In the summer, we usually had some Sundays when we would meet up with my mam's family at either Crimdon or where Durham Cricket ground is now. A donkey stood on my bare foot outside the cafe at Crimdon once - bloody knacked and it wouldn't move!
Duffering down the brook, bar to bar on the swings, 2p box of matches for camp fires up the fields, hunting for Xmas presents, denim jackets with Sunderland patches.
From about 8, I grew up in the countryside so we did things like getting into people's hay barns and rearranging the old square bales to make tunnels and chambers and stuff and then hanging about in them. We'd go off across the fells and poke around in the tunnels and openings of some of the old lead mines, swim in the little reservoirs up there, wander round in the abandoned, falling down farmhouses. Surprised we survived.
Done the same in Easington. Home made sledges bombing down Tower Street. Normally stopped by hitting the pit wall. Great times.
Reminded me of some caves not far from us and we would happily go in there exploring. Too innocent to be scared I suppose.
Used to buy these Bought loads of them, tho can only remember 2 or 3 from those above. 'Wacky Packages' although I admit, couldnt remember that either. Must have been the early 70s, just me? Ps should probs have said, they're stickers, want to say they were in a packet with bubble gum but pos getting mixed up with bazooka there.
And you would put the same clothes on from the day before and didn't dream about brushing your hair before you went out, I loved the fact no one really cared what you looked like or what you wore, you were just out with your mates without the material things that the kids nowadays judge each other by
100% mate. I had my Sunday gear, school gear, and then a jumble sale on a shelf in my cupboard as a kid. I even remember grass stains and ripping the knee out but not worrying because mam would just patch them or let you were green stained jeans and nobody cared.
Playing with glass allys (marbles) in the dusty road side gutter - or in the garden playing ‘ringy’ or holey(like golf but played with said allys). There was always one beggar who would play allys with a big iron benker.
I remember something very similar in Washington although in the 80s I recall it being a 50p special. Pretty certain there was a plastic cone with ice cream and a bubble gum at the bottom with an ice lolly and more ice cream on top. Would be about a tenner now.
Sounds like what we called a screwball mate. I'm talking about mid to late 70s like...maybe into 80/81...
All the sounds from the river, and surrounding factories, then the magical silence of a Sunday in the quiet sunlight filled streets of canny old Monkwearmouth.
Can still get screwballs but not seen one with an ice lolly in it. Cider lolly was always my favourite from the van
