Ushaw Moor Memories

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.

During WW2 my grandmother Jane Chicken [nee Mahan, nee Hansom] and her second husband Benny chicken lived in station road Ushaw Moor, I have been told that sometime during the war they were "sent to the Coventry area" to work in the munitions  factory, would you be aware of any local records being kept regarding this, I assume that they were not on there own in this move.

REGARDS

LOU MAHAN

Whilst talking to family members at ernies wake , our elsie (ellis) 
remembers looking after The Nelson' kids.This photo was 
taken at Victoria Court in ushaw moor.

We are led to believe there are still plenty of the Nelsons 

about so maybe someone can put names to faces.

Managed to add a lot more names to family tree , found out

ida hope was one of 13. 

Once i get a pdf doc sorted; i'll make available to those who may want more
info.

Also hoping to get up to ushaw and esh in September

Matt

Here ia a photograph of William and Tom Dickinson, taken during the First world war. My grandfather William was profoundly deaf and so spent the war in the pioneer corps attached to the DLI and spent most of the war collecting dead bodies for burial. He survived the war, but it affected him throughout his life and he would never discuss his experiences with anyone.

Submitted by Michael Dickinson 

I am trying to find out about my family history and I was given a photo of my grandfather taken around 1920-25. It was taken at Simpsons in Berwick upon Tweed. The names of the other lads in the photo are "Parker" "Aiden Grimwood" and "Simpson". Does anyone know who these people were?

Thanks Michael Dickinson

Click For LARGER IMAGE 

Hi saw your blog on ushaw moor.

Ernest Hope Ellis (10 Oct 1939 - 27 Jun 2007 )

my father law Ernie recently passed away , and worked in the mine till it

closed in 1960,

and eventually followed the mine work to Calverton in Nottingham.

i saw the name HOPE mentioned by several families.

so i'am assuming Ernie is a relative to someone.

Ernies parents were George Henry Ellis and Ida Hope( born 17 May 1916).

Ernie has two brothers Bill and Ronald Ellis , and a sister Elsie.

If anyone can help me fill in some more blanks , it would very interesting

Thanks

Matt

ALLAN DUNN

Allan Dunn was born in July 1945 and attended Ushaw Moor County School before going to the new Ushaw Moor Secondary Modern School in early April 1959. I remember his friendship, as well as his sporting pursuits, but the reason for his nickname ‘Jocker’ is unclear to me. I am almost sure that he had a brother called Douglas.

Allan played at left back in the     Modern School team and although his positioning was a little faulty at times –his calm temperament was [sometimes!] an asset when our defence was under pressure. He always attempted to play to the rules of football, which contrasts with the professional game. Professional defenders often tug shirts to hold players back and to be honest they look rather pathetic when they do that. Allan also played cricket and I recall that one day our schoolmaster Harry Barlow invited both of us to open the innings for Brancepeth Cricket Club, even though we were both only 14 or15 years old at the time!

When Allan left school he went to work for an employer in Durham City, together with Alan Burns. Sometime later he bought their employer out - although I am not sure whether that made him managing director or an entrepreneur.