Holidays

[Maggie/915]

The folks bought a Morris Minor convertible and suddenly day trips were organised.

The Sunday run. Let's go out for a run had a different meaning then!

Holidays usually meant my Dad went to work on the farm.

On two occasions we went away, once to Bassentwaite for three days in a caravan.

The other was to stay with a cousin of my Dads in Scotland.

I cannot remember feeling that I missed out in any way.

[tonyg]

Love Caravans; got a 40ft static on a Country Park at Berwick. spend a lot of time there.

[Eileen]

No you didnt miss out, I would have loved to have gone anywhere, my dad lost his sight, so couldnt drive, and we didnt have money for going on holiday, but i still have holiday memories, jam sandwitches in the hut, picnics down the woods, long walks, especially the walk to cambois beach and buying sweets from the shop just under the bridge overlooking the beach, and a special treat was going to blyth beach, i can still remember wiating at blyth bus station with my bucket and spade waiting for the bus along to the beach happy days

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

Been looking for photos of when our family and the neighbours of Coquetdale Place took their kids to Cambois.

If they had worked overtime, and been paid, then it was the No 44, else we walked. Was at Cambois yesterday, passed the bridge that led through to the shop where you could hire tents and deck chairs. Didn't drive through the bridge but I am told the shop building, now just a private dwelling, is still there. We went down to the other end, next to Charltons, (was Buccaneer). Wilf went on the exercise machines along the 'trim-trail'.

Below = 3 family's from Coquetdale :-

Edited July 18, 2013 by Eggy1948

[Maggie/915]

My Dad loved the beach at Cambois.

The summer of 56 or 58 was hot and it was Druridge Bay for swimming on his Norton Motorbike.

My mates and I once cycled there but the effort was too much and then it was to easy to go to Humford.

[Symptoms]

In 1953 my Dad bought a pre-WW2 Armstrong Siddley 15HP car from his childhood friend Stan Burke for £5; Stan had a breakers yard at Shiremoor. The car looked like a gangsters' car from one of those old American movies ... spare wheel strapped to the side, running-boards, etc. This old beast ran well for maybe another 3 years until the engine block split going up the A1 bank north out of Morpeth. We had our first family holiday with this vehicle ... a rented caravan at Beadnell; I have clear memories of watching sand lizards on the dunes.

When the Armstrong Siddley died my Dad then got a Vincent Black Shadow (1000cc) motorcycle & sidecar combination on/in which we went down to Brighton. The following year we went to Devon and Cornwall with it ... we went camping. I've got a photo of us at Weston-Super-Mare aerodrome about to get into a plane for a flight over the town and beach. This was all in the pre-motorway days ... memories of going through all those old towns on the old A1, now by-passed. It was the height of the Cold War in the late 50s and I have a very clear memory of going past RAF Wittering (right next to the A1 in Lincolnshire) and seeing dozens of big rockets ready on their launchers .. I suppose they must have been anti-aircraft missiles waiting for Ivan to fly over to nuke us.

Edited July 21, 2013 by Symptoms

[keith lockey]

_{Us Lockeys and our neighbours the Wooletts used to go up to Cullercoats and the beach, to us kids, was massive. Now when me and Maria go up there I cannot believe how small it is. My memories of Cullercoats always bring back egg and tomato sandwiches and blue, plastic cups from a picnic hamper.}

_{PS, having some problems with the font and size on this one - even though I've changed it!!}

Edited July 21, 2013 by keith lockey

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

_{Us Lockeys and our neighbours the Wooletts used to go up to Cullercoats and the beach, to us kids, was massive. Now when me and Maria go up there I cannot believe how small it is. My memories of Cullercoats always bring back egg and tomato sandwiches and blue, plastic cups from a picnic hamper.}

_{PS, having some problems with the font and size on this one - even though I've changed it!!}

They were busy with the sea font when I drove through, heading North, a couple of weeks ago. Was going to pop into the Queens Head for a very cheap (pensioners portions) dinner + pud but the work on the font diverted me left and bypassed the pub. The wife thinks it has changed hands in the last couple of weeks - the Italian signs for the evening Mediterranean meals have been taken down, - so the cheap pensioners meals might also be off. Back to the Kings Head at Seaton Sluice for two even cheaper pensioners meals.

[keith lockey]

They were busy with the sea font when I drove through, heading North, a couple of weeks ago. Was going to pop into the Queens Head for a very cheap (pensioners portions) dinner + pud but the work on the font diverted me left and bypassed the pub. The wife thinks it has changed hands in the last couple of weeks - the Italian signs for the evening Mediterranean meals have been taken down, - so the cheap pensioners meals might also be off. Back to the Kings Head at Seaton Sluice for two even cheaper pensioners meals.

Yeah, we got diverted the last time we went up. If you are up that way try the chip shop in Tynemouth, they do pensioner specials. The King's is nice, we were there last year. Have you tried Castaways just up the road from the King's?

[tonyg]

ive tried the lot my son Lives in Seaton Sluice

[Maggie/915]

In the mId sixties I travelled with three mates down to Manston airport in Kent.

We then flew across the channel and the package deal was a bus to Spain!

Seems unbelievable now.

I remember queuing to get over a small bridge at Ferrybridge.

What fun going through all the towns on the A1, and of course helped along by the RAC route master, specially printed out for us.

The food did not go down to well. and dreams of homemade steak and kidney pie followed by rice pudding made me homesick.

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

Yeah, we got diverted the last time we went up. If you are up that way try the chip shop in Tynemouth, they do pensioner specials. The King's is nice, we were there last year. Have you tried Castaways just up the road from the King's?

We have - all vegetables grown in Seaton Sluice allotments - think that's what the sign said - definitely locally grown and looks like the new management at The Waterford are sourcing their food locally as well.

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

ive tried the lot my son Lives in Seaton Sluice

Does he supply the pubs and cafe with his home gown vegetables? Even The Melton Constable are advertising now. Can you pick your own grapes from the vine inside The Melton Constable conservatory?

[Malcolm Robinson]

Moggy pick-up/Austin Cambridge.

Saudi del Shields.

Sand in the chips.

Amusements 10 minutes before we left.

Fishing off the pier while the folks visited family.

Asleep in the car on the way home.

Happy days.

[Maggie/915]

Morris Minor convertible

Austin something or other, had belonged to Dr Mulligan who lived at the village.

Black Austin A40.

Life in a landscape via our old cars or our parents old cars

[Maggie/915]

The pathway up to the village needs to be cut back to expose the old path.

It is overgrown and only copes with people in single file.

The cars go past so fast and there could easily be an accident.

[Symptoms]

Navigation much beyond Bedders relied on the AA gazetteer (the yellow handbook) ... I don't know if they still do these??? The white gauntletted saluting AA patrolmen on their motorbike/sidecar combos, the big yellow AA phoneboxes, the AA phonebox key. The gazetteer had a ton of stuff in it; my favouite was the list of numberplate registration districts as one of the games we played whist on the journey was to see where various cars came from, for example, YNL 919 was registered in the Toon as was NTY 756 (NL for N/cle & TY for Tyne). By the way both those numbers belonged to various vehicles my Dad had over the years and I still remember ALL the reg nos. These car spotting games were easy to play because there was so little traffic on the roads back then. Town info could be sought in the gazeteer for all those little places that you had to pass through, early closing days, locations for filling stations, distance planning, hotel stuff, camping sites, etc. The book was the only source for this info ... no web searches or phone helplines back then.

Other favourite places we went camping for weekends in Northumberland was up Ingram Valley and beyond Alwinton. The waterfalls and deep pools in the river at Alwinton were great places to swim and slide ... but cold!!!

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

Morris Minor convertible

Austin something or other, had belonged to Dr Mulligan who lived at the village.

Black Austin A40.

Life in a landscape via our old cars or our parents old cars

Car!!!! Me dad had an extra saddle fitted to his crossbar on his bike so at least one of us would get a lift to the Free woods. Still no additional pictures of the bandstand have emerged from old collections. We used to try and build a dam up so the water would be deeper and you could dive in from the rock shelf on the Hapenny side. Nearly as good as a walk to Cambois beach.

[John Fox (foxy)]

Thrupence to get in, Thrupence for a packet of crisps on the way out, every day for the seven weeks of school Hols, takes some beating!!

[Symptoms]

Right again Foxy. A brilliant place.

[Maggie/915]

I have found to old RAC itinerary s from Bedlington to the South Coast.

Also a 1959 guide to lighting up times and mileage indicator.

Maybe we could ask the AA or others if they still do anything like this!

[Maggie/915]

Seaton Sluice and The Kings Arms, does anyone know why there are submarine pictures in the loos.

The Scampi and chips may be a rave from the sixties but it is good.

Anyone remember chicken in a basket.

Has anyone seem Al Murray do his spin on chicken in a basket

And that is not to mention a glass of white wine for the lady or a fruit based drink and a pint for the man.

My gaff and my rules!

His words not mine before anyone gets shirty.

[Maggie/915]

Bottles in the Kings Arms at Seaton Sluice

[tonyg]

The Muters vinegar bottles must be old as i worked there from 1959 and we did not use that shape then.

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

Maggie - are you having a fortnights holiday in Seaton Sluice? Has the Kings Head barman not asked you what you are doing with your camera? Have you got any pictures of the submarines in the ladies loos?

I do not know what the connection with the Royal Navy is, if there is one, but I do remember seeing a display cabinet with the hat bands bearing the ships names on. Perhaps some of the names in this display cabinet match those vessels in the loos:-