Ushaw Moor Memories

‘Coach Tour’ sounds a bit more interesting that a timeline don’t you think? I hope that some of the names dropped are of interest to both family history enthusiasts and residents in general.

Here we go:

1905 George Bertram Joslin of Ushaw Moor died on 13/01/1905. He had served as a porter at Durham Railway Station for many years.

1921 Ushaw Moor Colliery employed about 870 workers at this time.

1932 Several local men attended the funeral of Mr William Browell Charlton, a distinguished chairman of the Durham Mining Board. The local men were:

W Shellett,  A Tindale and F Pattison [all three from New Brancepeth and representing the Colliery Enginemen’s Association], G Hume from New Brancepeth [representing the Durham Winding Enginemen’s Association], Mr J Shield [Ushaw Moor] and Mr J H Paul of Bearpark. I wonder whether Mr Shield was a member of the family that was living at 26 Front Street, Browney in 1901.

1950 Ushaw Moor Colliery employed about 340 workers at any given time during this year whereas at New Brancepeth Colliery the figure was about 470 [under the managership of Mr G Watson].

1952 Wilf Bell did not win the New Brancepeth Primary School 50 yard dash. He was winning but stopped at what he thought was the finishing line [it wasn’t]. Who won it then?

1955 A local MP brought to Parliament’s attention the need for a post box to be sited on the new housing estate at Bearpark.

1957 Many elderly residents of Ushaw Moor are already familiar with the name Jack Joyce – one gentleman of that name had his portrait on the Ushaw Moor banner and another was a local historian living in Whitehouse Lane, albeit I believe with the surname Joice. Now we have another Joyce: Mr Anthony Joyce, of Wardley. He moved from Ushaw Moor in 1911 and went on to give excellent service as secretary and treasurer of the Follonsby Miners’ Lodge.   Like Jack Joyce of Ushaw Moor he had the privilege of having his portrait painted on a colliery banner.

1958 A local MP informed Parliament that the parents of pupils taking the Northern Counties School Certificate had to pay exam administration fees whereas the parents of pupils taking GCE did not.

1973 An Ushaw Moor lad, John George March, scored 64 for Durham County against Northumberland.

1974 Cllr. L Dodds was appointed chairman of Brandon and Byshottles Council – the following year Cllr. J H Turner held the same position. Both were local to Ushaw Moor.

1991 Colin Albone [born in Ushaw Moor in 1954] shared in a partnership of 291 with Dennison Thomas to assist South Moor to compile 357 for 4 wickets against Seaton Burn in the Tyneside Senior League. It can be said that Colin was very much the one that got away as far as Ushaw Moor are concerned.

2006 Shaun Ellis of New Brancepeth Primary School won a prize in a schools’ painting competition.

2008 Capitalism is tottering but you can still buy a pint and fish and chips in Ushaw Moor.