Thomas Green

Streets of Gateshead as a child; describes family - tiny mother. Parents went to Newcastle market each Saturday and stopped for a drink. Brother once invited up on stage at Scala theatre. Father a glass blower, started Sunderland glassworks; Thomas also trained for this. Castle Garth clog shops. Children in rags, would beg for food at factory gates. Stole fog signals from railway yard, would make noise if you threw a brick at them. Made coppers taking old pets to the slaughterhouse. It also killed injured horses. Quoits, watching rowing, played in river. Picking up flour and yeast for people, flour got in a pillow slip. Saw a Zeppelin and brothers in world war one, one gassed, another POW. Brief on school, then tried to get into Montagu pit shortly before the accident but not given job. Started at shipwrights, had to scull boss across the river every day. Catching salmon in river. Worked as glassblower in Chesterfield but packed up as daughter in hospital after car crash. Married a "bad 'un", from family of hawkers. Son trained as electrician but hopeless so then went into taxis. Injured in the war, spent time in naval hospital. When he got home one time his wife had left. Dances as a teenager at the Oxford Galleries. Watching football. Working as a taxi driver, narrow escape from a serial killer - put him into another cab, whose driver was then killed - had to identify the man to the police. Knew the Jewish community via a local scrap merchant. Buying car.

Location: Gateshead
County: Tyne and Wear
AUD2007-25

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