Your local interest & advertising magazine | April 2020 online special Tow Law, Sunniside, Stanley Crook, Billy Row, Crook, Willington, Wolsingham & surrounding areas
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Inside this Month: Some of our favourite old photos and articles from past editions
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Unfortunately due to the Covid-19 crisis going on around the world there will be no printed edition of Out & About Magazine this month. We hope to be back up and running in with the May edition. This month’s online edition is packed with some of our favourite articles and old photographs from past editions.
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Welcome to the April online edition of Out & About Magazine, your friendly local interest & advertising magazine.
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CORONAVIRUS STAY AT HOME SAVE LIVES Anyone can spread Coronavirus. The only reasons to leave home are: To shop for basic necessities or pick up medicine To travel to work when you absolutely cannot work from home To exercise once a day, alone or with members of your household Do not meet others, even friends or family
The Welfare Story by Ritchie Coatsworth
Whenever I drive past the welfare at Stanley I’m always filled with a hint of sadness, as for me this will always be somewhere that fantastic memories were made. The welfare football pitch is long forgotten and overgrown with weeds, and foot high grass now covers the once busy football pitch that children of all ages from all over Stanley would gather to play on during the long Summer nights. Many a Sunday league career was started on that pitch. I’m pretty sure that newer residents of Stanley don’t even realise what used to be there.
today. The welfare as it stands
We would spend hours down the welfare playing teams, penalties, knock-out, volleys, crossing etc… anything that involved a ball. We’d often play over there until it was too dark to be able to see properly or at least that was the excuse I would give as another goal sailed past me in the dimming light. Although the welfare football pitch was practically flooded for maybe 6 months of the year I always got a massive buzz playing on that pitch as it always seemed huge compared to a school pitch and I always loved the way that as you hit the ground in the wet you slid across the cold waterlogged grass. The Saturday’s that Billy Row were at home in the Crook & District league were always special as they would put the nets up at around 11am meaning that we 6
would get maybe an hour playing with proper nets. More often than not we would watch Billy Row play there then head over to Stanley United to take in their Vaux Wearside game. At the top of the welfare there was the BMX track, sadly this is also completely overgrown and no longer in use. I remember one warm day in the 1980s when there was a huge BMX tournament or something similar being held there and most of Stanley School went down to watch the day’s proceedings as some pupils were in the competition. At the time to a small boy it seemed that the Olympics had come to town. I can’t remember that large of an event ever running again but it certainly can’t now. Hopefully in the future something could be done with the welfare so that the children of Stanley can enjoy it as much as I did when I was young.
ts during Tyres for goalpos of 1995. the close season waterlogged The welfare in it’s glory in 1995.
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Years gone by...
We want your old pictures!! Send us your old photos of places & people from years gone by and we will publish them. Email them to: ads@outandaboutmagazinenortheast.co.uk
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nley Crook Arthur Terrace, Sta ad in 1964. Ro am gh lsin from Wo
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Spotlight on Shaun Hope. This month we shine the spotlight onto Stanley lad Shaun Hope who is not only a school caretaker by day and DJ by night but is also the Chuckle Brothers biggest fan. Everyone of a certain age remembers the Chuckle Brother’s comedy capers in “Chuckle Vision” which ran in various formats from 1987 - 1998. So Shaun, when did you first become a fan of the Chuckle Brothers and why?
badges, old scripts, t-shirts, pens and rulers. I even own Paul and Barry’s trousers. It’s been valued at £25,000. Oh dear oh dear. I’m still adding to it when I find something new.
I’ve been a fan for nearly 20 years now. It all started when I went with Stanley School and got on stage at the end of the show. They put a custard pie in my face and gave me a few things for getting on stage and the rest is history. You’ve got the biggest collection of Chuckle Brother Memorabilia that I’ve ever seen, what exactly do you have and are you still adding to it? My collection comprises of posters, video tapes, DVDs,
I’ve seen and heard of your Chuckle Brothers collection on various TV shows and newspapers. Can you name a few of the shows you’ve appeared on and what you did on them? I’ve appeared on quite a few TV shows over the years. Me and Sonia were on ITV1’s “The Marriage Ref” with Dermot O’Leary. Sonia wanted me to take the room down but I wanted to leave it up. The panel was Jack Dee, Sarah Millican and singer Will Young. They voted who was in the right or wrong. They voted for me of course. I’ve also been on “Russell Howard’s Good News”. That’s repeated on TV all the time. Also “Have I Got News For You” and “Look North”. “Come
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Dine with Me” wanted me to go on last month but I did not have to time to do a full weeks filming. Coach trip on Channel 4 wanted me and Sonia on it too but I would have to be off work for up to 50 days to film it. Saying that I’m always on the look out for new shows to go on. You can’t beat a bit chuckle on TV. I’ve also appeared in The Sun, The Mirror, The Daily Mail, The Northern Echo and twice in Real People Magazine. I also run the Official Chuckle Brothers Facebook page.
Yes I’m off to Hull at Christmas with my Grandson Harrison. He’s 5 and loves Paul and Barry. He watches them all the time. I bought him series 1, 2 and 3 for Christmas. He met them with me 2 years ago and was over the moon to see them. I normally travel to see them if they are doing night club appearances. They do meet and greets so it’s nice to see them for a few hours. I’ve even took Paul Chuckle home in my car. They’re back on TV on Channel 5 on Saturdays. Doing a “You’ve Been Framed” type show with a bit chuckle humour thrown in for good measure. So looking forward to seeing them again soon. So if anyone has any chuckle memorabilia gathering dust. I’ll have it to add to the Chuckle Museum. Thanks Shaun from me to you. If you’d like to book the biggest Chuckle Brothers fan to do your disco for your party or wedding then you can contact Shaun on 07971 759 588.
Do you still have the famous “Chuckle Room”? Yes I still have the famous room. All of the walls and ceiling are covered. A lot of people like their photo taken in it. I’ve had people from radio shows come and do interviews just to have a photo taken in it. Chris Dakers brought the family down once to see the Chuckle Museum. Lastly are you planning any trips to see the Chuckle Brothers this year? Don’t forget to quote Out & About Magazine when responding to adverts.
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Years gone by...
We want your old pictures!! Send us your old photos of places & people from years gone by and we will publish them. Email them to: ads@outandaboutmagazinenortheast.co.uk
Tow Law St. John’s Ambulance sent in by reader Harold Carr.
Division 1981,
A 1971 bar price list. Make mine a half of Milk Maid Stout!
Durham Big Meeting.
Siddle’s store on Crook market place, sent in by reader Mark Chalder.
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Hickory Dickory Dock! Story by Aaron Cowen
Carlos Borromeo Mazzuchi was born into a Catholic family in 1834 somewhere in Italy. himself, made in 1877 at his workshop in Crook. Carlos has engraved the inside with his signature.
He was the son of Gaspert Mazzuchi, a Farmer. In 1862 he was living in the Newcastle area and married Elizabeth Ann Cole. At that time described as a jeweller.
Carlos also made this Grandfather Clock, which is housed in a local museum.
Between 1868 and 1870, Carlos moved to Crook, where he had a shop at numbers 60 and 61 Hope Street. There, he was a Jeweller and Silversmith, more notably he made watches and clocks. There are a number of examples of his work. Below is a watch which recently sold on Ebay, by the man
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Perhaps his most notable piece of work was one which was most central to Crook. The members of the Co-op in 1875 paid £40 to have a non striking clock installed. Non striking because the members were concerned the vibrations would endanger the building structure. The clock was lit up every night until 10 o’clock and on
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Saturday nights until 11 o’clock. Carlos died on 8th April 1905 leaving £7558 4s. 1d. in his will. The business went to his eldest son Charles Edward Mazzuchi who was born in 1867 in Houghton-le-Spring but died in 1917 leaving £5085. 8s. 8d. It is unlikely that the business continued beyond 1917, however the Mazzuchi family kept a prescence in the town for many more years afterwards. Another watch and clock maker was Alfred Yarrow Talbot who was born in 1838 in Warwick, Warwickshire. Albert ran his business at 21 Hope Street, Crook, (currently Walkers Opticians) since at least 1861 until his death. For many years a Clock made by Talbot hung on the wall above the shop which can be seen on some old photos. He died on 7th September 1918 and left £2309 11s. 7d in his will. Today the modern building on the Royal Corner has a blue faced clock, which I know very little about. The Catholic Church has two clocks once affectionately known as Paddy’s clock on account of the many Irish Catholics in attendance there. This clock was made by Potts and Sons of Leeds in 1898, along with a set of chimes. But I will save that for the next issue of Out and About. Don’t forget to quote Out & About Magazine when responding to adverts.
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Years gone by...
We want your old pictures!! Send us your old photos of places & people from years gone by and we will publish them. Email them to: ads@outandaboutmagazinenortheast.co.uk
Roddymoor The path near Comrie House, West of the Bay showing the remains of Ball Alley ing Cuddy” House Inn also known as the “Kick . or “Cuddy”. Photo by Peter Binks
The path near Comrie House again but this time in 1935 with the taker of the previous photo Peter Binks aged 3 on his first bike.
Royal Corner, Crook taken from the corner of the Market Place.
Out & About reader Dale Myer s recently found these old records in his attic after moving home. Can anyone shed any light on these?
Hope Street, Crook.
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Roddymoor air disaster Story by Aaron Cowen
On the 21st May 1942 at 17:55hrs, a Wellington Bomber came in low over St. Thomas Church, Stanley Crook. Eyewitnesses at Peases West saw the plane fly over Billy Row with smoke trailing behind it with one of its engines ablaze. It gradually lost height as it skimmed over Roddymoor before finally crashing in a ploughed field close to Emma Pit Pond. The pilot, Sergeant David Roberts appeared to have struggled with the plane as it passed over houses in Roddymoor. John Burn of Roddymoor Farm was ploughing in a field next to where it crashed and had been narrowly missed. (Contradictory reports from the Royal Observatory Corp, likely in Sunniside stated that it was flying at around 8000 feet with apparently nothing wrong, and the plane only had smoke trailing. The plane went down suddenly). Other eye witnesses suggest that the pilot had tried to avoid Crook and was attempting to land the plane when its aerial got caught on overhead power cables linked to Roddymoor Pit. This caused the plane to dip down more rapidly and suddenly than the pilot had intended. The port wing first hit the ground and the
fuselage cleaned out the fence before the aircraft finally came to rest, tilted on its starboard side. The farmer ran to the aircraft, where he saw one airman inside and another lying on the ground nearby. As he attempted to pull the airman out from the aircraft, there was an explosion and a fire resulting in bullets exploding all around as people were running towards the aircraft. The landing wheels and the gun turret, still with the gunner inside were thrown about 200 yards by the explosion. All the various services eventually arrived but the aircraft was burnt out, due to its difficult position. An hour later the geodetic construction was still smouldering and there was a strong smell of burning perspex in the air. The army then took over from the Home Guard until the site was cleared. The bodies of the airmen were laid out in the Farmer’s cow byre. Remnants of the crash were ploughed up for years afterwards including machine gun bullets. 13 year old (at the time) Lance Henderson peddled to the scene and never forgot what he saw. He said, “It affected me deeply”, A few years later, I was in the RAF myself”. Attempts to erect a memorial at the crash site failed, but instead the now defunct Wear Valley District Council commissioned a brass plaque that now hangs in the North East Aircraft Museum near the Nissan Factory in Washington. The aircraft
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was a Wellington Bomber Mk 1C DV841 of No. 25 Operations Training Unit, Group 92 at RAF Finningley and was on a day cross country exercise to the Isle of Man. They were returning to Finningley via York. The crew were: Flight Sergeant Rambler David Roberts 407833 of the Royal Australian Air Force. (Pilot) born in on 4th April 1921 in Mitcham, South Australia. He was son of William David and Agnes Lucy Roberts.
Rambler David Roberts
Sergeant Rae Groom 408144, of the Royal Australian Air Force, born on 13th July 1915 in Sulphur Creek, Tasmania, Australia. He was the son of Francis Arthur Groom and Mabel Ockerby. Flight Sergeant Angus “Gus” Frederick Roberts R/74926, of the Royal Canadian Air Force. He was born on 16th March 1919 in South Shields, son of Walter John Roberts and Jessie Anne McIntyre. The family had moved to Vancouver. He had a varied military career as he also served in the Sea Cadets as a Leading Seaman and Petty Officer in British Columbia between 1932 and 1936. He had joined the Air Force in the August 1940. Flight Sergeant Robert Melbourne Boates, R/76229 of the Royal Canadian Air Force an Air Gunner. He was the son of Isaac and Amy A. Boates of Kentville, Nova Scotia. Flight Sergeant William Neil Reeves, of the Royal Canadian Air Force. An Air Observer
born on 18th April 1915 in Winnipeg, Montoba, Canada. He was the son of Alfred Reeves and Ada Neil. He had previously served with the Queens Own Camerons. All of the crew were buried next to each other in the war graves section in West Cemetery, Darlington on 26th May 1942. There was some confusion over pilot Rambler David Roberts name. Frequently written as Ambler. This confusion caused his family to not hear of his death until the day after his funeral had taken place. The Mk IC Bomber was produced between 1940 and 1942 at Blackpool, Weybridge and Chester. 2685 of this type were produced and were one of the most popularly used bombers at the time until the Avro Lancaster took over in 1943. It is not known what caused the crash. However, this seems to have been a particularly new bomber with less than 15 hours run time. The engines had only been installed on 20th April 1942, a month prior to the crash. An investigation was recommended, however I have yet to see if this was carried out. I find it strange however that these men were all pupils, flying a plane that was so new and perhaps not even fully tested. Only 2 Wellington Bombers survive today. One is at the Brooklands Museum and the other is undergoing restoration at RAF Cosford. Neither unfortunately are in good condition.
William Neil Reeves
It is our intention to have a memorial erected in place (hopefully near the crash site) and a crowd-funding page will be set up in due course. More details will be given at a later date.
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Years gone by...
Stanley Crook lad Jonny Charlton looking daper in his dickie bow. Nick y’s Devils relax before there big game with local rivals the Earl Derby.
The once mighty Stanley United AFC pose outside of Stanley Villa with their haul of silverwear.
Billy Row. The Miner’s Arms (AKA Nick y’s), ? Does anyone recognise any faces
We need your old pictures, without them this feature will be no more... Send us your old photos of places & people from years gone by and we will publish them. Email them to: ads@outandaboutmagazinenortheast.co.uk Don’t forget to quote Out & About Magazine when responding to adverts.
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The Toponymy of Crook Story by Aaron Cowen
Toponymy is the study of place names and many suggestions have been given over the years as to the origins of Crook. Some say it was named after a person. Certainly a Walter Croc owned land in nearby Wolsingham. Also a Petri del Croke is mentioned often in the 14th century, although his name translates as Peter of the Croke and therefore lived in a place by that name, rather than the place being named after him. Petri most likely belonged to Crook Hall in Durham. Others say it comes from the shape of a Bishops Crozier with links to the Bishops of Durham. The word “Crook” comes from Old Norse ‘krókr’ or Saxon ‘Cruc’ meaning crooked. The general consensus is that the word derives from a geographical feature rather than a personal name. There are of course other such places in England named Crook. Cumbria and Devon, provide us with the best known. Crook in Devon lies on a series of bends along the River Devon. Crook, Cumbria, again lies on a sharp bend, in a nearby stream. Our Crook was first mentioned in a Will of Sir Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmoreland in 1425. At that time the area was part of the Forest of Brancepeth with Raby and Brancepeth Castle being part of the Neville’s estate. The Will states “Cruyk and one watermill there”.
provide enough power to turn a water wheel and so the water was diverted from the beck along a Mill Race and to an area which was dammed to provide the Mill Pond. Water was then fed to the Water Wheel and back into the beck. The remains of the Mill Race can still be seen adjacent to the Allotments at the top of Arthur Street and strangely enough, was diverted from the beck on a very sharp bend. Could this be the bend in the river? I believe so and certainly the bend is a prominent enough feature when you look at it close up.
In 1498 Ralph Neville 3rd Earl of Westmoreland died and again left a Will in which it states “A tenement called Croke (a watermill in Brancepeth)”. So it would appear that Crook began as a Water Mill. An 1839 Tithe Map reveals the location of the Water Mill which was in fact a Corn Mill with a Mill Race and a Mill Pond. The beck does not 26
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Years gone by...
Send us your old photos of places & people from years gone by and we will publish them. Send them to: ads@outandaboutmagazinenortheast.co.uk
Former miner Tommy Carter poses proudly with one of his goats on his allotment. Photo by Karl Utley.
Stanley Crook family The Jobson’s
Local miner’s proudly display their
The top end of Alma Terrace (date
banner.
taken in 1991.
community Bill & Ann Utley both served the Club for (literally) when they ran Billy Row great times. nearly a decade and had some
unknown) .
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Years gone by...
We want your old pictures!! Send us your old photos of places & people from years gone by and we will publish them. Email them to: ads@outandaboutmagazinenortheast.co.uk
left Eric Cup in 1962. Front n The FA Amateur ter Hopwood. Ca Pe ht rig nt fro d an Gibson of who the other ry ste my the lve anyone so 3 boys are?
ok from Crook’s An old dividend bo ll. nt in by Harry Sewe Grocery Store. Se
Crook Town championship winning cricket team in 1951 featuring Jimmy Thexton. Sent in by Deborah Walker.
Dennis Garforth poses outside of Park & White Animal Feed at Crook. Image supplied by Keith Lonsda le. 28
An old paper sweet bag from The Cabin in Crook, dated 1939. Sent in by Harry Sewell.
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Death of the high street Story by Ritchie Coatsworth
For many years I’ve heard people talk about the death of the high street and I guess with the many out of town retail parks that are now everywhere, they could be right in some cases. Places like Newgate Street, Bishop Auckland and Middle Street, Consett seem to have more empty shops than open ones these days which is such a shame. Thankfully for me Crook seems largely unaffected by this. Shops in Hope Street don’t seem to stay empty for very long before a new business moves in which is fantastic for the community and the local economy. As a child a shopping trip seemed like a real treat and it seemed that you were travelling far and wide when in reality you were only going down the road to Crook or the larger metropolis of Bishop Auckland, with it’s large variety of shops. Even a visit to Crook had plenty to offer a small boy. I remember one of my favourite shops being Pott’s Newsagents which was where Card Crazy is now in Hope Street, they stocked magazines, sweets, model farms, model knights and castles plus lots of small things like power balls and polystyrene planes plus whatever the latest sticker craze was. Other favourites of mine included Colin’s card shop which stocked all the great small toys like water pistols, water balloons, cap guns and those paper bangers that you throw on the floor. I’ve not smelt the smell of a cap gun for years! I also recall a model shop being down the bottom of Hope Street, maybe where the sandwich shop is now. They stocked building kits for radio controlled cars, model dinosaurs, latex masks of celebrities and all-sorts, can’t for the life of my remember what it was called. It was a fantastic shop though.
then who you would buy your tickets from, a lady named Bessie if my memory serves me correctly. I can remember the excitement of seeing the old escalators that took you down into the heart of the Newgate Centre to do your shopping at Fine Fare (which is of course Wilkinson’s now). Back then Bishop Auckland was always really busy and had lots big name retailers plus smaller independent shops on the high street. Some of my favourite back then included WH Smith’s, John Menzies, Woolworth’s which were always great places for toys, books and magazines, all of these shops seemed so much bigger when you were small! Once we were done shopping we would always sit in Carrick’s café and bakery where my treat of choice was always a Peach Melba. We would wait in here for either the next bus or for my Granda to pick us up. Eventually Carrick’s was taken over by The Baker’s Oven chain which was subsequently taken over by Gregg’s. The café now sits empty like a lot of shops in Newgate street as big names opt for out of town retail parks rather than the traditional high street. These places have given me lots of fond memories to look back on, I wonder what shops will stick in my own children’s minds when they are older.
As much as I loved Crook the absolute Mecca for shopping was always Bishop Auckland in the 1980s. I remember going to Bishop with my Mam, Nanna and Granda on Friday afternoons, around the time that the Newgate Centre was being finished off. My Granda would drop us off then pick us back up when we were done. When he wasn’t so well I also remember going on the blue Bonds bus, they still used a bus conductor back 30
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Forgotten stories Story by Ritchie Coatsworth
I am a firm believer in that loved ones are never really gone until there’s nobody left that talks about them anymore. With that in mind I feel it’s important to keep talking so that stories are passed from generation to generation and these people that you may never have met remain in our memories. My Granda, John Coatsworth Senior died when I was only 5 years old way back in 1985. Although I was very young I still retain some memories of me and him when I was really small. He had been called up to serve in the Black Watch during World War 2, seeing action in both Italy and Africa. I have photos of him during this period in his uniform, but as I was so young when he died I hadn’t heard stories from this period. My Dad never spoke of any so I assume he hadn’t heard any either. After the death of another relative in May I was told a story that I can’t believe I’d never heard before during my 39 years on this planet. Firstly, when he was serving in the war his family were twice sent letters saying that he was missing in action and presumed dead, only for a few weeks later to receive a letter saying what he was up to, which was dated after the missing in action letter. The main story was from during a particularly long battle in the African Desert. As my Granda was a large man he was given the gruelling job of carrying a Bren gun along with its ammunition and stand around the desert. During this long and exhausting battle my Granda fell asleep slumped over where he was seated only to wake hours later in the darkness to find he was alone in the desert. His battalion had left him for dead and moved on, the reality was he had just fallen asleep exhausted. That evening he set off across the desert looking for his colleagues. Worried about being stranded and easy to spot by the enemy once daylight 34
arrived he found a burnt-out vehicle to seek refuge in. Once comfortable he started to drift off to sleep only to be startled by something touching his ankles and something in the darkness next to his throat. Then he heard someone from behind say, “It’s okay Jonny I’m a Gurkha”. The Gurkha had actually been feeling how his boots were laced while holding a knife at his throat. This was because the German soldiers laced their boots differently to the allied soldiers, so in the darkness this was the easiest way to identify which side a man was on. Thankfully after successfully passing the boot lace test my Granda was given instructions on how to get back to base, by walking in a straight line between 2 distant landmarks on the horizon, he was told that by doing this the allied soldiers would know he was one of them and not shoot at him plus he would also avoid the land-mines that had been set at either side of the route. Since hearing this story, I have now passed this onto my little ones who love to hear it and will hopefully keep the story alive by telling their children in years to come. It’s nice that they now have an exciting story to go with the photo on the wall of my Granda in his Black Watch uniform. It just goes to show that it’s important to keep talking and keeping those stories going no matter how old they are. The Bren gun with it’s stand and ammunition.
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01388 764 511 The Green Billy Row, Billy Row Green, Billy Row, Crook, County Durham DL15 9TA
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Years gone by...
We want your old pictures!! Send us your old photos of places & people from years gone by and we will publish them. Email them to: ads@outandaboutmagazinenortheast.co.uk
Station staff pose for a photograph at Tow Law station.
Harperley train wreck, 5th July 1901.
Willington Villa A.F.C. team photo taken in 1917.
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Stanley Cricket Club team photo, taken sometime in the mid 1950s.
These photographs show John Crawford of Roddymoor starting and finishing his last shift at White Lea pit on the day it closed for good in 1963.
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THE QUILTERS’ CUPBOARD Unit 1, Brockwell Court, Low Willington Industrial Estate, County Durham DL15 0UT
Telephone: 01388 745 008
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We are a patchwork and quilting shop that houses hundreds of bolts of beautiful quilting fabrics. We also hold classes and workshops for beginners and improvers. Open 6 days a week. Plenty of FREE parking and all on the flat. Wheelchair accessible. Call in and see us, have a cuppa, chat and be inspired. Everyone is welcome. A shop to be remembered.
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Opening Hours: Monday - Friday: 8am to 5pm Saturday: 8am to 11am Sunday: Closed Low House Farm, Etherley, Bishop Auckland, County Durham DL14 0LZ Tel/Fax: 01388 833358 Mobile: 07774 756484 Email: tburnfencing@aol.com www.trevorburnfencing.co.uk 40
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St. Catherine’s Church: Raise the Roof Fund Since it was built in 1843, funded mainly by the towns people, St. Catherine’s Church has been a sacred place for prayer and reflection, celebration, mourning, companionship; welcoming and serving all. Whenever you enter St. Catherine’s for whatever reason, you are taking part in the life of your Parish Church. Our vision is to continue to serve future generations of your families both within the church and in the wider community. To do this we need your help. The roof needs major work, the oldest part replacing and repairs to the rest: We hope to start work in the Spring but we need your help to raise the final £20,000. Donations to the Raise the Roof Fund can be made by:
Would you like your name to be in the new roof ?
Internet – google: Just Giving St. Catherine’s Church, Crook, Raise the Roof Fund
Watch out for details on the notice board outside church and on Facebook of an upcoming coffee morning where you can buy and sign a slate to go into the new roof.
Direct bank transfer to Barclays Bank sort code 20-09-44 account number 30327824 By cheque to the PCC of Crook Parish, marked roof fund on the back and sent to Mrs P. Holbrook, 22 St. Mary’s Avenue, Crook, DL15 9HY Cheques and cash donations can also be left at church.
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If everybody in Crook were to gift £2 we would easily reach our target! Together we can keep St. Catherine’s Church as a place of welcome for all. We thank the following for their support: All Churches Trust Ltd; Durham Diocese; The Sir John Priestman Trust.
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Years gone by...
Watergate, Crook (year unknown).
The Rainbow Café, Tow Law (now the premier & post office). Image sent in by Colin Haiton.
Crook Rescue Brigade (year unknown). Image supplied by Brown’s Penny Guide.
Jim Lyle, Jack Jobson & Les Wilkinson enjoy a pint in Billy Row Club.
The headteacher of Stanley School poses outside of the school (year unknown).
-05. adows AFC 1904 Crook Mown Me
We URGENTLY need your old photos!! We are running low on old photos of places & people from years gone by and would love to keep the feature going. Can you help? Email any old photos to: ads@outandaboutmagazinenortheast.co.uk or drop into Ritchie Coatsworth Photography, 80 Hope Street Crook. 44
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THOMAS WRIGHT HOUSE ACCOM MODAT ION & R ESTAU R A N T
Restaurant with Guest Accommodation (Visit England 4 Star & Silver Award) in quiet rural setting close to Durham and Bishop Auckland. We serve food daily from noon: Lunch, Afternoon Tea, Dinner with a la carte options, and Sunday Lunches in the ground floor restaurant. Families enjoy eating in the Garden room with patio, lawn and climbing frame; and popular as an afternoon tea venue is our firstfloor bar with its panoramic views. Stay over with a choice of eight individually designed ensuite rooms, like luxury Aquila with private patio, outdoor hot tub and ‘in room’ dining or Phoenix, a ground floor suite with walk in shower. Ample car parking and free wifi.
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Songwriter Ronald White This month we point the spotlight on local songwriter Ronald White. Ron’s songwriting goes back to the 1960’s when he wrote a song for a Tyne Tees Television competition called “Tow Law Town” when he was only 15 years old. How long have you been into music? and what got you interested in the first place? I first got into music in my early teens over 50 years ago when with some friends we bought electric guitars and amps from Bell’s Music in Aycliffe via their sales catalogue. It seemed a good way to express ourselves and vent our teenage hormones, the noise, the sounds and the attempts to emulate our sixties heroes such as the Beatles, the Kinks, the Hollies and the Rolling Stones who showed the everyone that with an electric guitar and a hit song you could conquer the world. I also had uncles who were musical, my father played the harmonica and my mother was a trained pianist and often had sing songs around the piano after the working day. I ventured into songwriting when there was a Tyne Tees television contest in around 1965, I entered and my song Tow Law Town was shortlisted and played on Tyne Tees Television by session musicians and singers.
and after unearthing some old recordings from the 80s which I wrote and recorded in Amsterdam some friends said they were like the Beatles. Me playing acoustic guitar and my wife Betty and myself on vocals I live in hope lol. However I do write country and folk songs about Tow Law and surrounding areas, songs about family events and football songs. I have also written pop songs whatever different people and ages consider them to be! I like to consider my music easy listening and generally relaxing to listen to, which makes some of my compositions suitable for the West End.
Over the years what has influenced your music and songwriting? Without doubt my biggest influence was the Beatles, 60s music and good music in general - musicals, classical and local folk music. How would you describe your style for those that haven’t heard one of your songs? I would like to think I have a style of my own 46
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Over the years how many songs do you think you have written? I am constantly writing songs as I get new ideas and inspiration so lose count. However a conservative estimate is about 1100. Your song writing career has spanned lots of decades but do you have any burning ambitions yet to fulfil? Earlier this year after being diagnosed with a health condition I fulfilled an ambition to record a coouple of songs myself with my wife on backing vocals which I am pleased with and sold it locally. A country singer Stu Stevens has recorded some of my songs and are on his commercial CDs. My current aspirations lie with a producer in America who is promoting 2 country songs from the Amsterdam tapes to American female country singers to record.
When you are involved in music I think everyone secretly wants to write or be involved in a No. 1 song and I am no exception. It’s my ultimate ambition and I will never give up on that aim! Last of all where can people hear your vast collection of songs? My songs are available on You Tube via Stu Stevens, it’s the story of my life, the upper room and lalla are the main songs. On my webpage www.songandmedia.com/ Ron-White.html and also on the Tow Law Community Association website where you will find the Tow Law Football Club song Tow Law Town for Wembley is included among other folk songs. The songs recorded by Stu Stevens are also available on 2 CDs, “Still Standing” and “The Gospel Album” and my own recording of Home and sinner won’t you pardon me are available on amazon and itunes for download.
Do you want to feature in the next edition of Out & About magazine? Then simply email me at ads@outandaboutmagazinenortheast.co.uk Don’t forget to quote Out & About Magazine when responding to adverts.
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Calling time
Story by Ritchie Coatsworth
We all have a favourite pub or haunt as we grow up, mine was always Nicky’s or the Miners Arms as it was previously known prior to opening as Nicky’s from 1996 to 2001. Sadly the pub only exists in people’s memories now as it was demolished a few years ago. I’ve always had a personal affiliation with the pub as my mam worked both behind the bar and as a cleaner there as I was growing up, I myself worked there during it’s last run while I was studying at University and as a child I fondly remember going with my Dad on a Sunday. It’s funny but I still see a lot of the men from those days as I sit in my shop on Hope Street, although they are now much older, in my mind they look exactly the same. Back in those days it was jam packed every Sunday with men playing dominos and full of smoke, as of course back in the early 80s nobody minded if you couldn’t see the person sat next to you for tobacco smoke whether you were a smoker or not. The Former landlord John Wilks. pub was full of funny characters that I still remember as if it was yesterday, Bobby Willis who used to light the fires everyday and called me “Ricky” for some reason and swore like a trooper, Sid Pearson and Ronnie Tomlinson.
Nicky’s after it reopened in 1996.
My Dad took my Mam there early on in their relationship, back in the days when Nicky was still the landlord and the bar consisted of old bus seats, a kitchen table and a bare light bulb. My Dad had been calling it Nicky’s Nightclub so naturally my Mam was expecting something a little different as she asked for a Barcardi and Coke upon entering and was promptly laughed out of the pub. You see in those days all they served were half’s of beer only a couple of regulars drank from a pint glass. During my time manning the bar in the early 00s I regularly had to act as referee to many arguments, an old regular from Stanley Crook, Tommy Carter would almost always end his debates by telling the other party (normally Sid Pearson) that they, “Weren’t worth a stick in the clay” and that he was, “Round the clonker”, 2 phrases that I’d never heard before and I’ve never heard since Tommy sadly passed away, but one thing is for sure I will always remember them. Sadly so many of the local pubs are closing, the Derby at Stanley Crook reopened last year then promptly closed as there wasn’t enough support to sustain it. The Royal George on Billy Row bank closed over 10 years ago and The Green closed it’s doors in March but hopefully this one is just a temporary closure. All that is left is Billy Row Club, now a private club after it ceased being a CIU club a good few years ago.
We are particularly interested in stories about old pubs from years gone by and stories of life in County Durham during wartime. Can you help us with these? Then simply email me at ads@outandaboutmagazinenortheast.co.uk
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Years gone by...
Boxer Ginger Hauxwell, Tommy Rutherford, Raymond Rutherford & Boxer Jack Dawson. Photo supplied by George Davies.
urch, ce at St. Thomas’ Ch A wedding taking pla ? one any ise ogn you rec Stanley Crook. Can
down the pit. John Louth at work ire Louth. Photo supplied by Cla
Thistleflat Colliery. Photo supplied by David
Brumwell.
We URGENTLY need your old photos!!
The Helm Park Inn at
Tow Law.
We are running low on old photos of places & people from years gone by and would love to keep the feature going. Can you help? Email any old photos to: ads@outandaboutmagazinenortheast.co.uk or drop into Ritchie Coatsworth Photography, 80 Hope Street Crook. Don’t forget to quote Out & About Magazine when responding to adverts.
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Years gone by...
We want your old pictures!! Send us your old photos of places & people from years gone by and we will publish them. Email them to: ads@outandaboutmagazinenortheast.co.uk
A newspaper advert for Graham’s who had a store on Church Street, Crook.
The remains of Old Row at the top end of Sunniside.
Former Wear Valley District Council leader Joan Jobson and her husband Jack at an official ball.
Tow Law Athletic pose for a picture in 1987 on a snow y Tow Law pitch.
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An Outstanding School
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