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Memories of My Younger Days by Thelma Liddle
Betty Oloman's father worked at Easey's Farm in Whickham and Betty used to deliver milk by means of a horse drawn milk cart to local houses and the shops. The milk would be in big churns and the people would pour the milk from the churns into jugs. As Betty had to pass our house, in Cheviot View, to return to the farm, she would often give us a lift to school. This really was the treat for the day, going to school on the milk cart. Easey's Farm is where the riding stables are today.
In those days, north beyond Cheviot View, there were no houses. It was all just fields, which were called the Banky fields. Almost every winter, it never failed; the children were out on their sledges sliding down the hill.
After the war, in about 1945, Thelma remembered that they held bonfires on the Church Green; the Church Green was not what it is like today, in fact, the green was quite rough and not landscaped. There were bonfires there in November and they also held special bonfires there to celebrate both Victory in Europe and Victory in Japan day. Also bonfires were built in the Rectory field.
Thelma remembers seeing the one in the Rectory field. She said it was absolutely enormous and everybody was there. After that it sort of caught on. Every May they would have a May Queen. They would have a bonfire the night after the May Queen had been picked and the May Queen would go through the village on a decorated float.
Nearly every year one of the Scott's girls would be chosen to be May Queen. This went on for about eight or nine years. The bonfires held in November were also held on the Church green.
Ron and Thelma related a story which Skipper Heron told them about an incident when war had been declared. He and somebody else had hidden all the church silver and other church items so that if ever any Germans came up this way they would not be able to get the silver from the church. They hid it underneath the altar.
They also attended many evenings down at the Old Scout Hut. One in particular, which stands out, is when Skipper Heron showed them some wonderful old slides of the Life of Whickham. These slides, by the way, were not the plastic film of today, but made of glass.
The scout hut was a popular place for dances and social gatherings, typical old fashioned dances and socials where the girls all sat on one side of the room waiting to be asked to dance and the lads on the other. The Miners Welfare, now Whickham Sales room, held dances and this was the most popular place for holding wedding receptions.
There was a sweet shop called Donaldson's where they bought their sweets. It was absolutely wonderful when the sweets came off ration and we could have the choice of the shop.