Derek Hall

Appearance of the house in the 1930s and 40s. Appearance of the village of Quaking Houses, street layout and position of landmarks. Boy drowned in pit reservoir. Shifting ground and subsidence, caused crack in field. Two friends set fire to a hut. Local characters. Lock-ins at the pub. Attitude of the managers, thought they owned the village, could threaten the sack. Quoits - local champion, local matches. Father had to be called back from a quoits match for his christening. Streets. Daily life, sanding the front step. Boxing - boxer threatening a family. Football team, changed in houses as no clubroom. Pitch and toss - father's rubbed penny accidentally used to in penny meter for lighting. Police after them. Shanty town, evicted, parents took in a child for a while. Local park. Decision to go into the pit, necessity really. Different coloured ambulances. Colliery houses - meant colliery repairmen. Father's small retirement gift. Pit work changed over time. Watching German prisoners of war work on the land, second world war. Could hear shots fired under the houses. Last time Busty banner went to Durham gala. Incident where friends borrowed his car and overturned it. More on quoits. Footballer, lived locally but played for Manchester when they were in the area. Looks at photographs. Snowy conditions. Potato picking for the farmers, hard work, being picked for labour. Dances common. Odd jobs for the farmer. Signing for armed forces reserve list. Very tired after day in pit. Knocked father's crystal radio into the tin bath. Father a pig killer, had to be careful as not using humane killer. Local shops. Castor oil and fevercure. Father fixed shoes. New Easter clothes. Repaired pit Wellingtons with puncture kit. Sportsmen paid to throw matches. Sports day - big take of bookies, handicaps put on better runners.

Location: Quaking Houses
County: Durham
AUD2006-23

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