Storey's Buildings Choppington

[johndawsonjune1955]

Hi all!

On the subject of Storey's Buildings,i'm afraid you are wrong,Mr Dawson....no disrepect intended!

The street ran down the bank,and ended at the Willow bridge,where the the old "Barn'ton burn" flows beneath..this street was on the right side of the road as you head for Ashington.

The street was demolished in the late 60's to create the new junction that takes you along Barrington road.

The top of Storeys buildings was dominated by the pub called "The Railway Tavern",which,in the early 60's,was run by my best mate's brother,Bob Walker.

A good old pit Marra of mine,who Mr Dawson will know,with the initals A.Dix.,lived in the street until the Council served a compulsory purchase order upon him,,to allow the demolishon.

Going down the street,there was a shop that sold sweets among other things,a Chapel witha walled rear garden,outside netties across a clarty back street.

There were no trees in the fields to the left originally,and you could see right up the burn,to the Black railway bridge.

The pit ponies used to be kept in the fields to the rear of the street,on the right side,going down the bank.

Now,

IThe pub was supose to have the biggest collection of lamps anywhere at one time. The mand name was John Wade i belive and about 6 feet 6 or taller i was told.

[John Fox (foxy)]

.

The top of Storeys buildings was dominated by the pub called "The Railway Tavern",which,in the early 60's,was run by my best mate's brother,Bob Walker.

,

The Tavern

Edited January 14, 2013 by foxy

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Hi Lone Ranger!

No,Storey's buildings ran down the right side of the road from the railway crossings known as Choppington Station.

Hi Foxy!...That is a blast from the past,and thank you very much for posting this fine pic!!..this pub was at the top of

the Storey's street,which is now the entrance to Barrington road.

Tait's shop is a quarter mile further on,over the Willow Bridge,and in the centre of Scotland Gate.

I lived in number three Storey's Buildings,from almost born..[i was born in Guide Post..],1944,till my parents moved in 1948,to the new "Cooncil Hooses" at Hollymount Square.....a few doors along from my very good old friend and schoolmate,

Doreen Dagless,whom i haven't seen for nearly fifty years!

Now who do i come into contact with via this wonderful forum?......Vic!!...

Hope this clears up the question about Storey's Buildings!!

Hi Vic,if you are in there,tell Doreen that Billy Allison is asking after her and Maureen!

[Vic Patterson]

H.P.W. tell Billy! Dot says Hi and I'll see Maureen later this afternoon on my daily trek.

[johndawsonjune1955]

Hi Highpit Wilma.

Don't worry about things. Malcolm will surely get it all put right for you, and us too, as you are letting us know imporstant info. I had probs for a short while too, and Malcolm got to it in the end to correct it.

As i said don't worry, its us too that are missing out on your life long expreiences, and we don't want too.

Its all important to us. I know of a family who lived in the street opposite, There name was Metcalf, Jimmy and others in the family. Will post a pic, if i am on the right family here. You may well know them. ?

Towards the main road from Hollymopunt Square, about 2 years ago, they did a dig to see if there were any artefacts from long ago. Sadly i never got any results back.

Got a couple of nice pics i must hunt out from my persinal collection for you.

Yes, you are right too what you say of Taits shop. Fond memories of that family. David is a lovely man and he ran the ice cream van until he retired. I don't know where he lives now, but hopefully bump into him again.

I got the history of the shop and rear premises off him and will find it for you too.

David is very interested in local history too. He has been a big miss after he retired. His father John was a big help to the church too.

He died at maybe in his 50's. He also had the horse and cart to sell his ice cream, and lovely it was too.

I now remember when they pulled the pub down for the new Barrington Road entrance. Was that the 1970s ? God, i don't know where time has gone, it seems to have flown by.

Anyway, Don't you get upset if things go wrong on here. Malcolm will surely sort it.

Maybe to it is, tryt typing your story in Word or Wordpad and saving it. Then paste it in. Any probs you will then have saved it.

Keep your good work up as it is so important to us all.

Your a diamond

Edited January 16, 2013 by johndawsonjune1955

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Eh Vic!HPW IS Billy!Aav had that daft but now affectionate nickname for over 50 years noo,so aam keeping it cos its unique!

Last time a saw Dot and Yasell' was at the shows on the Doctor pit field at the Whit weekend in aboot 1964-5,when we were both courting couples.....lotta waata went under the bridge since then eh?!!

Are you still over the water? i heard that Maureen was back,i missed seeing Dot and you last time you came over,i was really gutted.

I usually ask aboot ye's and Maureen when a get me haircut,by Alan or John at Bedlington.

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

John,thanks alot for your reassurance! A sure was frustrated t'otha neet,a sat for more than a hour and ahalf,cos aam a one-finger typer,a told a lot about people and places,and lost it,but aal get there slowly.A am not familiar aboot this wordpad thing,so aal ask me son,he'll keep me reet...a aalwis say,if ye cud cut coal wi a coalcutter....ye cud dae owt heh heh !!

A realise noo that aav met ye John,alang West Terrace,aa had the big aad green garage wat was arsoned six years ago. The week a came oot o hospital after recovering from a heart attack.

This a mighty gud site John!

[johndawsonjune1955]

That must be John and Alan Wailes.

They lived down West Avenue , Guide Post as kids. They had a sister, Ann.

Cracking family. Good chat and very friendly they are.

[johndawsonjune1955]

John,thanks alot for your reassurance! A sure was frustrated t'otha neet,a sat for more than a hour and ahalf,cos aam a one-finger typer,a told a lot about people and places,and lost it,but aal get there slowly.A am not familiar aboot this wordpad thing,so aal ask me son,he'll keep me reet...a aalwis say,if ye cud cut coal wi a coalcutter....ye cud dae owt heh heh !!

A realise noo that aav met ye John,alang West Terrace,aa had the big aad green garage wat was arsoned six years ago. The week a came oot o hospital after recovering from a heart attack.

This a mighty gud site John!

Yes your indeed right. This is also a cracking site.

But just go to your computer and go to wordpad. Type your story, but save it as you write it, or you may loose it if your computer crashes or whatever. Its easy to use, and give your story a title too when you save it.

Made mistakes myself in the past, and hopefully you won't either in the future as if you keep saving your stories you can also look back on them in the future. But, don't forget to save them to a memory stick or cd and put them away too.

I will upload some good High Pit pics of families you may know, and some in their pit-gear. There arew the Candlish family, Ted, and more. Just great to look back on, and welll before showers were introduced as they are still dirty in some pics.

Can you remember me dad, John Dawson, Tucker, Bart ?

They all worked at the High Pit and good friends of Ted Candlish and others. John Taylor ? Bill Nicholson "Buck and Stalky" their nicknames ? and as i said many more.

But don't forget, save your work and don't get upset, we all want to read your stories. I think its great. Get them back up when you do them.

Take care Wilma

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Heh Heh! Thanks John,things seem to have settled doon,aam deaing aalreet noo!

By hell,ye brought me sum gud aad memories there noo,Ted Candlish,a used to trail aal the gearboxes,motors,coalcutter parts,conveyor belt installation,everything heavy,wi me powny.

Me and me marra used ti work wi Ted,and he's marra Geordie Carr,building up the conveyor drive-heads,etc

as weel as aal the other fitter and electricians,like Eddie Hagerty,["Uncle Ed..!!]

Smashing blokes ti work with,aal the Nicholsons filled coal in stretches next to each other,they took the whole face up between them!Raffi Nicholson,was [still is!]a big lad,he was timber-leading before filling coal.

So did the Dryer family,aal luvly blokes,especially young Dor,who,even though he was a few years older than me,was still more like my age than the old-timers.We got on really great,but then,i got on well with most every man at the pit,considering i was a kid growing up fast,among older men.

I knew every man at the pit,when the workforce was only about 300.Bart,John,Harry [Harper],Stewpot,Big Toss,[although some were at other pits where i worked.]

My Father worked with Toss and Bart,and Old Salt,Les,["Fingers"],and all the rest,cos He started High pit in 1929

aged 14 years old.

[johndawsonjune1955]

Heh Heh! Thanks John,things seem to have settled doon,aam deaing aalreet noo!

By hell,ye brought me sum gud aad memories there noo,Ted Candlish,a used to trail aal the gearboxes,motors,coalcutter parts,conveyor belt installation,everything heavy,wi me powny.

Me and me marra used ti work wi Ted,and he's marra Geordie Carr,building up the conveyor drive-heads,etc

as weel as aal the other fitter and electricians,like Eddie Hagerty,["Uncle Ed..!!]

Smashing blokes ti work with,aal the Nicholsons filled coal in stretches next to each other,they took the whole face up between them!Raffi Nicholson,was [still is!]a big lad,he was timber-leading before filling coal.

So did the Dryer family,aal luvly blokes,especially young Dor,who,even though he was a few years older than me,was still more like my age than the old-timers.We got on really great,but then,i got on well with most every man at the pit,considering i was a kid growing up fast,among older men.

I knew every man at the pit,when the workforce was only about 300.Bart,John,Harry [Harper],Stewpot,Big Toss,[although some were at other pits where i worked.]

My Father worked with Toss and Bart,and Old Salt,Les,["Fingers"],and all the rest,cos He started High pit in 1929

aged 14 years old.

Sory missed your last post WPW.

Ye there was Dor, he played the harmonica too, is i right, ? i remember him playing it at new years at the house.

Did i tell the story about my uncle Tucker and the pit manager ?

It was over how Tucker walked into his office as he was short changed on his pay.

He just opened the door and said to the manager "I am short on my check" and still in his pit clothes.

The manager said "Tom, thats no way to come and talk to me about your pay being short, i will show you how to do it right. You be me and i will be you, sit down at my desk and i will go outside"

The manager knocked at the door, and by this time many miners were wondering what was going on.

Tucker said "Come in"

The manager gos in and Tucker has his feet, with pit boots on, on the managers desk. and he says to Tucker "Excuse me, i have been paid short. Can you sort it out please"

Tucker turned around and said "Get out, your getting nowt more"

And the manager just couldnt believe it and the miners who were watching were in hysterics.

[Richard Pyle]

Queens Head and The Anvil

Hi StuR and Johndawsonjune1955.

About the debate on the location of the Queens Head and The Anvil in Guide Post. Your photomontage was very impressive and convincing StuR but if you look closely, they don't line up exactly. Look at the stonework around the windows. These are different in the old building to the new building and these are features that there would be no reason to change, even if the windows were replaced. Finally and more conclusively here is a copy of the ordnance survey map of 1962. The Queens Head is shown where the roundabout is now and the current Queens Head is shown as PH (Public House) presumably as Johndawsonjune1955 says The Anvil. It looks like when the old Queens Head was knocked down, the old Anvil pub took its name and that Johndawsonjune1955 is correct.

I am researching this as part of an iPhone guide to the local history of Choppington, Scotland Gate and Guide Post I am bringing out in about four weeks time. If any of you are interested, you can get more information on this and other guides in the area on https://www.facebook...447428548681186

Edited June 11, 2013 by Richard Pyle

[johndawsonjune1955]

The Queens Head was originally on the roound-a-bout today. The Anvil Inn is the Queens Head today.

The Anvil had stood empty for a long time, and with the new scheme of clearing the old houses and putting in the round-a-bout, it was decided to rename the Anvil, The Queens Head.

Now, the reason for the name change was straight forward as, Mr Shiel who was the licensee of the old Queens Head, had Ned and Nora Beal working the pub for him. He decided to let Ned take over the license

and they renamed the Anvil accordingly.

Nora Beal was a nurse when in the old Queens Head and helped her husband part time. She gave up nursing to assist her husband when he became the licensee for the new Queens Head.

I knew Nora and Ned very well, and went to scholl with their son, who was a year older than me, maybe a little more ?

Nora gave me lots of pics of the old Queens Head and lots of the one today on the opening of it.

They had a performing terrier too in the old Queens Head.

Nora also let me copy lots of pics of the publicans at their special nights out and visits to coal mines in the area. All the pics of the publicans are from around Wansback as we know it today.

Ned died first and Nora followed a good few years later after a long illness.

She moved out the pub and on to Ashington Drive at Guide Post in a two bedroom house.

She still got many visits by her loyal barstaff until she died.

I visited her many times and she told me so much history regarding the Old Queens Head and the Anvil Inn.

In the Queens Head that is where it is today, Ned was a big fan of Newcastle United, and if the Toon won in midweek he filled the bar.

Mind you there was never many in during the week tho.

When i first started drinking in 1971 i could get 10 pints of IPA for a pound. Never could drink that ammount tho. If i went to Guide Post Club i could get 11 pints of ordinary beer.

What a diff it is nowadays.

Hope this helps you

[johndawsonjune1955]

When it comes to the history of Guide Post and Choppington Richard, i have researched it sinse i was 14 years old.

The coal mines, buildings, murders, world war, people, and more. It has a fantastic history.

Look forward to what you have done too and see how much you have put together.

i bet you dont know how old the Shakespear pub is tho ?

It was an old coaching inn. the coaches went to the rear of the building.

I have tried and tried to find out how old that pub is Richard and come up with no positive date.

There was also the Highlander, it was a very old pub too, and that is where Guide Post Club was after the Highlander closed

It was situated across from where the Club is today.

Just along from Walter Wilsons shop.

My dad delivered groceries as a kid for Walter Wilson on a pushbike with basket on the front.

[mickypotts]

Does anyone recall an Ed Brady from Choppington who had a bus fitted out as a grocery store and would drive down all the streets in the area???

[johndawsonjune1955]

Does anyone recall an Ed Brady from Choppington who had a bus fitted out as a grocery store and would drive down all the streets in the area???

Ye Micky i do. That was some years ago

There was Ronny Rogers too and can you remember Walter Gibson ? he sold clothes etc. He eventually opened the laundarette

Ronny Rogers was the last traveller mobile tho

[johndawsonjune1955]

Ronny do you remember my uncle Bob Dawson and Sid Slaughter ? They had the mobile fish and chip van from Scotland Gate

[mickypotts]

Ed Brady was from Sheepwash not Choppington

[johndawsonjune1955]

Didn't know where he lived, but knew Brady's van

Do you remember the others i mention ?

[Maggie/915]

The travelling shop was great.

[johndawsonjune1955]

I remember a lot of things on travellers./

We had the coloured guy selling from his suitcase too at the doorstep.

I remember Mr Whippey ice cream van and getting a badge of him too. It was light blue and had Mr Whippey on it.

My first badge that was and free.

Now another thing i got and it cost just pennies was frpm Stephensons Morpeth Road garage.

It was the tigers tail for my push bike. Now that was something special "Put a tiger in your tank" was the motto, i believe

We had many different pop wagons coming around the door too. Can't think of all the names of them at the moment. "Must getting old"

The crisps we got from the travelling shop and shops were brilliant. Tudor "I'd climb a mountain for a bag of Tudor" Chipmunk crisps too. Now they were lovely

We had many different things to what there is today. I even remember getting my first packet of Juicy Fruit chewing gum, made by Wrigleys. Sadly never really enjoyed that flavour.

The first time i got WAgon Wheels chocolat was from school. Don't know if you can still get them these days. We got them from the school tuck shop at Guide Post Secondary Modern. Now demolished.

Oh, Happy Days they were

[John Fox (foxy)]

How about Spangles?

[Richard Pyle]

Thanks for the information John.

The app should be out in about a month's time. I won't be able to compete with you 'though, I only had four weeks to do my research for Choppington, not forty-four years!

I only have one app out at the moment and that is for Cambois. You can get it on,

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/cambois-village-guide/id649961567?mt=8

Newbiggin, Lynemouth, Ellington & Linton, North Seaton and Cresswell are all out in the next few days hopefully.

I'm looking forward to you correcting any errors I might have included.

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Hi Richard,gud luk wi ya projects,and dinna wurry aboot owt that might be oot o' place , so ti speak,cos we aal hae lapses,where we're sure we are reet,but we find oot wa wrang!

Nae harm done,and John  and the others will not criticise derogatorily,[spelt reet?...big word!],only for the purpose of correctness....and there's nae bugga worse than me,when it comes ti pitwark,for liking things exactly reet.!!We help each other oot,aakay?!

Wagon wheels still on sale,but only a fraction of the original size!....but dearer!

Can anybody mind the first chewing gum machines?

A remember the first one in Bedlington,ootside Hunter's shop,at the top of Bedlington bank,next door ti the old Wheatsheaf pub....there's a blast from the past!....it was put on the ootside wall,and every fourth penny you put in,you got two packets.....so naturally,people like my scheming older Brother,

would encourage the more gullible kids ti put pennies in,[ old pennies mind!]....and then he would jump in on the fourth turn,to get the two packets,with one penny......well...he was only aboot 11 years old...mebbe a bit more,but it was aroond 1952-ish...them post-war austerity years,when the only money we got was at blackberry-picking -and selling -time!![no such thing as pocket-money in wor hoose in them days...hard-up times!]

[Galen]

I have been researching my family tree for several years now. My maternal grandmothers side of the family are the "Rutters".

 

StuR posted a picture of the Queens Head as it was back in the day. William Rutter is the publican with his name above the door. He was my 3x great grand uncle. The 1891 census has his occupation listed as Inn Keeper, Guidepost.

 

Many of the Rutters of later generations had either occupations as coal miners or as publicans. George William Rutter (my Great great Grandfather) was the Social Club Manager (circa 1907) of "The German House" as it was known, and his son Edward Rutter (known as Ned), was a Club Steward in 1911. In 1925 Ned was the Publican at the Dun Cow in Bedlington and then between 1929 and 1938 is listed in Kelly's Trade Directory as Publican at the Railway Hotel, Choppington.

 

Can anyone confirm were Rutters Buildings named after the Rutter family, and if so why - had they financed them?