South Shields Sanddancers Forum

The toy fire engine in photo 4 replaced an older one that was used for fund raising by the fireman,it was gave to my oldest son who is now 36 when he was a toddler by a retiring fireman and we still have it in our loft

Can you use roller blades for playing roller derby? I'm quite interested in roller derby and I've been thinking of setting up a club for it in my school. The thing is, where I live, roller derby isnt popular so roller skates/quad skates/derby skates are not sold here and are very difficult to find....

Yes he played for South Shields boys. The more famous Shields footballer of the 50s and 60s Bobby Owen came to us from another club. It was Bobby Owen who I could remember seeing play in the early 60s.Can remember going for a drink in the old clubhouse as it was the first place in the town to have ...

Thanks for that Pooter,think that is the plausible answer. Wonder if the Robert Owen mentioned is the same one who went on to play for South Shields.

Was asked today how and when the "Dragon playing fields" got their name, any one got any idea?

homesick wrote:I think the garage you mean sold Vauxhall cars but I can't remember the name.

Was it Adams and Gibbons, can remember the pumps where set back inside and an overhead hose on a boom dispensed petrol into cars.

Delilah, The list of cinemas are interesting.What is the Chi after Westoe please? I ask because I don't know which cinema he owned but folk in the past refered to it a the CHAY.The CHAY is not the spelling but the way it was pronounced or should I say the way I heard it as a kid. could this be it ?...

wippet and or greyhound training used to be done in the fields opposite King George Road Ridgeway end.This involved what looked like an upside down bike with no tire on the rear wheel,just lots of cord and an old rabbit skin.When all was ready the dog was let free and the bloke with the bike turned...

:lol: did you ever win gag . i can remeber going to the staduim on horsley hill road ,but it was pulled down . and whippet racing on boldon lane , opposite the garage . Anna it was greyhounds that raced at South shields stadium and still do at Sunderland stadium at East Boldon.Whippets are a smalle...

The same night as the foundry was bombed Whitburn Colliery was also bombed. 23.50.. Co Durham.. Two PMs dropped at Whitburn Colliery causing one serious and eight minor casualties. An unexploded mine located just below high water mark half a mile S of Lizard Point. When I started at the pit in 1961 ...

Pilot wrote:I can remember going to the whippet racing where the caravan site is now Pete, we must have bumped into each other at some point

We will have to have a meet Pilot, its obvious we both knocked about in the same places at Marsden.

Lots of the old sporting hobbies of the area seem to be fading away. In particular; sports like, Pigeon Racing, Whippet Racing and Quoits. You used to see Pigeon crates piled up at railway stations or outside of Working Men Clubs. Whippet racing was a Sunday favourite with most of the Club men; wit...

One other thing my mother said was that in her youth people rarely drank coffee, and if they did it was camp cofffee that you got in a bottle.

peetsy wrote:Does anyone remember a Lyons Corner House in Shields, I've been told there was one but thought everyone used to go to Binns in the 50/60s

Spoke to my 87 year old mother today and she says she cannot remember a Lyons coffee house in the town.

Savilles, they used to be in King Street in the 60s. Pete Edmunsen also had a record shop but I think that was opposite St Hidas church yard where Chris B Watsons was.

Delilahcat wrote:There is a picture of the church we were talking about in tonights Gazette. The picture is of Frederick St just before the first world war.

Can remember going with our school to carol service at that church in the 50s.

mr-angry wrote:Was the Ice-cream parlour called "Poretta's"? A sort of rip-off version of Minchella's.

When you turn into Reading Road from Temple Park Road the first bungalow on the right has a Poretta ice cream mobile kiosk parked in the drive way. It has never moved for at least 20 years.

Hi All My wife and I were both born in Shields but have lived in Yorkshie for the last 25 years. We're not just new to "blogging" I've still got my L plates on my laptop.With regards to Frederick Street my wifes gran had a second hand furniture shop in the area, possibly in Walpole Street...

lov the christmas photo Pete.. I loved living at Marsden ,, hopefully , i will end up back there .. one day . It was the best place in the world to grow up in, we had the beach and the hills on our doorstep, mind I think I would have ended up a nervous wreck worrying that my lads would do what we u...

The wife's aunt Jean Spinks is on it, second row wearing turquoise outfit. She only died about six weeks ago.