Growing Up in Sunderland. A baby boomer's tale

Mid fifties and i remember the crusty loaf sarnies with the odd bit of scrounged pie in the middle(monkey house).
Have also crawled thru double bottoms many many times at pickies.

 

This thread has had me thinking all day of home.

Getting the bus into town with me grandad, used to cost him 10p, watching through the windows at crowtree at the diving pool?

Walking back to his house in Milfield, past what he told me was cowies office and how he knew him.

Grandad only going for a pint at the buffs club, it must have been massive as he was there all night

I officially miss home

 

Must be very similar age but born in the dales as mother was an evacuee who stayed on. Holidays were in Sunderland with days on the beach, Notriannis ice-cream, playing on the lions in Mowbray Park and the smoke and sound from the glassworks at the top of the street. Football mad Uncle who indoctrinated me at an early age.
Reminded by Chunks post of wiping my hand along the sills of Cowies window and getting them black with soot. Also going along Hylton road from bubblegum machine to bubblegum machine turning the knobs to see if someone had forgotten the “buy 4 get a free one”(I think!)

Grandparents were in Granville St

 

Born 1966, brought up in Hastings Hill, went to Broadway and then Thornhill school for A levels.
One of my first football memories is the 73 Cup final, and remember standing for ages on the Station Taxis rank in town to cheer the bus.
IIRC a roar went up and everyone started cheering and it turned out to be a crane coming along the route?!
Being brought up in Sunderland in the 70's and 80's feels more like a 'different country' than a different time:
The edge at the match
fights between neighbouring schools
Roker Park
the beach / Marsden being rammed whenever the temperature got over freezing
Notrianni's ice cream shop every time I went to town with my mam or dad
The kids cinema club at the Odeon on a Saturday morning
Hanging around in the ridiculously fumed bus shelter (but avoiding the station skins)
Elizabeth's restaurant every Saturday afternoon after doing the shopping with my nana (that I think closed down last year?)
the Lesuire Centre
the stupendous levels of youth unemployment when I left Broadway in 82 after O levels.

Left Sunderland in mid eighties to go to University in Birmingham.
Spent 4 or 5 years offshore, partied as if there was no tomorrow on my time off - mostly memories of pubs and nightclubs during that time - then back to university in York mid nineties.

Moved back to Sunderland late nineties for a few months until work in London surfaced but got a job in Newcastle first, moved to Fatfield down on the river and ended up in Newcastle.

Now looking at the final kid being 16 and thinking 'in two years he'll be gone'.

I could go on with the list above like!

 

Why not go on.
This is social history.
You know something.
The last time I lived in the house I was raised in was 1977. I moved to London, then in 1980 overseas.
In the very late 90's I went back for a visit and drove down rosedale terrace in fulwell and parked the car outside.
I then proceeded to cry my eyes out
The memories of my mam, dad and nana ( all passed on at that stage ) . Playing with kids in our street. Playing in the snow.
It was a crappy little 2 up 2 down and most of the time there was 6 of us in it. Outside bog and a coal house, but it was and remains ( in my heart ) my home.
That someone was living in it was a dagger to the heart.
Mad isnt it

 

Mad it isn't mate!

At our age our family has probably been the focus of our entire life for two or more decades, and we realise that we've been living on a 'gerbil wheel' - running like f*ck just to keep things going.

So we have time to reflect on what's happened up to this point and start to try to make sense of it all.
'Where the f*ck has that time gone and why the f*ck did that happen?'
And we try to make sense of life - 'has it all been worth it?'

Sobbing like a child on a street in Sunderland that you haven't been on in 40 years because it brought back all of the people and memories that we left behind and haven't had time to process seems to me to be an eminently sane and rational thing to do.


Cont'd...
Sitting on the back of the lions in Mowbray Park
Fishing for little fish in the pond
Going into the pet shop every Saturday and looking at the fish and the African Grey parrot
Running around the sand hills between Grindon and Thorney Close like victorian Street urchins
Watching the A19 getting built from the top of my cul-de-sac at Hastings Hill

Anyone with any more?

 

having to sit on a plank of wood across the arms of the barbers chair
Dad being a milk man with the Co-oP had one of those old Bedford flat bed trucks. Huge engine block inside the cab, great in the winter, sauna like in the summer. I was about 5 and he used to leave his tab on the engine casing to run up someone's path and I took a drag, best thing I ever done, never touched one since. Standing on top of the crates on the back of his truck, looking over the cab as he flew down Bamburgh Avenue, no H&S in those days. He used to give us a bottle of orange juice, then smash the empty on the side of the truck and claim he dropped it.
We used to deliver to this old creepy house in South Shields, with a single old lady in it and as young uns we used to say she was a witch. One day it was my turn to run down the side of her house and leave her milk just before the side gate. I did as I was told, turned round and the witch was right there, I screamed like a little lass and dad coming round shouting what's going on. "I thought he was pinching my apples". I haven't **** myself so much, as a matter of fact the scream didn't come out straight away, I had to force it.
Our treat was a bacon sandwich half way through his round at the bus station canteen in Shields, only problem was the snotty nosed local tramp would be in there as well
Cigarette Components social club, the kids pantomime at the Empire every year, bastard miles away it was, took us ages. Free box of dairy milk for every kid, which would be gone before we even pulled off, sick as a dog by the time we finished our mammoth journey

 

Im relatively young-ish as was born in 72. I left the North East in 1989 after growing up arond, Hendon, Millfield, then leaving to move to Washington in the early 80s.
Considering I spent a comparatively short spell of my life in Sunderland itself , it has nonetheless managed to achieve a huge hold over me (Im a sentimental soul).
From the lions (the proper ones) at Mowbray Park, going to play lawn bowls with my granda at Barnes Park and obviously the town as I have great memories of being taken to Josephs to buy subbuteo teams or scaletrix cars, Joplins underground Toy store where I saw Darth vader not long after seeing Star Wars at the Odeon. Wining a prize for dressing up as a wizard at the Odeon Saturday club (in something I htink made from curtains a la Sound of Music.
I have no real memories of ship yards, coal mines (most of my family were armed forces) or local industry to make me sentimental but it doesnt make me any less proud than other regarding our rich history (and thats off the football field).
I often think I over romanticise about the area I love, so much so I came back. Whilst it fills me with pride every time I walk across the bridge to the match or wander through some of our amazing public parks and open spaces (the beach) it still upsets me greatly how magnificent a place Sunderland once was in its heyday. Whilst also not forgetting there was a lot of poverty here for many throughout the years, its never dampened my love for the place. I know others who have left, never to return, but theres always been something that brings me back to my birth home. Whilst Ive vistid and lived in many places around the world, Ive only ever called one place home. Sunderland.

 

I was never allowed to get pop from the pop van that came around...hence I am a violent sociopath with a deep hatred of everything

 

apart from pop

 

Yes. And Border Terriers.

 

In my late 50's now. Grew up in Sunderland, just off Chester Road. Football daft since I could walk.
First match was against Watford, when Joe Baker was Centre Forward. Went to all the home games with my 2 cousins, who were both in their 20's.
Played footy down Barnes Park. I was a winger, and used to practice running at full pelt with the ball to an imaginary by-line and crossing on the run.
Represented Sunderland Boys at Under 11's.
Only game I missed during the 73 cup run was the Semi Final as I was at Middleton Camp with the school.
Queued for an eternity for cup final tickets, and got one. Never saw Monty's save, cos lads in front were holding banners up. I was in the seats and heard a big roar go up from the Leeds fans (about the only time I heard them), then an almighty roar from our lads. Fantastic day and my one abiding memory wasn't of the match strangely enough. It was of the noise of the Sunderland fans in Euston station - Deafening!
Left school, managed to get a job in a dole office. This was at the time when the shipyards closed. Seeing the look on the faces of the men as they came to sign on was heartbreaking.
I was looking to buy a house around that time, and the pay was sh*te, so followed a mate of mine into the Prison Service. Got posted to Reading, and managed to scrape a living, because house prices were extortionate and interest rates were up at 13%. Made a killing when I got posted back to North East mind, when I made 13k on the house in as many months.
Moved back to North East, and settled in Penshaw. Got a European bravery award for pulling two blokes out of a burning car, while I was on my way to work.
Remained in Prison Service until they gave the courts and escorts to Group 4, then I left as I didn't fancy just opening and shutting doors all day.
Moved into Sales, and my career has meant that I have spent a few years living in Prague. Never could work out why Czech women were gorgeous and Czech men were slobs. Beer was cracking!
Worked in Portugal for a number of years too. Probably would've still been there if it hadn't been for the Credit crunch.
One thing about living abroad that still connects you to the city, is the undying love of SAFC.
I'm back in Penshaw now, and a Season card holder again, along with my 2 daughters. I hope that one day they will be as fortunate as myself, and will witness Sunderland winning at Wembley.

 

Remained in Prison Service until they gave the courts and escortsto Group 4, then I left as I didn't fancy just opening and shutting doors all day.

Got out at the right time it went down hill drastically after that
I retired now after 30 years

 

Travelling along Fawcett St. going home to Monkwearmouth one night in early December in the late 40,s, sitting on a polished wooden seat next to my mother on a shaky old tram car pulling away from Binns corner and looking up at the illuminated Town Hall clock and the glowing large black cast iron lamp standards freshly defined with white snow, huge flakes still silently falling out of a dark sky, and lighting up the whole street ahead was one of my earliest memories.

 

Yes mate. Definitely no regrets. Still in touch with a few of my ex-colleagues. The only things I missed was the banter amongst the staff and being referred to as a good screw!!

 

Luxuries
I remember our first car..it was about 1963 and it was at least a 10 year old ford popular. 0-60 in 25 minutes. My mother had just returned to work after dropping our boy, dad worked in the yards. Quids in.
Mam, dad, me and our boy and me nana drove to keswick in 1966 for 2 weeks in a caravan. It pi55ed down every day. Me ganny loved it..looking out the caravan at people in tents getting washed away and uttering the immortal n.e. refrain 'eeeeeeh our billy ( my dad ) look at them poor buggers' and variations of wallowing in other peoples misery.
The day we left was the day of the world cup final ( England vs west Germany) . Me dad was frantic for an early away so as to get to the royal marine with his marras for a slurp before k.o. at 3.00 pm. Of course it wasnt like that. Our boy had the 5hites and the car was bogging all the way home despite the various stops to clean the little get up.
Happy days
We got back in time....what a fantastic game and the excitement and feeling we were the best in the world.

 

To add a bit more....
Every year as a kid my grandmother would take me snd my two cousins to the panto at the Empire. We would always get front row tickets. Embarrassing myself when they wanted kids on the stage and I got stage fright.
Watching the FA Cup bus parade go past my mam and dads VG shop opposite The Board Inn.
Going to the park in Herrington off Foxcover Lane and being scared ****less about some supposed thug called ‘Skeggsy’ who was apparently hard as nails and would knack anyone he saw. Weirdly I never met him or even saw him.
Getting detention every week in the third year seniors for something I had or hadn’t done thought up by a certain science teacher. I wasn’t the best pupil but I didn’t deserve that!!
As I got older going to the heavy metal night at the Mecca. Some good nights were had there.
Going to visit my grandad in Barnes Park - he was a green keeper there. And then again when I was older playing tennis there on the courts.
Going to work at Janet Frazer in Hendon and meeting my first serious girlfriend there. I was a coward the way I finished with her - she didn’t deserve it - sorry LP!
I will have loads more memories to post once I remember them.

 

Yeh I’m still in touch with the lads and meet up regularly
Loved the banter

 

Thought of some more happy memories from home

Going to the corner shop for a 10p mix up and spending ages deciding what to get
Chips from Ted Pearies (Sp) on a Friday
Playing by a roller shutter delivery door at Pyrex
Catching sticklebacks in Barnes Park
Going back home for my Grandad's funeral and about 300 members of the Buffs Club turning up at the graveside to pay their respects, then going back to his club and paying £1.05 for a pint

 

Born in 66
First real Sunderlnd memory was in 73 - the cup final win and my dad and Grandad had gone there. I was at home with my Mam and Grannie and family in South Hylton watching it on a telly we had rented so we could watch in colour.
Journeys up town on the Jolly Bus
Mad mad sessions in the Crowtree Ice Rink
Drinking Carlsberg Special Brew in the phone boxes outside the bus station ion Fawcett street
Heroes underage night club
School fights - Thornhill v Broiadway v St Aidans versus whoever else
Grindon Boys Youth club
Roker Park on a Saturday walking from my Granny's house
Watching the elite of Wayne Entwhistle and Barry Dunn
Hoping like anything that the mighty Stan Cummins would turn it around
Watching that season we won game s 6-0, 6-1, 4-0, with Big Jim Holton 6´2 leading the line and ending in that game where Coventry took the p***
Wanting to exit the city for opportunity.
Not lived there for 40 years now BUT its still home