), E. Wilding & W. Strong (NACODS), T. Wigley & R. Campion (COSA) T. Thompson & J. Wharrior (Enginemen).

Cosa delegates opened by saying that many rumours were circulating the Colliery regarding the future work and this was affecting morale. The Manager reported that due to dwindling reserves there was no longer a five-year plan. The NUM delegates enquired on the length of work left at the Colliery in the future. Mr Dunbar replied that there was twelve month’s proved reserves and further prospects were subject to Geological reports and conditions. The NUM enquired on the next unit to be started at the pit and the Manager replied that this was the Busty Q41 then Busty Q51. The Manager went on to say that there had been further faults in the area. The MECHS asked the Manager to give an estimate on future work. The Manager pointed out about speculation in the Cassop area; through the ‘Whin Dyke’, working the ‘Brockwell’.

A general discussion developed on the speculation. Apparently part of the Q41 seam workings had came close to the Thornley Harvey. It was within the precautionary zone and he had immediately suspended further work until further Technical advice could be given. The Manager added that there were generous reserves available in the area. There had been three holes drilled but further investigations were necessary in the area. After additional comments on how the closure of ‘Fishburn Coke Ovens’, would affect work at the Colliery the meeting concluded at 4. 30 PM.

 

 

Above an early layout of Kelloe showing St. Helens Church, brick works, and the Colliery.

Below left, a general layout of workable Collieries in the North East as at 1942:

 

Above Electricians at the Colliery L/R John Stoves, Alan Howson, Derek Cutty, George Cairns, Charlie Worrall, Dick Newton, Norman Luke, Whip Graham, Graham Robertson, Gerald Kelly, Vic Varvill:, Below, Fitters 1955, Teddy Austen, (Foreman Fitter), Sid Horner, Jack Lockett, Allan Smart, Jack Thubron, Jimmy Duddin: 

 

Above Fitters 1966, Terry Woods, Martin Clewes, Derek Fishburn, Billy Simpson, John Davison, Arthur Peat(Colliery Engineer), Stan Agar, (Fittert), Dick Moore, (Master Mason, Leslie Wharrior, (Blacksmith), Billy Waslack(Blacksmith.Left Blacksmith’s Bill Fox, George Lowery, Bill Stoves, Jim Smart:

  

Above ‘East Hetton Colliery’, May 1958 the year I was called up for the army. L/R Tommy Thornton, Jack Cairns, George Bowman, Ronnie Shutt, Peter Humphreys, Jimmy Duddin, Stan Agar, Alan Smart, John Smart, Kenny Oswald, Norman Smith, Alec Smart; L/R kneeling Jack Woodward, Tub Mender), Billy Gowling (Drill Sharpener), Desmond Wilkinson) Fitter): below a wonderful photograph of young miners at Kelloe G. Smart, H. Bulmer, and R. McCallum taken in 1920:

 

Above, Fitters, Hetton Colliery, Stan Agar, Peter Arrington, Ronnie Shutt:

Below, E/Hetton Colliery, August 1966, Back row fitters Mark Haigh, Terry Woods, Martin Clews, Barry Noone, Phil Todd, John Davison, Sid Scarr.Front Row, Sykes, (Tub Mender), Norman Smith, (Fitter), Alan Smart, (Fitter), Alec Smart (Pipe Fitter), Mr. Egglestone (Group Engineer), Jack Lockett(Fitter), Liddle Jackson, (Deputy Engineer), Stan Heightley, (Foreman Fitter), David West (Fitter), Tommy Marsden (Pipe Fitter), Billy Spinks (Fitter) 

  

East Hetton Colliery 1956, L/R, Don Wilson, Journalist, George Smart (Overman)

Bottom, Kelloe Fitting Shops 1955 L/R Ernie Charrett Plumber, Derek Fisburn, Fitter, Alan Smart, Harry Arnold Blacksmith, Jack Thubron, Fitter, Stanl;ey Heightley Foreman Fitter:

 

L/R. Peter Humphries, Norman Smith, Martin Clewes, David Lister, Desmond Wilkinson, Ernie Cherett, Ted Austen (Forman) Kneeling, David West, Derek Fishburn, Ken Oswald. Below another photograph of young miners at Kelloe Colliery, Harry Stephenson, ?, Jack Coulthard, ?, the boy on the right carrying a bait box a handle on it that many miners used: 

  

Above Alan Thompson, Jack Gethen, Jack Cairns, Morris Crathorne, William Scorer, with their beloved banner ‘East Hetton’, showing ‘Hugh Gaitskell on the front:

Alf Hesler need not have worried because the 85th. Gala held Saturday July 16th. Was just as Galas had been previous years. The road leading to the Race Course was heaving with miners and their families keen to know what their Political Representatives the likes of Harold Wilson and Barbara Castle had to say. There were rumours that Wilson had turned up at Ferryhill Club last night Friday to have a pint with members.  

 

 

Above days to go before the scheduled start of the 85th. Big Meeting. Alf Hesler ponders the main areas where banners will pass their leaders at the County Hotel.

Below on the County balcony Harold Wilson stands with who appears to be Dennis Healy. Harold smoking his familiar pipe seems to be deep in thought, he always identified well with North East miners & he may know more than he was prepared to say at the Big Meeting:

The 85th. Meeting

This was the 85th. Gala due to be held this Saturday. With the sad demise of the coal industry it was expected that numbers at the Meeting would be considerably less than normal. Usually there could be expected miners families and other visitors in excess of 300.000. They packed the narrow streets of the Capital. For years this was an annual one day Holiday /Picnic for miners and their families. It was also a demonstration to mine owners that they were united. Once there averaged 125,000 men employed at 130 Collieries now that number had sadly reduced to 40.000 employed at 42 Collieries. Other closures may be expected after the success of Nuclear Power stations.

This particular year Harold Wilson the reigning ‘Prime Minister’, would be present. People would pack the area of the speakers waiting patiently for his speech and information on just to what extent the Nuclear Power Station at Hartlepool would replace the power of coal; thus possibly threatening the jobs of 10.000 Durham miners. This had been the basis of many northern conversations in pubs and Clubs around the area; miners were waiting in anticipation for Harold Wilson's speech hoping for positive news on their industry and news that had not yet been released to the media. Harold was respected by the mining community in the North of England and always attended the meeting.

Alf Hesler headed the NUM at this time and would be on the platform with colleague Bill Painter, Barbara Castle, Richard Marsh, & Harold Wilson. Alf was adamant that the Gala would survive “even if only one miner was employed” he remarked.

The Dean of Durham the very Rev. John H.S. Wild will hold the Cathedral service, remembering the seventeen men who had died that particular year. He remarked on interview that the Gala was a magnificent spectacle and a demonstration of solidarity. The Dean was not sure on if it was now time for the NUM to bring it to a close because of the many closures.

 

Above ‘Big Meeting day & a brilliant turnout of Kelloe miners and the band all dressed for the occasion. Below East Hetton (Kelloe Pit), in the fifties: 

WAR YEARS

 

Many Kelloe men & woman responded to the Countries need at the time for forces. Many fought bravely for their Country some dying in the effort.

Three forces being represented on this page ‘The Royal Engineers, ‘Royal Air Force’, and the ‘Royal Navy’. Above left Alan Smart being a fitter at Kelloe pit, was a Sapper in the Engineers, right Cilla Ashton 43, Burnett Crescent , Kelloe she was the daughter of Tommy & Alice Ashton WRAF., Left, George Scorer (The brother of Harry Scorer. He was killed post war at Tenemere Airfield, A plane crashed while he was in the Caravan, this was being used as a temporary married Quarters. He was married to Grace Prest (Neds sister) 

 

 

Men of the ‘Royal Horse Artillery’, at the time of 14/18 Great War. No names but obviously from Kelloe; would seem to be very good friends. I would be interested in knowing their names. 

 

 

Clifford Crow, was in the RAF, he married in 1940 three years, sadly  later he died aged 25, on 26/8/43 at Northallerton RAF Hospital. Clifford joined the RAF Nov. 39 he was an electrician at Kelloe, Colliery:

 

The wedding of Tom Vardy, Margaret Ashton on April 24th. 1943 held at Kelloe Church. Tom was sadly killed on the River Aller, nr. Hamburg. He died two weeks before the War ended on 11/4/1945

Tom Vardy lived at 43 Burnett Crescent, Kelloe:

 

Caen, Normandy, 16/7/1944, General Montgomery decorating Marine Commando, Tom Vardy with the Military Medal for bravery in the field. Tom was part of 46 ‘Marine Commando’, and was one of the first Commandos to land on ‘D’, day 6/6/1944.Below Alan Smart visited the brave soldiers grave in Germany after the war; like so many other brave men he gave his life so others could live in peace & harmony: 

 

Right  obviously a Kelloe couple but names unknown. Photographed by A&G.Taylor Photographer to the Queen.

Below Mr. & Mrs. Ward with their two sons at Kelloe. Date unknown but again photographed by J.W. Chambers of West Cornforth; there appeared to be many Photographers in the area obviously all making a living: 

 

Above Jos Ward from Kelloe, date unknown: Above

Below Jos Ward driver with ‘Royal Field Artillery 1917: 

 

‘St. Helens F.C.’, obviously a very successful five a side football team. Back left Jud Wilding

Bottom Left ? Ward (Mrs. Crowes) brother. 

Left to Right two beautiful young ladies Doris White– daughter of Jack White who was a ‘Raisby Quarry’, foreman:

Nellie Crowe, photograph taken 1924 in Jack White’s garden at Garmondsway. Mr. White was a well known Rose grower. Nellie is pictured with one of the roses in her hand, the girls dressed typically for the age of the Charleston: 

 

 Harry & Mrs. Scorer (Kelloe) below George Smart and son Alan in 1930 at 42, Burnett Crescent, Kelloe: 

 

above ‘Conishead’, was a priory near Ulverston, it had many uses in its History its main use later in its history was as a Rehabilitation centre for mainly injured miners: Below some of the miners that used the facilities 

 

Above rabbit field at ‘Coxhoe Hall’, 1948. Back two Tom Willis, Jimmy Smart, front Maurice Craythorne, Harry Slater, Colin Kane. Below, Blackpool 1953, L/R Arthur Murrey, Norman Luke, Jimmy Smart, Jim Dakin:

 

 

Betty Skelton and sister, Cornforth, Robert Johnson, Bish Mole, Ernie Mayhew year 1956 Billy Wilkinson, Tones, Tommy Arnold (East Hetton). 1953 Below Jack Ord, Jacky Downs, Joyce Whyley, 1954 

 

Among others

Doris Woodward, Elsie Turton, Billy Pellow, Ronnie Ward, Jackie White, Robert Johnson: 

 

 

Durham Big Meeting 1957, among others Robert Johnson, Elsie Robinson, Jim Turton, Elsie Turton, Vera Robinson, Celia Lister, Billy Pillow; below John Barker, Maurice Ward, Eddie Robinson, ? Davis, Reggie Dee, John Chapman, John Neesham, Eric Barber, Daphne Willis:

Stan Seymour (Mr. Newcastle)

Stan Seymour was born at Kelloe, in the County of Durham. Stan was a very hard and somewhat obstinate man. His father & mother were very well respected in the area. Mr. Seymour collected Rates for the Authorities; he also composed Business letters ordinary letters, Meeting Minutes for any organisation in the area. He was also Parish Secretary.

Stan was born in 1892, one of three brothers Jim & Tom, & sister Alice. Later Jim was in business at Newcastle, Alice became a Teacher. When he was sixteen Stan had a trial as a footballer at Newcastle; although being a very talented left sided player he was rejected by them. Stan was then signed by Bradford City playing very well for them. A Scottish scout in the area persuaded him to sign for Scottish side Greenock Morton. Stan was the pride of the area, his ball skills were overwhelming and his left foot was tremendous from the left wing. He scored some brilliant goals for his side. Stan made many friends in the area and good English sides one of which was his beloved Newcastle were again noticing his skill. Fully aware that he would be near to his family and friends he signed forms for Newcastle for the sum of £2500 in 1920 at the age of 27.

His performances at this time were amazing none could understand how he had slipped through the net in the first place. His strength and obstinacy in the side out-shone the other players, still having many friends at his disposal. Some days he would walk from the training ground to Kelloe and could be seen bathing in his mothers bath tin in the yard. At this time Stan was not spoiled with money but he had other dreams & ambitions on his mind for Newcastle United F.C. These dreams and ambitions would be wonderfully fulfilled & released in the following years. The success would not be repeated ever again in the History of the Club.

Stan Seymour thrived at Newcastle FC in the following years. He scored 84 goals in 266 matches making just about the same amount of goals. In 1924 Newcastle won the F.A. Cup and in 1927 won the League. This was a brilliant footballing side and they went from strength to strength. Stan Seymour eventually retired when he was thirty-six years old. All of his life Stan had been a very straight and obstinate man he had always fought for what he thought was right. Now he was in dispute with the ‘Management Board’, because of benefit payments.

It was not long before Stan Seymour was elected onto the Board. From this he progressed to Manager; the team under his control gained many honours down to his foresight having built the team. Newcastle F.C. won two FA cups in the fifties and gained promotion in 1948. At this time Stan had a short time on the sidelines but it was his team that had achieved this promotion. He was Manager on both occasions they won the FA cup.

His influence and good name at the club was overwhelming and he was quite rightly called ‘Mr. Newcastle’. Newcastle F.C. never again achieved the honours that Stan Seymour brought to the Club.

WHEN I WAS YOUNG IN A PIT VILLAGE 

Isabella Alice Seymour was the sister of Stan Seymour. Isabella became a teacher at Kelloe. When very young at she penned her memories of Kelloe and the district which made wonderful reading; these memories must be precious to Kelloe and district people. All must be proud of the association with Stan Seymour, (Mr. Newcastle), and the Seymour family:

Edward VII died in 1910, so the first bunting I would see and which I remember, would be in 1911 to celebrate the crowning of the new king George V. I was 3, born 11th October 1908 on a Sunday so my mother said. She was 46 and so was my father; Ellen, very rarely Nelly, Mather, never Matthew. I had 3 brothers, Jim 21, Stanley 16 and Tom 9. As was the custom, I was named after the two grandmothers, Isabella, father’s mother and Alice, mother’s mother. As a child, I was called Bell—Alice which I hated and which I changed to Isabel when in my teens. My two eldest brothers never lived at home with me because they had gone elsewhere to work, Jim at Newcastle and Stan to play football at Bradford, Greenock, Morton, then Newcastle.

My father collected rates and twice a year he had to go to Durham Court to do the magistrates sign the ‘Rate Books’, I imagine. We had a pony called Mlinny and very nice trap and so my father went to Durham by pony and trap, not only to court but also to Bailes’s to get the books, etc needed for his job. That is where I must have been, when 3, and saw the bunting, at Shincliffe but not at Kelloe where I lived. That is my very earliest recollection of anything.

The pit was called East Hetton Colliery and was a mile away from the village so we were away from pit noise and smell. The area is not flat, not hilly but sloping. Kelloe faced north and there was a slope to climb up or run down. It was a village built last century when the mine was sunk, around 1850. It was built for the miner who lived in cottages or houses made of lime and stone, mostly. There were few brick houses in the streets.

Only the main road had a proper surface. The rest of the paths were “undeveloped” and so very rough. We lived in Green Street in a house that had been raised with bricks so it must have been mud and stone and lime before that. Water was laid on in my childhood and so was electricity.

My mother’s parents, James and Alice Scott, had a grocery shop and I remember the currants, sultanas and raisins being ‘washed’. All the weighing machines were different and those made of brass were cleaned each week as all brass was. I cannot remember paper bags, but I can see my grandfather folding paper perfectly over butter and cheese, which was always lard, etc. Some goods were in tins and very nice ones too. Most bags were blue.

The house and shop seemed big to me. When 6 or 7 they both died. My mother had a brother, uncle Joseph and a widowed sister Margaret Jane who lived near the shop in a miner’s cottage and who had had a big family. I can remember a fuss about a ‘will’, meaningless to me of course. My mother used to go to see her parents about 4 pm every Sunday afternoon and one day she looked through the window, through the “shield” (brass curtain) and saw her parents and my aunt making a will. She came home very upset and told my father who, with the village headmaster, was an executor of a will already made. When my grandparents died some months later there had been a new will made but incorrectly so there was a great fuss. Father went to see Ferens, a solicitor in Durham and my aunt should have got nothing because her name was wrong, but my mother and her brother swore they knew her Each grandchild got £50.00. I was the youngest. I still have some silver, etc. that my mother bought when everything had to be sold and bought because of the muddle of the second will.

The First World War started in 1914 and at once my father became a special constable to see windows were in the dark every night. It was German Zeppelins that were feared then. Past our chapel and right at the top of the bank a searchlight was placed and so we often saw the soldiers in the village. I can remember when Hartlepool was bombarded in 1915. I also remember a Zeppelin being hit and brought down over the sea. Tom and I stood In the bedroom facing east and saw the great rockets going up, the lights on the Zeppelin, one was from our own searchlight and the whole great machine lit up. Then the Zeppelin broke into two and scattered into the sea.

Food was short. The store, Coxhoe Co—operative Society, had bought the Scott’s shop, and we became members but not very good ones. My father’s cousin, Uncle Matt Hope, had a very good shop too and we bought there. I remember bags of flour and potatoes being horded in the cupboard under the stairs. There was plenty of milk brought from Lee’s farm. Everybody went for the milk about a mile away. My father used to shake the cream in a big jar to get butter and very nice it was too. If he shook it too long it became cheese but still very good. I have liked cheese all my life because there was always Cheshire and cream cheese in the pantry. During the War there was much meat too, because if the butcher had ‘little’, someone was always killing a pig for sausages, etc. and some was given away. The bacon was perfect; no salt like it is now. Looking back, flour was very scarce as the War dragged on, because so much was imported and the British Navy was having a bad time because of the German submarines.

Many men were ‘called up’; there was no exemption and many never came back. They wrote to their families often and sent us children lovely mother— of—pearl beads which were really Rosary Beads since most of the soldiers were in Catholic countries. Alice Jackson’s uncle was in the Navy. Near the end of the war  we got our R. F.C in action and Tom was called up when 18 and soon became a 2nd lieutenant. I remember a silk scarf he wore round his neck to keep him warm and my mother kept that for years. We sent parcels to him with Dainty Dinah Toffees, made in Chester—le—Street, kept for him and sent with other choice bits. Every parcel had to be covered with cloth and sewn on. Lovely silk cards came from France, especially, and there were so many that we never kept them and now they are worth money. My brother Jim was living in Newcastle, not married, and was helping to make tanks at Armstrong Whitworth’s great works. I believe these tanks really surprised the Germans. Stan was at Greenock. Tom really wanted to be a doctor, but there were few grants in those days and when he came home he became a teacher and went to St. Bead's College, Durham. Until the year began he taught at Kelloe School, all one age group then 7—14 and I was a pupil. He never seemed to notice little me the staff seemed to have great fun in that staff room.

My parents were members of the Primitive Methodist Chapel, right at the top of the village. It must have been an old building that was rebuilt by a builder, Regan, from Trimdon Village. I ‘laid’ a stone when 4. My father played the little harmonium until we got a real organ that Tom learned to play. My father was always at chapel in the evening and three times on Sunday. I went always to Sunday school and there were big groups or classes of children. We learned a ‘golden text’ each week and we said it, in order of classes. We sang from the Sunday School Hymn Book and at the end of the service one teacher spoke to us all. My father had a paper for each week about the lessons. We really read a great deal from the bible and it was always the Old Testament that I liked. The teachers’ meeting was often on a Sunday morning after service and my mother used to be angry if my father was late. It made the Yorkshire puddings hard. On Thursdays we went to a meeting in the vestry if we were in the choir.

The Sunday School Anniversary was held on the first two Sundays in June. My father and then Tom, together got special hymns for us to learn, and we were given poems to learn too. Some girls learned very long ones each one having a story. We all got two new frocks and no one told any other girl what her mother had bought her. There were some lovely dresses especially from Miss Roberts who had a shop and post office and a very nice house. I learned afterwards that she got the clothes from Bainbridge’s at Newcastle. The hats were lovely too. Of course, the material was good, silk, satin, wool and cotton and the colours were beautiful. I remember a black satin summer coat trimmed with a lovely blue and one winter I had a red wool coat and hat and black gloves and a fur muff. We all had long hair, often in plaits with ribbons to keep it tidy. Every girl had her hair ‘searched’ each week I was fair and my hair had a curly finish.

Shoes were all leather; in fact, we wore more boots than shoes and long laced boots in the winter. All our clothes lasted a long time so a new dress had to have a hem. On Anniversary mornings we sang round the streets, the songs we had learned. The first Sunday we went to Garmondsway because there was a tiny village there and we knew all the families. Then we went to sing to the Canon after his morning service. My father always knew him and was told the time to go to the Vicarage. I think the chapel held 200 people and it was always full with extra seats on the ‘flat’. We had games on the ‘flat’ at party time until we had the mney to have Communion table and chairs and a wood surround.

The Wesleyan Chapel had its Anniversary on the third and fourth Sundays in June. On the third Sunday my mother, father and I spent the whole day at Wingate. There were grocers there called Harrison and before I was born they had had a shop at Kelloe. My parents had become friendly with them and used to have the wine, etc. brought from Wingate at Christmas. I loved to go to Wingate on. this special Sunday. We had dinner and then we went to see the cows and get the milk, for Harrison’s had sold land not far from the house and a big shop. Sometimes the daughter at home, called Tizzy, would take me to evening chapel with her. I liked her and used to hope Toni would marry her. We went into the shop to fetch goods back that my mother wanted. Mr. and Mrs. Harrison were more like farmers I thought. It was a lovely day for a child.

I knew ‘Lees’ farm very well because that was where we got the milk, cream and butter. There were three brothers and three sisters and they each knew their own work. Looking back it was a ‘proper’ farm for there were all the farm animals, a pond with trees Fields with good crops and with paths where parents and children walked round on Sunday nights in the summer. There were hedges with flowers and stiles we all could step over. Annie Lee came every Thursday with butter for us and for my grandfather’s shop. I loved that butter on a new teacake on Thursdays. Once a year my parents and I spent the afternoon and evening at the farm house. The kitchen was big but we sat in the sitting room and ate in the dining room both full of Victorian furniture, etc., etc. I was allowed in the dairy and really was petted. Their cream was lovely. There is none like it now in any shop. I do not know where the Lee family came from and I never saw any relatives. Their parents had been there because my mother used to say their mother had said she hoped none would marry and no one did. They were charming people and nowadays we would say they were very fetching: They looked the same age. No one looked older than another.

My father’s parish was Coxhoe and we often had farmers coming to pay their rates. They came as for a visit and were always given whisky. Coxhoe Mill Farm was in a charming area with trees, the pit stream, private fields in parts because of land belonging to John Wood of Coxhoe Hall. The land and trees and walls and hedges and footpaths and roads were all in excellent condition. My father had to go to the Hail. John Wood was not married nor were his sisters. I got to the Hall but never in it. I sat in the trap. John Woods house was lovely, a private residence. There was a farmhouse as one entered the estate at the Kelloe side and that was where the carved wall began. At the Coxhoe end there was an entrance with a wall and a cottage. All this has gone thanks to the destruction of the Coal board. Trees have gone too and the district looks a wreck. Elizabeth Barrett Browning was born at Coxhoe Hall.

I had just started school when I got scarlet fever, very prevalent then. It left me with a swollen gland and a swelling that used to burst and look awful because had to wear a dressing round my neck. Some children went to Durham Hospital to have their necks ‘treated’ and an awful mess it made. My mother would not have me go and had faith in Scott the chemist’s salve. It took several years but it healed and left the scar I still. have. In the middle of all this I fell off a high ‘see—saw’ and  broke my left elbow badly. Again my mother would not let me go to hospital so my father took me to Byers Green to have it ‘stretched’ by a bone setter he: knew who had worked at Kelloe pit. He was a nice man and gave my father big tins of ‘jelly’ to put on my arm and showed him how to get the elbow to bend. I still cannot touch my shoulder or neck but I can manage everything else. Our house was in Green Street at the end of one row. It had three bedrooms, a kitchen, a sitting room and a passage. At the other side of the yard, which was not big, were the WC, the coal house and the wash—house where all the cooking was done. We had an oven in the fireplace in the kitchen but the whole place had been electro—plated and my mother would not have it used. On the mantelpiece there was much brass and all these candlesticks and other pieces were cleaned every week. In the sitting room the brass round the fireplace was elegant and so were the long pokers and shovels. We had a big pantry where there was always a big bowl of water kept for the sink was in the wash—house. There was a big bowl for bread which my mother baked and baked well, every Thursday. She made big loaves and little ones and fadges. Always a piece of bacon and ham hung from the top and my father cut it when needed.

There was plenty of furniture upstairs in the bedrooms. There were many drawers especially in one big elegant piece made of mahogany, a wood greatly used and lovely to look at. In my parents’ room there was a grandfather clock which never stopped ticking and also a cupboard over the stairs where we hung coats and where my father had a safe. The sitting room was quite something with a good piano, a real suite of chats and settee, a big piece of furniture in one corner with drawers and a china cabinet and had some china. At the other side were dozens of small ornaments and pairs of ornaments, big and small, some of which, now I can see, were really nice. A gold clock with a glass cover, stuffed birds in a cage were there too. There was a what—not where the music was kept and there was a table of rose wood, heavily carved with. three monkeys and round leaves. Helen has this now in her hall. Over the fire — place was a big mirror. It made three after my mother died and I have one now. My father collected rents for Mr. Robinson who had a big shop in Stockton and we went there twice a year and this was where my mother saw all these goods that were then coming from the far east, Japan possibly, and bought. When Tom went to college his trunk came from Robinson’s and I had it afterwards.

I never had a bike. I had ‘good’ dolls that is, they looked like babies and wore nice clothes which someone in the village made. Several women had sewing machines so there was much home dress— making and very good it was. Many buttons were used and embroidery was done. Of course, quilts were made and every woman was in a quilting club. Fireside carpets were made too and there was much knitting and crochet work. men did stools, crackets and chairs in wood but gardening was their great joy. There was much land for gardens, now called allotments. Vegetables were always plentiful and there were some fine greenhouses. Billy Cummings grew black grapes and so did Tommy Fisher. Mr. Dowding who was a man of many talents, he could play the big base drum and did so at Chapel where it stayed. Many families kept hens and a pig. My mother always had a few hens and she liked the fat brown ones. We never ate a hen, always a cock chicken. I had a lovely big swing in our garden and I sang all the wartime songs as I went as high as I could. The wood was of ‘sleepers’ from the pit. My grandfather’s garden was special. I just got in once before he died. It had a flight of steps with a windmill and I can remember no more.

The pony and trap were kept in buildings opposite the garden. My father did look after Ninny She was well fed and well groomed and in the summer went into Turnbull’s fields. She was used a lot because my father worked for the post office by bringing their goods from Coxhoe ‘Bridge Station’. Looking back, we used the railways as we use the roads now. As a child, I was always going to Coxhoe Station to get to Ferryhill to get to Newcastle. We went to Newcastle often because Jim worked there and then Stanley went to play football there. When in training he used to walk from Newcastle, have a bath in the big tub in the yard and stay overnight. Trips went to Hart front Coxhoe and we walked through the “plantation”, by the mill and then a field to the station. Odd times we might walk to Trimdon Station. Often the pony and trap took us to Blackhall Rocks, more interesting than Hart.

All my life we had a dog and when I was a child, a cat too, called Tibby. The dog I first remember was Rover and it went everywhere with my father when he had the pony and trap. Once he walked to Blackhail Rocks thinking we were there. My mother liked the cat; It liked to be warm and would sit anywhere near the fire. It was patient with me and let me dress it with dolls clothes.

My mother had some help in the house, especially on Thursdays and wash days on Tuesday each fortnight. Jenny Ramshaw helped first and then her sister Annie. The family was slightly related to us I think. Their father was a very skilled blacksmith and made fire pokers, door stops, knockers, etc. Thursday was a busy day for my mother baked then and all the brass was cleaned and all the knives, forks and spoons. We had long lace curtains at the windows and they took much ironing. The lace was lovely, real lace. many shirts were washed and ironed. My father wore stiff collars and “fronts” and I always wore an apron, white cotton and very pleated. All little girls did. My mother wore a waist apron over her skirt. Looking back she wore blouses and skirts and not dresses. She had very stiff wired corsets, shaped exactly to the body. My father wore a morning suit to chapel and when going visiting. He had very smart waistcoats and always wore a top hat for best and any old hat for the garden or when out with the cart. Stan used to burn one now and then.

Men with carts and horses came round the streets with all kinds of goods. There were at least two butchers one from Coxhoe and one from Quarrington Hill. Fish was brought on a Monday from Hartlepool and my mother used to buy a big basin of fresh herring. She dressed so many, and I saw her do so, so often that it is the only thing I can clean ! Billy Cummings had a big cart and he brought fruit and vegetables. We ate a lot of fruit which came from the Empire, I expect. A man brought oil and pots and pans and oil lamps and think he came from one of the Trimdons. Kelloe was shaped like a wide brush, the handle being the two streets called the New Rows. The houses in South Cross row were nearly all owner occupiers. The path at the front was narrow and always clean and each house had a garden. We walked this path on our way to the plantation and we loved to look through the windows and see the very nice ornaments — a cow, a dog, a hen and eggs. One woman, Mrs Wilkinson, made lovely ginger pop, the proper kind that went off with a bang if you were not careful. There were many relatives in these houses. I think this Street was the best in the village. As we went round the corner to the “rows” there were two chapels, the very small one was a Welsh chapel and by the time I was 5 it had closed. The other one was the Wesley Methodist Chapel not as big as ours and I always thought much more comfortable. It had a very nice pipe organ played by Joe Parry and the main families were called Smart and Burns. There was a big school room and a vestry. I never seemed to get in that chapel and yet everybody in the village were friendly.

The men worked at pit or at the quarry, Raisby Limestone Quarry. It was big then and we waIked over it on a narrow path to get to Garmondsway. The path was safe but very steep and yet the people walked it every day to school, to church and chapel and to the shops. The men who worked there from Kelloe were mostly Irish who had come from Southern Ireland and were good Catholics who walked to their church at West Cornforth, who drank much beer including some after coming from church on Sundays. We had families who had come from Northern Ireland and they were miners and Protestants, mostly Chapel people. We had families with Welsh names. My father’s family had come from Hetton and my mother’s father from Northumberland We seemed to have relatives in Berwick because of ‘things’ that had come from there and my mother used to have salmon sent from there. Between the village and the pit was the old St. Helen’s Church built about 1150. As I got older, I went with others to the church Sunday School in the afternoon. I had a very nice umbrella which was broken one afternoon, and my mother was not pleased. As children we had very nice parasols in the summer.

I am often asked what Impressed me most as a child and It was the first car that came into the village, the big Ford Chevrolet belonging to Dr. Oliver. Our doctor was called Brown and it was some time before he got one. There were seven public houses, each one at the end of a Street or In the middle. The seven streets were shaped like a shovel with the New Row houses as the handle. There was a row of houses at the top near the Primitive Methodist Chapel and it was joined to the Street going down. At the bottom was another row facing the streets but not joined. On the east side was the main road into the village and there was a public house here and Mrs. Butler’s very nice house and shop. We bought our sweets at the shop on the way to school which was on the main road, too, and just below. I liked Fry’s chocolate better than Cadbury’s which was too sweet. ‘Five Boys’ chocolate with the picture of the 5 boys was lovely. There were all kinds of sweets in bottles and jars and boxes and all had to be weighed. One half—penny was spent on the way to school. To get one penny was a fortune. A teacher, Miss Weir, Scottish, gave me a penny and it was still in the house, wrapped up well, when my mother died in 1937.

My father had a very, very big book with good binding and this was the book he kept for the ‘Box’. Every fourth Monday he went to the pub, the first one in the village, to get payments from the women for a sort of insurance. Last century there was little “death money” from insurance companies so many friendly societies were started locally and the ‘Box’ was the Kelloe one. Apparently my father’s uncle who had a drapery shop opposite the pub, started this one and when he died my father  got the job, since he had been brought up by the Hope family. When my father died, my brother Tom had to take on the job. By then all such friendly societies were government controlled. I remember £2 was given for the death of a child and £5 for the death of a husband. The managers of the public houses were really very much respected. To a child they seemed to be important men. or women. Mrs. Arnold ran her house with perfection very clean because of all the scrubbing that went on. She had much help as had all the others and they all worked hard. Glasses were held up after being washed and dried.

Mrs. Jennie Arnold’s house was our nearest and I would be sent there for change. She often had money and a lot, under the carpet. She sent her niece to a private school and Violet did indeed become a Lady: (She was with me when I broke the umbrella.) She had no ‘common’ friends in the village. Only the colliery manager’s children were for her. Lamb’s owned some of the pubs and so did a Newcastle brewery. Men. drank a lot of beer so we were used to seeing the beautiful horses and wagons bringing the great barrels of beer to the cellars of the pubs. The great well made casks drifted down the cellar steps. Looking after this beer was how a manager was judged. Mrs. Arnold was an expert, I have heard it said, There were only four shops, my grandfather’s, Hope’s, my Uncle’s (really a cousin of my father) big grocery shop and the post office — clothes and toys and some groceries. The owners along with the publicans were the ‘elite’ of the village for we were all one class, We had few teachers, no colliery officials, ministers of the churches, etc, of any number in the village. The only teaching family were the Kirkpatrick's. My father would have loved to have been in business, but how could he with his relatives there? Anyhow, he made wills and wrote letters for other people, served at Chapel and at court, collected rates and rents, etc. He loved to play an organ, harmonium and piano at home and at Chapel. He obviously could read music because he could sing all the new tunes we got each year for the Chapel anniversary.

We were safe to play all-kinds of games and when It was ‘block’ the whole village was used. We all had hoops made at the pit and a sledge also made at the pit. We used much chalk on the pavements for bays and every one had a ‘tip—top’. We did skip and skip and the boys played marbles which were lovely pieces of glass. On a Saturday night we loved to walk past the houses to smell the lovely cooking going on for supper. There would be basins of rabbit pie or meat pie. We did eat a lot of meat, lamb, beef and pork and we had a fair amount of fish, fresh. My father could very quickly take the skin off a rabbit or hare brought to the house under Mr Allen’s coat. There were always mushrooms in the summer, again brought to the house. No—one ate a tame rabbit. We had little cake unless my aunt Margaret Jane sent some down. She was the cake maker. But my mother made fresh fruit pies and many were apple. We used a lot of milk for we were always, having rice or tapioca puddings. Many eggs were used in cooking in sweet or savoury dishes. Egg custards were very common. I like pastries better than cakes after all these years I can see why.

I think every house had this on a wall: “Christ is the head of this house. The unseen guest at every meal. The silent listener to every conversation.” We did not have many pictures. One was of a great battle of last century and one of the ‘Monarch of the Glen’. We also had a deer’s head in the passage. My mother could read very well and had a first copy of the ‘Northern Echo’. She used to say she went to ‘school’ near the Welsh Chapel and there she learned her a, b, c’s and where she had to play. I never knew her write a letter, but she could write. Her father had had a school at Trimdon Grange and had a lot of Scott’s books and my mother knew a lot of Scott’s poems — and so did I! “The way was long, the wind was cold” etc, Lord Ullin’s daughter and so on. I don’t remember when I learned to read because at 5 I got scarlet fever and when I got back to school there was an awful teacher with a wig, a big one, and shoes with rubber heels. Every Friday she gave us a page out of a book and we had to read it on Monday. If it got dirty we had to give her a penny. My father went to see her about it. After being ill I went to the new infants school for 6 months then back to the old one, now 7—14 years only. At 18+ I went back to the same school as a pupil teacher for a year before going on to St. Hilda's College, Durham. It was the happiest year of my life.

Because East Hetton Colliery, was one mile from Kelloe we were not really in touch with it. We saw the miners, and there were many, that went to work with picks and with their cans and bait tins with water and food to be eaten down the pit or at bank. Many men took bread and jam sandwiches. We heard the buzzers blow four time a day because there were four shifts. One started at 3.00 a.m. for coal workers and we heard the ‘knocker’ at the right doors. There was a slate with a time on these doors. The blacksmiths, mechanics, etc. who worked above the mine went to work at 6 a.m. They were knocked up at 5 a.m. The man who did the knocking up was a ‘caller’ I know three kinds of coal, nuts, peas and roundies. Every miner with a house got free coal. We bought ours and good coal it was. The roundies were for the sitting room fireplace. Miners often sold their coal to folk like us. Isaac Pratt lead the coal as long as I could remember. The coal went from the pit to Coxhoe Bridge Station, about 2 miles. Many of the officials lived in rather nice houses near the pit and if I went there with my parents to visit friends we walked ‘up the line’. I learned my 3 and 9 times table by adding up the numbers on each coal truck as they went past. We always had a Canon at Kelloe Church and he had a good salary because the coal went past church land and so the church was well paid for the privilege.

Bricks were made at the pit and many were used on the houses belonging to Sir Walter Scott who owned East Hetton and Trimdon Grange Collieries. Lime seemed to be used to put the bricks together. There was always lime about somewhere. It was the plaster for everything. Durham Big Meeting was a great event then. They marched past our street, Green Street, about 7 a.m. because they all had to go to Quarrington Hill too and then walk to Durham for the meetings.

Between the Wars when coal became nationalized down came the whole of the village and up went a council house village at the other side of the hill. Those in their own houses had to go to council houses too and in these they got bathrooms and toilets that we had never had. We used big dishes and a miner washed at home every day. Looking back, it was the supply of water and electricity that were great events in our lives. My father was also clerk to the parish council and was much Involved in all this ‘modernization’. Both parents died in the old pit village so I never got to a new council house. It was indeed a pit village for there were few families who did not have men working there.)Tunstalls — father, policeman 3 girls  and I son and all became teachers. The Public House families 3)The business families — 4.

Aunt Emily Kirkpatrick’s husband was John and he was headmaster of the school and their only child Billy became a doctor. Of our family two trained at the pit, Jim who went to Newcastle to work at Armstrong’s during the Great War and Stanley went off to play football while Tom and I became teachers. Another Kirkpatrick family, related, had teachers too. So my childhood was in a pit village that had no class distinction. February 1986. I have lived through years of much change. Cars and aero— planes are the mode of travel. The Americans have sent men to the Moon. Secondary education is for all. Operations for new hearts and kidneys are common. Penicillin made all kinds of drugs possible. There have been two Wars and in the Second War “the bomb” was used and is here to stay. Radio and television almost rule our lives re entertainment. There are many satellites and astronauts in the heavens. A great period.

ISABELLA ALICE EMBLETON nee SEYMOUR

Below Chesney Brighouse from Coxhoe with his nephew at a family wedding at Kelloe; above Jimmy Smart and Harry Slater of Kelloe: