Ernie Keedy
Passenger ferries on the Tyne. The Kelly, Mountbatten kept crashing it. Not many sailing boats left. Launching of ships a nuisance, had to stop working on the river. Launch of battleship George V - propellers weren’t attached until after, was involved in removing protective coverings from propeller shafts. Learning to swim and life saving lessons in local pool; playing in sea as a small child. River police didn't have much to do. During world war two worked as a special, checking where bombs had landed and guiding fire brigades in; blackout. Only got pocket money not wages because working for ...

George Patterson
Provided by Mr Eccles and Mr Branfoot. Family life, toilets and using the leek trench or ash heaps instead. Neighbours. The ash heap. Clippy and proggy mats. The house and the beds. The end of world war one - armistice. Fireplaces and heating. Siblings. Tin baths, miners getting clean but leaving their backs dirty. Colliery showers. School, school equipment. Discipline and at school and home, father had a cat o'nine tails and a hammer, disciplinarian. Eventually two of his sons attacked him back and made him stop hitting mother. Layout of house. Water supply. Keeping hens and allotments. Bakin...

Norah Balls and Connie Lewcock
Suffragette movement - meetings, going to parliament, involvement in fire at railway station, fooling the police. Petitions, meetings, manhandling.