I seem to recall having a thing about becks, and bridges across them. I know the beck well which Ian highlights. Myself and friends would check this out, the beck had a off shoot to lustrum beck, which is another beck we would check. I guess when you where younger it was a bit of an adventure. I know in wound through Newham Grange park through Salters Lane to Hardwick,which we would call the valley re the back of North Tees hospital then other under Durham Road,past Eastbroune estate and under the railway line and joined Lustrum Beck in Hill’s work place,ah the happy days.
From 1951 approx I lived in 4 Rushyford Ave which faces Rothwell Cres. I was 7 years old and I used to play in the park from time to time. However at the time there was an incredible amount going on locally to keep me occupied without going to the Park. Opposite our house the Moore & Cartwright plumbers had a workshop/stores, and I made friends with them. Wherever they went I went too, helping or hindering as the case may be. One of the jobs that really stays in my mind was helping to fit the lead flashing around the chimneys of the last houses to be built in Rushyford Ave.
There used to be a beck running between Rothwell and Rushyford which now runs under ground. Previously the beck ran from Durham Rd, crossing Ragpath Lane and disappearing towards Ragworth. It was culverted in two halves, the first running from near Durham Rd to a point almost opposite Ridsdale Ave, and for years it didn’t have any guards over the ends. The more brave or foolhardy of us would bend double and walk through it. It seemed fun at the time. Now, I’m not so sure. I left Roseworth in 1971 and sometime after that the culverting was completed. Perhaps someone could tell me when?
If I remember rightly Rothwell and associated streets were built first, then Romsey and Rushyford before spreading out to the rest of the estate. It was a great place to play in, like a huge free adventure playground. I was always getting moved on by the “bobby” who didn’t realise it was “my” playground. Happy Days.
Until the age of 5 I lived on Rothwell Crescent facing Durham road. No Hardwick or bungalows just farmers fields. Amazingly I remember sitting in front of the fire listening to my fathers reactions to the football results on the radio (circa 1950)and watching the sunset over aforementioned fields. The photographs and blogs of Newham Grange park sparked a memory that I am not sure is real. I think my mother and father took me to see horse racing (trotting) there. Am I dreaming this?
Newham Grange park,well i have still got the scar! One afternoon,in the words of bryan adams,the summer of sixty nine, myself and a few friends were playing there,i cut my leg open while running through one of the bushes,scarred for life/however on a brighter note,i remember the putting greens in the park,we had great games,there,passing endless hours,there were several football pitches,as well,it was a fine park, a credit to the area,however, like everything else,it went down hill.
Sliding in the Park – Hot sunny days when we were kids, all day long or an hour after school, down to Newham Grange Park, a play area next to none, when I come to think of it our only play park area and the next one being Ropner Park, a little too far to go after school. Roundabout, swings, rocking horse, slide, shelter if raining, stand pipe, toilets and the slide, oh have I already mentioned the slide! The slide is all we went for, not the excitement of the swings trying ever harder to get the highest, not the excitement of the roundabout to see who could go the fastest without falling off or saying hello to Hughie, or the excitement of riding along on the rocking horse with Roy Rodgers chasing the Indians away from the fort, just the humble slide. Well you never went on ours; the fastest slide this side of Stockton, no ice cream tubs or cones for us, you could stick your ice lollies as well, what we wanted and got were Jubilees or Calypsos, a triangular shaped frozen orange juice encased in a cardboard material, waxed on the inside. That’s what we wanted and that’s what we got, didn’t even have to buy them, litter bins full of them, just fight your way through the bees and wasps and there was all the wax coated cardboard you could wish for. Split them open and rub the wax on to the slide and wee off we went, played havoc with my short pants and the back of the legs, a shiny bum as they were grey to start with and grey waxy shiny backs of the legs, but our slide was the fastest this side of Stockton. Nothing to do with this site but I must mention another town to end my thought, ‘Middlesbrough’, Albert and Stewart Park’s had the double slides with the bump in the middle, much longer and faster we thought, next time we go down there we will try it, but alas it was banned, so good was the wax that kids were taking off at the bump in the middle and ending up in casualty, must have been good. Royboy227uk@yahoo.co.uk
I must agree with john paul on this one, i had a walk through the park a few years back and could not believe how much it had changed,gone were the swings tennis courts putting green and pavillon [can any one remember ned mullen who used to look after the pavillon] by the way john paul coming from salters lane ,i take it that you are pamela riggs brother !!
Toboggan Run – The “toboggan run” down the bank towards the beck in snowy weather in Newham Grange Park, well I never did, cant remember being in the park whilst snow was on the ground, maybe I have but just cant remember. But what I do remember is the run without the toboggan; we had a roller skate with an annual on the top, bum on the annual, feet in the air and go like the clappers with your hands on the ground and off you went on a rollercoaster ride and expertise showed when you manpowered around the left hand bend towards the bridge over the beck. Good job I was wearing short pants or I might have ripped the knees out of them, if they were long, Ouch!!! Roy.
living at Salters Lane like i did i spent all my early life in Our park ,when i walked through there a couple of years ago i still recognised all of the trees.first memories of our park was in the late 60″s ice cream vans lots of things to play on ,full tennis courts 2 putting greens .Then as i got older the park changed glue sniffers galore then drunks made it unsafe,my friends mum was attacked and the swings and the like dissappeared as they got vandalised.So they dug up the tennis courts put swings and stuff in there the same happened one by one they dissappeared.Now sadly its a shell pavilion burnt down only a bowling green there and that is behind bars and vandalproof .I used to go in there on a sunday at 9am come home 6pm and my mother didnt worry about me now they darent let their kids walk past it soooo sad,The green hut facing durham road was a spar my mother worked there till it closed then she moved to the monkey tree untill her death.
Roy Parkin”s comments on Newham Grange Park ring many bells. The busy scene on a summer”s evening in the 1950s, courting couples, semi -organised or informal games of football and cricket on every square yard of the pitches, the kids on the play area.Trying to get on to the tennis courts, putting greens and bowling green and the pensioners” winter afternoon games of dominoes in the wooden pavilion – until some moron burned it down many years ago.Hard fought school and local league football matches. The “toboggan run” down the bank towards the beck in snowy weather, parents with their children, just itching to sneak a go themselves, given the excuse. Mr Murray? the “parkie” surveying the scene and keeping an eagle eye out. Change was inevitable and not all for the better.Some things survive, but many children are nowadays forbidden to enter the park on their own, adults often wary of using it as a walk through.Some of the fear is,perhaps, irrational,but sadly the end result is often the same, an underused facility.It is a great pity, as Newham Grange is an interesting park, with a variety of levels and features in its layout and potentially a superb resource for the surrounding area.
I am reliving my childhood through Roy Parkin”s comments. Every time you tell a story about life on Roseworth I think, I remember that. Dr Ritchie was my doctor and as a child I thought he was very “classy” or “posh”. I remember the PE teacher only through reputation as he taught my older brother. Only one thing, you talked about the Wright family in an earlier comment (the twins I vaguely remember)in Rounds Avenue, it was Raunds Avenue, I know I was born there. I took my son there recently to show him the area and couldn”t believe how narrow the streets were. I loved living there, and when I left at the age of 15 to live in Stockton, I was broken hearted. It may not look it now, but I thought it was a great place to grow up in.
Newham Grange Park – Living on Roseworth in the 1950’s and 60’s was nothing special as far as being healthy and breathing in fresh air, long before Roseworth was built up to this very day was and still is known as ‘Windy Hill‘. The problem was white concrete, white roads, paving slabs, kerb stones, most houses had lumps on the side of them to house, the wash house, alley way, coal house and shed, all capped with one foot thick white concrete, but we were spared the glare of concrete there because they were capped with black tar. Don’t get me wrong there was plenty of green spaces up there, but when I was a little boy in short pants while playing with friends it was hit and miss when you fell over about fifty / fifty whether or not you got red knees or green ones, fall on the concrete you got red ones and a good cry, fall on the grass and you got green ones and a clip round the ear hole, never could win when I was a kid. The park was itself a nice place to be, the atmosphere and everything about it and around it was great for adults and children alike, the amenities and friendliness were second to none. A Pub the Mile House, two shops the Monkey Tree (when the tree was there) and the smaller shop that faced on to Durham Road where the funeral parlour is now, drinks were best from here much colder, I don’t think this shop had a name, or if it did I didn’t know it. Opposite the Monkey Tree was the house where my friend Rodney Goldthorpe lived, further up Darlington Back Lane opposite the big gates to the park lived my doctor Dr Ritchie. Backing on to the track at the left hand side (East) of the park lived the parents of Mr Ken Tiffin PE Teacher and torturer of Roseworth Sec; this of course was a few years before I knew he was there, just thought I would put it in. Within the park was the proverbial Bowling Green. Tennis Courts and Putting Green, plenty of toilets, stand pipes and troughs for the dogs on a lead. (no poop scoops then must have been a problem then as well as now, but I don’t remember it). Also a more than adequate play area for children. The park was well staffed, had its own gardening section with greenhouses and last but not least the Park keeper. He always walking around in his caped dark council provided uniform, always there to overlook what sporting activities were going on, football, hockey or the like, Saturday, Sunday no matter what he was always there, especially at closing time with his big brass bell. Do you remember where you lived and your park. Roy.
I seem to recall having a thing about becks, and bridges across them. I know the beck well which Ian highlights. Myself and friends would check this out, the beck had a off shoot to lustrum beck, which is another beck we would check. I guess when you where younger it was a bit of an adventure. I know in wound through Newham Grange park through Salters Lane to Hardwick,which we would call the valley re the back of North Tees hospital then other under Durham Road,past Eastbroune estate and under the railway line and joined Lustrum Beck in Hill’s work place,ah the happy days.
From 1951 approx I lived in 4 Rushyford Ave which faces Rothwell Cres. I was 7 years old and I used to play in the park from time to time. However at the time there was an incredible amount going on locally to keep me occupied without going to the Park. Opposite our house the Moore & Cartwright plumbers had a workshop/stores, and I made friends with them. Wherever they went I went too, helping or hindering as the case may be. One of the jobs that really stays in my mind was helping to fit the lead flashing around the chimneys of the last houses to be built in Rushyford Ave.
There used to be a beck running between Rothwell and Rushyford which now runs under ground. Previously the beck ran from Durham Rd, crossing Ragpath Lane and disappearing towards Ragworth. It was culverted in two halves, the first running from near Durham Rd to a point almost opposite Ridsdale Ave, and for years it didn’t have any guards over the ends. The more brave or foolhardy of us would bend double and walk through it. It seemed fun at the time. Now, I’m not so sure. I left Roseworth in 1971 and sometime after that the culverting was completed. Perhaps someone could tell me when?
If I remember rightly Rothwell and associated streets were built first, then Romsey and Rushyford before spreading out to the rest of the estate. It was a great place to play in, like a huge free adventure playground. I was always getting moved on by the “bobby” who didn’t realise it was “my” playground. Happy Days.
Until the age of 5 I lived on Rothwell Crescent facing Durham road. No Hardwick or bungalows just farmers fields. Amazingly I remember sitting in front of the fire listening to my fathers reactions to the football results on the radio (circa 1950)and watching the sunset over aforementioned fields. The photographs and blogs of Newham Grange park sparked a memory that I am not sure is real. I think my mother and father took me to see horse racing (trotting) there. Am I dreaming this?
Newham Grange park,well i have still got the scar! One afternoon,in the words of bryan adams,the summer of sixty nine, myself and a few friends were playing there,i cut my leg open while running through one of the bushes,scarred for life/however on a brighter note,i remember the putting greens in the park,we had great games,there,passing endless hours,there were several football pitches,as well,it was a fine park, a credit to the area,however, like everything else,it went down hill.
Sliding in the Park – Hot sunny days when we were kids, all day long or an hour after school, down to Newham Grange Park, a play area next to none, when I come to think of it our only play park area and the next one being Ropner Park, a little too far to go after school. Roundabout, swings, rocking horse, slide, shelter if raining, stand pipe, toilets and the slide, oh have I already mentioned the slide! The slide is all we went for, not the excitement of the swings trying ever harder to get the highest, not the excitement of the roundabout to see who could go the fastest without falling off or saying hello to Hughie, or the excitement of riding along on the rocking horse with Roy Rodgers chasing the Indians away from the fort, just the humble slide. Well you never went on ours; the fastest slide this side of Stockton, no ice cream tubs or cones for us, you could stick your ice lollies as well, what we wanted and got were Jubilees or Calypsos, a triangular shaped frozen orange juice encased in a cardboard material, waxed on the inside. That’s what we wanted and that’s what we got, didn’t even have to buy them, litter bins full of them, just fight your way through the bees and wasps and there was all the wax coated cardboard you could wish for. Split them open and rub the wax on to the slide and wee off we went, played havoc with my short pants and the back of the legs, a shiny bum as they were grey to start with and grey waxy shiny backs of the legs, but our slide was the fastest this side of Stockton. Nothing to do with this site but I must mention another town to end my thought, ‘Middlesbrough’, Albert and Stewart Park’s had the double slides with the bump in the middle, much longer and faster we thought, next time we go down there we will try it, but alas it was banned, so good was the wax that kids were taking off at the bump in the middle and ending up in casualty, must have been good. Royboy227uk@yahoo.co.uk
I must agree with john paul on this one, i had a walk through the park a few years back and could not believe how much it had changed,gone were the swings tennis courts putting green and pavillon [can any one remember ned mullen who used to look after the pavillon] by the way john paul coming from salters lane ,i take it that you are pamela riggs brother !!
Toboggan Run – The “toboggan run” down the bank towards the beck in snowy weather in Newham Grange Park, well I never did, cant remember being in the park whilst snow was on the ground, maybe I have but just cant remember. But what I do remember is the run without the toboggan; we had a roller skate with an annual on the top, bum on the annual, feet in the air and go like the clappers with your hands on the ground and off you went on a rollercoaster ride and expertise showed when you manpowered around the left hand bend towards the bridge over the beck. Good job I was wearing short pants or I might have ripped the knees out of them, if they were long, Ouch!!! Roy.
living at Salters Lane like i did i spent all my early life in Our park ,when i walked through there a couple of years ago i still recognised all of the trees.first memories of our park was in the late 60″s ice cream vans lots of things to play on ,full tennis courts 2 putting greens .Then as i got older the park changed glue sniffers galore then drunks made it unsafe,my friends mum was attacked and the swings and the like dissappeared as they got vandalised.So they dug up the tennis courts put swings and stuff in there the same happened one by one they dissappeared.Now sadly its a shell pavilion burnt down only a bowling green there and that is behind bars and vandalproof .I used to go in there on a sunday at 9am come home 6pm and my mother didnt worry about me now they darent let their kids walk past it soooo sad,The green hut facing durham road was a spar my mother worked there till it closed then she moved to the monkey tree untill her death.
Roy Parkin”s comments on Newham Grange Park ring many bells. The busy scene on a summer”s evening in the 1950s, courting couples, semi -organised or informal games of football and cricket on every square yard of the pitches, the kids on the play area.Trying to get on to the tennis courts, putting greens and bowling green and the pensioners” winter afternoon games of dominoes in the wooden pavilion – until some moron burned it down many years ago.Hard fought school and local league football matches. The “toboggan run” down the bank towards the beck in snowy weather, parents with their children, just itching to sneak a go themselves, given the excuse. Mr Murray? the “parkie” surveying the scene and keeping an eagle eye out. Change was inevitable and not all for the better.Some things survive, but many children are nowadays forbidden to enter the park on their own, adults often wary of using it as a walk through.Some of the fear is,perhaps, irrational,but sadly the end result is often the same, an underused facility.It is a great pity, as Newham Grange is an interesting park, with a variety of levels and features in its layout and potentially a superb resource for the surrounding area.
I am reliving my childhood through Roy Parkin”s comments. Every time you tell a story about life on Roseworth I think, I remember that. Dr Ritchie was my doctor and as a child I thought he was very “classy” or “posh”. I remember the PE teacher only through reputation as he taught my older brother. Only one thing, you talked about the Wright family in an earlier comment (the twins I vaguely remember)in Rounds Avenue, it was Raunds Avenue, I know I was born there. I took my son there recently to show him the area and couldn”t believe how narrow the streets were. I loved living there, and when I left at the age of 15 to live in Stockton, I was broken hearted. It may not look it now, but I thought it was a great place to grow up in.
Newham Grange Park – Living on Roseworth in the 1950’s and 60’s was nothing special as far as being healthy and breathing in fresh air, long before Roseworth was built up to this very day was and still is known as ‘Windy Hill‘. The problem was white concrete, white roads, paving slabs, kerb stones, most houses had lumps on the side of them to house, the wash house, alley way, coal house and shed, all capped with one foot thick white concrete, but we were spared the glare of concrete there because they were capped with black tar. Don’t get me wrong there was plenty of green spaces up there, but when I was a little boy in short pants while playing with friends it was hit and miss when you fell over about fifty / fifty whether or not you got red knees or green ones, fall on the concrete you got red ones and a good cry, fall on the grass and you got green ones and a clip round the ear hole, never could win when I was a kid. The park was itself a nice place to be, the atmosphere and everything about it and around it was great for adults and children alike, the amenities and friendliness were second to none. A Pub the Mile House, two shops the Monkey Tree (when the tree was there) and the smaller shop that faced on to Durham Road where the funeral parlour is now, drinks were best from here much colder, I don’t think this shop had a name, or if it did I didn’t know it. Opposite the Monkey Tree was the house where my friend Rodney Goldthorpe lived, further up Darlington Back Lane opposite the big gates to the park lived my doctor Dr Ritchie. Backing on to the track at the left hand side (East) of the park lived the parents of Mr Ken Tiffin PE Teacher and torturer of Roseworth Sec; this of course was a few years before I knew he was there, just thought I would put it in. Within the park was the proverbial Bowling Green. Tennis Courts and Putting Green, plenty of toilets, stand pipes and troughs for the dogs on a lead. (no poop scoops then must have been a problem then as well as now, but I don’t remember it). Also a more than adequate play area for children. The park was well staffed, had its own gardening section with greenhouses and last but not least the Park keeper. He always walking around in his caped dark council provided uniform, always there to overlook what sporting activities were going on, football, hockey or the like, Saturday, Sunday no matter what he was always there, especially at closing time with his big brass bell. Do you remember where you lived and your park. Roy.