Tommy

 A.K.A   Monty circa 1946 . 

Going to have a go at my life story,from as far back as I can remember.

There was 6  of us I have four brothers and one sister, we must of been the neighbours from hell  at times when

 I think about it now.

 ,but there was never any trouble.   well not bad stuff.   My Father was in ww2 and was disabled as he and 22 others were in a waggon that went over a revine in Wales all were killed exept my dad but he was in Hospital a long time  my mother  told me and he had  a silver plate put in his head and was prone to headackes, years later I used to cut his hair  and I used to see the scars and ask him about it but he said he could never  remember  anything about that night of the accidentI found out later that his regament were on exercise in Wales and a truck carrying DLI soldiers did leave the road and the  driver and all but one were killed,that was his first  bit of luck, years later he worked at the pit after a few years this day he was ill and did not go to work,the man that replaced him  on his job was killed instatley as aload of tubs squashed him at his place of work,if he had not been ill he would of been dead as the other man had no chance of getting out of the way in that place it happend,enough about  that, was there some one looking out after him?

Father worked at the pit only on datal work  so there were not good  wages them days  so we never had much money,  but we made our own fun them days, I was the second oldest,never went to school much ,

didn't like it, My first memory was when I was about 4 years old we lived in a terraced bungalows,the next door neighbour had a big pen and a big cree and kept greyhounds about 5 or 6 I think ,we had a cat  and it would jump up on top of this pen and set the dogs going wild trying to get at it ,,one day the cat was  on top of the pen post  about 9 feet high and the dogs was in the pen this dog jumped against the post  it shook and our cat fell in I was terrified the dogs just tore it to pieces ,but the neighbours got me another one as I was very upset they also  gave me  a tricycle and I seem to forget about the cat,The neighbours that had the dogs used to take me to the dog tracks I used to love it and when I was a bit older they would ask me which one I fancied and I would tell them and if  it won they would give me money like a shilling I thought I rich .When I was about 9 or 10 I started walking the dogs out training them for the races walking them for about 2 or 3 mile a day I was not very tall  the dogs were nearly bigger than me.but  I could handle them now when I think back it must have been dangerous a kid with dogs that size,as I found out later on in life.I will get to that later on in the story.Anyway the other neighbour opposed side had pigeons  an old man  he used to let me handle them  and I was fascinated  with the colours on the neck green and purple ,the same man was a hell of a water flier,so I had  an early start with dogs and  pigeons.               From about 8  or 9 every summer there used to be raids,between the Fonty's and the South Stanley kids, half way between  the Font and South Stanley was a 200 yard piece of ground that both sides wanted , and there was pitched battles on that land

 for years, What  had happend  before I was born the  council was making a road from Stanley to join up with the Durham road  at Craghead but world war 2 started and the road never got finnished ,so thats how there was a 200 yard  piece of land left,The fighting for this land was unbelievable, kids would throw stones  and they had caturpults and even slug guns, it would start  say on a Friday night and go on till it was dark then start again the next day  then the next day untill the cops used to break it up but it happend every year maybe 100   Fonty's sometimes more,a lot of kids got took to hostpital but it was great at the time in the end the council restarted the work and put the road threw or I think it would of still been going on to this day.         The thing is  some of the South Stanley kids used to go to the Font school  and after the school holidays them South Stanley kids had a hell of a time at school they got a good beating every time as they were out numberd some used to 

stay off for a extra week or two un till things got back to normal and the raids forgot about.They were your mates  at school but on a night time  your enemy.I think it tought me to run

 faster as we  The fonty's were allways out numbered as S Stanley was 3 times bigger  in population

 than the Font but we had the higher ground and defended it easy as its better to throw down than up.Them were good old days and barbaric.I remember once  playing down  the wood and one of the lads decided we should have a fire,so we gatherd some stones  in a circle  and dry grass and bits or wood  it was great a proper camp fire,after about an hour this gust of wind came the embers flying all over the grass every place  you looked was on fire we tried to put it out but it was hopeless so we just ran away after about twenty mins the fire brigade came  and it took them about 3 hours to put out,we were watching from the other side of the river on a bank side  we were black as crows we never lit any more fires down the wood the next day we went back down the wood just to see how much  had been  burnt it looked like about 2 to 3 hundered yards  by about 50 yards all was just black nowt left. Forgot to say on the same day as the fire when  I got home I got the biggest hiding of my life I think all the lads did. The wood itself  recoverd in about two years you could not tell there had been any fire.Just lucky know one got hurt.I remember when in the winter it was so cold at night that my mother used to take an oven shelf out of the oven and rap it in an old bed sheet and place it in our beds  about a half hour before we went to bed so that it was nice and warm for us ,as there was no central heating them days just the main fire to heat the hole house,by the time we got into bed it was nice and warm when she took it out it was still hot the shelf it was better than a hot water bottle as it was bigger and heated the bed quicker.I also remember the change ove  from gas  to electric,we thought it was great just to click the switch and on came the light, what a diferance to have to light the mantle with a match ,as we used to break the mantles if you touched it a bit hard and you did not have the smell of  gas with the new lights but it was  a lot dearer than the gas  and you did not get a rebate from the electric,like the gas meater man used to  come and empty it and work out how much we had used and give  my mother back the diferance a load of old penny's piled up on the table,I supose it would come to about ten  bob  ( 50p) but that was a good start for the next months gas,you thought you had money with the old money as it was big and seemed to have value not like today,On a FridayI had to go to the pit  offices to get my Dads pay  it used to open at 9 am and there would be a big que well about 5 ques and you had to get in the right one for the seem you Dad worked in  ,My Dad worked in the Townley  so that was  the que I had to stand in the longer the better as far as I was concerned as if I was in the que I was not at school but I still had to go in late  but all the lads used to do it as you mist  a lesson or two,From my house to the pit offices was about one and a half mile now they opened at 9  and the school started at 9 so if there was a big que  and you got back late  mother would say  just go to shool in the afternoon its to late now  but she would send me on messages to the shops I used to try the same tricks at the shops  and say there was ques and get back as late  as I could then have to get my dinner then walk to schoolI never did  play the nick I did not have to. The school board man was always at the door but my mother never  did get prosecuted for keeping me off school she always had an excuse.As she used to go to the same school as he did and knew him well.When I was at school I used to enjoy woodwork science and PE and art but that was about it,

    I used to go up the golf course and look for lost balls  and when I got a few used to go to the doctors and sell him them for a tanner each, You could find loads in the farmers field just over from the first green,as the golfers were not allowed in the field,did not count for me as I was not  a golfer,Sometimes me and some mates would go into the wood just behind the second green and hide untill a ball or two would get played onto the green and run out  take the balls and go back into the wood  and just watch the golfers look for the balls,as they could not see the green from were they were just the top of the flag, We also used to watch the mixed pairs on a Sunday afternoon,when they got to the second green a lot of them ended up in the wood and they thought they were being sly I think that was the first time I saw sex ,we could not keep our selves quiet and used to get chased but they never got me,I think they were to afraid incase we told people what was going on,as the same people were well to do respectable  ha. When the coal wagon came in the street  and dropped the loads of coals in back street on the road outside peoples houses there must have been 15 cwt to 1 ton of coal it was a race  to go and ask if 

they wanted them put in, the trap door about 5 feet of the ground the shovels were massive but you could not lift  a full shovel full,it was to heavy,you had to go in the  back  yard  and put boards in the doorway to stop the coal

 from spilling  onto the yard

 if you got the job  you got half a dollar, (12 and a half p)you had to be  quick as there was a lot of folk that wanted the

 job.neighbours would ask 

you to go to the shops for them  and give you threepence.or even a tanner( 2 and a half p) if you were lucky.

In the light nights there was always games in

 the back street all the kids would play any game you can think of,anyway                                I got the pigeon bug when I was 11 years old I had a mate who used to go to Newcastle market every week we would keep our  pocket money,mine was 10 bob(50p) made up of running messages for other people and putting coal in., and we would go straight to the pigeon sales at the back of the Hay market.I used to buy 6 at a time at a tanner each =( 2 and a half  p), some had race rings on,we used to put them in carrier bag  brown paper with a hole at each end torn in for air,all six would be in that bag,then it was back home to show off to your mates,If we had any money left it would go on cigs /tabs 2D each at Joe Burton's shop after buying the corn for the

 pigeons We would go to the co-op and get orange boxes on the Bogey and stack them in the back yard then go to the farmers field and take some fencing just a few for spars. as they were about 12 foot long we did not need many,then set about a building a little loft used to be about 5ft  by 5ft by 6ft long.Never bought a nail just used the one's out of the boxes and the one's left in the farmers fence. For felt we used to get old oilcloth there was always some one wanted rid of old stuff like that,but it kept the loft dry,it would be made in a half a day with partens in, old  jam jars for drinkers with a house brick  shoved up against them  to stop them from been knocked over,    we would clip them down so they could not fly and we could let them out  to walk about the garden, A stone of corn was about half a dollar (12 and a half p) when pigeons were walking about the garden  strays sometimes drop down if they did they were mine if I liked the look of them, one day I got one in and it had a double ring on  and a stamped wing never guess who's it was only HRH QE2  I did not dare keep it so I reported it  and got word back to send it back to the address on the wing,they sent 10 bob (50p) but it got out  in the mean time  so I phoned  and told them and they said I could keep the 10 bob well that was a weeks pocket money for me so from then on I would report all the strays a got in ,but them days we had know idea about the NEHU or what it meant so unless it had a wing stamp it was fair  game for us.Now my mate lived about 400 yards away and he had a loft and after about a year or so we decided to race each other for money we had a point about 200 yard between us where we had to run to to claim to be  the winner.We would get a mate to go on the bus to Durham at the river side where the bus turned round and let the pigeons go only used to send 2 each, the bus fare was 7 and a half p (1 and a tanner) return half fare.But what days they were I think I enjoyed that better than all the proper racing them days will not be back.Real excitement when you got your pigeon and had to run 200 yards and just say win by a yard or get beat, as its only 8 mile or so Durham we didn't loss many, but the cats got a hell of a lot . but all that was 50 year ago.How time flies, The farmers fence was always left  safe there was 4 lengths we thought he only needed 3.we used to go to the same farm  and potato pick on school holidays, blackberry week the same farmer was a greedy git, he only paid us half of what the grown ups got, and we did twice as much work, he would pay us 8 bob a day ( 40p) but that year  my mother never bought another potato for the rest of the year and the same for turnips so by rights he did not rob us it was perks of the job as we saw it. After a few year the school had to have a new floor  and we asked if we could buy the old wood  this old floor boards were an INCH THICK FOUR INCHES WIDE AND SIXTEEN FEET LONG we got ten lengths for ten bob  50p  anyway we found out that they were suppost to take it to the dump  so on the night time  after the workmen  had gone home we just helped our selves  no need for orange boxes now we built a loft  with nothing else but floor boards it was great 16 foot long  6ft 6 high at the front 6 ft at the back it was all hard wood tounge and groove and it was polished  but we painted it anyway red  and white.This was in our front garden no body said a thing we did not have permision just did it.It was as  solid as a rock the envey of a lot of pigeon men we had it for about 2 year, then this bloke made us an offer  for it,  and it went.I think we got £ 35 . but I'm not sure as my brother  did the deal,and you could not trust him as far as you could throw him.

It was when I was at school that I met our lass my  mates and me used to play  around this  duck pond on the way home from school,and we used to see two lasses walking past the duck pond on there way home to South Stanley,Lads been lads we used to shout at them  and asking for a date and stuff.anyway this went on for a week or two then me and a mate decided to talk to them and I got my first date with her.I was 13 and a half  and she was 12  I saw her every night  for 9 weeks, Then her older sister  got talking to me at school and I started to go out with her instead she was the same age as me and I went out with her 9 month then she finished with me for an older lad on a motor bike it was a few year before our lass  and me got back together.

  I left school on the Friday and started the pit on the Monday I was 15 years old,£4.18 shilling a week ,of which I got a quid pocket money and 10 woodbines but the tabs was a lot cheaper then,did a year on bank then went down the pit, I think the pay went up to £8 or 9   when I was 16 I used to buy a shilling screw  of baccy to chow down the pit  and a tin of snuff. The pit cobbler used to sell shoes and it was taken  10 bob weekly off your pay.they were great  brothel creepers used to go through them in about 6 weeks and get another pair to go with  Teddy boy drain pipes and finger tip length jackets A made to mesure suet  cost £10.00 my best one was a blue with a black roll coller and lapel  with a gold lining.Started to go to dances and lost interest in pigeons when girls come on the scene. On a Saturday afternoon we would go down the  wood to the gambling  school  start off bebbing get a few bob  then start to bet  if we won it was off to the pictures

,used to love hoying the pennies best  ( pitch and toss)  I ever did was 9 x two heads  won 40 quid but lost  half  of it with greed wanting more,is there any  schools  still going in the north  east?    My first job down the pit was at the rope ends at the shaft 

bottom just sitting in a manhole with some wires and bells for signaling to start and stop  the endless haulage

a very easy job after two or three weeks ,I was sitting in the manhole and I thought oh Ill have some bait so I

 opend the poke and started to eat my jammed teacakes then had a drink of tea  put my hand in my pocket

lit up a dumper  then just nearly died with fright as I rememberd that you could be sacked if you had  tabs down the pit, I soon put it out and it never happend again the next week the overman give me a job inbye I thought I was great,timber leading to the men at the coal face,what it was I had this bogey and it was loaded with props and chocks and my marra and me had to shove it about 5 or 6 hundered yards to the face from where the haulage ropes ended sounds easy untill you got the bogey off the rails what a bugger sometimes to get back on to the rails,the hight at that place was 5 ft high down to 4 feet 6ins and if the bogey came off the track at the lowest point you could spend a half hour trying to get it back on as they were heavy empty never mind a full load,if it took you to long the blokes from the face would come out and have it on track in seconds,and call you all the unspeakable slime they could think of if they were on piece work but it was just a laugh to them. After a few months I could put the tubs back on the track  with the best of them,full of coal,  or stone, you just  had to have the knack and a bit of strength in your back.But some of them pit men at the shaft bottom  could lift them just by the handles they were that strong and used to it.We young lads used to take the micky out of them but if the got you they would put you in a tub and send you inbye and you could not get out till you got to the other end as the roof was so low.At the shaft bottom there was a place called the gantry witch was a place where all the tubs got coupled together and also got this black grease on the axels it was an awful job you had to lie on your back and put your arm in between the tubs and pick up the coupling chain and hook it onto the next tub as they were moving for to slow them up you had to put a dreg in the spokes of the tub wheel a dreg is lump of steel  like a poker you put it in the spoke and it wedged itself at base of the tub and stoped the wheel going round but if you had about 20 or 30 tubs running you had to be quick to get as many dregs in as possible or there would be a smash up as they would go straight into a derek witch is a steel gurder that is ankerd on the roof on a kind of pully and one end is lowerd to the floor to stop runaway tubs as a safety mesure this would not be lifted until all the tubs were coupled together and afixed to a endless hauledge.this job got you thick of grease up one arm  it was  a hell of a job to get it off at the end  of the shift, a lot of blokes lost fingers with that job or ended ulp with black finger nails very painfull you had gloves but they got thick with grease and could hardly bend them to grab the chain  on the tubs everybody hated that job.The job I liked best was heping up that was wereyou had to give a hand to men who had a bad kyeble it might be that it had a steep encline and was to much for one man ( the putter)

down the pit                 when I         was 16 and a few month left the pit a went to live in Birmingham  at my aunts house and got a job in a 

factory called Moss gears

  worked there for 3 month  and left  then I went to Ireland with a mate and stopped at his house in Shirigly ( kilelere ) (Killyleagh) Co Down  can't remember how to spell it  but it was some thing like that I never knew people were still living like that. there

 was only one tap at the middle of the street outside middens/toilets they used to make their own bread  unleavened on the fire on a steel 

plate I never tasted it before but it was ok took some getting used to but the people were great the coppers used to walk 

about with guns ,this was before the troubles I think they were called guarda might be wrong anyway there was a tannery at

 the end of the street where every one seemed to work  that lived in the village but I did not fancy that so I come home to the north east    got a job on the coal waggons at Birtley,J Roy and sons was there about  6 month

every night  the bosses mother would make all the lads on the waggons cups of tea and cakes or pie before we went home  and they were loverley,When I was there one day we were on the round and this woman shouted you have mist me we were at the other end of the street she said she 

wanted two bags and the driver said to me I bet you could not carry them both back along to her,he bet me ten bob so I got 

one on my back then he put another one on top balanced and I set off I got to her house  just to fined there was 16 steps to go up but I did it got a big clap that was 2x8stone  bags=2cwt for fifty yards then 16 steps  never again ,not that I could now, on our round there was some bad payers what you had to look out for  the driver new them all we were told not to let any bags on tick to them people,(The little waster )was on our round but the driver would not let us leave any at his place just would not say why,?? But I left there and went back to the pit not for long .

put my notice in the week before I was 17 and a half went to Durham and had an interview with the army as my older brother was in and he liked it.

  17 and a half I joined the army RASC. joined for 6 year but got out after 2 medical grounds I got bronchitis just aswell, as i did not like it much.but i did pass my driving test in the army in a 7 toner.I  got the train to Kings Cross then the under ground to Waterloo  then from  there to Bordon Hampshire on the way down I sat in a carriage with a little old  bloke with  a Beret on it had two army  badges in it  and thats where I got  my user name I did not have  a clue who it was at the time until the train stopped and this Sergeant  saluted this old man  then asked my name and if I was  to report to Bordon camp it was on the way to the camp that he told me who the old man was,anyway I did my basic training at Bordon Hampshire then went to Aldershot for 3 month. At the week ends if we

 were not on duty we used to go up to London get drunk and end up at the Lieceum ball room, the first 

time we went they were not going to let me in as I was wearing a bottle green teddy boy suit and it looked

 like the same uniform as the bus drivers wore lol  seen some top celebs there.got to know London like the

 back of my hand after training it was great,  then to Yeovil  for driver training for 6 weeks thats the place for scrumpy had some good times down there

  First time I had scrumpy I could not understand what all the fuss was about I had about 8 pints felt ok then went out to go back to camp can't remember out else,woke up in the guard 

house. how I got back there I'll never  know. When  the six weeks were over this soldier used to work in the office he was a clark the sly get used to get to know when people were being posted and always tap them for a couple of  quid till pay day  then the same day there would be a notice go up of all the postings and you had to go within the hour with all  your kit so you had no time to think about anything you just got on the truck  and off to the place you were posted to the sly get must have made a fortune out of the poor unsuspecting squadies just luck I found out about him or else I would of been cond by him, anyway then on to Catterick and finished there. .but I made some good mates in the army I was not a good soldier  I was locked up 4 times not for bad things  mostly .for being ,well the first time  I was late getting back from leave got 7 days plus a weeks wages lost.2 nd time was for fighting in the ranks with stupid Mancunian,same again 7 days with loss of pay,the 3 rd time after being on leave had an earring put in  and refused to take it out for this scouse corporal  and I got another 7 days  without pay again  4th time was at Catterick went on  a three day pass my mate and me we decided to go hitch hiking round the country after a week we ended up at my house,  and as it was Saturday we were going to go to the co-op dance, but at tea time  there was a knock at the door my father said  someone hear for you  it was a copper,he said you two are absent  without leave ,I said yes but we are going back on Monday then two red caps rushed in  and said your going back now  the  street was out watching

 as they hand cuffed us to the

 land rover roof bars and we had to sit in the  back all the way to Catterick when we got there our 

company was away on 

exercise up in Scotland  so they took us to the Royal Signals nick in front of their oc  and he gave us 28 days in their nick well

the  RASC  and the signals were always fighting each other  at weekends so we new we were in for it they gave us sand shoes  I take an 8 but they gave me size 11 and you had to march in between two of the guards to all your meals that was about 100 yards from the nick to the cook house and you did not have laces in  and you had to stay in step or you got kicked by the guard behind you they must of loved it my ankles were black and blue after the first day. but they gave you two tabs a day queens regs you must have them  as you had to sign for them but you had to stand at attention to smoke them.The best part about it was when our  company came back after the month they sent us on leave for a week  with a travel pass warrant and pay as the signal oc did not stop the pay so we had a months pay to go on leave with was drunk for a week got back to camp late again  When I got out of the army the oc read the report on me  and it said I had 21 charges of absence  and I was immature could not take orders and he was pleased to see the back of me and I said likewise.  Well after a month in civvy street I was sent for to go for a medical  in Newcastle . the doctors examined me  and said take a light job  if you can,and I thought that was it but a month later I got a letter saying I was 20 per cent disabled and got a pension 17 bob a week for life its gone up since then. anyway started gambling on the ggs same bet every day half a dollar e.way treble, got engaged to my girl friend from  school that week at that time I was working  at Consett iron company as a fireman  on the loco's used to like  driving the  loco's best got my tickets to  drive them  but  never took it up, it was great three trips a shift and slept the rest.but the shift  work, I could not see the girl friend enough so we got married after a few months and lived  with her  parents for a bit, while there a young lad come to the

 door  and asked if I had  a full licence ,and could I sit in with him  as he  was just a learner had  the l's on this wagon  it was a funny looking thing called a flying pig I had never seen one before ,anyway I agreed as he said he would pay me. What it was he used to go around the  ash tips and collect been tins he had sideboards fitted to the sides of the wagon about 5 feet high  so you could get a canny few tins on it used to hold about a ton we would then go to  Durham and weigh them in at the scrap yard we would watch the scrap men shovel the tins into the crusher  and watch as they come out of the other side into small blocks about a foot square,This day we were at this tip and  a big van come in  and dropped off  about two pallet loads of Lyles golden syrup but they were full so we looked at them opened a few and started to empty them  but it was taking to long so we decided to just mix them with  the been tins Well when we dropped them off at the scrap yard  the  bloke there said  tip it next to the crusher  as I did most of the syrup tins dropped strait into  the crusher and filled it up  now when he started it up the place was just covered with  syrup we got out of there quick  and did not go back I herd it took weeks to clean the place up..then I

Me and our kid the best man.R.I.P

got my first treble up won £33 so I bought a old zephyr 6 it was great the next week another treble up  so I taxed and insured it

that treble was £35  When I had to go and get my licence, I had to go down to Northalerton as this was the place  that dealt  with the army tests to transfer to civilian licences, So wore  lass would go down  with me for the ride out, it was a nice fine day so off we set  got onto the motor

 way at  Bowburn then started to do the speed limet past this long streem  of trafic, and I saw why  inbetween was a cop car as

 we past it I thought  I better pull into the inside  lane and I did  but there was a long left hand bend and I could see the blue light 

 flashing as this cop car was by then on the outside lane I new I was only doing the limet so I  thought no  more about it,It was 

only a little  panda and I said to wore lass why is he  not passing I said I better pull over, so the next layby pulled in  and the 

cops did to he got out  and come to my car  and I said whats the problem I was only  doing 70 he said  no its only a general

 check, The thing is he had got himself narked  because he could not catch me,they went over the car with  a fine tooth comb

 but could not find any thing wrong with it he had a look at the documents and they were ok and I said why did you pick on 

me he said well it was an old car  and I could not catch you and mine is brand new,lol  cop said get on your way wore lass was

 terified so the next week we

   got married we went to Blackpool for the honey moon I drove there in the zephyr set off at 5.30 pm got half way there right 

on the tops when the exhaust snapped in front of the silencer it dropped down and wrapped itself around the back axle well you don't take old clothes on honey moon so I had to get under with my wedding clothes on,pulled the two parts together and tied them with wire  by god it was loud but it got us there when we got to the hotel  it was.12.15 and I was black as the roads with oil and grease but when we explained to the landlady it was ok .We stayed  a week then set off back I had put this kind of putty on the exhaust and it worked fine got us back no probs in fact I swapped it the next week for a van that got rid of the problem of fixing it properly a new one.       We lived with  her parents, then mine, then we got a flat at £1 a week and I got a job on the bins was good but got paid off after 10 months       I had no job and was ticked up to the eye balls with  furniture the wife was not working used

 to tick on  at the corner shop to eat  and smoke but we thought it was a good time to start a family,thick or what.         I was on the dole for 2 month then one day out of the blue the boss of the council bin men came to the door and asked me to come back for another 10 month so a jumped at it. After about 6 weeks One of my brother in-laws worked on the bins aswell and he had this little old Morris Oxford and after work we would go around all the tips and collect scrap in it and save it until the weekend then

 take it to the scrap yard  get paid then off to the bookies, or the pub after a few weeks we found out that all different metals had a different 

value  so we took out the back seats of the car  and only  collected the  metals that paid the most like copper, brass, aluminium, lead ,pewter bronze, we found out we did not need to make as many trips to the scrap yard as our load  did  not take up so much  space but was  more value. I even  had money to pay the  rent arrears and get clear of ticking on  at the corner shop,  One day when we were out looking around for new tips we come across a tip at Beamish up this dirt track and on it there was loads  and loads of tiles  they were about a foot square all colours so me and the brother in-law loaded his car up and away as we got to the entrance to the tip  a cop car was blocking  it and the 2 cops asked us what we were doing so we told them  and they confiscated them the tiles we had needless to say  we had to go to court, we pleaded not guilty as we thought we had done nothing wrong but we got done for  larceny and trespass .It was an American firm who owned the tip Armstrong cork company and all the reject  tiles were taken there to be destroyed and they pressed charges so we got found guilty and fined and our fingerprints and mug shots taken, the judge wanted to send us down  but for the Clark of the court stepped in and told him he could not do so.anyway about 6 month later we  had to go to this cop shop at Pelton forget why, but the whole floor was covered with  the very  tiles the 2 coppers had  confiscated from us when we asked about them they said that A.C.C.said they could keep them after the  court  case. .I bought this car it was a v8 pilot hell of a car it cost £12  under the bonnet it had this  jack  when

 you put  the bar in it you could jack the whole car up on all 4s it had the running boards on the sides

 looked great shiny black and chrome not a scratch on it, it was not taxed  did

 not need tests them days  ,two days  later  a copper come to the door  and asked  was it my car and

 could he see the  docks  well I did not have  any insurance and as it was parked in the back street  it counted as if 

I was using it,

he would not believe that I had just got it ,then he asked to see my licence it was ok but I had not changed the 

address on it so that was another charge,the cop said  you will get a caution after 6 weeks got a letter to

 go to court got found guilty find £11 plus £1 for not changing the address on the licence,so I sold the car to the scrap man for £5 and never had a run out in it. I worked for 10 month that year,  I  did the same for about 4 year then the last year the heavy goods came in and you had to have 6 month log sheets to get your hgv license and I only had 5 and a half so he would not give it to me so I told him to stick his job up his,Well I got another job in a factory Dunlops at tvte  stayed there a year was sick of it so left and got a job on the coal wagons it was better money but hard work needed the money had 3 kids by then and a council house bigger rent as well. Then we saw this ad in the paper saying that Nottingham wanted ex miners to move down there and you would get£400  plus be moved free into  a new house of your choice we had a free visit and had a look at the place and picked the house we wanted and in a month we were down there Cotgrave. Had some good times down there the club was great but the pit  I lasted 2 year  then wore lass was home sick  and we moved back up here.but when I was down there I won the darts championship for the midlands they only play off 6 feet there but it took me a year to get used to the distance when the handicap started  I was drawn against John Lowe And beat him  he went on to be world champion that year.     They had a sports day  and our lass would join in the races she won and in the club that night when she got the trophy the bloke said  and here is the fastest woman in Cotgrave lol but it was a nice watch necklace she still has it to this day.even the two oldest kids were champions. While down Nottingham I had some jock mates, one day one of them wanted to go to his 

brothers at Stoke and wanted me to take him and two others there for a day out,at the time I had toothache and was taking a swig of whiskey to numb the pain, but I took them we had a

 great time in the pubs at Stoke.We had  a meal  then set off back after a few more swigs of whiskey. 

 At the time I had this big old car it was a 3litre princess about 1959 auto the best car I ever had,anyway about 5 mile down the road this cop car was in my rear view mirror,he followed us for miles then he over took and away he went thought

 great .Well we were just coming to Uttoxeter a place called Dove bridge,it was a hump back bridge as I got on the top going over it I saw the cop cars blue lights flashing I put my foot on the break but naught just kept going I was getting closer and closer to this cop car I tried to turn the the car but it would not after skidding about 30 yards hit the cop car hard I could see the copper inside  he was like a noddy

 dog his head going back wards and for wards after we stopped we got out and went to look at the copper to see if he was ok he was thankfully why he had stopped over the top of the hump back bridge was there had been an accident moments before he got there and the wreckage was all over the road and when I followed him  the front wheels of my car got onto the upturned wing of another car that was in the accident that was the reason I was skidding and could not turn off the road,anyway the cop phoned for back up as he was still shaking I had a head ache as the mate in the back seat come flying forward when the crash happened no one was killed don't no how ,anyway cops come and give me the breath test it was a sergeant who give me the breath test and he asked me had I any chest troubles I told him yes  when the test thing revealed that I been drinking he said this is unreliable so I can throw it away you,'ve got to many charges without that ,ended up with six charges.both the cop car and mine were write offs,the cops phoned  a break down  truck and they towed them away and stowed them in a lock up

then sent me a bill  for recovery  and storage ,I was only insured 3rd party  so I got naught back I was skint at the time so I told the breakdown to keep the car and scrap it  they agreed to clear the debt I owed .When after 2 month I had to go to court they dropped all charges  bar one  and that was driving  without due care and attention I got fined £20  and £5 costs the judge asked me do I want time to pay  and I said yes Then from the back of the court this voice said theres no  f- - - - -g justice this bloke standing up said I will pay the fine I saw the accident it was the coppers fault not the kids and the judge said ok that still leaves the costs  the bloke said I'll pay them as well and said some more unspeakable things to the court anyway we went outside and I saw this bloke and asked who he was and why he had paid the courts it was naught to do with him he would not say but he gave me his name  and address  and said you can pay me when you can but don't bother he told me he was a stall holder in Stoke market place and could afford it ,anyway I tried to contact him at the address he gave me  and it did not exist. have never seen or heard of him since ended up with no car and 3 points on licence.just for doing a mate a favour.I left the pit and started  in a factory that was in a airfield hanger making cloth  on a matchine,then we got a letter from he NCB  that as I had left  the pit  we had a month to get out of the house it was to be expected after all it was a NCB house ,so I put my notice in  at the factory 

hired a van and moved back up north and we all moved in at my mothers house with all the furniture the wife and 3 kids I borrowed the money for the deposit and

    I bought a house in South Moor Stanley ,well I say a house it was more of a hovel  only cold water no bath no double glazing just a small gas fire and an old stone sink one tap just cold water outside toilet, two bedrooms  but it was ours if we Paid the mortgage it was only £1500   but we lived there a year or so and I got a job on the ice cream van only lasted 2 weeks the first week was ok the boss let me off with my shorts, the next week he kept the shorts out of my pay  so I told him to stick the job.Then I got a job driving the buses ,the Northern put me through the test and I worked there 4 year it was good but the shifts were awful so I left there .But at that time at South Moor I got an allotment and some pigeons and joined the pigeon club did nowt  close but no cigar this kid would keep breaking into the loft  pinching pigeons I knew who it was  and went to see his parents but  that was a waste of time  anyway after a couple of years the kid came to my door and asked had I any for sale  so I sold him the lot loft as well then we moved house  and  sold  the hovel to my mate he got a mortgage for it for £3000 gave me the money I wanted

 for it that was just enough to clear the mortgage I owed I saw my mate after 6 month  and he told me he

 had the house repossessed  he had not paid one penny off the mortgage he got he ha just spent the money  he did not care.Anyway the wife come from South Stanley it made her happy  but I hated it then we got a swap  next door to the house she was brought up in,At the time I was drinking  at a pub in South Stanley The Masons Arms my mate suggested  we try 

a darts  marathon1000001   our lass and me with some of the dogs

 just four players  so we did the land lord ok,ed  it an we started  on  a Friday night at seven and did not finish till 2.30 Monday morning I threw the final dart to end the game first dart  double top hero at last all the money went to charity, the barrel of beer  the VAUX  donated we 

drank  playing it was Samson.it was calculated we walked 32 mile playing We did not get into record book as they changed the rules ,we should of as it had never been done before with just 4 players we had to retrieve our own darts  the new rules say they can have pails full of darts  and just keep throwing to me thats not darts, any way its a long game 1000001 but we did it we got our names in the paper  with pictures and the charity.

         I was still on the buses at the time that was ok, but  my parents bought a bungalow  and said we could move in the old house if we wanted to, so we did and we are still in it today.I was twice working on the coal  wagons used to look like a jackdaw in windy weather, the fiddles on there  well I

 will not  go into it now. In 1988 the son in-law was working on the docks at south shields and asked me to do a bit 

if I wanted a job so I went with him,I got a start on a ship painting and doing odd jobs,then the boss asked me if I wanted to goto Great Yarmouth as he had more ships down there,so had a word with the wife she said ok  cos it was only for 2 weeks,  but it turned out it was  a lot longer about 6 weeks longer  I had to sign on to the merchant navy to work on the ships , we went from there to Cornwall a place called Leek for another 2 weeks ,then I got home sick and come home.         In about 1990 I had the idea to start my own business house 

clearance  I got 40 quid a week from the scheme going at the time, for a year so I got this shop at South Moor  to sell the things I got from the house clearance I did ok with it

 until I started to let things go on

 tick,and that was my downfall,you think you know people until you give them tick some were never seen again .don't get me wrong it is  a great job  any 

one can do it  I started with an 

estate car with the back seats down I could get a three piece in it. I was my own boss and always

 had a roll in my pocket that

 would choke a horse I used to give 100 quid for a house clearance some times it was less,but never 

more for that 100quid  I

 would clear 600 ,the rent for the shop was small  so it was going well ,you got the odd thief but that

 was to be expected I

 made the things as cheap as I could , some times I would give them away if they had been in the shop

 a week or to just to

 make room for fresh stock , then you got the people coming in wanting you to buy stuff off them 

 you had to be sure that

 it was not knock off ,as the coppers used to come in now and again,you can get real bargains off people  you would not dream of, its the shifty ones you have to watch.once you start letting things out on tick thats it, its a downward slope.It was good while it 

lasted. I had some fun as well 

one day I had been to the local boot sale and bought this clear glass bowl with a plastic top ,it just looked like a crystal ball it was about 6'',anyhow I filled it with water and turned it upside down. It only cost 10p but it looked the real thing I put it in the shop window for a bit of fun and thought no more about it the next day  a bloke came in and asked how much I wanted for it I said oh its a fiver he went out  and sent his kids in and said his dad wanted it and give  me the fiver I gave it back to them and said it was just a joke that it was not real  and he could have it for 20p so they went back out  and told him  but he would not hear of it  and made me take the fiver  even though I told him how much it cost  I could not convince him it was not real ,never saw them again he was happy and his kids.Anyway after the year was up the 40quid a week stopped and I had more people owing me money  about £5000 got bits back but people stopped coming in as much cos most of the regulars had tick,I decided to give it another year, just to see if I could manage but as I as Idid not employ anyone  it was long hours having to do the books on a night time.I might of still had the shop but doing

 a house clearance I lifted

 a fridge wrongly and did my back in so  I had to close  the shop for a while as I thought  but it became harder to get the money in off the tick so I called it a day. At this time I had some oil  paints in the  shop  and as I had had them in for a while I decided to give painting a go at home  with me doing nothing  so I thought I would fill some time in painting pictures even  did a self portrait  and a one of the wife still got them.This is a picture of my attempt at self portrait   

 The picture is 69 cm by 50 cm  and when am deed it  might be worth a fortune LOL.  But if anyone wants to start their own business  and can get cheap little shop rent  in a good place just think about it  people don't live forever and their families have all the stuff they want it has to go 

some place why not to  a

 second hand shop, It just takes an advert in the  yellow pages it's free  with your  phone number and you get calls all times of the day and night, I used to get that many I had to turn a lot down as I only had a little shop and it was stacked

When I packed in I had all the stuff in our back yard under tarpaulins  the rest went to the tip plus I sold a lot on the net ebay

Just after I pact the shop in ,I used to fix cars I bought this CF van diesel with a duff engine  so my son inlaw and I took the engine out and took it to bits  and it wanted 4 new pistons and rings after we priced them we could not aford them ,so we went around the scrap yards looking for a good diesel engine for  CF and every one of the scrap yards had them but not one had a good one,so we asked if we could take the engines apart to get the pistons, In the end we got 4 pistons from 4 diferent scrap yards got them cheap,we had to buy  new rings, and gaskets and oil filter but anyway we put them in  and put the engine back in  and crossed our fingers  you know what it started after a couple of turns and it never let me down even went down to Ashford  to my Daughters passing out parade no bother at all  untill on the way back the cilender head warped and it just would not pull untill the engine cooled down,then it would go another 10  or 15  mile and stop again it took about 4 hours to do the last 100 mile  and it was snowing I was sick as a pig  anyway  got home and put a diferent head on it,  it was good as new  Then I swaped it for an estate car cortina hell of a work horse with the back seats down you could get 3 piece suit in and did a few times. Bought this car at the scrap yard  it had no tax or test the body had loads of scraches but not to the metle so rubbed it down,but could not decide what colour to paint it  so for a laugh I had some emulsion and I got the paint roller and painted it green it looked great then this bloke come down the street  and ask was it for sale yes I said £100 I had to tell him it was only emulsion he said he did not care so I sold it , only paid £ 20  for it, so that was £80  profit just for a bit old paint so if your ever going to paint a car always use a roller not a brush then there is no brush marks.

when I got a computer things that I kept up the loft from the shop still got bits and bobs now that I put  on ebay sometimes antiques,thats another thing once you get started you get a load of antique dealers coming to the shop and give everything the once over they always buy some thing you thought was worthless. ps  did you know that if people die and have no family or relatives you can put a claim in at the co council record office land reg and after 12 year you claim it and it costs you nowt so just look around if you know of any derelict old buildings empty houses or land that has not been used for years put a claim in  and register it in your name.there is thousands of them all over the country that people think that some body must own it  but if you look into it and find its not registered you may be able to claim it  as all land owned must be registered  the law was made in 1991 I think it was so I advise any one that has a house to check and see if its reg in your name  cos if its not  your children may not get it when you die  and thats a fact. Just thought I would tell you about that little known law.

                                                                                                                                          I was keeping greyhounds at the time,  and started to breed them  sold a few  and kept the rest at one 

time I had 15  and just A THING THAT CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE THAT HAPPENED TO ME.

I was out with my son walking the dogs I had two  and the son  had two,we had a good walk  and as we came back to the kennels my mate was coming out of his garden with his little dog it was not on a lead and come running at the dogs and bit one of the sons dogs  on the leg and turned and ran back to the owner by this time all for of the dogs were going wild the son was having trouble handling them and lost his balance the two dogs dragged him about 10 to 15 yards he held on to the leads  lying on his stomach till they court the little dog the owner was standing there did not know what had happened as he was locking his gate at the time after the dogs nipped the little dog it got away  and ran off,we went back to the kennels got the dogs calmed down ,after about ten  Min's the owner of the little dog come into the garden with a pitch fork  and was going to kill my dogs said they were  dangerous and when  I got in between he was going to kill me and had the pitch fork up against my neck I told the son to phone the coppers  and he did ,they come  and I thought that would be that but  he turned on the copper anyway we both told our story of what happened  and it was in the papers we both got a caution to keep our dogs under control,it was a very frightening experience.

I used to race them at all the local tracks I won every thing that was to win with my dogs, just before Stanley track closed that was( Murray Park) I cleared £3000 in prize money alone  so I started racing them at Pelaw Grange Birtley the luck seem to carry on as I think I had the most handicap winners  I also had dog of the month 3 times in the same year  with the same dog and it was hard to do it once I also had 4 out of the 5 in a big handicap but I  won. When  I was going to Pelaw one night it came over the tannoy that  I had to go to the judges box,thought I had done something wrong, but my two mates had to go as well,

 anyway what it was the owner of the track wanted to ask us if we wanted to be in a film,for the tele it was Byker Grove

so we agreed we had to stage a race  for this dog to win ,we had to use our own dogs I had two in my mates one each I think  the other dog  belonged to the track owner Mr Mckenna, anyway the day come we went down to the track  you should of seen all the people  that it takes to make  an episode  of Byker Grove. We were there all day  but there was free meals free  tea  or coffee  or pop out you wanted plus we got paid for it,anyway when we worked it out my mates and me the race  worked out first time the producer said it was perfect they did not need to re shoot any race,the dog they wanted to  win did so  by a long way,they paid for the dogs as well so I got paid  twice, after a few weeks  it was great to see myself and my daughter and mates on the tele ,it was only a few seconds  on film  but it took  a lot longer to do it,met  some of  the tele actors that  have gone on to be stars of the small  screen,enjoyed that.

pictures  taken  from the Byker Grove series 1998.still have this dog you call him Rhett.he won 72 races for me  including 9  handicaps.

          That was before it went NGRC.after that I retired the dogs but I still kept them in fact I still have three sorry two now just had to have one put to sleep now they are nearly 13 year old I only got the pigeons

 after the dogs  were about to retire that was about   1998

 and I joined the club only had minor turns with the weekend club  but I do ok in the Wednesday club 

won a few of them I enjoy       

       better cos you can only send 6 all are equal no big drag they have to think for themselves.   I can't see the point on keep buying pigeons every  year as 99 per cent cannot get the money  back  even if they won every  race  in the program I know of at least 2 members in my club ,in this close season have spent in excess of £3000. on buying pigeons at sales, For what and they do it every year fair enough they win a few races,but I think the only way is to sell some of the young you breed, with the pedigree  and loads of them are fictitious the best ones are the ones you get off top fliers you know  unless you get their program  like the same corn, training,  they never do nowt.saying that  I have had minor  places with ones I have had given. Still married to the same wife  last year it was 40 year married have three kids two girls and a boy have seven grand kids 6 girls and 1 boy. Do you think he'll be spoiled, you bet hes just starting to talk but he,ll want for nowt he will not need to take farmers fencing to build a loft cos his other granddad has pigeons as well and we can't live forever the girls are not interested but he likes to see them he mostly goes with his other granddadlegend Thank as its his first grandchild, and they make a lot of him. 

My seven sons     lol.

 The picture above was created by me and my son,it was three photos took at different times then put together using the computer,I did it for a bit of fun,-------------------------------------------------------------------------- The second  picture is my  son Sean who did it of himself I think he did a good job of it making seven what do you think?Even close friends did not think that it was all me, They picked different ones saying thats you in the middle but then they asked who are the others? was going to put another two on and make it 5 but changed my mind,the other two that was going  around the table are here.

 26.3.07 had to put the last of the dogs to sleep age 12 year 9 month the big c  a sad day. 

yearling nom  06 sac 431.        Here is the 2007 Daisy Hill Wednesday program.for old  birds

April 11th.....................................Pontefract               Won  by    E Coils///////////////////////////////////

April 18 th....................................Mansfield                Won  by    E Coils///////////////////////////////////

April 25 th....................................Mansfield                Won  by     E Coils//////////////////////////////////

May 2 nd......................................Newark                  Won  by     E Coils//////////////////////////////////

May 9 th.......................................Mansfield                Won  by     Longstaff and James/////////////

May 16 th.....................................Newark/////////////////////Cancelled///////////////////////////////////////////////

May 23 rd.....................................Huntingdon ( National)Won  by Longstaff and James, ( DaisyHill)

May30 th...B,D....................................Mansfield/////////////Cancelled///////////////////////////////////////////////

June 6 th.........................................Newark    ////////////won by Longstaff and James///////////////////////

June 13th........................................Mansfield////////////Cancelled//////////////////////////////////////////////////////

June 20 th........................................Newark/////////////Won by Longstaff andJames//////////////////////

June 27 th........................................Mansfield///////////////////// won  by E Coils///////////////////////////////

July 4 th............................................Mansfield//////////////////// won  by E Coils///////////////////////////////

July 11 th..........................................Mansfield//////////////////// won  by E Coils///////////////////////////////

Young Birds Program for 2007

July25 th.............................................Pontefract

August 1 st..........................................Pontefract

August 8 th..........................................Mansfield

August 15 th.........................................Newark

August 22 nd........................................Melton Mowbray  (National)

August 29 th.........................................Mansfield //////////////////////Won By  E.Coils///////////////

So that was a bad season for me,but THERES ALWAYS NEXT TIME,now the dogs have gone I have no excuse'but I don't think I will change anything as I am content just to see them come home and thats why I keep them, I enjoy the banta on the gardens with the other pigeon men me and three others  have bets to who will be last  it,s all good fun.Only ordered 25 rings for this next year 2008.only got 20 this year ended up with 7 and been on natural could not  compleat the season mist 3 races but that was my fault I did not give them the training they should of had.Saying that I was close and should have won once or twice but the same cock would not go in just sat on the fence for five or ten  mins,I had to watch  as my mate got his in and win the race  what a sickener,the next week the same cock come again  and instead of the fence went over onto a puddle just outside of the garden and stood drinking could not believe it,threw a stone at him and he flew up did a lap of honour and come in but lost about 4 mins,so what do you do with a cock like that  bin him  no he,s good enough but has his own mind his mother was the same but she had 2 wins  plus seconds thirds  and forths and she used to sit out on the loft top for 4 or 5 mins before she would go in and still score,so it must be in the genes.

Our lass said if I spend much more time up the garden  I will turn into a pigeon I took no notice and this is the result Glossary

Some words I may use,    bairn = child

bait = carried lunch

bank = surface, out of pit

bogey = flat cart with 4 small wheels

bubbling = crying and whingeing

canny = 1, decent gentle sont of person, 2,doing well,

chow = tobacco chew

chummin = empty coal tub

clagging = making sticky

cracket = oblong stool made of wood

dadding = slapping garments against a wall to shake out dust

dataller = man who is paid by the day

divvent = don't

dook = duck down

dosh = money

drag = draw on a cigarette

dumper = cigarettethat has been put out or at an end

faff-on = fuss

gammy leg unsound led

gan = going  or go

ganna = going to

gannin = going

geet = great

get = 1, get going 2, contemptible person

get on about = talk about

gis = give it to me

gob = mouth

gypped = cheated

hadaway = begone

hing = hang

honkers = heels

howay = come on

howk = to hit some one

hoy = throw

in-bye = in towards the coal face down pit

kist = 1,deputy's box 2, meeting place down pit

loss = lose

lowse = 1,end of shift, 2, uncouple,leave off

lugs = ears

marra = very close workmate

mast = infuse,as in tea making

midden = earth closet

netty = toilet

nowt = nothing

onsetter = man in charge of cage down the pit

out bye = towards the shaft bottom down pit

overman = forman

owt = ought, anything

poke = hankerchief for wrapping bait or snap

pollis = policeman

poss = agitate with stick,as in hand washing

put = to fill and convey coal in tubs

rocky chair = rocking chair

shuggy boat = fairground swing

skelp = clout on scalp

slaver = saliva

tab = cigarette

tash = moustache

tother = the other

twist = whinge

welted = thrashed with a belt

wha'cheor = how are you

wor = our

young'un = young one

I found this in  a news paper about a pigeon man---------------------------------

Stan the pigeon man--------------------------------------------------------------------

My husband is a pigeon man

and his name is Stan

He has an allotment not far away

and he is there every single day

He feeds and breeds them cocks and hens

They all have names and he calls them his bairns

His hobby has taken over his life

I think he has forgotten hes got a wife

We go for a walk and it's pigeon talk

And when we have dinner he tells me about his winner

In the summer he takes them out for a chuck

Some don't come back and he's out of luck

He sends his best and puts on a few pounds

He goes down to the race taking his clock

Hoping the winner is his best cock

After the race he will have a beer

And for the winners there will be a big cheer

But it doesn't matter if he has a winner or a loser

He still  enjoys the pigeon talk sitting in the boozer.

By MARGARET LAWS

Denton Burn

Newcastle upon tyne.