Miscellaneous information from Elizabeth (Betty) Cockburn (nee Ridley)
We used to skip at school to this rhyme:
Never mind the weather girls
In and out the weather girls
I saw Peter looking out the window and he shouted "fire"
Whereupon the girl skipping ran out and another joined in.
In 1920 the village of Heddon had two shops. Mrs Waugh's shop was also the Post Office and General Dealer. You bought everything there from paraffin oil to drapery. There was another little shop belonging to Annie Straughan situated in 'The Cottage' (with the church window at the back). Later on, Throckley Store bought Mr Armatage's blacksmith's shop next to the Tuns Inn and converted it into a Co-op Store.
There are also two public houses in Heddon - The Three Tuns, known as 'Spitty Dicks', and the Swan, known as Bertha Reays. Geordie Reay was the landlord at the Swan, Bertha was his daughter. She kept the pub going long after her father died. She had a bungalow built beside the pub. They kept a donkey in the little field at the back of the pub. This field was also used by a family who lived in No. 1 Carters Cottages, called Purvis. Tom and Ned Purvis lived with their mother. They had a pig sty in the field and mother used to send us with potato peelings for the pigs. Mrs Purvis always gave us a handful of monkey nuts for them.
There are also two public houses in Heddon - The Three Tuns, known as 'Spitty Dicks', and the Swan, known as Bertha Reays. Geordie Reay was the landlord at the Swan, Bertha was his daughter. She kept the pub going long after her father died. She had a bungalow built beside the pub. They kept a donkey in the little field at the back of the pub. This field was also used by a family who lived in No. 1 Carters Cottages, called Purvis. Tom and Ned Purvis lived with their mother. They had a pig sty in the field and mother used to send us with potato peelings for the pigs. Mrs Purvis always gave us a handful of monkey nuts for them.
All the water had to be carried ftom 3 taps, one was opposite the entrance to Square Yard. The Yard was demolished and now Overhill, old peoples bungalows, stands in its place. Another tap was in the wall beside Mushroom Row. Amos Brothers now have a workshop on that site. The third tap was in the wall of the old school playground, where the Knott Hall now stands.
Dripping from the Hall
Close House, where Sir James Knott lived, employed a few local people. One person we knew, called Sally Dunn, used to call and tell mother that there was dripping at the Hall and we used to go down with sixpence to the kitchen and buy some from the cook. The beef dripping tasted lovely. They also had shooting days at the Hall, getting rid of the rooks, Sally used to bring crows to mother to make rook pie but she never made a pie. She used to send me into the wood to dig a hole and bury them.
Close House, where Sir James Knott lived, employed a few local people. One person we knew, called Sally Dunn, used to call and tell mother that there was dripping at the Hall and we used to go down with sixpence to the kitchen and buy some from the cook. The beef dripping tasted lovely. They also had shooting days at the Hall, getting rid of the rooks, Sally used to bring crows to mother to make rook pie but she never made a pie. She used to send me into the wood to dig a hole and bury them.
Wylam Bridge
You had to pay a halfpenny to cross each way. Our Granny always gave us our fare. I often wonder what we would have done if she hadn't, as children we were often on our own. This was our Crawcrook Granny. There were also people we were told never to speak to. Sometimes coming back from our Grans we met up with Wylam kids who called us names. They used to shout, "Heddon Gypsies" and chase us. They were too big for me to fight, so we ran.
You had to pay a halfpenny to cross each way. Our Granny always gave us our fare. I often wonder what we would have done if she hadn't, as children we were often on our own. This was our Crawcrook Granny. There were also people we were told never to speak to. Sometimes coming back from our Grans we met up with Wylam kids who called us names. They used to shout, "Heddon Gypsies" and chase us. They were too big for me to fight, so we ran.
Mother always told us never to speak to strange men. One day I was sent to the shop at Heddon and this man was sitting on the wall. He asked me where I was going and I said, "to the shop". He then offered me two pence for sweets but I said, "No". Coming back, he was still there. He had his trousers open at the front and tried to grab me. I flew home and tod father who went off to see if he could catch him, but without success. The policeman came that night and asked me questions. I thought I would be put in jail but we heard nothing more.
If the weather was bad and snow was on the ground we took our lunch to school. It was nearly always treacle and bread. We each had a little tin bottle which mother filled with tea and we heated it on the side of the coal fire in the class room. We had gas lighting at Heddon School and when the man came to change the gas mantles it disrupted lessons a little.
I was always a lonely child. I never made a friend. I had a mass of auburn hair and the kids called me Ginger, which I hated. I made a friend when I was 13. Her name was Flo Clark and she lived at Close Lea. Her father worked for Sir James Knott at Close House. I've kept in touch all my life from 1929 till now (1991). Dear Flo died on 16th December 1992.
Heddon village had a Coal Depot on Station Road. The coal from Heddon Colliery was filled into tubs and brought up to the Depot on a steel rope. The tub-way ran down the field side opposite the old house where Mr Elliot and his family lived {Belle View]. The house is now the residence of Mr C Amos.
When I was 12, I had an illness. I nver did get to tknow what it was but I remember having a pain in my back and being off school for a few weeks and all my hair fell out. My mother bought bottles of Edward's Hairline and coconut oil to rub on my head. When my hair grew back it was a mass of curls and red, which I hated.
George and Elizabeth Hunter lived in the big house at Hill Head. They had a daughter called Kathleen and a son called John. Kathleen married Norman Shield from Heddon Banks Farm, and John married Hilda Shield also of Heddon Banks Farm.
Dr Bishop lived at Wylam in a house called Riverdale. he was a lovely man and all the kids loved him. We lived at Hill Head about a mile away from school. He often gave us a ride home at lunch time in his old Ford car. He would pile sevon of us in and we would be thrilled to bits 'cos we walked everywhere and a ride in a motor car was something to remember.
I was always a lonely child. I never made a friend. I had a mass of auburn hair and the kids called me Ginger, which I hated. I made a friend when I was 13. Her name was Flo Clark and she lived at Close Lea. Her father worked for Sir James Knott at Close House. I've kept in touch all my life from 1929 till now (1991). Dear Flo died on 16th December 1992.
Heddon village had a Coal Depot on Station Road. The coal from Heddon Colliery was filled into tubs and brought up to the Depot on a steel rope. The tub-way ran down the field side opposite the old house where Mr Elliot and his family lived {Belle View]. The house is now the residence of Mr C Amos.
When I was 12, I had an illness. I nver did get to tknow what it was but I remember having a pain in my back and being off school for a few weeks and all my hair fell out. My mother bought bottles of Edward's Hairline and coconut oil to rub on my head. When my hair grew back it was a mass of curls and red, which I hated.
George and Elizabeth Hunter lived in the big house at Hill Head. They had a daughter called Kathleen and a son called John. Kathleen married Norman Shield from Heddon Banks Farm, and John married Hilda Shield also of Heddon Banks Farm.
Dr Bishop lived at Wylam in a house called Riverdale. he was a lovely man and all the kids loved him. We lived at Hill Head about a mile away from school. He often gave us a ride home at lunch time in his old Ford car. He would pile sevon of us in and we would be thrilled to bits 'cos we walked everywhere and a ride in a motor car was something to remember.
