Here is an extract from a young boy’s recolection of being evaculated to Spennymoor to live during the war from his home in Gateshead. His new home was in Marmaduke Street, opposite our garage.
Life was easy at Spennymoor. There were three local cinemas, which I visited regularly, sometimes twice, occasionally even more times each week, and I was quite satisfied with my lot. Mother used to send a Postal Order to Joyce, I think once a month, for pocket money for the two of us. Sometimes I got my share, sometimes I didn’t! I wasn’t particularly worried – I was never short of money. My new “brother”, Doug, and I had gone into business together. His Granddad, my foster-father, worked at a furniture manufacturer’s and used to bring home wood scraps each week. Every Saturday morning, we would chop them up in the back yard and sell firewood to the neighbours. Additionally, we had three newspaper rounds between us, and we sold “Football Pinks” all over town on a Saturday night. In my school holidays I often washed lemonade bottles at the nearby Gray’s “Pop” factory - hard work but rewarding. Also during school holidays, Doug and I used to help deliver groceries from Thompson’s Red Stamp Stores in Spennymoor, to several villages in the area. There was a haulage firm opposite us in Marmaduke Street who had the delivery contracts and one of their lorry drivers, known to Doug, gave us the opportunity to help him. It was great fun being on a lorry all day and although we didn’t earn much, if anything, we did get the occasional tip! No wonder I never wanted to go back home to Gateshead, not even for a weekend.
I cannot remember who it was but a driver came on this thread several months ago, who lived in Marmaduke Street in the fifties. Do you remember any of these names? I wonder who he came to live with?
In those days everyone knew each other in Mamaduke Street, and most were related somewhere or other. My grandmother said they never needed to lock their doors and neighbours were always ‘there’ for one another.
I knew most who lived in Marmaduke Street and I was just a regular visitor, never living there… Mrs Smith, with her cat Fluffy lived opposite the garage, and next house up was Arthur Walker.
From the information we know the man of the house worked at Kenmire’s (The only furniture factory in the town, his wife was Joyce and their grandson’s name was Doug.
Grays pop factory was at the bottom of the street, along Low Grange Road, and Thompson Red stamp stores was on Cheapside, and of course the haulier was my grandfather, W.H.Williams, which would explain why they said ‘We didn’t earn much, if anything’.
However I well understand that going on one of our vans delivering groceries was good fun. I can verify this, as it certainly was one of the best times in my life.
Hi Carl, it may have been me who you are thinking of living in Marmaduke St. in the 50’s. I didn’t actually live there myself it was my Grandparents Jos. and Amelia Harrison. My Mother Joan Harrison was living there when she married in 1942. They lived in No. 9 which was next door to Mrs. Smith and right opposite the garage. Also living there was my cousin Doug Milburn as his parents had other children. Doug was born in 1926 making him about 14 years old in 1940. My Grandfather was a Police Constable about this time. Could it be possible that the evacuee’s Mother sent a postal order to Jos. My parents lived there with my Brother and Sister until the late 40’s and got a new house in Ox Close Crescent where I was born in 1950. I have a vague recollection of somebody working at Kenmires but don’t know who. Hope this has been of some help to you, regards, Ronnie Briggs.
Hi Carl~Yes I can agree with you about delivering groceries whilst still at school being good fun. I can remember delivering from West Cornforth, Ferryhill and Chilton during the week after school and on saturday mornings. Come to think of it I didn’t get paid either but I didn’t do it for the money as I did it because I wanted to and I was accepted by the drivers as part of the team.
I can remember going to places like East Howle,Cassop Quarrington Hill, Kello and various farms in the area in the back of a van with the tailboard down, which because of Health and Safety, would not be allowed in these days. I certainly do not recall anyone who fell off. I seem to remember someone having 1/2lb of butter which hadn’t been ordered. It was taken out of the box by the girl from the shop on the van and she put it on the dash board to take back to the shop later. Unfortunately it was a very hot day and it melted right across the dashboard into the heater vents. The smell did disappear after a while! It was SUP 293E the first Transit van you got. There was always one woman from Chilton store who always insisted that a small van was used when it was her turn to go out delivering and your dad, being your dad, always sent the biggest van available. He told me he would send an artic if he could and wasn’t going to be dictated to by a woman shop worker. She would get a small van if there was one available and I suspect he made sure nothing was available when it was her turn.
I enjoyed those early days in my life at WHW
Peter
Here’s a couple of pics I came across recently taken possibly in the late 80s. The first one is the Tyne Tees run at Gypsy’s Green in Shields. the second one I’m not sure where it is. They may be genuine Williams vans or maybe replicas but I thought you would like to see them.
night shift bri:
Here’s a couple of pics I came across recently taken possibly in the late 80s. The first one is the Tyne Tees run at Gypsy’s Green in Shields. the second one I’m not sure where it is. They may be genuine Williams vans or maybe replicas but I thought you would like to see them.10
hi Nightshift,
Thank you so much for the photos. it is so good to get photos as they bring back so many memories. I live in hope that someone finds and sends photos of vehicle actually working, but it is good to see photos at ralleys etc
Best wishes
Carl
No problem Carl, I’ll keep my eyes open. By the way I love the phone number on the side of the van in the second pic, Spennymoor 93’ was this your real number?
night shift bri:
No problem Carl, I’ll keep my eyes open. By the way I love the phone number on the side of the van in the second pic, Spennymoor 93’ was this your real number?
Hi Night Shift,
That was the orriginal number. My Grandfather had one of the first telephones in Spennymoor
Carl
Mysterron:
Hi Carl, it may have been me who you are thinking of living in Marmaduke St. in the 50’s. I didn’t actually live there myself it was my Grandparents Jos. and Amelia Harrison. My Mother Joan Harrison was living there when she married in 1942. They lived in No. 9 which was next door to Mrs. Smith and right opposite the garage. Also living there was my cousin Doug Milburn as his parents had other children. Doug was born in 1926 making him about 14 years old in 1940. My Grandfather was a Police Constable about this time. Could it be possible that the evacuee’s Mother sent a postal order to Jos. My parents lived there with my Brother and Sister until the late 40’s and got a new house in Ox Close Crescent where I was born in 1950. I have a vague recollection of somebody working at Kenmires but don’t know who. Hope this has been of some help to you, regards, Ronnie Briggs.
Hi Ron,
Isn’t it a small world?
It certainly seems probable that that is where he was evacuated to.
Marmaduke Street must have been a lovely place to live those years, until the late fifties. I remember playing football on the street, and everyone knew and cared about each other.
In these days when you have to either keep young children in the house all the time, or keep a permanent eye on them in case some pervert takes them away or worse still murders them.
Life is like everything you take one foot forward and then another two back. Those times will never return.
Best wishes
Carl
Hi
Below is a copy of the letter that I have asked the Northern Echo, Newton News and Spennynews to publish in their letter column, as we have no guarantee that they will publish I would ask all who read this thread who may know a colleague to pass the word verbally.
Were you ever employed by W. H. Williams Removal and Storage Spennymoor: a half dozen of ex employees got together on Tuesday 10th April 2012, 26 years since the company went into liquidation and we had a good evening out with many tales and a million miles covered in a couple of hours
It was thought by those present that they would like to hold a reunion of as many as possible of ex employees, I have a list of ex employees but this of course has been substantially reduced over the years through nature and as a large portion of those left are in their late sixties or early to mid seventies the opportunity to have such an occasion has a possible limited time scale.
We have been offered the use of the facilities of Ferryhill Workingmen’s Club for the afternoon of Saturday 27th October 2012 from 12.30pm onwards, If you are interested please contact preferable by Email: colinwatson412@btinternet .com or on mobile: 07796908347.
I spent a few days in Scotland with my old friend Jim Ferguson, we had a great time touring during the day and having a meal and a couple of pints and reminiscing in the evening.
Get well soon Eddy.
Colin
Colin Watson:
Hi
Below is a copy of the letter that I have asked the Northern Echo, Newton News and Spennynews to publish in their letter column, as we have no guarantee that they will publish I would ask all who read this thread who may know a colleague to pass the word verbally.
Were you ever employed by W. H. Williams Removal and Storage Spennymoor: a half dozen of ex employees got together on Tuesday 10th April 2012, 26 years since the company went into liquidation and we had a good evening out with many tales and a million miles covered in a couple of hours
It was thought by those present that they would like to hold a reunion of as many as possible of ex employees, I have a list of ex employees but this of course has been substantially reduced over the years through nature and as a large portion of those left are in their late sixties or early to mid seventies the opportunity to have such an occasion has a possible limited time scale.
We have been offered the use of the facilities of Ferryhill Workingmen’s Club for the afternoon of Saturday 27th October 2012 from 12.30pm onwards, If you are interested please contact preferable by Email: colinwatson412@btinternet .com or on mobile: 07796908347.
I spent a few days in Scotland with my old friend Jim Ferguson, we had a great time touring during the day and having a meal and a couple of pints and reminiscing in the evening.
Get well soon Eddy.
Colin
Hi Colin,
Great idea, it might bring back many memories.
God willing, I’ll be there.
When you get more details of who is coming etc, would It help if I organised pie and pees or some other type of buffet? I think that is what my dad would expect of me?
Anyway thank you for your effort and I hope a lot will turn up
Best wishes
Carl
pbsummers:
Hi Carl~Yes I can agree with you about delivering groceries whilst still at school being good fun. I can remember delivering from West Cornforth, Ferryhill and Chilton during the week after school and on saturday mornings. Come to think of it I didn’t get paid either but I didn’t do it for the money as I did it because I wanted to and I was accepted by the drivers as part of the team.
I can remember going to places like East Howle,Cassop Quarrington Hill, Kello and various farms in the area in the back of a van with the tailboard down, which because of Health and Safety, would not be allowed in these days. I certainly do not recall anyone who fell off. I seem to remember someone having 1/2lb of butter which hadn’t been ordered. It was taken out of the box by the girl from the shop on the van and she put it on the dash board to take back to the shop later. Unfortunately it was a very hot day and it melted right across the dashboard into the heater vents. The smell did disappear after a while! It was SUP 293E the first Transit van you got. There was always one woman from Chilton store who always insisted that a small van was used when it was her turn to go out delivering and your dad, being your dad, always sent the biggest van available. He told me he would send an artic if he could and wasn’t going to be dictated to by a woman shop worker. She would get a small van if there was one available and I suspect he made sure nothing was available when it was her turn.
I enjoyed those early days in my life at WHW
Peter
Hi Peter,
Sorry it’s taken a while to get back to you.
We delivered originally from the nineteen twenties for Thompson’s Spennymoor branch until it closed. Then Bishop Auckland branch which only survived a few years as it never was a success. West Cornforth branch which I knew best and thoroughly enjoyed and longed to get back to in term time whilst I was at school. Then Ferryhill branch and then Chilton branch.
It was very good advertising for my grandfather and father as we delivered to nearly every village in the area. From an early age, like you said I remember sitting the tailboard and running into the houses with the cardboard boxes of groceries. Originally it was the Bedford 15cwt CA Luton was it KMM? with my grandfather. I went with him all the time, before that we used the Commer van PUP101, and it predecessor even before that, but I hardly can remember that, and dad could just remember them using the horse and cart. Like you say Peter Health and Safety would go wild and say it was dangerous sitting on the tailboard today, but it was safe and great if it was a summer’s day.
You mention SUP293E as our first transit. It just seems like yesterday that dad and I were driving past Minories, the Rootes Group main agents in Stockton, on Portract Lane and outside with other used vehicles was this blue Ford Transit 15 cwt. standard van. When dad saw the price tag, he told me it was so cheap he would buy it which he did. It must have been almost new, as we had it well before AUP 241F, the Transit- Marsden luton. Minories said it had a problem that they couldn’t find and that was why it was so cheap. Thinking back now, surely it would have still been under guarantee, but perhaps in those days the guarantee was just for the first vehicle owner.
It speaks highly of the standard of the mechanics employed by Minories that they could not find what was wrong and shows that ‘training’ and the passing of exams never replaces experience and a ‘gift for the job’. Whatever the reason in the sixties before it was ever conceived that cars could be plugged into computers for diagnostic reports, no one at Minories had the ability to effect a repair, and dad purchased a very cheap Transit van.
The problem was that it started from cold fine, but once started although it would travel to London OK, if stopped would not start until the engine was full cool again. I remember collecting it from Stockton and travelling back through West Cornforth and getting down to Metal Bridge to turn left up to Thinford and stalling the engine, to find it wouldn’t start again and being left sitting until it cooled down.
Dad gave it to Uncle Jim and told him to put it right, which strangely for him he quickly did. He found there was a problem with the coil, that was overheating, did one of his repairs and it never was ever any trouble again.
Peter, I remember it being blue, but did we ever paint it? I cannot remember parting with it, but presumably we did so when we got one of the Transit Lutons or the CF Luton. Do you remember?
I note, Peter you say you enjoyed those early days of your life, and I can relate to that as I did, also, but don’t you agree with me that we learnt so much as well, and it certainly was more educational than we learnt at school
Carl
Hi All…They have actually blasted the stone to pieces, now I am awaiting delivery of the debri must drink lots of water 
, I have also just come from hospita last week aftyer slipping in the swimming pool and splitting my head,needed 9 staples surgeon said that my brain was in excellent condition and I should be working for NASA 
pleased to be back…had a quick look at some of the posts…Ron’s post there are still Harrisons living in front of the warehouse in marmaduke street, the man was called Matty died a lkong time ago but his wife and sons live there still…Colin’s post excellent idea and location, thanks to all of you.
Eddie
Hi Carl. The Transit did get painted and lettered in traditional WHW livery and, like you, can’t remember it being sold. You were right about it not starting when it was hot and uncle Jim putting it right. I think that everyone who drove it drove it to an inch of it’s life. I’ll mention no names but I think the people who wrote the last 2 posts were culprits. I can remember helping George Hardy (I was only 15 at the time) do a decoke on this, being a v4 engine. He did one head and I did the other & when it was reassembled, my side looked like new, in comparison, everything clean with new gaskets and all nuts and bolts with washers fitted (uncle Jim’s training). Georges side looked like it had done 200,000 miles and had a few spares left over but, remarkably, still worked. 
I can also remember going to Butlins holiday camp in Filey in this van with you, Carl, to deliver a fridge and a cooker and the following day going to Leicester to deliver 1 cooker, again it was spared no mercy but it was bought to be used and used it was.
Glad to hear you are on the mend Eddie I don’t think the bang on the head will have caused any damage but please be careful what you do in the future. I thought swimming was meant to be relaxing 
Colin, you can put my name on the list for October - I’d like to be there. 
Peter
Carl…came across these two photos the other day.
Eddie
edworth:
Carl…came across these two photos the other day.
Eddie
Hi Eddie
I am pleased you are well again. Isn’t it frustrating that they could put you right so quickly and yet made you wait so long?
Thanks for putting the two photos on. I live in hope of more appearing and yet when they do it’s always the last van you expect.
The first, the Dodge, I painted myself, and the lettering is vinyl which I put on. Believe it or not it was painted outside at Byers Green as it was too high to go inside the garage. I started on the front of the luton, and put a ladder up and as I went to get the paint tin and the brush, the wind blew the ladder down. I was lucky I was not up it at the time and so I went and found someone to hold the bottom for me.
Do you know where the second photo was taken? I can see it is a different van, but can’t recognise it.
Best wishes, and now you know about your brain, are you going to join Peter and become a brain surgeon.
Carl
Hi Carl, I remember the Dodge very well. The driver, Jeff Pye, who lived at Birtley, had parked it overnight near Nelson’s Garage and caught the bus home as usual to come back the next morning for his scheduled delivery. I was at the garage filling up with fuel when I was told by the pump attendant that someone had just been and punctured the fuel tanks and driven off. They had called the police and I think that I asked to use their telephone to call you. Both tanks had been holed right along, about 2inches from the bottom, and most of the fuel lost. I suspect that they were trying to put you off the road. At that time I was self employed at Trimdon and told you to bring it to my works as soon as possible the following day so that I could repair it. I welded both tanks up and the vehicle was back to work the same day. I suspect whoever did this was trying to put you off the road Carl, but they didn’t win and the Dodge lived to see many a day afterwards.
Peter
pbsummers:
Hi Carl, I remember the Dodge very well. The driver, Jeff Pye, who lived at Birtley, had parked it overnight near Nelson’s Garage and caught the bus home as usual to come back the next morning for his scheduled delivery. I was at the garage filling up with fuel when I was told by the pump attendant that someone had just been and punctured the fuel tanks and driven off. They had called the police and I think that I asked to use their telephone to call you. Both tanks had been holed right along, about 2inches from the bottom, and most of the fuel lost. I suspect that they were trying to put you off the road. At that time I was self employed at Trimdon and told you to bring it to my works as soon as possible the following day so that I could repair it. I welded both tanks up and the vehicle was back to work the same day. I suspect whoever did this was trying to put you off the road Carl, but they didn’t win and the Dodge lived to see many a day afterwards.
Peter
Hi Peter,
I was going to reply about the Transit then along comes the Dodge. I’ll say more about the transit another day.
The tanks on the Dodge was just one of the many things you did for me. I cannot thank you enough.
Was it the same day that thick black paint had been poured all over the cab front including the windscreen and you had managed to rub it off before it dried and went hard? Or was that another occasion?
That was a very black time in my life, which I have tried to forget. So much went on ending with dad’s aggravated burglary when he was almost killed. We both know who was responsible, but sadly he hasn’t yet died.
All that happened during those years, I have no doubt caused the problems I am facing with my dementia, today, but there it goes.
I’ll reply about the Transit shortly. They were happier days.
Carl
Carl, I wasn’t sure how, or whether, to post the incident about the Dodge because of the memories of the time associated with it. I had forgotten about the bitumen thrown over the windscreen and, yes, I did try to get as much off as I could that night while it was still fresh and the rest I managed to remove when it was brought over to get the tanks repaired. I believe the registration of the vehicle at the scene of the incident was a good give away and a shame the police could not make any charges stick. It was, indeed, a very bad time for you all. While those memories will never be far from the back of your mind there was an awful lot of support for you, your young family and your mam and dad.
This is now part of your past and, because of things which have happened to me, I quite often think of this quote:
“People will hate you, rate you, shake you, and break you. But how strong you stand is what makes you, you have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you meet it with courage and with the best that you have. Wash away the past and start clean. Leave no room for anger, fear, or jealousy; they are not your partners in health. Focus on the good things in your life, and make them a priority.” Hope this helps. Now for your topic on the Transit…
Peter.
P
Hi Carl…that was a good quote by Peter,I remember well when that incident happened with your Dad, if I had getting my hands on the ■■■■■■■ we are on about I would have made him eat his own ■■■■ ( sorry about the lingo, but I hate that guy for what he and his croonies did) anyway it shows how much of a idiot he is when he spent all that money at Darlo…the other wagon I think was in Kevin Dixons scrap yard at Stanley not a 100%, feeling a lot better now, all the best to everyone.
Eddie
