Sights Sounds and Feelings
I have been reading a tremendous book recently: ‘London The Biography’ by Peter Ackroyd and it is so well written. The author makes me feel that I am actually witnessing each piece of London's history that he is writing about. Although I have neither the time nor the ability to emulate him it has inspired me to try and give some texture to Ushaw Moor’s past, rather than my often somewhat detached account of this and that.
Instead of MP3’s, ubiquitous L plated bikes, laptops, mobile telephones and people crossing the road without due care and attention [whilst listening to Coldplay and I own up to that one] we had:
-The clinking of coal wagons and the noise of the steam trains on the mainline - as well as the colliery steam driven tanky engines.
-Scores of tired and hungry men, with dirty faces, briskly walking home during a winter evening after their shift – passing Jack Wilson’s [the under manager] porch, with its lit miner’s lamp [if he was at home].
-A wash for the miner in a tin bath; afterwards he would have a substantial meal to replenish his tremendous loss of energy. He might even have followed that with steamed Spotted Dick, which really was the food of the gods, and not to be mistaken for the inferior product of the same name that is currently available in all ‘good shops’. Of course many hours earlier he would have probably had jam sandwiches at work ‘bait time’ – the jam would have lubricated his dusty throat.
-Vicar Welby who was frequently to be seen walking around the villages of New Brancepeth and Ushaw Moor dispensing his advice and kindness wherever it was needed.
-The noise of the pit hooters at the local pits that signified the starting and finishing of work shifts.
-The joy of painting Easter eggs as well as the anticipation of receiving and consuming chocolate ones. Perhaps little has changed there then.
-The joy of looking up at the bright and twinkling stars in the unimaginably large Universe [without realizing the privilege of being able to do that because of being located outside of the big cities].
-That Christmas tree in a New Brancepeth home –taken from Coal Board property? Never. That tree, when dressed with multi coloured lights and tinsel, could fascinate and entrance young children.
-Children’s excitement as Christmas approached. The vehicle of transport to indescribable joy – was the pit stocking that was full of all sorts of magic and wonder, depending upon how deep the miner’s pocket was [sorry I meant the pocket of Santa Claus].
-Mr Fawcett and later Mr Gibbon with last minute comments to teaching staff before the start of the school day. No pocket calculators to help us get 93% or even 100% in the mathematics paper! Well done Edith Smith etc. I enjoyed getting that one over modern youth [grumpy old man so don’t worry – cool].
-Rain or deep snow which was used as a talking point when our parents were in the Co-op claiming the ‘divi’ or belatedly buying Wellington boots.
-The 43, 44 and 47 – which were usually on time and full of cheerful bus banter on a Saturday day night out to the Durham Palladium. Perhaps the passengers were anticipating ‘From Here to Eternity’ or ‘The Robe’. Did those that drove their cars to the cinema have enough money to pay the parking fines? In the case of couples did they all bring crisps or sweets back home to give their children or younger siblings?
I dedicate this modest article to the memory of my old college chum Brenda. I have recently been given to understand that she left this planet in the middle 90s at the age of 47 and if that is the case I am very saddened. She was just beginning her adulthood when I had the privilege of knowing her. Brenda occasionally sought my help with her feudal history essays. I remember that she frequently wore black ribbons to tie the back of her hair.
Article written by Wilf Bell. 2007-07-18 08:46:20
