anon Benwell couple

Peg lived in Paradise village - grandparents had boathouse pub. Playing by railway embankment. Ferry trips over the Tyne. Area nicknamed Saddlers square. Big parties around the piano. Father put car engines on old lifeboats, went on boat trips. Ovaltiney. Relative an engine driver, would throw coal off the train for them as it went by. Evacuation to Lake District - school there, digging for victory, thought would have to be well behaved to stay with vicar. Jack not evacuated in world war two, but no school - took allotments instead. Air raids, planes nearby. Getting batteries recharged. Jacks grandfather lost leg to a horse on Scotswood Road. Jack became a policeman - positioning of stations. Became Bevan boy - man gained faith in God when survived an accident, now a faith healer. Effectively did extra work as policeman coming home on tram. Family in Paradise with pet duck. A few black men. Old women acting as midwives. Trips upriver to Ryton. Soldiers billeted nearby. Chores - blackout curtains. Jack changed pit as couldn’t get to one assigned in winter of 1947, snow. Peg - journey up Scotswood Road from work at Fenwicks, scared. Drinkers and pubs. Irish mail train every night. Interview process for Fenwicks. Jack - work at Vickers, soon on complex machinery. Helped build air raid shelters. Incident at Royal Show flower tent in 1962, met queen's rose grower. Incident while policing, arranging emergency medical supplies to be motorbiked to Whitehaven.

Location: Newcastle west end
County: Tyne and Wear
AUD2007-169

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