DEAN ROAD (the deans end)

[geordiejean]

hi sorry i have no photos of shop for you but will put mam and me on tell her i went on to have twelve children had a hard life with my ex she knew him to ken osborne but been married to paul 25years i am 72 now so take things slower but happy give your mam a hug for me i will put it on soon love x

[Splodgeness]

I lived on the corner of Dean Road and Johnson Street back in 1955, when I was a kid, and well remember Jacky's newsagent shop and his fiery red hair and brown overalls, and the smell of the tobacco and cigarettes he sold. There was a chippy next door to him on Dean Road and next door to him on Barnes Road was a tiny, funny old shop that seemed to sell parts of old cars and second-hand tools. That entire corner was demolished and new houses built many years ago, sadly. Jacky was a nice bloke, and a man called Sid took the shop over in roughly the mid 60's(?) and both he and his wife were very nice people. (I bumped nto Sid many years after, when I was married and living in Gateshead, where, again, he was running his own newsagents - he even remembered me, too, when I went in the shop!) On Barnes Road, a few feet down from the corner of Dean Road, there was Margaret's shop (run by her and her sister and it was the hub of the area for all it was a tiny place), Moore's corner shop and another corner shop on the opposite corner to Moore's whose name I forget (Andersons, maybe?) - it was never very busy as the woman who owned it was a bit forbidding and uncommunicative, well at least she seemed that way to kids! Moores still sold biscuits from open boxes and used to cut cheese and butter by weight from large blocks and then wrap it for you.

There was also Barnes Road School, the corner shop near it and the shop on the corner of Barnes Road and Eldon Street where I used to spend my Friday pocket money on the way home from my nana's. The school and those two corner shops have long gone, the Moores shop is now a house although the very faded sign painted on the wall above the shop is still barely readable even after all these years. The shop whose name I can't recall was converted into the local Sutton Trust office. One shop remaining from those days is the Off Licence on the corner of Barnes Road and South Frederick Street, which sells groceries too, now. I remember going in there with my Nana when she got her bottle of Brown and bottle of Amber which she sipped while babysitting my brothers and I. Across the road from the Off-Licence on the opposite corner were a couple of shops, but I have no idea what they were in those days. Nowadays one is a sandwich shop and the one on the corner was, until just recently, near-derelict and had been that way for years. In the middle of South Frederick street was - and is - a canny shop that hasn't changed much since those days. It's a General Dealers which still has that lovely smell old shops have, made up of soap, polish, and newspapers. At the Tyne Dock end of South Frederick Street is another corner Off-Licence/General Dealers though back when I was a kid it was probably just a General Dealers.

The place we lads played the most when we were young was right at the very end of Dean Road, across from the Post Office (which stood on the corner of Dean Road and Temple Street) and the coal merchants, and it was a large-ish patch of partly-demolished buildings and rubble, though there were a couple of buildings still there, one of which was an old chippy, though these were knocked down at the end of the 50's as I recall. We called the area of knocked-down buildings "The Bombed Buildings" (the site of the small blocks of flats today) although it's a near-certainty they weren't actually bombed buildings. No adults ever called them that! We had a great time there making dens, chucking stones through the shattered windows and exploring the ruined rooms. Further down the road, past the Post Office, was a few more terrace houses (still there) then, beyond the coal merchant's office, there was a set of double gates leading into a shabby but still quite imposing driveway, heavily shaded by old trees, and a large house that looked huge to us kids. Beyond that Dean Road curved right and the route went onward to Tyne Dock. On the actual curve was a row of shops, but they, the large secluded house and the coal merchant's office have been gone for many years now, replaced by an old folks home.

On the edge of the "Bombed Buildings" was a row of terrace houses facing the Deans Estate, which in our time was a place where Bangladeshi immigrants went to live. We never used to see any of their kids out playing in the back lanes, but they were nice people when we did bump into them. It was in those days that we started seeing one or two of their children in the local schools but there was no racism in the playground - they were kids like us, just a bit different-looking. No doubt we looked strange to them, and probably smelt strange, too, as there were no bathrooms in our houses at that time, and the outside netty was a usual feature. (I was in my mid-teens when we got a bathroom and indoor loo.) Regarding the aforementioned Deans Estate, it was a place which we never went to - we kids thought it a rough estate and in any case none of us kids were allowed there by our parents who viewed the place, and the people on it, with great disapproval.

Phew, this post ended up being longer than I thought! Before I sign off I was wondering if anyone remembers what the corner shops were on Temple Street were?

[jimmywizz]

hi splodge welcome to our website

[jeff]

Here's a couple of photos taken I think in the late 1950s/early 60s when the demolition of that part of Deans Road was underway. Apologies regarding quality but they are copies of copies of copies.

[Delilahcat]

Shops in Temple Street starting from the Dean Road end. Post Office on the corner then a General Dealers on the corner of John Williamson St/Temple st...Kelso's? On the opposite corner Hearns bookies. On the corner across the road Harry Huddarts General dealers. Corner of Frederick st/Temple st was Weetmans fruit shop which leter became Charlies General Dealers Scraftons butcher shop on another corner which became Temples butchers. Barbers shop on other corner ...was it Dickie Crones. Pie and Peas shop on corner of Palmerston Street then Macauleys newsagent on the corner of Eldon St.
The Bangladeshi immigrants on Dean Terrace were actually Indian Sikhs. My friend Edna Webb lived just along from the Methodist church in Dean Road and my other friend Margaret Taroni lived on the other side along from the coal merchant Robert Young.

[Jarrow Pete]

The immigrants on Dean Terrace,did they not come from Uganda when Idi Amin kicked all the Asians out of his country. They were and still are involved in the Temple that was built in West Way.

[Delilahcat]

Don't think they came from Uganda Pete they were Sikhs originally from Punjab in India. My son was friends with the younger kids. I remeber him coming home saying 'Muti comes from a place where they have monsoons.' When I asked where that was he said 'Edinburgh.' The family had originally lived in Scotland. The house on Dean Terrace became a Gurdarwa ( not sure of spelling ) which was a place of worship then they relocated to West Way. Remember one of the older lads going to India to get married. We lived round there from 1963 onwards. It was about the early seventies when the family moved in.

[eddieg]

My gran lived on Dean tce.I can remember one of the Indian lads gettnig married.He rode down Dean tce on a white horse.His name I think was Talla.My Gran thought it was great the whole street was out.She lived at No 10 Dean tce.

[Jarrow Pete]

Don't think they came from Uganda Pete they were Sikhs originally from Punjab in India. My son was friends with the younger kids. I remeber him coming home saying 'Muti comes from a place where they have monsoons.' When I asked where that was he said 'Edinburgh.' The family had originally lived in Scotland. The house on Dean Terrace became a Gurdarwa ( not sure of spelling ) which was a place of worship then they relocated to West Way. Remember one of the older lads going to India to get married. We lived round there from 1963 onwards. It was about the early seventies when the family moved in.

Brain cells are starting to go Delilahcat, getting mixed up with the Ugandan Asians they rehoused in the town. Some of them were rehoused in Alice Street, my mate Jimmy Clements had a family move in above him,in them days they only had one yard and one toilet for both families to share. Anyway the toilet habits of the Asians was deplorable and it got to the state that Jimmy would have to use public toilets for him and his young son, When he told me this I took him straight down to the town hall to complain, they listened to him and he was rehoused in Grotto Road much to the dismay of his new neighbours

[Delilahcat]

I'm surprised at that Pete. The Ugandan Asians were business people and property owners who were wealthy folk. Idi Amin kicked them out and confiscated their wealth and property. The majority of them went to the Midlands where they had family connections and rebuilt their fortunes. Can't imagine any of them coming to Shields.
I remember the lad getting married on the white horse with money pinned to his jacket. The bridegrooms family wore turbans of one colour and the brides family turbans of another colour. It was a real spectacle and the whole place was out

[Delilahcat]

Splodge I forgot to mention that I still see Margaret - who had the corner shop - around the town. Think her sister Doris died. Margaret is in now in her her seventies. The shop that is now the Sutton Trust Office used to be a greengrocers run by a rather stout dour woman. Wonder if she was the one you were thinking of. In Frederick Street the shop opposite the off licence on the corner of Barnes Road used to be a hairdressers called Elizabeths. You have taken me right down memory lane and I hope I have jogged your memory.
The bombed buildings you refer to sound as if they were in Francis Street next to Brookes shop and off licence. Going up from Dean Terrace there was Alexander Street with Gates newsagents on the corner,then Francis Street with the Methodist church on one corner and a Vaux off licence on the other,followed by Florence Street,Malvern Street and Johnson Street.

[Splodgeness]

I've met Margaret a couple of times in the 10 years I've been back in South Shields and she'd hardly changed - a bit older that she was when I was a teenager, but still easily recognisable. We chatted a while and she was just as nice as she was all those years ago. I''m sorry to hear about Doris.

Yes, "stout, dour woman" describes the shopkeeper lady perfectly. I never saw her smile, ever, and she never used to pass the time of day with her customers like the people in the other shops did.

It's very interesting to know the names for the streets that had been demolished, as it's the first time I've heard of them. I wonder why that section was demolished, and yet the rest of the streets weren't.

[Splodgeness]

hi splodge welcome to our website

Thank you Jimmy.

[hencree]

I started this thread asking if any one had photos of the shops which stood between Francis St. and Florence St. I didnt expect the response that has happened. It has been great just to read the memories of those of you who lived around there. I Would like to thank "JEFF" in particular for putting up the two pictures of the old chapel, I remember it well, it was pulled down about 1961, my mate Joe lived two doors down from it, and it was when their family were rehoused to Simonside because of the impending demolition, i was helping them to move house when i saw this lovely girl who was a friend of Joe's sister Margaret, I thought she was lovely, little did I know at that time she would later become my wife.I lived in Dean terrace since i was born in 1943. may I ask Eddieg if the names Iris, Doris, Freddie and not forgetting Dollar, mean any thing to him? if the answer is yes then they lived at no.18 DeanTce. I seem to remember Mrs. Copping lived at No.10.
The shop which was called Moores (corner John Willy St / Barnes Rd.) used to be Hanlons and their warehouse was at the top of Alexander street my dad drove a horse and waggon for them during, and shortly after the war until they moved on to motor transport. the stable for the horses was just behind Bob Young's coal depot in Dean Rd. backlane. I am sure that the pic with the snow on is taken from Bob young's front gate as he lived right on the corner of Temple St Dean Rd. my thanks also go to "Splodgeness" for there were some good memories brought back from that contribution The Sikhs at he top of dean terrace were lovely people very courteous and mannerly as well as respectful, (something that is sadly lacking in our own indigenous population today) I can remember when they first came to live there, the father used to go around selling clothing from a suitcase door to door, they still have a busuiness today in Fowler St, "Supertech". I also remember Talla even when he was just a kid. They were always good neighbours as far as I was concerned.

[Splodgeness]

The Sikhs at he top of dean terrace were lovely people very courteous and mannerly as well as respectful, (something that is sadly lacking in our own indigenous population today) I can remember when they first came to live there, the father used to go around selling clothing from a suitcase door to door, they still have a business today in Fowler St, "Supertech". I also remember Talla even when he was just a kid. They were always good neighbours as far as I was concerned.

How strange, I know one of the older people at Supertech, well enough to talk to that is, and might even have seen him when he and I were lads. It's a small world and all that... Aye, they were nice people, on the few occasions we young 'uns ran into them.

[Delilahcat]

My uncle,George Lynn used to work for Hanlons as a manager and they were taken over by Moores.
I did not live in Malvern street until 1963 but used to have friends around Dean Terrace, a girl called Ann Murray who had a brother Eddie or Ted. The name Copping also rings a bell. Used to get my coal from Bob Youngs before we changed to gas fires.

[Jarrow Pete]

Can remember a Mr Sing complete with turban and his suitcase calling regulary to our house at Marsden when I was a child,
my memories of him are how polite and cheerful he was.

[Kellan]

I you look in my photograph gallery you will see a class photo of Barnes Road Class 1A with two of the Singh brothers - I think they were called Umar and Gupta.

[mr-angry]

I lived in Dean terrace until about 1969. I can still remember the Sikhs at the top of the street as if it were yesterday, mainly because they gave me a hot Chilli pepper to eat, and how it burnt my mouth off. That's probably how my love affair with hot curries began.

[andysfootball]

and your love for foreigners!!!!