Craghead Past And Present - Craghead Community Website

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Craghead
Past and Present
by Dorothy A. Rand and George Nairn
Workmen; Messrs Kell and Groves, Craghead Hotel, April 1893
Craghead Hotel is now Graphic House, the premises of Graphic Print
who have commissioned, designed, printed and published this book
Front Cover: Craghead Colliery Band and banner at Durham Miners Gala in 1965
from a painting by Tom Lamb
1
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We would like to thank the following people for their help and contributions
Tom Bainbridge
Verna Bell (nee Carr)
Sheila Carey
Robert Carr
Alan and Carole Craggs
Graham Cozens
Doris Davinson (nee Lamb)
Eric Donkin
Durham County Record Office
Mary Emmerson
Dorothy Hall
David Harker
Alan Hedley
John Ceiriog-Hughes
Betty and Len James
Brian Kirkup
Fenwick Lawson
Jack Magee
David Marshall
Noreen Martin
Albert Nicholson
Bryan Ord
The late Eddie Pomeroy
David Rand
Michael Richardson
Jim Robson
Ken Tallentire
Edna Willis (nee Anforth)
Beamish Photographic Archive
Angela Bruce
Ann Carr (nee Miller)
Barbara Churcher (nee Bott)
Terry & Margaret Coulson
Anne Cowie (nee Brown)
Eddie Cummings
Janice Docherty
Durham City Reference Library
Celia Elworthy (nee Davinson)
Mavis Glendenning (nee Tooke)
Margaret Hanson (nee Wright)
Allan and Eileen Heaviside
Clarry Holmes
Alan Hush
Derek Jefferson
Tom Lamb
Kevin Leary
Tracy Malin
James Martin and grandson
Christopher Mordue
Colin Mountford
Gordon Noble
John Pattison
Martin Quinn
Stan Rand
Betty Richardson
David Ridley
Andrew Sewell
Ronnie Shanks
Alan Watson
Jennie White (nee Toal)
Joyce Wilson (nee Abbott)
Special thanks to everyone at Graphic Print especially
Martin Winn for his skill in printing this book and
Darren McMahon for the design and construction of the pages
Gill Nairn and Stan Rand for putting up with it all!
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Craghead
Past and Present
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
- The Growing Village .................. 4
- Looking to the Future ................ 8
- Mining ........................................ 13
- Shopping .................................... 36
- Webwear ..................................... 40
- Places of Worship..................... 41
- Transport ................................... 47
- School Days ............................... 50
- War and Remembrance............ 54
- Time Off .................................... 57
- Memories ................................... 65
- Graphic Print............................. 77
This page is sponsored by Durham County Councillor David Marshall
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The Growing Village
Chapter One
Craghead is a former mining village in County Durham,
seven miles north west of Durham City and four miles
west of Chester-le-Street. It is in the district of
Derwentside.
Craghead first appeared on Greenwood’s map of
1820. It was not until almost a century later that
the village’s name was commonly written as one
word, so Mr. Greenwood was ahead of his time.
Nobody knows when Craghead was first inhabited.
Archaeological finds at Sacriston and Tribley show that
prehistoric man was living nearby. Until the significant
development of the mining industry from the 1840’s
onwards, Craghead was a sparsely populated mainly
agricultural hamlet in the parish of Lanchester and part
of the township of Holmside.
Holmside is mentioned in the Boldon Book of 1183:
“Holmside yields one mark and provides one man in the
forest for forty days in the fawning season and for forty days
in the rutting season and carts wine with four oxen.”
The forest was the Bishop of Durham’s
forest in Weardale and the man
from Holmside was to act as
forester at busy times when the
roe deer needed special
watching. One mark equals
13s 4d approximately 66p.
Bishop Hatfield’s Survey of Durham at the end of the
fourteenth century mentions Ousterley:
“Isabel de Birtley holds a messuage (a house and the grounds
around it) and fourscore and fourteen acres by knight’s service
and 16s 10d rent”
Knight’s service meant that in return for
land at Ousterley, Isabel de Birtley had
to provide military assistance to the
Crown, normally a fully-armed knight
and his servant for forty days a year.
Place names give an indication of the landscape.
HOLMSIDE found as Holneside in 1214 is from the
Old English Holeyn, a holly tree slope or holly hill.
FAWSIDE found as Fauside in 1384 is from
the Old English Fag-side, a hillside of different
colours.
THE MIDDLES means “wood near the junction
of the streams.”
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The first directory to mention Craghead is Hagar’s
Directory of 1851, still under the entry for the
township of Holmside which had 1012 inhabitants.
At the end of the list of eleven farmers, a grazier,
two boot and shoe makers, a mason, a grocer, a
joiner and a cartwright is: Thomas Stewart Victualler
“Board” Cragghead.
The thirsty customers of The Board were mostly
miners, William Hedley had come to the district
and was living in Shafto House. Soon Holmside
would be dwarfed by the growing village of
Craghead.
The tiny hamlet of Craghead blossomed and grew
with the development of the deep mining industry
by William Hedley and his sons. In 1838, when
William Hedley arrived, John Hall noted that
Craghead consisted of John’s Castle Inn, a few one
storey red-tiled cottages and some scattered
farmsteads. The sinking of pits from the William
Pit in 1839 to the Busty Pit in 1916 all had a
profound effect. Miners and other workers needed
homes, shops and the other essentials for
community life.
CRAGHEAD PAST & PRESENT
Eastfield Cottages were built opposite White House Farm. Three of the eight
houses are shown here about 1900
Eastfield Cottages (known as Kyfer Row) and Wagtail
Cottages were built for colliery workers. These stone houses
were very basic with one flagstone paved room
downstairs and an upstairs room reached by a
ladder.
As the demand for coal increased in the
second
half of the nineteenth century Craghead along with other
colliery villages attracted an influx of workers from Ireland,
Scotland, Cornwall and other parts of England. People
from neighbouring villages
moved in when more
lucrative work was available.
Terraced houses were built by
the Hedleys and the street
names reflect their family
names and connections. The
Ordnance Survey map of
1895 shows that William,
George, Oswald and Thomas
Hedley each had a pit and
street named after them.
Wylam Street and Callerton
Place are a reminder of two
collieries in which the first
William Hedley had an
interest. Railway Street is
aptly named as it was parallel to the railway. This
building bonanza was noted in Whellan’s Directory of
1894.
“Craghead is now being much improved, and a large
number of houses built owing to the development of
the collieries in the neighbourhood.”
Coal miners at Craghead Colliery in 1893.
Verna Bell’s Grandfather, Thomas Carr is at the
right end of the back row
In memory of our precious Dad, Kenneth Simpson, loved and never forgotten by his two sons Timothy and Andrew
5
THE GROWING VILLAGE
This reflected the prosperity of the village and the
region as a whole at that time. Craghead was growing
in size and status. Craghead Township was formed by
Local Government Board Order No. 34,883 on 30th
September, 1896 from the civil parishes of Edmondsley
and Lanchester. It had an area of 1,233 acres, its rateable
value was £14,719 and in 1901 it had a population of
2,325.
The part of the village known as Bloemfontein was
built following the Boer War 1899-1902 and street
names such as Bloemfontein, Kimberley and
Standerton recall battles in the war.
Lambton, Surtees and Shafto Terraces were built shortly
after the 1914-18 war. Lanchester Rural Council built
their first houses in the village about 1927 at the
Middles. There were eleven streets named after trees,
plus South View. Woodside Gardens was started in
1939, worked resumed in 1946 after the war. Other
housing was provided.
Miners welfare was not neglected. The Rescue Station
at Hustledown opened in 1913 and the Colliery Baths
in 1926. Aged Miners Homes were built and the
Holmside and South Moor Welfare Fund Hospital
opened in 1927.
Early communications were limited, for example in
1858 only a primitive postal service existed whereby
letters were delivered by foot post from Durham! By
1902 Craghead had its own Post Office with a wide
range of services, letters from Chester-le-street arrived
at 7.15am and 5.15pm and mail was despatched at
9.30am and 7.30pm.
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Early transport was provided by horse-drawn vehicles
notably those belonging to Charles Pomeroy from the
beginning of the twentieth century. In Kelly’s 1914
Directory Charles Pomeroy worked as a carrier to
Newcastle on Tuesdays and Thursdays and Chester-leStreet on Saturdays. The 1920’s saw the introduction
of local bus services.
Shops selling most things could be found in colliery
villages when transport and money were limited. This
was often the role of the Co-op who catered for needs
“From the cradle to the grave.” Craghead and Holmside
Co-operative and Industrial Society Limited opened
in August 1883. Detailed lists of service providers and
shopkeepers can be found in such books as Kellys
Directories and show the growth of Craghead from
the 1850’s onwards.
The colliery owners and the church maintained
Holmside National School on Wagtail Lane which
opened in 1847. In 1877 the Hedleys built a larger
school on an adjoining site, church services were held
in the schools. Local historian Fred Wade attended this
school which had stables at the back for the donkeys
and ponies of scholars who came from a distance. The
school closed on 31st December 1900 and Craghead
pupils transferred to the new mixed school in the centre
of the village. This was built to
accommodate 400 children,
The Hedley Memorial School
for infants was opened in 1887
and extended in 1892 to
accommodate girls. This was
replaced by a new school in
John Street. The new housing
at
Bloemfontein
was
accompanied by a new school
to cater for pupils at that end
of the village. It opened in
1910, catering for 260 mixed
pupils and is the only one of
the above schools in use today.
Places of worship were a
priority and buildings usually
followed meetings held in members homes or other
places. The Primitive Methodist Church was opened
in 1890 and the Wesleyan Methodist Church on
Fawcett Hill in 1897. The Church of England erected
an iron church in 1900 and when St. Thomas’ Church
was built in 1911 the iron church became a church
hall. The burial ground had opened in 1907.
From Dr & Mrs Nath in appreciation of support given to them in the past 27 years, may God bless all
The ecclesiastical parish of
Craghead was formed on
June 28th 1912. The
Salvation Army had a hut on
Shafto Bank, it was later
moved to Grange Villa. St.
Mary’s Roman Catholic
Church was opened at
Hustledown in 1932 and the
Spiritualists Church opened
on January 1st 1933.
Life was not always serious
and many residents enjoyed
time off in a great variety of
ways. For men there were
pubs and clubs and numerous
sporting activities. The cinema - the Penny Gaff above the Co-op opened in 1915. Women could join the WVS as
it was first named or the WI, or go to the British Legion Social Club as well as church and chapel activities. A centre
of recreational activity was the Hedley Memorial Hall and Institute, a magnificent building built in 1902, open to
all residents of the village over fourteen years of age at a subscription of one penny per week. In 1925 it had a
library of 1300 volumes, a billiard room with two tables, a reading room and a games room, A public rifle range
and gymnasium were in an adjacent building. Many activities took place in the hall including St. John Ambulance
meetings and practices by Craghead Colliery Band formed in 1910. The Good Templars had a hut at the side of
the Institute.
The difficult years of the 1920’s and 1930’s were followed by six years of war and then the bombshell of the 1951
Durham County Development Plan. Craghead was classified as “Category D” - no plans for investment in the
future - no government help. When Craghead Colliery closed in 1969 some families moved away, some miners
found other work, but many were unemployed with little money to spend. What happened next is told by Betty
James and Janice Docherty.
The Hedley Memorial Hall and Institute shortly before
demolition in the 1990’s
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Looking to the Future
Chapter Two
CRAGHEAD VILLAGE HALL
By Janice Docherty and Betty James
The Village Hall was built in the 1930’s with only one
hundred pounds; it served the community well for
many generations and especially through the Second
World War. Many activities and family events took
place over the years.
In the seventies the Village Hall was in need of a coat
of paint, the paint was donated, the colour was red
thus the local name The Red Hut. In the nineties the
Red Hut turned pink as the red paint faded, the
building became difficult to maintain and after a visit
by Durham County Council who grant aided the
building it was condemned. The management
committee had for years managed the building on
limited funds they had raised and were faced with the
task of finding funding for a new building.
In 1995/6 an application for SRB funding was made
to help with the building of a new Village Hall, with
this grant also came the help of Derwentside District
Council in the form of Con Crawford, Claire Yates
and Norris Ouston. For the next four years the work
continued, applications to the National Lottery were
unsuccessful but slowly a funding package was put
together by members of the
committee (Betty Stout,
Janice Docherty, Eileen
Cox and May Ridley) with
invaluable assistance from
Claire Yates and Fergus
Mitchell of the District
Council. Craghead Area
Partnership also played a
major role in the
development and support
of funding applications,
Durham County Council
also agreed to grant aid the
new hall.
The Village Hall joined the
Rural
Challenge
Partnership which gave
funding to put the latest IT
infrastructure into the new
hall and Craghead,
Durham County Council and National Lottery gave
funding for a feasibility study, money from Europe was
accessed but still the big grant seemed as illusive as
ever. Late in 1999 the good news arrived, the National
Lottery had awarded £483,700 to build a new village
hall. The total funding package came to over threequarters of a million pounds.
The New Craghead Village Hall was opened on 25th
of November by Fergus Mitchell, even the opening
had its drama as there was a terrible rain storm that
day, but Craghead turned out in force to take a first
look inside its new village hall.
Alan Hodgson who is a Director at Derwentside
District Council uses Craghead Village Hall in
presentations across the country and abroad, as we are
lucky to have a Gateway facility, he and his team have
arranged visits from other districts and continue to
support the village hall IT.
There are a great variety of activities in the Village Hall
from dancing to computer training there is a new
management committee with eighteen members and
things are going well, but how many of us wonder if
the new hall will still be around in 2070.
From T. L. and M. Holmes of Firth House, Shafto Bank - Please support Craghead Area Partnership
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CRAG
In 1991 Craghead Residents Action Group (CRAG)
was formed and they used Craghead Communal Room
as their base. The group worked for many years and
provided a range of activities for the whole community
including a Youth Club, trips away and organised events
such as bonfires and carol singing around the village. A
junior football club was also formed and supported by
the group. With the help of DRCC a number of classes
were arranged on a variety of subjects.
CRAG also decided to help improve the area and
initiated a number of environmental improvements
with the help of Groundwork Trust these include a play
area at Railway Terrace, improvements at the Punch
Bowl crossroads, tree and bulb planting around the
village and landscaping at William Street.
In 1993 CRAG took over the Tea Rooms at Craghead
Cricket Club and this gave them the opportunity to
develop the youth club further holding discos and other
events which were enjoyed by all the children.
Unfortunately because of the cost of repairs and
repeated vandalism in 1996 the Tea Rooms were closed
and eventually demolished by the District Council.
CRAG continues today and takes part in the annual
National Tree Week, accessing funding for trees to
improve the environment.
Original membership:
Ann and Norman Dixon, Norma and Nigel Newton,
Joyce and Billy Tooke, Mavis and Peter Glendenning,
Sybil and Derek Jefferson, Pat Hall, Janice Docherty,
Alan Teasdale, Carol Beading, Bob and Margaret
Coates, Bob Thorpe, Emma Dook, Bill Wilson B.
Asquith and Tina Clark.
CRAGHEAD AREA PARTNERSHIP
In 1995 in order to access funding from Europe a
meeting was arrange for Councillors and local
organisations and agencies as it was necessary to have a
community appraisal to produce an action plan for
the use of the funding.
The appraisal process was led by Groundwork Trust, it
was important that the whole community had an
opportunity to express their views, a questionnaire was
produced and a Fun Day arranged at Bloemfontein
School. The appraisal had to cover the whole ward and
organisation from both Craghead and South Stanley
took part, the day was a great success.
The people involved realised that there were a number
of groups working in isolation, all with the same aim
and if we worked together in partnership could achieve
a great deal more. And so in 1996 Craghead Area
Partnership was formed. The Partnership is open to
any resident who lives in the Craghead Ward,
Community Organisations, Bloemfontein School,
Churches, Residents Groups, Neighbourhood Watch
and Burnside Resource Centre.
With the support of people like Health Promotions,
Age Concern, DRCC, of Groundwork Trust and CDA
the Partnership managed through its first but very
difficult year with only £17.50 in the bank.
However, as the Partnership approached the end of
the first year it began to find its feet and has never
looked back, in fact it is so successful that it is used as
a model throughout County Durham.
The main aim of the Partnership is to regenerate
Craghead Ward and to enhance activities and
opportunities for all of the people who live here.
The first task of the Partnership was to keep residents
informed of the work taking place. It was decided that
a community newsletter should be produced, a
competition was organised with local school children
to name the newsletter. ‘Cannie Crack’ is now
distributed to every home in the Craghead Ward on a
quarterly basis, requests for copies come not only from
people in Derwentside and County Durham but from
people who live in other parts of the country and
abroad. A special edition was produced in 2000, which
was funded by the National Lottery. This was the first
sub group of the Partnership to be formed.
The Miners Lamp was the next project and with the
help of Groundwork Trust, Derwentside District
Council and McDonalds an artist was employed to
work with the school children to design a landmark
for Craghead. Jim Roberts worked with the children
on designs and to everyone’s great surprise, they decided
on a miner’s lamp, the name of the lamp is Reflections.
In 1997 the lamp was place near the bungalows at
Bloemfontein Place and to date there has been no
vandalism.
As projects were suggested and funding accessed it was
clear that sub groups needed to be formed, members
decided what their special interest was and joined that
sub group, all reporting back to the full Partnership
meetings.
9
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
over 500 people each year. This event is used to fund
raise but also to thank local people for their support.
Free entertainment, pop, crisps, balloons and face
painting is provide for the children, everyone who
attends has a great time but this event would not
happen if it was not for the volunteers.
Woods
Environment
In the early days this group accessed funding for bulb
and tree planting, tidy up campaigns but quite quickly
moved to much larger projects. Groundwork Trust had
already completed the first phase of a Gateways project,
which would improve the main entrances to the ward,
the environment group worked with them on the
second phase. Car parking and landscaping was
desperately needed near Holmside Terrace as the land
was becoming yet another eye sore. The project was
supported by Derwentside District Council and ERDF
and is well used by residents. The community allotment
is the latest environmental project; it is hoped that in
the future we will be able to grow our own plants for
around the ward.
Millennium Green
The Craghead Cricket Club folded and the pitch was
being used as unlawfully grazing for horses. At this
time the National Lottery launched a fund for
Millennium Greens and the Partnership applied and
was successful, we received a grant of £1,500 to prepare
a plan and £65,000 over a three-year period. With
matched funding from SRB, Civic Trust, BASS and
Countryside Commission. Derwentside District
Council leased the land to the Trust for a peppercorn
rent and agreed to a long-term maintenance. Craghead
Millennium Green Trust was formed and is working
on plans for the future; this project secured a large area
of green open space to be used by all the people of our
area.
Community
The Partnership organise a number of community
events which include summer fund days, discos,
community trips and Christmas parties. The most
successful event is the summer fun day, which attracts
10
Between Craghead and South Stanley we are lucky to
have ancient woodland, members of the Partnership
decided that they would like to preserve this area and
protect the wildlife which included red squirrels and
water voles. This group is very active, they have accessed
funding to produce a study, initiated a red squirrel
protection project and have had a gate fitted to the
entrance. They have worked with the Great North
Forest, Acorn Trust, and Derwentside District Council
to turn our woodland into a Nature Reserve. School
children from both Burnside and Bloemfontein have
been involved. Members of the group have also taken
part in the Green Corridor project with residents from
South Stanley and South Moor.
Craghead Youth Group
This group was formed as a pilot called ‘More to Life’,
Groundwork Trust managed this group and provided
a youth worker to support the young people who
joined. At the end of the project it was decided to
continue the group as Craghead Youth Group, the
young people have worked on a number of projects.
They have designed new gates and fencing for the
Cenotaph at Craghead and worked with the school
children on the Millennium Seat at the crossroads.
Currently they are working on a miner’s memorial,
which will be place near the crossroads.
Craghead was chosen as the North East area for a visit
by the Countryside Exchange programme, visitors
came from the USA and UK. They gave a snapshot
report of Craghead sensing our strong community
spirit and incredible will to survive. Whilst being proud
of our heritage they pointed out that we needed to
move forward.
We are doing that.
A successful bid was made for a Settle Renewal Initiative
which will cover a 3/5 year period for the creation of a
Development Trust to improve the sustainability of the
ward and improve access to employment and training
opportunities.
Craghead have also been included in two new
government funded initiatives, the first is
From Heidi (Anneliese Kloeck) wishing all the best for the future of Craghead
Neighbourhood Renewal and
the second is Neighbourhood
Management.
The
Partnership have joined forces
with South Stanley and South
Moor Partnerships to form
the
Green
Corridor
Partnership and hope to
improve how services are
delivered to the area.
Over the years Craghead Area
Partnership have had much
success, supported many local
groups, but none of this
would have been possible
without the support of
volunteers and the residents
of the Craghead Ward.
Members Past and
Present:
Hannah Cowan, Janice
Docherty, Betty James,
Dorothy Beckworth, Eileen
Cox, Betty Stout, Lyn
Simpson, Tracy Malin,
Michael Lockie, Derek
Jefferson, Rose Stewart,
Sheila McCamley, Geraldine
Hammel, Alison Brydon,
Linda Ferry, Dianne Oram,
Mavis Glendenning, Verna
Bell, Len James, Ann
Williams, Garry Reed,
George Lockie, Mrs. E Taylor,
Brian Croft, Malcolm Smith,
Brian Patterson, Mrs D
Brown, Ms. S. Armstrong,
Mr & Mrs K Hadley Mrs N
Patterson, Elsie & Philip Wood,
Our tribute to those involved in the preparation of this fine book - Len & Betty James
11
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
Mr Lee, Paul Emmerson, Olga Batey, Mrs S Hopper,
Michael Donnelly, Eileen Liddle, Susan Hall, R.
Henderson, June Wade, Garry Reed, Linda & David
Marshall, Jean & Billy Tones, Dave Donkin, V.M.
Vickers, Mary Emmerson, Mark Davison, Mr & Mrs
Atkinson, John Horsley, Nichol Musgrove, Jack
Fothergill, Mrs Morrison, J Cambell, Rev Austin
Johnson, J & L Hails.
THE CHANGING FACE
CRAGHEAD by LEN JAMES
OF
When I first came back to live in the north-east in the
late sixties Craghead was a Category D village. This
was a pall that hung over the pit villages for many years.
Let me explain.
The Durham County Council recognised that with
the pit closures the County’s population was bound to
diminish. This meant a reduction in resources and so
they determined that, in planning terms, there would
be no new money spent on development or
maintenance on a large number of villages named as
in Category D. All reserves were to be devoted to a
smaller number of settlements for the maintenance and
development of selected settlements. Category D
villages were left to wither away and many did so. But
some survived nursing a needless resentment. These
villages which were without development of factories,
offices or new houses could have been labelled “country
villages”, “rural communities” or “green settlements”
and those that survived could have been proud.
Not long after I went onto the County Council
Category D was abolished thus paving the way for new
development and progress in Craghead.
Craghead is a nice place to live and I am proud to have
represented the village at County Hall for the past
twenty five years.
It is a nice place to live for all kinds of reasons from the
marvellous scenery which appears round every corner
to the good neighbourliness of the long term residents
and to the improvements in the quality of life which
have developed over the past generation.
When I first came to Craghead there was a long dark
canyon along Greylingstadt Terrace. I am sure the sun
12
rarely shone through most of the windows. The
District Council demolished all the houses on the north
side affording light to the rest of the village and
presenting marvellous views up to Stanley. At the
eastern end of the village I was happy to persuade the
Great North Forest to extend beyond the Chester
boundary giving a new wood “Heaviside Wood”. We
were glad to arrange a football kick-about area on the
old colliery field west of Shafto Terrace. At the other
end of the village we were able to get finance for a
Millenium Green. Our Youth Group raised the money
for and designed the Cenotaph Gates and the
Millennium Seat. But most impressive is how
Craghead people worked for the improvement of the
village. Our school children have helped with area
improvement from the planting of wayside flowers to
planting trees at Heaviside Wood to the designing of
the Miners Lamp and the improvements at the War
Memorial.
The Craghead Area Partnership was formed to allow
every interested person to help in improving the village.
When South Moor Hospital was to be closed I led the
campaign to keep it open but I could not have
succeeded without the help and participation of our
village. Again the money was obtained for the new
Village Hall by the efforts of so many people working
so hard.
M ining
Chapter Three
CRAGHEAD COLLIERY 1839 - 1969
Coal had been mined by primitive methods such as
bell pits and drift mines before technology made deep
mining and transport of coal a possibility. The Malley
Bell shaft cover can still be seen near the roadside in
the grounds of East Villa at the end of Thomas Street.
Such shafts were sunk to a coal seam revealed by
outcropping nearby. In the eighteenth century mining
methods were simple, miners used wooden shovels and
wooden picks tipped with iron. Coal was moved in
baskets and bags dragged on sledges.
The technology of the Industrial Revolution not only
made deep mining and transport of coal possible, it
also created a demand for coal.
William Hedley was viewer at
Wylam Colliery where his
“Puffing Billy” and “Wylam
Dilly” were running in 1813. He
apparently
had
family
connections in the Craghead area
and in 1826 he moved to South
Moor Collieries and lived in
Beech Grove Hall. In 1829 he
became a partner in William Bell
and Partners, owners of South
Moor Collieries.
Fred Wade takes up the story,
“With the increasing demand for
coal to meet the needs of
expanding industry, the
Company decided to let out the
southern part of their coalfield
and in 1838 the Craghead part
was let to William Hedley at £50
per annum. Hedley began to sink
the William Pit at Craghead on
January 14th 1839. While the
sinking was in progress a selfacting incline was constructed to
take the Craghead coal to Pelton
Level where the wagons joined
the Stanhope and Tyne Railway”
The Thomas Pit was sunk in 1841 and William Hedley
died on January 9th 1843 at his home at Burnhopeside
Hall near Lanchester. His four sons Thomas, William,
George and Oswald then traded as Thomas Hedley
and Brothers. Subsequent sinkings were the George
Pit in 1854, the Oswald Pit in 1878, the Edward to
the Hutton seam in 1909 and the Brockwell in 1919
and the Busty in 1916. Steam, household gas and
coking coal were produced. William Hedley Junior
became the dominant partner and he took an active
part in opening out and developing the pits. He can
be seen in his usual swallowtail coat on the picture of
the Wylam Dilly. He died at Burnhopeside Hall on
December 13th 1888 just as business was developing
rapidly.
Above: The Edward Pit in the 1920’s
Below: The Busty Pit
13
MINING
Whellan’s Directory of 1894 says of Hedley’s Collieries
“These extensive royalties are really just being opened
out, and promise to cause the rapid development of
this district into a populous and busy mining centre.
Nearly all the seams of the Durham Coalfield are met
in these royalties, and the coal is of excellent quality
for all manufacturing and coking purposes. Already
in connection with this company’s operations, large
numbers of miners’ dwellings have been erected, and
many are in course of construction.”
IN MEMORIAM
This memorial card (below left) is for William Old,
one of the many miners killed at Craghead Colliery
over 130 years. This is his widow Jane (below) who is
also on the photograph of Eastfield Cottages. Burial
took place at West Stanley. Craghead did not have its
own burial ground until 1907.
Craghead Colliery remained in the ownership of
Thomas Hedley and Brothers until Holmside and
South Moor Colliery Company took over on January
3rd 1925 and the NCB on January 1st 1947.
Jane Isabella Old
COOLING PONDS AT CRAGHEAD COLLIERY
Steam was used to clean coal, the water was cooled in ponds before being pumped back in to be used again. Weed
grew freely in these ponds and was harvested commercially for fish food.
14
Splicing steel stranded haulage rope at Craghead Colliery
A T5 Foden steam vehicle Craghead Colliery
Bevin Boy Ray Watkins and a photograph he took on
his last day at Craghead in 1945 (Above and Right).
GROUP IN FRONT OF THE BUSTY PIT 1966/7 (Above)
Left to right: Fred Kerswell-Undermanager, Norman Carr-Colliery Engineer
The plough face in the Towneley Seam 1961, showing the Mr Richford-Senior District Mines Inspector, Harry Burn-Group Manager
Mr Edwards-District Mines Inspector
line of timbering (above).
15
MINING
OPENCAST WORKINGS AT HUMBLEBURN 1993
July 1993 the Shield Row seam
June 1993 earlier workings are revealed
WILLIAM HEDLEY SENIOR, PUFFING BILLY AND WYLAM DILLY
William Hedley (right) invented the railway locomotives
“Puffing Billy” and “Wylam Dilly” both of which were
running on Wylam railway in May 1813. They predate
George Stephenson’s first engine “Blutcher” by one year
although it was Stephenson who extended locomotive
haulage from colliery waggonways to the passenger service.
“Puffing Billy” was originally “Puffing Dilly”, a dilly being
a horse waggon load. This was corrupted to “Puffing
Billy” as William Hedley was said to be asthmatic.
When Wylam Colliery closed in 1862 “Puffing Billy” was
Wylam Dilly at Craghead
late 1870’s
16
sent to the South Kensington
Museum and “Wylam Dilly”
came to Craghead where it was
occasionally steamed on a short
section of 5’ 0’’ track. In October
1882 it was sent to the Royal
Scottish Museum, Edinburgh for
preservation.
LOCOMOTIVE POWER
No 5 Area. Craghead BankTop on 17th June 1965
“Craghead” built for Holmside and South Moor
Collieries Ltd. by Black Hawthorn and Company
Ltd., Gateshead in 1890, works number 971, 0-6-0
saddle tank. Rebuilt by Hawthorn Leslie in 1911 and
worked at Craghead until 1937. Transferred to NCB
No. 6 Area on 1st January, 1947. Photographed at
Morrison Busty in 1949 and scrapped in 1966.
39, formerly “Burnhopeside” built for Holmside and South
Moor Collieries Ltd. by Black Hawthorn 1887, photographed at
Craghead in 1953 and scrapped in September 1959.
No. 5 Area - No. 80 (RSH 7546/1949) filling up with
water at the end of a days work at Craghead,
25th March, 1966
17
MINING
LOCAL BRICKS
Some collieries had brickworks and it is possible to
find local bricks if you look carefully!
“Brickworks of the North East” by Peter J Davison
describes the Old Holmside Colliery Brickworks at
Craghead, 1880 - 1908. “T Hedley and Brothers had
a brickyard beside the William Pit and whose boilers
were connected up to drive the brick machinery. In
1894 the yard was described as old fashioned and much
of the machinery almost worn out. In 1897 it was
noted that the output from the brick machine was more
than the batch of Newcastle kilns could cope with and
in 1900 a new downdraught kiln was built. In 1901 a
taller chimney was built to serve all the kilns.
In 1906 the yard had 1 million bricks in stock and the
colliery manager advised the owners to close the
brickworks. Early in 1908 the yard closed and in the
following year the kilns collapsed”
John Hall explains that while sinking the William Pit
a good quality clay suitable for brickmaking was found
under the fivequarter coal seams and brickworks were
established nearby. The brick produced was a very hard,
brittle type and many houses, still standing today, were
built with these bricks. It was said that the drying
sheds were used for social functions before suitable halls
were built.
When it was found that Boulder Clay, a glacial deposit
overlying the coal measures, made a better type of brick,
brickworks were established at the Charlie Pit, South
Moor. Bricks made there are marked HOLMSIDE
and SMCCoLD (South Moor Coal Company LTD)
The bricks were marked THB and were made with
varying qualities of seggar clay brought out from the
Company’s collieries. With the opening of the new
brickworks at South Moor in early 1897, the Craghead
brickyard went into decline. In 1904 the yard made
just over 11/2 million bricks, 85% of which went into
building cottages and for sanitary work, and the
remainder went for colliery use.
In 1905 1,152,000 bricks were made at a cost of 27s
per thousand and were used thus:Middles Estate boundary walls
216,200
New workshops and railway bridge
579.700
Used in colliery
71,780
Sales
81,960
Stock at end of year
18
335,000
or H&SMCCLD (Holmside and South Moor Colliery
Company Ltd)
Sponsored by Kevan Jones, Member of Parliament for North Durham
JACK FORSTER THE CRAKEMAN
In the 1920’s and 1930’s when there was no local radio
or TV and when ordinary working people did not have
telephones in their homes, urgent communication was
by word of mouth only. In colliery villages the
Crakeman walked around the streets attracting
attention - and often a following of children - with
his crake. He might inform miners about negotiations
with the owners during strikes such as: “There’s a
meeting tonight at 7 o’ clock in the Institute.”
This photograph, taken on 27th January 1938, shows
Jack Forster of Craghead, a larger-than-life character,
who had been a prize fighter and champion coal hewer
before becoming the Crakeman. John Hall recalled,
“He was a big good natured man and he took a
prominent part in the annual village sports when he
would wear a very high top hat and get behind a board
fence. He would pop his hat up, still on his head, and
invite anybody to knock it off. The competitors used
wooden dregs from the colliery. These were about 18
inches long, tapered at each end and about 21/2 inches
thick in the middle. As soon as Jack saw them throw
the dreg he dodged down behind the board. Of course
there was a prize if you knocked his hat off.
Unfortunately he came to a violent end when he was
knocked down and killed near Shafto House one
winter by a motor vehicle.
John Hall’s book “Craghead”, printed in 1989 was
followed by Robert Wilson’s childhood memories of
Craghead. Then living in Carlisle,
he had vivid recollections of Jack
Forster. “Behind the second
length of Thomas Street there was
a stretch of perpetually wet ground
bordered by a raised bank known
as ‘Duck Pond Row’. Here lived
Jack Forster and his family. His
good lady was small and thin,
whilst the clothes she wore were
ragged to say the least. The rag
and bone man when driving his
Steptoe-like horse and cart, was
hailed by Jack and as it was halted
Jack picked up his wife bodily,
then placing her on the cart said
to the driver “There, thoo’s got
both rags and bone there, give uzz
a stick of liquorice for her” and I
fancy he would have accepted it had he been offered
some. The favourite haunt of Jack and his wife was
John’s Castle Inn located at the end of the street.
Funerals were social occasions, and from the minute a
black-edged card appeared in the window of the
drapery department of the Co-op store the mournful
procedure was set in motion, but if it was to herald the
‘Coming Laying to Rest’ of one of the victims of an all
too common pit accident then our local Village Crier
would be called into action. Jack Forster will remain
evergreen in my memory. At the time he would be
some 60 years of age. It was in the role of Crier he was
best remembered, dressed in a cast off swallow-tailed
coat, soiled pin-stripe trousers, sporting a tieless
starched ‘dickie’, the whole topped by a bowler hat
that we knew as a ‘dut’. His feet, splayed out at a quarter
past nine angle, were encased in large hob nailed boots
and they propelled him easily as he set off to do the
rounds of every street to announce the details of the
coming interment to the accompaniment of the grating
noise of the crake which he held in his right hand from
which it rotated and grated unmusically.
He used to earn half a crown a time for this service
and I will never forget his gruff voice grinding out
information in his slow laboured voice, such as “There
will be a meeting in the Hedley Memorial Hall at 7pm
tonight. All are welcome.”
19
MINING
HOLMSIDE AND SOUTH MOOR
MINERS’ WELFARE ASSOCIATION
The opening of South Moor
Hospital in 1927 was a big
step forward for miners’
welfare in this area. Forty
years earlier the need for such
a facility was acknowledged
and this was emphasised by
Coroner Graham following
the Burns Pit Disaster of
1909. Lack of funding was
the problem.
In 1920 the Mining Industry
Act of Parliament was passed
Craghead Hospital Fete
about 1920
20
obliging the owners to contribute 1d per ton on the
output of their collieries to a Welfare Fund to be spent
on Welfare Schemes for the benefit of men working at
the pits and living in the colliery villages.
Holmside and South Moor Collieries
Ltd decided that the bulk of the money
should be spent in building and
equipping a small hospital for the
benefit of injured colliery workmen
and their families. The building cost
about £33,000 and maintenance and
running costs were provided by a
weekly levy on the workmen and
contributions from the Collier y
Company.
Norman Gall is fourth from the left after
an appendix operation in the 1950’s
Many interesting details can be found
in the booklet published to
commemorate the opening.
“The Holmside and South Moor
Miners’ Welfare Fund Hospital - An
Epitome”
Fred Wade recollected that, due to illness, Mr R W
Cooper was unable to attend the opening ceremony
which was performed by Mr James Robson of the
D.M.A.. Mr Buckland, the Architect, presented Mr
Robson with an inscribed gold key to open the door.
“The Rev. J B Eddon, Vicar of Craghead, offered
prayers at the commencement of the ceremony and
blessed the building. South Moor Band was present,
headed by the Lodge banner, the front of which
depicted the new hospital”
The Welfare Fund also provided a Motor Ambulance
and recreation grounds at New Kyo, Quaking Houses
and Craghead.
doing jobs such as bedmaking. Nurses had to provide
their own black stockings and shoes. They received
their “Keep” and £4 a month.
When she was nineteen Joyce had her appendix
removed at the hospital and, as was the custom, her
GP acted as anaesthetist. Inflammation following the
operation resulted in Joyce being confined to bed for
three weeks rather than the usual ten days. Residual
problems meant that the surgeon considered nursing
to be too heavy a job, he advised Joyce and her parents
that she should give it up, which she reluctantly did.
She returned to nursing some years later at Durham
County Hospital.
When the hospital was threatened with closure a few
years ago, vigorous campaigning won the day and
South Moor Hospital provides both rehabilitation and
outpatient services for the area.
A NURSE AND A PATIENT
Joyce Wilson (nee Abbott) lived in Garden Terrace,
The Middles, and trained as a nurse at the Welfare
Hospital after the 1939-45 War. Training was very
practical at first and started with cleaning the sluice
and bedpans and tidying the linen cupboard weekly
whether it needed it or not. The nurses lived on the
first floor of the hospital and had to be in for the night
by 10pm. It was a strict regime but they had some
fun. Joyce remembers Sister Mitchison and Matron
Thompson.
Joyce is wearing the dark blue uniform provided. The
starched cuffs were removed and sleeves rolled up before
In memory of a beloved husband and father Harry Mills, died 29/04/01 remembered always by his wife Mary and Family
21
MINING
TOMMY MAGEE by Jack Magee
The Holmside and South Moor Collieries Miners
Welfare Hospital opened in 1927. Locally this was
abbreviated to “The Hospital” or “The Welfare”.
Tommy Magee was the first porter. There were 601
applicants and his W.W.1.service with the R.A.M.C.
in Egypt and Palestine no doubt helped in his selection.
Pomeroy’s field in the early 1920’s. On the left Bob Coulson,
Sally Magee is in the centre, on the right is Teddy Binney,
Manager of Co-op Hardware Dept.
As were many of his contemporaries in Craghead, he
was a keen sportsman. My aunt Winnie Close who
lived in 10 Ousterley Terrace said “The lot of them
are fitness fanatics, If they’re not in the Gym they are
down in the marquee in Pomeroy’s field.Then there’s
the Rifle Range” Men spent a lot of time in Pomeroy’s
field honing up boxing and wrestling skills.
Tommy’s elder brother Arthur became Catch as Catch
Can Northern Counties Champion. Not to be
outdone Tommy wrestled Hackenschmidt. This
famous wrestler toured England taking on all comers.
This particular contest caused great excitement in the
village and a lot of money was waged as to the outcome,
The local lad – Tommy- was strongly fancied and
uproar ensued when the decision, hotly disputed, of a
draw was given. Hackenschmidt’s manager hurriedly
tried to quieten things down with the definite promise
of an early re-match. Hackenschmidt was never seen
again.
Tommy Magee the Boxer
In memory of Grandfathers John Magee and Thomas Close of Craghead - Norah & Jack Magee
22
Pitman, First Aider, Sgt R.A.M.C. footballer, boxer,
and wrestler, such was the background to the first
porter. The porter received visitors at the main entrance
every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday between the
hours of 2pm and 4pm. On these occasions he was
resplendent in a smart blue uniform with the initials
HSMCMWH embroidered in silver thread on each
shoulder. Other hospital duties included firing two
large Robin Hood boilers twice daily. These supplied
all the heat and hot water required by the hospital. He
chopped sticks, swept chimneys, cleaned windows, (the
hospital had hundreds) and trollied dirty linen to and
clean linen from the laundry. He wheeled patients to
the operating theatre. He was also the mortuary
attendant and water meter reader ( This latter was
situated, and maybe still is, in the corner of what was
then Jackson’s field, near the Rescue Station.) He
trained under a local doctor to become a qualified
radiographer.
In 1939, when rumours of a possible war began to
spread, Mr Angus Hedley Whyte, retained by the
hospital committee as surgeon to the hospital, asked
him to organise a medical unit. The Hermitage, Sir
Lindsey Woods large home and grounds in Chesterle-Street was taken and the 8th Casualty Clearing Station
was duly formed. At this time, most people with bitter
memories of the horrors of W.W.1. thought such a
conflict very unlikely. Even when war with Nazi
Germany was declared by the Prime Minister Neville
Chamberlain it was generally accepted that it would
be all over by Christmas.
ST JOHN AMBULANCE BRIGADE
The First Aid training offered by St John Ambulance
Brigade was needed in colliery villages. In one pit in
County Durham about 1900 a miner sustained a
simple fracture of the leg in an underground accident.
By the time he reached medical help it was a compound
fracture. Correct treatment on the spot could even
mean the difference between life and death. Deputies
and officials had to obtain a First Aid Certificate
renewable every three years. First Aid Certificate classes
were held by Dr S J B Fox the Colliery Doctor and the
Craghead Division of St John Ambulance Brigade was
formed in 1913. This certificate (below) belonged to
Martin Quinn’s father and was signed by local doctor
Claude Fenwick.
Jim Hush was a devoted member for over forty years
and was awarded many service medals. His son Alan
remembers his father going to meetings in the Hedley
Hall and acting as a patient. Meetings were also held
in the Sinkers Huts.
Many miners took part in competitions. Craghead
Colliery Ambulance Team is shown here about 1950,
Joe Abbott is in the centre.
The hospital porter returned via
France, Dunkirk, Egypt and
Italy. He was sent to Cherry
Knowles Sunderland and finally
demobbed. His return to the
hospital lasted until he accepted
the offer of a much better job.
In 1949 he became Safety
Officer to No 6 Area N.C.B.
Craghead Colliery Ambulance
Team c.1950. Joe Abbott centre
with Jimmy Lee second left.
Dr. Melrose was the adjudicator.
23
MINING
A MINER’S LIFE
This is the story of one Craghead miner. Derek
Jefferson was born at 9.30pm on Wednesday the 10th
of February 1937 at 29 Ousterley Terrace. His father
was a hewer at the Thomas, Oswald and Busty Pits,
then went to bank due to poor health caused by a dustrelated illness.
After attending the Thomas Hedley Infant and
Craghead Council Schools, Derek left school at fifteen
and started work at the pit, picking stones off the
screens. He was transferred to the token cabin when
he was found to be good at mental arithmetic. At
sixteen he went to the Morrison Busty NCB Training
School at Morrison North Pit. He remembers being
taken to feel the red hot wall containing an
underground fire which had been burning on the main
haulage way to the Louisa Pit since 1929. Certificates
of training were issued and Derek also obtained a First
Aid Certificate in 1953.
24
Derek first worked at the shaft bottom of the Busty
Pit, lowering sets into sidings to come to bank. His
face training took place over sixteen weeks in the
Towneley Seam. As a trained coalface worker he
worked at Craghead until closure in 1969. While he
was there, 1953 - 1969, nine men were killed.
girder. Derek was working alone and, although dazed,
had the presence of mind to reach out and throw the
trip switch on the conveyor belt to stop it, so alerting
the face worker on the next stint. He knew that the
machine could come down and crush him between
the conveyor belt and the hydraulics.
Like many miners, Derek had accidents in the pit. One
took place while the BBC was filming, 1968-9. He
was moving hydraulic supports in the Towneley Seam
when the roof came down behind and in between the
supports, trapping him face down under a section
Derek was covered in debris, his helmet was split and
his lamp shattered. he had a fractured collar bone, a
damaged nose, a split under his eye, a bruised face and
black eyes. He was taken first to the Ambulance Room
then sent for a check up to Shotley Bridge Hospital
who allowed him to go home.
During the weeks he spent at
home recovering, his marra
Alan Harris, suffered a similar
accident, but his proved fatal.
Derek was not able to go to
the funeral.
Following an earlier accident
to his back, Derek spent two
weeks at Conished Priory, the
D. M. A. Convalescent
Home. His abiding memory
is of miners lying coughing
and struggling for breath due
to inhalation of coal dust.
25
MINING
A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF CRAGHEAD 1968 - 1969
This BBC documentary film was orignally called “Time waits for no man”
26
It catalogued the painful process leading up to the closure of Craghead Colliery on Friday 11th April 1969. Three
miners were featured: George Hancock and George Ord who had both worked underground from the age of
fourteen, and George Ord’s son Bryan.
George Hancock
(back left)
Matthew Carr
(back right)
and Undermanager
Jimmy Marr in 1960
Bryan Ord (below) changing settings on the plough
in the Brockwell Seam
George Ord and Bryan
Treasured memories of our dear parents, George and Elizabeth Ord, from son Bryan, daughter Betty and all the grandchildren
27
MINING
It was impossible to raise the output of coal to 30 cwts per man per shift and the colliery had lost £177,000 in the
first ten months of the financial year. Of the 702 men:
75 were retained on salvage
127 over 55’s were made redundant, receiving a lump sum and 90% of their wages for three years.
448 underground men were offered employment at other collieries - they received no dole for six weeks if
they refused a job.
52 workers (excluding the over 55’s) were made redundant
Filming underground (above left). For safety reasons the sound engineer (above right) had to use a mechanical clockwork tape recorder
In March 1969 a mobile NCB van came to Craghead
to inform the miners about pits in Yorkshire and the
Midlands. A bus took miners and their wives to
Kellingley where they were shown better conditions
in a modern pit with new equipment and an expected
long life. They saw new housing estates, a new Miners’
Welfare with a restaurant, bathing pool and bowling
alley and told of visits by TV artistes. During filming
twenty six Craghead families went amidst tearful
farewells, to other areas.
At the time of filming John Ceiriog-Hughes was
Colliery Manager, a skilled photographer with his own
darkroom in Crieff Villa, he took many photographs,
some of which are reproduced here. Mr Hughes was
transferred to a coastal pit in December 1968 and was
succeeded by Albert Robson.
On July 23rd 1968 Alan Harris, a forty-seven year old
miner, married with two children, was badly injured
in a roof fall and died later that day. The camera crew
pushed through the line of rescue workers to film the
dying man on his stretcher.
John Hughes - Colliery Manager
28
Twenty years after the showing of the first film the
BBC interviewed Bryan Ord, his son and daughter to
see how they and the community had fared following
the closure of the colliery. The pit ponies had been
retired to NCB Stables, after salvage work two of the
colliery buildings were left for industry, the other
buildings had been put down the shaft and the shaft
capped.
Sponsored by John Ceiriog-Hughes with every good wish for the future of Craghead
Filming in front of the colliery offices
Bryan Ord worked first at Colway Tyres based at
Burnhope then on the Littleburn Industrial Estate.
After working on building sites he became self
employed in 1991, working on block paving.
Although there was unemployment in Craghead , the
village had not died out as predicted in the first film
Craghead featured on BBC Radio in 1939 in a
production called “Miners Wives”. This Durham
Advertiser photograph shows producer Olive Shapley
with three of the miners’ wives involved.
Albert Nicholson beside the newly - capped shaft
In memory of a dear mam and nana, Hilda Hope. Died 15th May 2001 remembered by all the family
29
MINING
TOM LAMB
Tom Lamb was born in Twizell Lane in 1928 and
moved to Blackhouse in 1931. Shortly after he started
school in 1933 he contracted diphtheria. A sketchbook
was given to him to help pass the time during long
spells in the isolation hospital, this was the beginning
of an interest which would shape his life.
In 1942 at the age of fourteen Tom left school and
went to work at Craghead Colliery, first on the screens
then in the pithead baths. Tom later recorded his
encounters with a tramp in those early days.
THE CRAGHEAD BAIT SNATCHER
It was in 1944-45 when young pit lads walking to
Craghead collier y from the outlying villages
Blackhouse, Burnhope and Grange Villa fell prey to a
tramp and had their bait taken from them. There was
no transport in those days, and the lads were advised
to walk to the pit in groups if possible. But as for me,
I had been transferred from the screens to the pit head
baths and the shift times were different from those of
the other lads. I had to walk the
four miles from Blackhouse to
Craghead along a very dark
country lane. To be walking this
lane alone at 2a.m. at the age of
15 was a bit scary.
So I fell prey to this tramp, and
what a terrifying experience it
was! A moving figure emerged
from the a hedge - a shady figure
stepping out from a dark
background of foliage. He had
long hair and a beard, and he
stood in front of me, a large stick
raised high. The silence of the
night was broken by his gruff
voice shouting: “Give me your
bait or I’ll whack you one!” Cold and shaking, I was
indeed facing the Bait Snatcher. I looked around
hopelessly for some means of escape. But there was
only one answer to this desperate state of affairs: I had
to give up my bait.
After that, I took two baits with me, one for the tramp
and one for me. We put a crumbled laxative in his!
30
It all came to a sudden end when, at Grange Villa,
men ganged up on him, took off most of his clothes,
and tarred and feathered him.
Looking back now, it must have been very funny to
see the tramp getting his just deserts. The whole
episode was a mixture of tragedy and comedy.
Tom was already painting seriously, producing
landscapes and when he went to work underground at
the age of eighteen he always had his sketchbook,
wrapped in brown paper, with him, tucked in with his
gas mask and bait. People still remember him sketching
underground and Tom still has his sketchbooks!
Tom says “From the earliest of my underground days I
discovered just how difficult it was to draw in these
adverse conditions. It showed me what a very different
approach I needed for my drawing. I was an artist
deprived of that essential ingredient of his craft - light.
I was unable to show the figures in relief from the
shadows in this total darkness. And tone was as
important as dark and light. I have a methodical
approach to my mining paintings by building up layers
systematically until the final detail is applied with a
very fine brush, creating an effect of photographic
realism.Although landscape painting remains my first
love, I have recently returned to the mining theme
based on my drawings from my sketchbook, and my
own experience of working as a putter. This was about
the time of the nationalisation of the coal mining
industry in 1947, and before the mechanisation of the
pits. Hand putting was one of the most physically
demanding jobs underground.”
Hand putting was found to be too physically
demanding and Tom was transferred to datal work at
the shaft bottom which providentially had whitewashed
walls - a blank canvas! Tom drew caricatures of well
known figures, politicians and workmates using axle
grease. The colliery manager congratulated Tom on
these drawings. They came to the notice of Bevin Boy
Ted Holloway who was working as an underground
loco driver. Ted was already an artist and encouraged
Tom in his drawing and painting. They both entered
a National Union of Mineworkers competition to
design a banner for Area 6. Tom came first and the
prize was awarded by J B Priestley.
In response to a request from the safety officer for safety
posters to be used in the colliery Tom decided to use
materials from the pit to illustrate the theme of a miner
testing his lamp. A piece of old conveyor sheeting was
his canvas, an outline was scraped onto the metal, grease
and dust filled the image which was highlighted by
chalk. The finished work ‘This man is testing his lamp’
was hung in the lamp cabin. Mr Hughes, the Colliery
Manager took this photograph of Tom and his safety
message in 1967.
31
MINING
When Craghead Colliery closed in 1969. Tom went
to work at the DLI Museum and Art Gallery where he
remained until his retirement in1993. Tom’s work is
highly acclaimed. A painting of Durham Cathedral
was bought by Durham County Council in 1973 and
given as a present to the Czechoslovakian ambassador.
Two mining scenes were shown in the NCB Exhibition
at Hobart House, London and bought by the then
Industrial Editor of the Sunday Times. Tom has had
several local exhibitions the most recent being “My
Mining Days” at Crook Civic Centre in January 2001.
In 1994 Tom’s painting “The Cathedral in the Snow”
was chosen by the Mayor of Durham for his Christmas
Card Appeal.
An exhibition “Fading Memories” was held at Bishop
Auckland Town Hall. All of the paintings were based
on drawings from his sketch books and memories of
his time at Craghead Colliery.This two feet by four
feet oil painting show above depicts Craghead Colliery
Band and banner at Durham Miners’ Gala in 1965.
On reaching the appropriate spot on the racecourse
the banner and band instruments would be left in the
care of a guardian while the owners enjoyed themselves
listening to Harold Wilson, sampling the good things
baked by mother and meeting old friends.
32
CRAGHEAD LODGE BANNERS
Craghead Miners Lodge was in existence at least as
early as 1878 when it was mentioned in DMA financial
records. It closed with the collery in 1969 with a
membership of 120
In “The Banner
Book” of 1974
William Moyes says
‘Craghead is a Lodge
with a long history
and a reputation for
having owned many
banners, the most
recent of which was
unfurled on 20th July 1962 by George Brown, deputy
leader of the Labour Party. The design “Three men of
merit” featured portraits of Earl Attlee, Aneurin Bevan
and Arthur Horner and the other side showed Durham
Cathedral. The illustration of the Cathedral was
probably produced from a transparency which had been
inadvertently reversed producing a most unusual and
certainly unique view of the Cathedral, mill and weir.’
The banner was present at the 1976 Gala but was
transferred to Blackhall and paraded by them at the
1977 Gala.
The draped Craghead banner is shown leaving the Cathedral in 1939 when it was one of the three chosen to take
part, with the Craghead Colliery Band conducted by Mr J Smith, in the Cathedral service. The design is that of
David, standing triumphantly over the body of Goliath, symbolic of Labour slaying the giant of Capitalism. The
motto is “He that would be free must strike the first blow.” On the other side were workers of the Commonwealth
as “Comrades in every clime.”
33
MINING
The 1947 Craghead banner bearing the new NCB crest with the band and union officials
After nationalisation a competition was held by the
NCB and Craghead Lodge was allowed to feature the
winning design - the official crest of the NCB with
lions rampant and the national motto ‘E tenebris Lux’
(light out of darkness). The reverse had the theme
“Nationalism, Unionism, Modernism” with a modern
pithead and modern houses.
notably the North of England Championships in 1924.
After the war the band was in the second section for
some years but, after several appearances in the National
Finals, it was promoted to the Championship Section
in 1959.
CRAGHEAD
COLLIERY BAND
The Colliery Owners promoted the
formation of this band in 1910. It
led the Lodge and Lodge Banner
into Durham on Gala Day and also
led the funeral procession of any
miner killed at Craghead Colliery.
In “South Moor and District” Jack
Hair records the fact that the band
gave concerts in the open space of
Front Street between Wilson’s the
cobblers and Buckton’s shop. They
went on to win many competitions
34
Craghead Colliery Band in 1924 taken outside Craghead Junior School
In 1952 Lodges were invited to have official
photographs such as this taken for Red Hill
Archives, financed by central funds.
1968 Miners’ Gala
THE EVER READY BAND
When Craghead Colliery closed in 1969 many of the workforce found employment at the newly opened Ever
Ready battery factory at Tanfield Lea. Ever Ready took over sponsorship of the band providing a base and rehearsal
facilities within the factory complex. This sponsorship lasted until 1992 since then the band has been self supporting.
An Arts Council National Lottery Award in 1996 enabled the purchase of a new set of instruments. The band has
won major championships too numerous to list here. The Ever Ready Band with its roots in Craghead Colliery
Band continues to give pleasure wherever and whenever it plays.
35
Shopping
Chapter Four
THE CO-OP
Craghead and Holmside Cooperative and Industrial Society
Limited was established in 1883
and by 1887 was trading in five
departments: grocery, drapery,
hardware, ironmongery and boots
and shoes. Other departments
followed and sales reached all time
record levels. Branches and new
departments were opened in the
1920’s and 1930’s. After the
1939-45 war success was followed
by problems caused by the decline
of the mining industry and
amalgamation with the Towneley
Society took place in October
12th 1969.
To celebrate its golden jubilee the
Co-op presented each member with a souvenir teapot
decorated with gold-coloured roses. The legend reads
“CRAGHEAD AND HOLMSIDE COOPERATIVE AND INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY LTD
AUGUST 1883-1933”.
These teapots were made at the CWS Longton pottery
and bear the mark of a shield surmounted by a
wheatsheaf.
TEAPOT PIC NEEDED
A members share book
36
Good luck to everyone involved with the book from Harjiv and Sanjiv Rana of Crahead Post Office
Co-op during demolition in 1992
Peggy Carr’s Shop - 1965
Surgeon Dentists Mr. T. H. Urwins Advert 1910
Joseph and Harriet Pomeroy outside their shop in Front
Street. Mr Urwin the Dentist called here. Some of the
white glazed bricks can still be seen
Sponsored by Mr & Mrs Singh of Mehnga’s General Dealers & Off Licence, Front Street, Craghead
37
SHOPPING
CRAGHEAD
STREET
FRONT
Front Street shops included
Tom Ar mstrong, general
dealer, Mr Marsh the
postmaster, Mr Wilson the
cobbler, C Buckton - drapery,
hairdressing and billiards, Mr
Race, grocer and newsagent,
Oswald the butcher and
Maughan’s fish shop.
These two postcards were
from Mr R. Johnston, a
photographer who produced
thousands of local postcards
on his “Monarch” series.
Johnston’s post cards can be
indentified by a title and a
number often in a white box.
On a day out in Craghead he
took Front Street 5711
looking east then walked the
length of the street to take
Front Street 5712 looking
west.
38
Wanted - pre 1955 postcards and photographs. George Nairn Tel: 0191 388 8780.
Available for slide shows and talks on the history of postcards, local slides to be included
A 1909 Advertisment for
Jos. Richardson & Sons
A selection of advertisments
from “The Shaft” 1967
39
Webwear
Chapter Five
The Webwear Factory employed many local girls and
women. A promotional leaflet was produced in the
late 1960’s for places such as Stanley Job Centre.
A drawing of the new factory indicated modern
conditions “on your own doorstep” where fabrics were
made up into a variety of clothing. “Many interesting
jobs are available including cutting out, sewing and
making up, specialist machine operating, ironing and
examining, We give full training to every girl - and,
whatever you do later in life, the ability to make clothes
for yourself and your family will always be useful”
There was an excellent canteen where socials, concert
parties, dances and wedding presentations were held.
Girls could have their hair shampooed and set etc.
during working hours at a nominal charge and without
loss of pay. Enjoyable background music was played.
The leaflet continues “There is continuous full-time
employment with full trade union recognition. Work
starts at 8.10 am and finishes at 5 pm with tea and
lunch breaks. This makes a 5 day 411/4 hour week.
Travelling time is cut down to a minimum and special
bus services are available at 5 pm. Each employee get
6 Bank Holidays over and above the two weeks annual
summer holiday with pay” Bus services No3 and 127
by “Northern” and Stanley/Durham by “Diamond”
were mentioned.
The Bishop of Durham’s visit to the Webwear factory on
16th June, 1960
To celebrate the birth of our first grandchild, Laura Paige Thompson with love from grandparents Peter and Mavis Glendenning
40
Places of worship
Chapter Six
Purpose built churches and chapels were
not the first places of worship in
Craghead. The first services were held
in people’s homes or in other buildings.
CRAGHEAD PRIMITIVE
METHODIST CHURCH
This two storey building was opened in
1890 following meetings held in a house
in old Thomas Street. The chapel, built
to accommodate 300, was on street level
with the Sunday School below.
Robert Wilson remembers going there
three times every Sunday in the early
1920’s.
“Every July we children were given a red
letter day for the Primitive Methodist
Chapel held a sports day for us when we
all received a bag of cakes each then took
part in races. Also they organised a trip
to the seaside in Pomeroy’s charabanc. Every year too,
Billy Barker organised the Chapel Anniversary when
children recited their “pieces” and prizes of books were
presented to them. I once received a copy of “Adam
Bede” by George Elliot”
The Church Choir in 1950
Up to 1913 a harmonium and bass fiddle had been
used but an organ fund, started in 1911, paid for the
installation of an organ costing £155. It is shown here
in 1950 having had some additions.At the time of the
Diamond Jubilee Celebrations in 1950 all seemed to
be well. There were 85
members and 17 junior
members, flourishing
groups such as the
Women’s Own and
Christian Endeavour
and a Sunday School
comprising
204
scholars and 25
teachers. There were
even plans to build large
premises in a more
centralised position in
Craghead. This was not
to
happen
and
amalgamation with
Fawcett Hill Methodist
Church came about in
1962. The building
was sold and is now a
private home.
41
PLACES OF WORSHIP
CRAGHEAD WESLEYAN
METHODIST CHURCH
By 1890 the population of Craghead had
grown dramatically with the increased
working of the pits and subsequent new
housing. The Wesleyan Methodists felt
that there was a place for them in the
village and Samson Smiley and the
Circuit Mission Band held open air
meetings. On June 25th 1891 the first
regular class meeting was held in the
home of Mrs Crossman in Railway
Street. Here for a year large numbers of
worshippers filled the room. Services
were then held in the houses of various
members in turn until 1894 when the
Co-operative Society’s hall was used.
A valuable site on Fawcett Hill was presented by the
Colliery Company, foundation stones were laid on
December 16th 1896 and the chapel was opened on
June 26th 1897. Mrs Greener and Mrs Plummer had
raised money door-to-door in all weathers to pay for
the building which cost £750. Sunday School was held
in a temporary galvanised iron structure until a new
building was opened on April 9th 1921. Centenary
celebrations were held in August 1997 led by the Rev.
Kenneth Mankin.
Rev. Kenneth Mankin after the Christening of Laura Rand
of Railway Street, Easter Sunday 1999
and then to the evening service becoming what was
known in those days as a “thricer”, so establishing a life
long habit.
A WAY OF LIFE
Barbara Churcher’s memories of Fawcett Hill Chapel
show how being a church or chapel member involved
much more than just attending services on Sundays.
Life centred around the chapel and every evening could
be occupied by meetings and activities. Time was spent
in preparation for special events such as Sunday School
Anniversaries, Harvest Festival Services, concerts and
pantomimes. People worked together and enjoyed fun
and fellowship.
Barbara, daughter of John Charles and Barbara Ann
Bott was born at Kimberley Terrace, Bloemfontein in
November 1916 and was christened on 7th December
1916 by Rev. Wilfred Garment. A week later, when
she was five weeks old her father said to her mother “I
think the bairn is old enough to go to chapel now”, so
he carried her there and they sat with her three big
brothers. Barbara was introduced to the Sunday School
Barbara Bott
This page is for Laura Rand of Railway Street with love from Granny Dorothy and Grandad Stan Rand
42
Her first “piece” on the Sunday School Anniversary
was “said” when she was four years old. Although her
piece did not start with that letter, when she stood up
all she could manage was “s” and no amount of cajoling
from Mrs Race could get her to proceed. She has happy
memories of later Anniversaries, the wonderful singing
conducted by Sunday School Superintendent and
Choir Master Mr George Race round the village with
the little harmonium in the mornings and then in the
school room in the afternoons and evenings.
Wonderful tableaux were performed including, one
year, the building of a lighthouse.
In her early years Barbara recited pieces of poetry
selected by Mrs Race and Mrs Richardson but from
the age of eight or nine her pieces were, like those of
her brothers, passages of scripture chosen by her father.
The last one,she recalls, began with the words “And
Nebuchadnezzar the King made an image of gold”. It
was the story of Daniel and Shadrach, Meshach and
Abednego -thirty verses long and quite an introduction
to public speaking!
Sunday School scholars in 1921
The pantomime “Cinderella” in 1929 (above) was an
outstanding success with Tom Johnson and Tom
Whittle as the unforgettable Ugly Sisters. The cast
was trained by Annie Gibbon, daughter of Henry
Greener and she also conducted a Pierrot Troupe giving
concerts on a par with anything seen at Newcastle
Empire or Blackpool Tower. Their black and white
costumes were the talk of the district!
An early memory is of going in a charabanc from Front
Street to the burial at West Pelton of Mr Jack
Richardson the village tailor and, like Mr Henry
Greener and Mr Joseph Plummer, one of the
foundation stones of the church. Other characters were
Mr Peart who always got the prayer meeting off to a
good start and Mrs Ellen Whittle, her great aunt who
started the Bright Hour and conscripted Barbara’s
mother as secretary. Mrs Whittle also taught the ladies
of the church to quilt and they spent happy afternoons
producing lovely quilts which were much sought after
at the annual sale of work.
From the age of fourteen, Sunday School scholars were
promoted by Mrs Race to sit alongside Mrs Race or
Mrs Richardson as pupil teachers. As they progressed
they were given a small class and eventually became
fully-fledged teachers. Barbara began training in 1931
and continued as a Sunday School teacher until 1985.
Barbara signed “The Pledge” in the chapel and
although at such an early age the significance of that
act may not have been completely understood, she
has kept to the promise made all those years ago. An
important part of Barbara’s life at the church was
attendance at Class Meetings. She went with her
parents from an early age and, although she may have
not appreciated what was being said in those days,
her understanding grew and she was thrilled by the
testimony and witness she heard from older members
of the church.
Womens Bright Hour in 1913 taken by Craghead
photographer J. W. Barker
Barbara remembers vividly the happy hours she spent
with the Girls Guildry (forerunner of the Girls Brigade)
which she started when she came back from college to
teach at Hookergate Grammar School. They had great
fun and looked very smart on parade in their navy blue
uniforms and hats.
43
PLACES OF WORSHIP
Amalgamation with the former Primitive Methodist
Chapel in Durham Road in 1962 brought talented and
hardworking Christians into the fellowship at Fawcett
Hill. Billy Barker, Chris Metcalfe, Mary Pounder and
others helped to keep Fawcett Hill Church going, it is
due to them and Sheila Cruddace and Betty Richardson
that the twelve remaining members still maintain
services and fellowship. The church continues to bear
witness in Craghead, referred to by Barbara’s father as
“God’s city set upon a hill”
Barbara’s brother, Arthur Bott, was encouraged by
Henry Greener, one of the Church’s founders to preach
and study for the ministry which he entered in 1932.
He had a varied career including missionary work in
India with his wife Sylvia. After retiring he was
“conscripted” for ten years by the RAF as Chaplain to
the Red Arrows at Scampton Camp.
Barbara and Walter Churcher were married by Arthur
at Fawcwett Hill in 1948. Arthur returned to preach
at Craghead many times. He conducted services to
celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the Church in 1947
and in 1993 preached to commemorate the seventieth
anniversary of his first sermon, delivered from the same
pulpit. At over ninety years of age Arthur prayed and
preached with great eloquence
and power at the Centenary
Celebrations in 1997. He
spoke without a note in the
little chapel he loved and the
congregation applauded!
Arthur Bott wrote music for
the Bloemfontein school
children to perform in the
chapel. “A Northumberland
Carol” written for Christmas
1994 was sung to the tune
“Fawcett Hill”. This was the
result of a visit to
Bloemfontein School - where
he was one of the first scholars
when it opened in 1910 - to
look at the entry in the book
recording the trees planted on
the site of the Craghead pits. He was so thrilled with
his old school, which brother Syd attended too, he
decided to present a trophy for the pupil who each
year shows special achievement. He was able himself
to present the Rose Bowl for three consecutive years
44
before he died at the age of 93 in December 1999.
Barbara now presents the trophy each year.
Wedding of Arthur & Sylvia Bott (top)
Wedding of Walter & Barbara Churcher (above)
From Barbara Churcher, in loving remembrance of wonderful parents, John and Barbara Bott
and happiest memories of my brothers Arthur, Syd and Stan
THE PARISH CHURCH OF ST. THOMAS THE APOSTLE
Early Anglican services were
held in Holmside National
School on Wagtail Lane
acting as a Chapel of Ease to
Lanchester. Fred Wade
recalled that William Hedley
Junior attended services here.
If he was unable to go he sent
a boy servant called Gibson
whose duty it was to report
on the content of the sermon.
Other services were held in
the old Co-op reading rooms
and the John Street School.
A corrugated iron and wood
church to hold 200 was
opened in 1900, this was on
the site of the new vicarage.
Thos. Hedley and Bros gave
three acres of land for a burial
ground which opened in 1907.
As curate the Rev. J B Eddon
B.A. helped design and
supervise the building of the
new stone church which had
360 sittings. It opened onJuly
17th 1911 and cost £3,750.
“Daddy” Eddon became the
first vicar in 1912 when the
Ecclesiastical Parish was
formed remaining so until his
death in 1943. A memorial in
the form of a side altar and a
statue of St. James was
dedicated to him in November
1946. The Vicarage was at 1
Wylam Street. The late Eddie
Pomeroy
had
prickly
memories of a horsehair settee
in the sitting room there.
The Rev. Eddon and his
daughter Ethel attended Annie
Scott’s 21st birthday party on
June 20th 1931
Kit-fit Kitchens - new kitchen? - low budget? - buy your own kit and let us fit. Tel : 07967 374252.
From Jean and Alan Dodds, St. Thomas’ Old Church
45
PLACES OF WORSHIP
When the church opened in 1912 the tin
church was well used as a hall. The new
vicarage was built on the site about 1950. The
children sold scent cards for fundraising.
Beattie Eddon Christmas 1930
Do you remember “The Shaft”?
St. Thomas Church closed in April 1997 and is now a
private residence
46
Transport
Chapter Seven
POMEROYS
Charles Pomeroy was born in Cornwall in 1857 and
as a young man came here to work as a miner. He
ended up having a diversity of business interests - a
shop in Provident Terrace, farming, funeral furnishing
and a passenger and carrier business.
In the early days he had a trap, a waggonette and a
brake which had some adventures on the steep banks
of the Craghead - Chester-le-Street route. He was
reputed to be the first man in the area to own a
charabanc, an open-seated vehicle with seats arranged
on a slope for better viewing. In icy weather the wheels
slipped from side to side. Charles’ son Joe was trained
to drive the vehicle which was used as a lorry through
the week and a charabanc at weekends. It is shown
here outside the Queen’s Head at Chester-le-Street.
every Sunday in summer he would run a trip to Whitley
Bay. The fare was 1s for adults and 6d for children.
The wheels had solid rubber tyres and the wheels and
spokes were wooden. He picked up the passengers
beside Joe Hutchinson’s ice cream shop and if you had
the money for one of Joe’s sandwiches you were in for
a treat of the most delicious ice-cream made with real
cream.”
The late Eddie Pomeroy told us how his grandfather
would only buy Belgian Blacks and had fourteen at a
time. They were suitable both for working on the farm
and in the funeral business when any white bits were
blackleaded! They were supplied by T Howe and
Company who ran a horse trolley over the High Level
Bridge. The photographs (over) show Pomeroys
premises next to East Villa and some of their vehicles.
Robert Wilsonremembered the 1920’s and 1930’s:
“Charles Pomeroy owned a lovely old charabanc and
Councillor Ken Manton, Leader of Durham County Council wishes every success to the people of Craghead
47
TRANSPORT
48
BUSES
Fred Wade recalled 1904 when “The
first motor bus seen in North West
Durham ran between Stanley and
Annfield Plain on the occasion of the
Bank Holiday Sports at Stanley. It
was an eighteen seater owned by Mr
T Moses of Craghead.”
Robert Wilson remembered “Jack
Maughan had a fish and chip shop
in Front Street and in addition he
operated a private bus ser vice
between Craghead and Stanley, three
miles distance at 3d return. The
United Bus Company also had a
service but travelling by bus was not
for us - what were legs for?”
A 34 seater Northern at Craghead
crossroads in 1925
Mr Chisholm was one of the early
independent operators of public
transport his buses were based
behind the Punch Bowl. He was a
founder member of the Diamond
Association in 1926, a group of seven
independent operators working the
Stanley - Durham route.
The Northern number 3 bus started
running on August 29th 1913 from
Chester-le-Street via Pelton Fell to
Craghead. This service was later
extended and a number 3 is shown in Marlborough
Crescent Bus Station, Newcastle.
Harry Shaw moved to Callerton Place, Craghead in
1979 and with deregulation in 1985 registered a service
from Stanley to Chester-le-Street, the depot being on
Shafto Bank. Shaws Coaches were bought by Northern
on August 1st 1992.
ON YOUR BIKE!
It’s the 1920’s and
sisters Ethel and
Lily Toal try out
brother James’
bike at 26
Ousterley
Terrace
In memory of a dear neighbour Hilda Hope. We will never forget you love Councillor Jack & Margaret Fothergill
49
School Days
Chapter Eight
THE HAPPIEST DAYS OF YOUR LIFE?
Fred Wade recalled that James Low senior, Headmaster
at Holmside National School 1879 - 1900 was not
popular! A pupil at the school wrote this on the door
after being punished.
“On Craghead railway there is a school
And in that school there is a stool
And on that stool there sits a fool
His name is Jimmy Low”
of God (and Jimmy Low) into all his pupils. Each
morning he waited in the corridor and ordered latecomers to line up, facing the wall and as he walked
past them each would receive a downward stroke as
punishment. We all sang a song out of earshot.
‘Jimmy Low he is no good
but goes to church on Sunday
To pray to God to give him strength
to whip the boys on Monday.’
The corrugated iron church hall was used as a soup
kitchen during the miners’ strike. At school we were
issued with stamped tickets each of which entitled us
to a breakfast or dinner of soup and bread with a special
treat for Saturday in the shape of a meat pie. We were
fitted with shoes and for all of the food and the
footwear, we were given to understand we had the
Russians to thank. (The money for food was also,
raised by local people with pit pony racing, ladies’
football etc).
James Low Junior was Headmaster of Craghead County
School in the 1920’s when Robert Wilson was a pupil
“The Headmaster at Craghead School was a sadist who
left his mark physically on lots of the boys. James Low,
like his father before him believed in instilling the fear
Football Team 1911-1912
Craghead Mixed School
50
At Craghead School we were given a good grounding
in the three ‘R’s. Great emphasis was placed on mental
arithmetic and we were ranged round the walls and
questions fired at us in rapid succession. Addition,
subtraction, multiplication and division to say nothing
of spelling. In all fairness, most of my fellow pupils
left school literate and reasonably erudite as a result.
cane
In 1926, Sir Alan Cobham
and his FlyingCircus excited
us all by giving displays of
aeronautics and aerobatics
over Chester-le-Street, this
was the first (and last) time
I played truant. I think the
whole of our class walked
the five miles to the plains
to watch the air show. Then,
when we finally trooped
back we all, without
exception, were given a good
hiding with the belt by our
mothers and fathers, to be
followed next day with the
from the teacher.”
A LONG WALK
Eddie Cummings recalls his four mile round trip to
school at Craghead in the 1930’s, which would be
unthinkable now. People routinely walked from
Holmside to Craghead then for shopping or
entertainment. Rain, hail or snow they walked across
the fields which was the short cut. There were no
alternatives, no buses or cars. At the age of five Eddie
was taken to Craghead Infant School by his mother,
after that first day he and his fellow pupils were
unaccompanied.
For little boys on their way to school there were many
distractions, Eddie thought that one of the best was
standing on the railway bridge while a loco went
underneath and being enveloped in sooty smoke!
Eddie went to the Infant School at five, his main
memory being of the stove for heating. The move
over to the “big school” at seven brought radiators for
heating, more teachers and longer and stronger canes.
Classes were mixed, boys desks were at one side of the
room, girls at the other. The boys had fun rolling up
pieces of paper into hard balls to flick at the girls. Many
was the time Eddie and his two companions were kept
in after school, standing behind the blackboard. They
apparently didn’t get found out as they sneaked out of
the playground when they saw the bakers delivery man
at Walter Wilson’s (now the Chemists shop). When
he went inside the shop they pinched some cakes!
Although classes were mixed, boys and girls had
separate cloakrooms and yards. The boys played various
games including handball and also tried jumping the
wall to see what the girls were doing! Many a scraped
knee was caused by a fall in the concrete yard at a time
when schoolboys wore short trousers. Pupils went up
to the Pavilion to play football with, Eddie remembers,
a heavy football which hurt when it hit. Cricket was
played, but not so much as football. Gardening classes
in the School Garden near the Punch Bowl were a
welcome escape.
In these days of the Depression school doctors
examined children to identify those who were
malnourished. Such children had free milk. Eddie
and his friends didn’t qualify but they usually
appropriated any unused bottles left in the crate. There
was no homework for Eddie to take home and he didn’t
want any, he only wanted to play in the wood. On his
way home he called at White House Farm to help with
such jobs as milking the cows and often had his tea
there.
At fourteen, like most of the others, he left school in
order to earn money to help his parents. His father
said that if he knew right from wrong and could read
and write, that was good enough for him. The Colliery
was the main employer and Eddie’s father took him
down the pit to see what he thought - he didn’t fancy
it at all! He has had an outdoor life, his first job was
six days a week walking up to Burnhope and back to
look after chickens for which he received the princely
sum of ten shillings a week. Later employment was in
farming and building.
CRAGHEAD INFANT
SCHOOL 1949/50
The May Queen and May King were Jennie Toal and
Kenneth Mason (see over). Others include:
Derek Tempest, Jennie Askew, Jimmy Gardner, Mary
Dickenson, Gillian Snow, Eileen Coleman, Norma
Forrest, Brenda Williamson, Marion Hopgarth, Ivy
Maughan, Valerie Snailham, Christine Brown, Ivan
Bruce, Eddie Whitfield, John Watson, Walter
Rutherford and John Clough
CORONATION FEVER AT
CRAGHEAD
The children of Craghead Infant School on Empire
Day 1953 rehearse flag waving for the Coronation (see
over).
51
SCHOOLDAYS
Craghead Infant School 1949-50
Craghead Infant School Empire Day 1953
52
Bloemfontein Junior School football team1968-69 season
Bloemfontein Junior football team shown from back row left to right are unknown, unknown, G. Heal, G. Storey,
unknown, C. Ram, unknown, C. Reay, Mr. Suddas, front row left to right, Alan Watson, M. Dawson, M. Ridley,
unknown, M. Robinson, C. Alliker, unknown, E. Hall, W. Carr.
Alan Watson pictured above went on to form his own accountancy firm, Watson Associates and acted as auditors
for the new village hall during funding and construction of the building.
Open Day at Bloemfontein Junior School 1948
For our grandson Joe McMahon love Grandma Margaret & Grandad Austin Hanson
Sponsored by Tom & Jean Watson who spent nearly fifty happy years in Craghead
53
War and Remembrance
Chapter Nine
MICHAEL WILSON HEAVISIDE VC
1880 - 1939
Michael Heaviside’s story has been told many times.
At the battle of Arras in May 1917 Michael braved
heavy machine gun fire to reach a wounded soldier in
no-mans-land. The man lay badly wounded in a shell
hole for four days and three nights. Michael first gave
the man water and dressed his wounds then that night
he returned with two other stretcher bearers to carry
the man to safety. The London Gazette announced
the award of the VC to Private Michael Heaviside on
June 8th 1917 for his “most conspicuous bravery and
devotion to duty”
On Thursday 12th July he came home before his
presentation. He was met by family and local
dignatories at Shield Row Station and led through
crowded streets hung with flags and bunting to Stanley
Hall for speeches and much cheering. The procession
was led by South Moor Colliery Band playing “See
the Conquering Hero Comes” followed by ‘D’
Company of the 1st Battalion of Durham County
Volunteers from Stanley and Stanley and Church Lads
Brigade from Beamish. From Stanley they went to
South Moor past “Welcome Home” banners then to
Craghead Football Field at 7.45pm. More speeches
followed, the band played “For He’s a Jolly Good
Fellow” and the children of Craghead and
Bloemfontein Council Schools sang “Rule Britannia”.
At another meeting Michael Heaviside was presented
with a gold watch and chain and war bonds. He told
the crowd that he had only done his duty and that he
was proud to have brought honour to Durham and to
Craghead in particular.
On July 21st 1917 Michael Heaviside was presented
with his Victoria Cross by King George V. in the
forecourt of Buckingham Palace. After the war he
returned to Craghead and mining. He died in 1939,
his health ruined by the war and his work. He had a
moving funeral with military honours at St Thomas’
Church, the Colliery Band played and a firing party
from the 8th Battalion DLI fired three volleys of shots.
The “Last Post” was played by the buglers and mourners
filed past dropping Flanders poppies into the open
grave.
54
In 1999 the “Last Post” sounded again for Michael
Heaviside when a new headstone paid for by the family
and the DLI Association was unveiled bearing his
citation
Michael Heaviside VC
‘MOST CONSPICUOUS BRAVERY
AND DEVOTION TO DUTY’
Died 26th APRIL 1939
AGED 58 YEARS
Craghead has continued to honour their hero in
naming nearby woodland “Heaviside Wood”. On
September 8th 2001 a sandstone block inscribed with
the names of all eleven DLI Victoria Cross winners
was unveiled in the grounds of the DLI Museum.
Michael Heaviside’s VC and other medals can be seen
in the medal room of the museum.
CRAGHEAD BRITISH LEGION WOMENS SECTION
The Craghead Womens Legion was formed in 1928 and Mrs Philip Kirkup is seen here cutting their 11th birthday
cake on May 25th 1939. During these years the Womens Section helped with poppy selling, served on Benevolent
Committees, ran a Childrens Holiday Scheme and distributed childrens clothing via the “Wardrobe Scheme”
MEMORIES OF THE 1939 - 45
WAR THE WINTER OF 1941
During the war Craghead Colliery Baths were used as
barracks by soldiers preparing to go abroad. One night,
in the blackout, Barbara Churcher recollects her father
left the Faith Supper at Fawcett Hill Chapel to go home
to fetch something. He literally bumped into two
soldiers looking for somewhere to get a cup of tea, they
didn’t want to go to a pub. Mr Bott took them into
the Faith Supper and after that the men, from the Essex
Royal Artillery spent much time at the Bott’s home in
Thomas Street. During the severe winter of 1941
Craghead was cut off and the soldiers got the tank out
to get bread for the village. Stan and Barbara Bott
walked to Burnhope on the hedge tops to get milk
from Mitchison’s farm.
55
WAR AND REMEMBRANCE
THE BEAMISH BOMB
EYEWITNESS
Joyce Wilson (nee Abbott) remembers that her father
Bob Abbott had gone to Beamish seeking plants when
the bomb went off on May 1st 1942. He arrived about
the time of the explosion and was well equipped to
help as a member of St John Ambulance Brigade and
Craghead Colliery Ambulance Team. Two other
deputies Matt Young and Matt Davidson were with
him and helped to free Jim Healey from Bloemfontein
who was buried under masonry. Jim’s girl friend Gwen
Hannant who was with him was killed. Ten year old
Sylvia Spence and her mother Elizabeth Spence of 40
South View Bloemfontein were also killed.
At 1.30 on a dull December Sunday - 14th December
1940 - Tom Lamb and his brother Jacky were gathering
holly for Christmas in the Millwood when they
suddenly heard a sound. A huge plane was just above
the trees, rocking from side to side losing height. The
pilot turned hard right to avoid West Edmondsley Farm
and crashed in the wood. The plane’s back was broken,
the nose was broken open in the stream with the pilot
still strapped into his seat. Only one of the four crew
could walk and he had injured his forehead, the other
three were alive but badly injured. Jacky and farm
workers carried them to the farmhouse dairy using an
old door as a stretcher. The ambulant airman retrieved
maps and documents, looked back at the crashed
bomber and asked “Where are we?”
AIR
RAID
DRILL
BLOEMFONTEIN SCHOOL
AT
Margaret Hanson (nee Wright) remembers that
everything was meticulously organised and everyone
had a job. Some brought torches from the table but
Margaret’s job was to carry the tin of biscuits into the
shelter. Her friends said that she was the wrong person
for the job, however Margaret insists that the tin was
never opened! Tins of Horlicks tablets were given out.
56
They were Polish airmen based at Syerston in
Nottinghamshire who had become lost over the North
sea after a bombing mission and had run out of fuel.
Soldiers from the camp at Edmondsley came to guard
the wreckage and the airmen were taken to Chester-leStreet Hospital after Dr Mukerji from Craghead had been
to give morphine and stitch and dress wounds. Two of
the Polish officers were detained at the hospital for a few
months, Flying Officers J. Waroczewski and M. Kostuch
were visited by ladies from the village before being
transferred to York. The plane was a Vickers Wellington
Bomber MK 111, No R 1268 604 Sqn as shown here
but with NZ andT either side of the roundel
From Tom Lamb, in memory of a dear brother, Jacky Lamb, who worked at Craghead Colliery 1938-1969,
married to Lilian Watson of Craghead
Time off
Chapter Ten
TIME OFF
Craghead people have enjoyed themselves
in a variety of ways over the years. Here
are some of them.
CRAGHEAD
TEAM
CRICKET
Photograph taken about 1888. The boy
is Will Scott aged about 12
OPENING
OF
THE
CRICKET PAVILION
May 12th 1939 by Philip Kirkup. This
was near the Colliery Baths and Railway
Street.
Martin Greener, Director of Holmside and South Moor Collieries is on the left, Philip
Kirkup, Manager of Craghead Colliery and acting Agent is on the right.
57
TIME OFF
THE
PUNCH BOWL
Punch became a popular drink
in the late 1600’s, it was often
mixed by the host at the table
after dinner. Originating in
India it was made from brandy,
claret, spices, sugar and lemon
or orange juice. Many of the
silver punch bowls were made
as presentation pieces or prizes.
Craghead’s first Punch Bowl
was said to have originally been
attached to a house on the site
of the present building.
SOUTH MOOR GOLF CLUB
This was officially opened by Sir Clive Morrison Bell,
JP on May 1st 1924. The clubhouse was rebuilt in
1939 and officially opened on December 14th 1940
by Basil Sadler JP, Managing Director of Holmside
Collieries, many changes have taken place since then.
58
ROY CLARK
Pictured in 1961 at the first tee at Seaton Carew is
Match Play Champion for Durham County Roy Clark.
Roy lived at The Middles as did Jack Ord, a professional
golfer now at the Hobson Golf Club. Ladies are
represented too - Leslie Keers of Craghead has been
D.C.L.G.A. Champion twice in 1993 and 1999.
THE OLD PEOPLE’S TREAT
The BBC film of 1969 said that the Old Peoples Treat was one of the
biggest in the North East at that time, approximately 900 people received
a tea and £1. The photograph shown right, date unknown, shows officials
giving out money. Billy Liddle and Billy Oliver are two of the officials.
The two photographs below were taken on December 13th 1951
Sponsored by Abrakadabra Catering - quality food for all occasions at affordable prices Tel: 01207 282697 Mobile 0786 6874184
59
TIME OFF
CRAGHEAD BRITISH LEGION
FOOTBALL CLUB
The Committee
Bringing the cups home
The Ladies Tea Committee, left to right: E Hankin, N Draper, N Martin and Mrs Forster
60
YATTY
AND
THE
BISHOP
“Aa wouldn’t play that, pet” says tutor Yatty. This was
the caption of a photograph of the Bishop of Durham’s
visit to Craghead in June 1960. It continues “Everyone
is ‘pet’ to Yatty Johnston, including the Bishop of
Durham, who accepted Yatty’s advice when Dr M H
Harland was ‘cracked out’ by Jim English in a game of
dominoes at Craghead British Legion Club. This was
the first game the Bishop had played so he did well
(thanks to Yatty) to be beaten by two spots”Derek
Jefferson remembers Yatty who worked in the clay pit
in the early 1950’s using a hand pick to extract clay.
This was thrown into a wooden tub holding 8cwt then
it went down the material shaft into the districts of
the pit where it was used by deputies for shotfiring.
JOHN O’NEILL
This famous singer was born at Pemberton Terrace
Bloemfontein. When he left school at the age of
fourteen he started work at Craghead Colliery as an
apprentice electrician. He sang many times with the
bands of Freddie Stebbings and Don Smith at the
Oxford Galleries. He left the colliery at seventeen and
joined the Royal Signals Band, singing all over the
world. He joined with Val Doonican, Mike Samms
and Cliff Adams to form “The Four Ramblers” joining
Mike Samms and Cliff Adams when they formed their
own groups. He joined the Chorus of the Royal Opera
House, Covent Garden for a while then appeared with
Henry Hall and Jack Payne on TV and with Eric
Winstone and the Squadronaires Dance Band on radio.
He toured with Geraldo on cruise ships then worked with George
Blacks Band. George Black introduced him to George Mitchell and
John became lead singer in the Black and White Minstrels appearing
on TV singing solo and at the London Palladium. He retired in 1984.
His record is owned by many Craghead people. Although scarce it is
still available from Windows in Newcastle “Irish Melodies 1958” Gordon
Franks Orchestra and Chorus. John O’Neill soloist. Quote Allegro Records
Nn 809, product Pickwik International.
61
TIME OFF
CRAGHEAD COLLIERY MINERS CHILDRENS SPORTS AND CARNIVAL
Sack Race July 17th 1952
Pit ponies kidnapped by Craghead cowboys and indians
Fancy Dress entrants August 27th 1953
JOHN ARCHER
John is in the centre of this picture (right) taken against
the background of the Infant School. He ran the
cinema despite being crippled by polio, unable to walk,
he shuffled on his bottom. His cousin Barbara
Churcher planted a tree for him and one for her brother
Arthur Bott in the Fox and Parrot Wood. The name of
the wood is a reminder of Dr. Fox who lived at Shafto
Cottage, he had a parrot which greeted patients in
colourful language.
62
Prizewinners July 17th 1952
Fancy Dress entrants - note the Signal Cabin in the background
CRAGHEAD WOMENS INSTITUE The WI closed in December 1999 after 61 years
GOING FOR A WALK
There are many lovely places around Craghead. This postcard
was produced in the early 1920’s when going for a walk was a
regular family activity, especially on Sundays.
Fond memories of happy hours spent at Craghead Womens Institute from Doris Davinson
63
TIME OFF
TRAVELLIN’ MAN
This CD was made by Craghead’s Terry Coulson under
his stage name John Barry. Terry was indeed a travelling
man, along with his wife Margaret he worked as a
hawker and, until eight years ago spent his life on the
road. Terry sang in the streets as a child, and as a Carol
Lewis Discovery he could have worked in Blackpool
but was needed at home. He did appear at the
Newcastle and Sunderland Empires and on the Golden
Disc Show. He appeared on Grandstand in connection
with boxing. Margaret teaches the children of
Craghead singing and dancing.
Terry and his family travelled through the north-east
in this large horse-drawn four wheeled boat fitted with
seats. Children were given a ride through the streets
in exchange for one penny, a jam jar or a bundle of old
clothes. Children from Bloemfontein are shown here
enjoying a ride.
The boat was painted in red, white
and blue, named Victory to mark the
end of the war in 1945
64
Craghead Amateur Boxing Club, home to National Champions . Run by British Amateur Champion and
ex-professional boxer, Mick Mason Tel: 01207 236497
Memories
Chapter Eleven
BRIAN KIRKUP’S MEMORIES OF
CRAGHEAD 1927 - 1942
Brian Kirkup’s parents came to live in Crieff Villa just
before the 1926 Strike. Philip Kirkup was Agent and
Manager at Craghead Colliery and already had a
distinguished military career behind him, having been
awarded two D.S.O.’s and two M.C.’s in the 1914-18
war, becoming a Colonel at the age of 25. He
continued as a Territorial Officer between the wars
commanding the 8th Battalion DLI from 1917 until
23rd December 1937. He was awarded an OBE for
Service and Territorial Distinction and appointed a
Deputy Lieutenant for County Durham. The Kirkup
family were closely involved with the mining industry
and Philip came to Craghead at a difficult time when
relations between men and management were very
strained.
Much was expected of the Colliery Manager’s wife who
had her own role to play in village life. From the age
of 23 Mrs Kirkup enjoyed entertaining not only her
husband’s friends and associates but also her many
friends in and around Craghead. Along with Mrs
Fenwick, the Doctor’s wife, she presided over a Tuesday
afternoon “open house” for tea at Crieff Villa, where
the women from the village could bring matters of
concern up for discussion. She led certain village
groups such as the Craghead Branch of the Mothers’
Union and the WVS, as it was then. She loved flowers
and gardening was her special interest. Mrs Kirkup
played golf at South Moor and tennis on the court at
home and elsewhere.
Brian was born at Crieff Villa in 1927 and christened
there by his great uncle. The Rev. Thomas Kirkup, a
President of the Methodist Conference. As a baby he
was taken round the Colliery - owned golf course in
his pram. Philip Kirkup sometimes played golf in the
afternoon, his golf clubs were on the back of the pram
and the caddy wheeled them round together! At the
turn of the course at the 9th hole (nearest to the
65
MEMORIES
Colliery) a boy waited with the
scores (output) on a piece of
paper and he ran back to the
Collier y
with
Philips
instructions. One afternoon a
week was spent visiting sick and
injured miners at the Holmside
and south Moor Miners’ Welfare
Fund Hospital where he was on
the Board of Management.
Life at Crieff Villa was
comfortable. The Colliery
Company paid for live-in servants
- two maids, a cook, a gardener
and a boy -and any other help
needed. A washer lady washed on Monday and ironed
on Tuesday. Mrs Bott came in to help make and serve
meals when visitors came for lunch. Apart from
relations coming to stay, Brian recollects many visitors
connected with the mining industry. Bill Richardson
(Senior Inspector of Mines for Durham) and his wife
stayed. Walter Goodenough, Senior Agent for Consett
Iron Company Collieries and Mr Smallwood, Director
of Consett Iron Company visited. Brian
remembers that Mr Smallwood grew
pickling onions at the Manor House in
Medomsley. Jack Wood, Director of
Huwood was Philip Kirkup’s colleague from
before the 1914-18 war. Army people were
amongst the many guests and Graham and
Walter Widdas, Mens County Double
Winners played on the tennis court at Crieff
Villa.
Philip Kirkup received this medal as Past
President of the North of England Branch
of the National Association of Colliery
Managers 1936-37. A strange situation
arose on the evening of the 10th of
December 1936 when Philip attended the
Annual Dinner Dance at the Assembly
Rooms in Newcastle. Edward VIII had
signed the Instrument of Abdication on the
morning of that day but the Duke of York
did not officially become King until the
Declaration of Abdication Bill became law
at 1.52 pm on the 11th of December. Philip
had to make a toast on the evening of the
10th but to whom? He was advised by a
friend at Westminster to give “a loyal toast”.
66
Crieff Villa was extended in 1939, a sewing room
replaced the conservatory on the side of the house. A
steel lined cloakroom was built on, which doubled as
an air raid shelter. Another shelter was built on the
tennis court. Two bedrooms were added and another
bathroom was built above the cloakroom for the maids.
After this the house was pebbledashed. While this work
was being carried out the family lived in rented
accommodation at Saltburn for a
month. Philip Kirkup was called up
while playing on Saltburn Golf Course!
In August 1939 he was discharged as
Brigadier in North Africa because of his
age and lived at Saltwell West then
Eighton Lodge. He was in charge of
the Coal Commission in Germany,
taking over the mines and steel works
in Germany at the end of the war. He
then returned to Low Fell, working as
Production Director of the Ministry of
Fuel and Power at Milburn House,
staying on there after nationalisation in
1947 as Assistant Productions Director
for the Northern Division of the
National Coal Board.
Brian’s earliest memory is of being taken
on his first visit down the pit, aged about
three, on the last legal day of furnace
ventilation, about 1930. His friends
were mostly the children of the colliery
officials, and although the colliery staff
addressed him as “Master Brian” and his
younger sister “Miss Annette”. Brian
had great respect for the colliery
In Memory of my father Phil (P. K. Junior) mother Kathleen and sister Annette with whom I enjoyed our time in Craghead
from Brian Kirkup and Family
overmen and got off the pavement when they came
towards him. One of the perks of the job was that
colliery workers also did jobs for the manager’s family.
The colliery joiners, electricians and others made a
railway layout with ‘O’ gauge locos above the double
garage at Crieff Villa (at the time there were only three
cars in Craghead) it had the pit, cages, Bowes wagons,
electric lighting and scenery. This was not for Brian
but for his father and his friends! An experience which
Brian has never forgotten is of being on the footplate
of the shunter called “Brian” in the old sidings of the
George Pit, he pulled the lever to inaugurate it.
The Colliery Blacksmith was an important man,
making everything needed. Matty Sheridan the
Foreman Blacksmith was Brian’s friend. When Brian
got a goat - Polly - Battensby the gardener did not
want it in the garden. Mrs Kirkup obtained permission
to put it in the adjoining churchyard and Matty devised
a rope and chain which allowed Polly to graze between
the graves. Brian made £2 a week from selling the
tuberculin-free milk to two boys. At that time milk
was measured out and delivered in canisters. Matty
also gave Brian two guinea pigs and made them an
indestructable colliery - quality steel cage!
Mr Brown, Head Horsekeeper at Fawside Farm used
to buy pit ponies, forty at a time and took Brian with
him. By law the ponies had to be male - stallion or
gelding - three to four years old. Fawside was used for
stabling and training the ponies. Brian picked out four
for himself for riding and jumping having used the
gin gan to break them. Many adventures took place
in Wardle’s Dene south of Fawside Farm with P. F.
(Pifsey) and M T (Empty) Green from Burnhope
Vicarage when Brian’s gang was mounted and the
others were not. Cock fighting was watched secretly.
Mrs Kirkup had her own car, a black Ford 8, new from
Youngs of Chester-le-street. Her driving was erratic,
she would take her hands off the wheel to wave at
friends. Mr Wakefield who drove the colliery coup
cart then the colliery lorry was often called upon to
pull Mrs Kirkup’s car out of a ditch when going to
Mithchison’s Farm or visiting friends locally. All did
not go well when Mrs Kirkup took Brian and Annette
for a treat in Newcastle. She was driving in the middle
of the tram lines over the High Level Bridge when the
car broke down and couldn’t be moved. She
remembered what her husband had told her to do if
the car broke down “Just get out” Mrs Kirkup rang
the colliery (telephone number Stanley 35) and
continued the outing on foot to Tilleys for fish and
chips and then the Odeon. The whole of Newcastle
was at a standstill until the car was removed by the
Newcastle Police to the Police Station where it was
collected by someone from Craghead.
Brian and his sister Annette did not attend the local
school. At three they went to Kindergarten at Low
Fell, their father’s driver took them there and back. At
lunchtime Grandfather Kirkup’s driver collected them
for a very formal lunch - usually roast beef or steak and
kidney pie followed by rice pudding. Brian remembers
Grandfather Kirkup standing to carve the meat, he also
cut round the skin of the rice pudding with a knife.
Brian had dancing lessons at Low Fell, which he hated.
At the age of seven he went on to Bow School at
Durham but was removed from there by his father
when a female Head took over. He next went to
Lisvane, Scarborough near the home of his maternal
grandparents and then attended Durham School
between the ages of thirteen and eighteen.
Like most children in Craghead, Brian enjoyed going
to the pictures - the “Penny Gaff ” above the Co-op.
Mrs Kirkup rang up - the number was Stanley 56 and reserved seats. Mr Kirkup warned them “Don’t
come back with anything”. The usherette duly used
the Flit gun (a pump action flea killer) on their seats
before they sat in them. Many Craghead people are
remembered - Police Sergeant Stranghan and the two
constables were employed by the Colliery Owners the Holmside and South Moor Colliery Company. Mr
Parnaby was the Colliery Surveyor. Pomeroys premises.
67
CRAGHEAD IN 1939
Remembered by Brian Kirkup
Reproduced from the original 1939
Ordnance Survey Mapping with
permission from Durham County
Record Office
68
were at the east end of the village and next to them
was Matty Armstrong who showed dogs and saw to
the Kirkup dogs, docking the tails of spaniel puppies.
Race’s grocery shop was patronised and the doctors
are remembered. Dr Claude Fenwick lived in Shafto
House and officiated at the birth of Brian in 1927 and
his sister Annette in 1929, the Fenwicks and the
Kirkups were good friends. There were visits to
Mitchisons who farmed Ousterley, also to farms at
Holmside.
Michael Heaviside died on 26th April 1939 and Brian
remembers the buglers playing the “Last Post” at his
funeral. Soon there was to be another war. Unknown
to the Kirkup children a Belgian was hidden for several
weeks in Crieff Villa in 1940 or 1941. He spoke only
French and was in the Resistance. One day early in
the war Brian climbed out of the toilet window onto
the flat roof and saw a Wellington Bomber fly close to
the roof then crash into the wood behind Wardle’s
Bridge Inn. Brian quickly rode down to the home
Guard HQ at the Punch Bowl and told Harry Foreman
who was then in charge of the Colliery and the Home
Guard. The next morning Brian went to the crash site
and recovered some pieces of the plane as a souvenir.
Martin Quinn (seated)
View. Martin First attended St. Mary’s School,
Hustledown, this was before the church was built and
partitions in the school were folded back so that services
could be held. Miss Young the headmistress was tiny
but a strict disciplinarian who wielded a strap with a
thong. Even Miley Connolly the boxer was terrified
of her when she beat him across the head with the
strap. Martin discovered drawing at this school,
inspired by a fairy drawn in coloured chalks on the
blackboard by Miss Flynn.
When Philip Kirkup left to go to war he was replaced
by Harry Foreman the Deputy Manager, who lived in
Shafto Cottage. In 1942 Harry and Christine Foreman
and family moved into Crieff Villa and the Kirkups
left Craghead. Brian qualified as a colliery Manager as
had his father and grandfather Kirkup, working for
the National Coal Board then British Coal for 41 years.
He was awarded a Fellowship of the Institute of Mining
Engineers and was chartered in 1965 following the
presentation of technical papers and articles during his
management posts. He continued a further seven years
working as a part-time consultant for a private mining
and engineering company dealing with design and
contract work until his final retirement from the
mining industry. He now lives in a Colliery
management house at Newbottle and has very happy
memories of his life in Craghead.
Brian’s memories of Craghead are shown on a map in
the centre of this book
MARTIN QUINN
Martin Quinn is well known in Craghead, especially
after twenty years as an accessible, energetic and
effective District Councillor. He was born on the
twenty-eighth of October 1920 in Byker, his father
came to work in Craghead in 1926, “living in” at South
Father Wilfred Pickering who
was killed on a motorcycle
during the War.
69
MEMORIES
In 1931 Martin passed the Scholarship, but it was not
possible for his parents to send him to St Cuthbert’s in
Newcastle, the uniform was expensive and there was
also the cost of travel. Father Pickering, the Parish
Priest, wrote to the Bishop and Martin was allowed to
go instead to Alderman Wood School as long as he
didn’t take part in communal prayer there. He also
had to serve at Mass every morning at 7.30 before going
to school. His uniform - brown with gold piping was paid for by the British Legion, and he had free
school dinners. One of the first essays he wrote was
“Waiting for the bus” in Geordie dialect. Martin’s
artistic ability developed and he had a great love of
foreign languages.
On leaving Alderman Wood, Martin worked briefly
in the pits then in 1939 volunteered for the RAF
hoping to be a signaller like his father. Having qualified
he went briefly to an airfield in Yorkshire then to
Greenock where submarines were sinking shipping.
Martin’s wartime work took him to Greenland,
Newfoundland, the USA, through the South Atlantic
to Sierra Leone, Cape Town, Suez and on to the Desert
Campaign. He worked with 13 Wireless Unit, a small
RAF group who went along with the Infantry. They
retreated and advanced so often in the desert that
Martin says he knew every Bedouin!
At El Alamein Martin was two miles in front of the
British front line and for ten hours shells from both
sides flew overhead. After staying with the Australians
for a hundred miles he went with New Zealand troops
to Tunis. While in Haifa, Martin took Italian lessons.
At school he had learned French, Latin, Spanish,
German and Esperanto with
enthusiasm and ability, which
won him prizes. At the age of
19, while mixing with the
civilian population of Cairo he
met, and was enthralled by 15
year old Sylvana Scarpocchi who
switched effortlessly from
English to French, Greek, Italian
or Arabic as necessary. This
inspired Martin to add Italian,
Arabic, Gaelic, Somali and
Amharic to his multilingual
repertoire. He also passed a
course of teletype - high speed
morse - and qualified to work at
HQ at the Air Ministry in
Whitehall. At the end of the war Martin went to
Control Commision in Germany where his Linguistic
skills were needed. He spent five years in Berlin then
four years based in Nairobi on Desert Locust Control.
He remembers reading to the natives in Arabic, his
rendering of “Hickory Dickory Dock” caused great
amusement.
In the early 1950’s Martin moved to Canada working
on morse, in connection with the Distant Early
Warning Line in America. This took him to the Arctic
and he was able to send a beautiful sealskin coat home
for the Craghead winters. At 49 Martin went to Oxford
University and studied Politics, Economics and
International Relations. He then worked for the
Labour Party at Herbert Morrison House, Walworth
Road, his main job was running the Young Socialists.
When his father retired Martin came home, working
for the Labour Party at Sunderland. He became a
Councillor for Craghead at a time when many familiar
buildings sadly had to be pulled down but some old
names were revived in new buildings such as Kimberley
Gardens and Ladysmith Court. By selling tickets for
the Derwentside Lottery money was raised for such
projects as heating and painting the Red Hut. Martin
still takes an active interest in local affairs. He has
contributed this story of what happened when his
mother was struck by lightning while wheeling a pram
from Hazel Terrace to Wagtail Terrace.
A SATURDAY NIGHT IN THE YEAR
1949 - 2200 HOURS
Martin and Sylvana
70
Out of the three officials at the British Press
Centre, it was my turn to scrutinise the
incoming and outgoing News from every
part of the globe. The hotel Am Zoo,
home of Allied Press Correspondents was
a focal point for International Relations.
Open 24 hours a day, it is situated on the
main street in Berlin - Kurfurstendamm the City’s Piccadilly.
As I walked around reading the copy
coming in on the teletype machines that
night, one of the German lady operators
shouted, “Herr Quinn :- eine wichtige
Botschaft kommt fur sie” (an important
message is coming for you). Imagine my
horror when I saw it was a cable from the
Durham Police to me, which said “Your
mother, Mrs Ellen Quinn of 3 Wagtail Terrace,
Craghead, has been struck by lightning. Badly burnt
and critical in the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle.
Suggest you come immediately.”
I phoned the duty officer at once who arranged a standin, I caught a plane at Gatow Airfield to Hamburg
where I changed for Newcastle and was there at six in
the morning. I was convinced that I was on my way
to my mother’s funeral as I had read that only one in a
million directly hit by lightning ever survived.
When I was shown into the ward at the Infirmary there
was a broad expanse of floor between the door and the
first bed in which my mother lay swathed in bandages
and the smell of burnt flesh was nauseating.
Nevertheless, mother must have heard footsteps and
she said quite clearly; “That’s our Martin. I knew you
would come.” Mother had been a one-glass-of
lemonade all her 50 years so imagine my surprise when
she said she fancied a drop of Port. This was one drink
the Doctor did not have in stock, so I went out on
that bleak Sunday morning to knock on pub doors in
the Haymarket area. Eventually I aroused a Publican
and told him my mother was dying in the RVI and
was asking for a drink of Port. He produced a bottle
in a crack and I did a four minute mile back to the
Infirmary. To my amazement, my teetotal mother
polished off half a bottle and went to sleep for 48 hours.
The Doctor reckoned it saved her life, particularly
easing the excruciating pain she had suffered.
In the next couple of days she improved rapidly, though
all her hair and eyebrows had been burnt off and there
were deep scars on her body which she carried for life.
I had arrived at Newcastle on Sunday morning and
was able to return to Berlin on the Thursday night
flight. It was as near as I’ve seen to a miracle and she
lived on to 84 years of age. My dad called her “Skin”.
She was featherweight physically but she had the will
power of a giant.
God bless her - that was Nellie Quinn!
THE WAY WE WERE
Margaret Hanson
(nee Wright) was
born
and
christened at 15
Pemberton Terrace
in 1935.
Her
father had come to
Craghead as a shaft
sinker then stayed
on as a miner.
Margaret was one
of a large family - in her childhood there were ten at
home including her parents - two older sisters were in
service. When she was baking Mrs Wright kept the
children occupied by sitting them on the oilcloth floor
and giving them a piece of dough to play with. Just
trying to get it off their hands and exploring its elastic
properties kept them occupied.
The land beside these new streets - Ettrick, Chaytor
and Pemberton Terraces was regarded by the children
of those streets as their play area, along with the
adjoining wood. Mothers knew where to find their
children, there were always games and activities to join
in. When the building of Woodside Gardens started
in 1939 the children were horrified by this intrusion
on their territory and they did all they could to sabotage
the building work. Bricks were spirited away into the
wood at night, the children even greased the pole used
by the workmen as a toilet seat! A night watchman
was brought in but the children distracted him and
carried on their campaign although Woodside Gardens
was eventually finished after the war when work
resumed in1946.
Margaret was a tomboy and loved climbing trees, her
favourite activities at school were P.E., rounders and
arithmetic. At first there were no prizes for being top
of the class then Moira Swallow came from Hustledown
and she instituted such prizes, giving her own books
away, (this was at a time of paper shortage). Margaret
was awarded “Little Women” which is still in her
possesion. Miss Swallow’s name was in, “M Swallow”,
she scratched out “Swallow” and substituted “Wright”.
Domestic Science lessons included learning to wash
and iron properly. Margaret made scones and a
Christmas cake and embroidered the corner of a
handkerchief. These lessons gave Margaret and her
friends an opportunity to get up to mischief when the
From Martin Quinn - this wonderful photo of my mother is now alongside one of my young dad. My living room is now complete
In memory of my parents Joseph & Edith Wright love Margaret Hanson nee Wright
71
MEMORIES
teacher left the room. They let the pulley down so
they could swing on it. One unsuspecting new girl
was enticed onto the pulley and pulled right up to the
ceiling! When the teacher came back no one admitted
responsibility.
The Wrights had the biggest air raid shelter in the street
to accomodate the family. One family nearby built
theirs the wrong way round and ran into a water filled
shelter. When the war was over a neighbour came to
tell them. Margaret was jumping on a tyre in the garden
and started to chant “The war is over, the war is over”
without understanding the significance of that. She
enjoyed the parties for the peace celebrations of 1945.
Fred Brown
there were no open-plan unisex establishments, curtains
were drawn around little cubicles to ensure privacy (or
was it in case there were disastrous results?)
There was, to me, a terrifying piece of equipment, a
carousel with some sort of curlers attached, which were
I think heated and put into the client’s hair. I still
remember thinking I would be electrocuted and
screamed through the whole process. As you can see
from the photo, I don’t think it worked!
Certificate awarded to Margaret Hanson’s Father Joseph
Wright for 50 years service to the National Coal Board
A HAIR RAISING EXPERIENCE
Anne Cowie’s father, Fred Brown was born at 17
William Street, Craghead, in 1921. Anne recalls a
frightening experience when her grandmother took her
to the hairdresser.
“It must have happened about 48 years ago when I
was 5 or so, and my grandmother decided I could have
my hair permed using the latest technology. A relation
had a hairdressing salon in Craghead. In those days
72
Anne Cowie
nee Brown
For John Aiston in memory of his Grandad Fred Brown, born in Craghead and also his
great grandparents who lived there - from Anne Cowie
ANGELA BRUCE
Angela is well-known as an actress and many people
in Craghead remember her living in the village. She
was born in Leeds in 1951 and placed in a Dr Barnardo’s
home. When she was three she was adopted by Anne
Elizabeth and Joseph Bruce and lived with sister
Maureen and brothers Duncan and Ivan.
“My fondest memories were in 16 Edward Street with
the Infant School at the back door and the Junior
School at the front door just across the road so I couldn’t
“skive off ” school. I remember Jean Tooke, she was
my best friend and we’d call each other out to play via
the letter box, never entering the house without
permission. You would stand outside the door and
call through the letterbox “Jean” often to be met with
“Not coming out, she’s having her tea!”
Maureen Quinn, Angela Bruce and Pierre in Martin
Quinn’s garden at 12 Edward Street
The most powerful image I have involves my father.
My daddy Joseph Bruce worked in Craghead Colliery,
we had not long moved into Shafto Cottage which
was a long terraced house and I missed the warmth
and security of Edward Street. My father died soon
after we moved - I was about
141/2 - and on the day of the
funeral the people of the
village lined the main street
of Craghead. As the hearse
went by the miners removed
their caps in respect and it
made me realise how much
my father was loved and how
much of a community
Craghead was. That’s my
strongest memory and one I
treasure and will never forget”
Angela lived in Craghead
until she was 19, she left to
join the musical “Hair” in
1970.
Good luck with your book Dorothy from a former resident of 16 Edward Street, Craghead. Love and best wishes from Angela Bruce
73
MEMORIES
FENWICK LAWSON
Fenwick Lawson is internationally acclaimed as a
sculptor but for many people in Craghead he is “Fen”
who grew up in the village. Fenwick was born in South
Moor on May 19th 1932 and moved to a council
bungalow in Hazel Street when he was six months old.
His father later applied for a colliery house and he lived
at 14 Holmside Terrace until he was nineteen and
became a student. This is the view from his bedroom
window in Holmside Terrace drawn in Indian ink when
he was twelve years old. At that time the houses were
still lit by gas.
74
His grandfather was landlord at John’s Castle Inn and his
father George was born there. Fenwick was named after
his uncle who created a record for mining and putting
more coal in 24 hours than anyone else. He worked for
three shifts of eight hours each, the rest times between
were taken down the pit. His fellow miners rewarded the
record-breaking feat by making him Steward of the
Victory Club! Fenwick Lawson Senior was also chairman
of the Co-op and initiated trips for old people.
Fenwick took part in village activities and remembers
appearing on stage at the Hedley Hall in the war singing
“There’ll be blue birds over the white cliffs of Dover”.
He attended Fawcett Hill Chapel and became a local
preacher at the age of sixteen, even his own father who
did not attend any church was drawn to hear his son
preach, tears rolling down his face. It was an event at
Chapel which changed the course of Fenwick’s life. In
1949 a fundraising scheme “The Tree of Life” involved
Fenwick’s artistic talents. He saw a tree just outside
Durham which was the right shape and drew it as the
base for the leaves, each leaf had the donor’s name painted
on it, the completed tree (shown left) was photographed
and postcards of it sold. At this time Fenwick was as
articled pupil at Durham County Architects Department
and, because of this project, his fellow pupils felt that his
greater talent was in Fine Art whereupon he studied at
Sunderland College of Art 1951-54 and the Royal College
of Art, London 1954-57. In 1958 he was awarded the
Sir James Knott Travelling Scholarship and travelled in
France, Italy and Greece. In the course of his long career
he has worked with Epstein and Basil Spence. The work
with which most local people will be familiar is his carving
of St. Cuthbert which was in the Cloisters at Durham
cathedral from1984-1995. Fenwick Lawson is on the
right of the
photograph
showing
St.
Cuthbert being
carried
into
D u r h a m
cathedral.
A
bronze replica of
the wood carving
was unveiled in the
ruins
of
Lindisfarne Priory
in the summer of
2001.
EDNA WILLIS REMEMBERS
In August 2001 Craghead’s Red Hut was finally
demolished. Edna Willis (nee Anforth) remembers it
being built. Edna was born in one of the Sinkers Huts
in the Colliery Yard in 1925, moving to a new threebedroomed bungalow, 6 South View, in 1926. Her
father Jack Anforth was one of the unemployed men
who built the Social Services Hut. Edna vividly
remembers watching Bill Davison, who only had one
leg and used a crutch going nimbly up the ladder to
work on the roof.
The Social Services Hut was part of a scheme to help
the vast numbers of families in distress owing to the
unprecedented state of unemployment throughout the
country. The Prince of Wales, as President of the
National Council of Social Services, appealed for the
more affluent in society to help areas such as ours. This
area was adopted by the Hertfordshire Appeal for
Durham. Money was deducted in pennies from wages,
help came from rich and poor, even children.
In the early 1930’s Craghead’s Social Services Hut
housed an occupational centre where tools and
materials were provided for men to learn practical
subjects such as boot repairing, tailoring, carpentry,
book-binding, upholstery, leather work and so on.
Women might go to dress or toymaking or weaving
classes. Education was not neglected, there were
opportunities to attend classes in English, First Aid,
Music, Drama, Wireless and other subjects. Edna’s
father made a large family-sized wardrobe with a
blanket box in the bottom. The blanket box is still in
the family!
time and both men and women members worked to
help the community.
Amongst Edna’s memorabilia there is a “note for the
wholesale”. If a Co-op customer could not find what
they wanted locally they went to the Co-op Wholesale
in Waterloo Street in Newcastle to choose something.
In December 1937 Edna’s parents chose some furniture
which was delivered and paid for (a 2d stamp on the
receipt) in January 1938. A three-piece suite, four
chairs and two bedsteads came to a total of £25.6.9.
The probate account of Edna’s grandmother’s estate Caroline Toal who died in 1937 - shows that the
Durham Miners Association paid out £7 and that the
funeral expenses owed to Craghead Co-op were
£33.2.4. Nineteen shillings was paid for whisky for
the funeral.
Billy Wells, Fruit
Hawker in 1931
Edna has magazines he used at the time “The
Woodworker”, “Handicrafts” and “Hobbies Weekly”
for the years 1933-1935.
Allotments and the Poultry Scheme were provided for
the unemployed. Membership of the Craghead
Allotment Gardens for the Unemployed gave the
opportunity to buy seeds, potatoes, fertiliser, spades,
forks and instruction booklets at a special rate. Books
used at Craghead for the Poultry Scheme included
“Poultry Keeping on Small Lines”, “Practical Poultry
Farming” and “The Feeding of Poultry”. Pig keeping
was encouraged with a leaflet advising on “Feeding for
Best Quality Bacon”.
Jack Anforth was also a member of Craghead British
Legion. They too were exhorted by the Prince of Wales
to remember their motto “Service Not Self ” at this
The Tenants Rent Card 1937-1938 for 6 South View
makes interesting reading. Stanley Urban District Council
were paid 8s 11d a week made up of 5s 6d rent and 3s 5d
rates and water rates. Under the Housing Act of 1936
tenants were warned that overcrowding of a property was
an offence with a fine of up to five pounds. The permitted
number for that house was seven persons. Each child
under ten counted as half a person and a child of less than
a year was not counted at all.
75
MEMORIES
Many miners spent a week or a fortnight at the Durham Miners Convalescent Home at Conishead Priory on
Morecambe Bay, Edna’s uncle, William Henry Toal is left back on this souvenir photograph (above), a local man,
Mr Ullathorne is back right.
76
From all at Graphic Print - always an experience and a pleasure working with TV personality Dorothy Rand
Graphic Print
Chapter Twelve
THE CRAGHEAD HOTEL
by David Marshall
The present building was constructed in the late
eighteen hundreds as a hostelry for coaches on the
journey from Hexham to Durham and the coach house
and stables are still standing today currently used as
garages and storerooms. During the second World War
Officers of the Green Howards were billeted in the
Hotel many of whom lost their lives in the Normandy
Invasion.
Noel Wilson started his printing business over 80 years
ago (1919) in Chester-le-Street. In 1963 John and Elsie
Marshall bought the business along with the lease for
the land in Middle Chare Chester-le-Street from Noel
Wilson. John (Jack as he was known to many) had
spent his working life in the printing industry, printing
the Chester Chronicle at Clarks on Chester-le-Street
Front Street. During this period he lived at Tynemouth
with his mother and father who owned a guest house
overlooking the sea, this required him to cycle back
and forth to work each day.
In 1964 Chester-le-Street Urban Council who owned
the land the Printing Works stood on decided they
needed the land as a car park and gave the business
notice to quit. Suitable premises could not be found
in the Chester-le-Street area and a number of properties
were considered in their search to relocate the business.
In 1968 John and Elsie purchased The Craghead Hotel
from Harry Spaven, who was the last person to hold a
publican’s licence for the property and the Printing
works relocated to Craghead with a number of local
people being employed, many of the local people who
have worked for John and Elsie recall fond memories
of this tall, strong, gruff man who was a softy at heart.
The changing technology in printing was recognised
early by John Marshall and he was in his early seventies
when he first switched on a
computer. In a very short time he
went on to introduce computers
into the business much to the
distaste of his wife Elsie who he
expected to use the system for the
business accounts, Elsie in her calm
manner ensured that her beloved
book keeping system was never replaced, undaunted
John introduced computerised plate making which
went on to replace hand and hot metal type setting in
printing.
The business continues in the family and is now owned
by David and Linda Marshall, son and daughter-inlaw who often along with staff often seem to feel John
and Elsie are still around, now that’s another story.
David, Linda and their three children Carl, Adam and
Sally-Beth live on the top two floors of the former Hotel
with the ground floor being the Printing Works
employing local people who are producing this book.
This poster from 1938 was found during building work
to Graphic House having be hidden for 60 years
77
GRAPHIC PRINT
Staff picture January 1970
The two pictures here show the staff of the then named Noel Wilson Printer (above) and the current staff of
Graphic Print (below). David Marshall is shown on both pictures - can you spot him?
Staff picture January 2001
78
CRAGHEAD POETRY COMPETITION
To mark the commissioning of the ‘Craghead - Past and Present’ book, it was decided to run a poetry competition.
Entrants were asked to submit poems with a Craghead theme based around their memories, experiences and
thoughts about Craghead past and present. The competition was well subscribed to, the eventual winner being Mr.
James R. Bainbridge with his poem ‘Craghead Remembered’. Part of the winners prize was to have their poem
published in the pages of ‘Craghead - Past and Present’.
CRAGHEAD REMEMBERED
I lived in Craghead, when I was a child,
and it was exciting and often quite wild.
I remember the “Jerry” the Top House as well,
and the steps to the “Gaff ” where many had fell.
The Thomas Pit Buzzer, was sounded quite often,
but now it is silent and almost forgotten.
The chimney stacks no longer stand,
which belched coal dust across the land.
The Hedley Hall, is demolished and gone,
But it’s memory remains and will always live on.
The Cenotaph Angel, which saw many sad days,
is still standing yet, to this present day.
I remember pay Fridays, when men drew their pay,
and the Jazz band parade, one warm sunny day,
The Front Street was crowded, but I was quite small
I stood back amazed, by the sight of it all.
The Salvation Army disbanded and gone,
Two schools and a chapel, now all have passed on,
a Temperance Bar a billiard hall,
Whatever happened to them all?
The Colliery Band was really grand,
one of the finest in the land.
At Crystal Palace, it did play,
and was the greatest on that day.
Two Fish Shops, Two Butchers, a Cobbler to boot,
and also Store Tailor to fit you a suit.
A Hardware Department, built into the store,
and grocery department almost next door.
The Institute and Rifle Range,
to most was simply grand,
with dominoes and snooker
at times the place was crammed.
Alas, alack I’m very sad to say,
Craghead is not the place it was,
some say “it’s had it’s day,
but I for one will not forget
Craghead in it’s heyday.
79
80

Craghead Past And Present - Craghead Community Website

Transcription

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