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Scrumping.
Unusual incidents during school years often stay in our minds throughout our lives.
As lads living in the West End, our leisure times were spent around the top of Whickham Bank, the Pit Corner and Cook's field off West Street. This would be around 1918-1922.
One night in late summer, an adventure of scrumping took place. Six of us lads walked along to the East End. The venue was the orchard on Duckpool Lane.
We had quite a successful night, apples and pears stuffed up our gansys, caps full of gooseberries and redcurrants. It was dusk returning to the West End. It was a never-ending chew, chew besides giving some of our loot away to other boys on the way. I had a belly ache all night and dare not tell mother. Next morning at school it was the same story from other boys.
After the Assembly prayers and calling the register in the main hall, the master called out names - mine included - to come before him.
Alas, someone had blabbed and grassed, we got a severe telling off and a lecture on trespass and stealing other people's property.