There was also a drift in the field between south broomhill sec. school and druridge avenue.

3 familys i attended red row school with lived in the willows,the greys, moors, and commons.

my father was at Acklington RAF and civvie from 39 to 69, Officers mess ,and sgts mess manager. I have some pics of people serving there in 60s and of HRH Queen Mums visit somewhere

Re: The Willows
 

.........and the District Nurse, prior to a new house being provided at Hadston.

Before the days of television my parents sometimes took me to this picture house. I have two main memories of it:
One is that it showed so many Westerns that everyone called it "The Ranch".
The second is that, if we got there early we could sit in a particular row, because two or three seats in the row in front were missing so I had a good view of the screen even though I was a young child.

The Cinema and dance hall were owned by Ralphie ?? he lived in green-tiles I think. The manager of both was a Mr Mavin, a friend of my dad . I used to get free into both when I went , I think the last ones in sixties toi run dances was Stuart Manders his family had Manders Amusements in Amble that would be mid sixties, The Coop was next to Dance hall ???

Pettica Brothers Garage
 

Across the road from the Grey Arms. John Pettica was real a nice guy, he broke it to me so gently when my old van failed its MOT being only fit for the scrap heap. Think their family came from Italy

Having tapped the bro in law's cerebral gold mine, he says Hetheringtons were in there in the 1940s, and that's as far back as he can remember :)

The owner of the picture hall and dance hall was Ralphie Watson apparently.

As well as this one and the Willows there was another drift entry for Broomhill behind the Buffs.

The owner of the garage was Jackie Liddle. before it was a garage it was a betting shop...Chisholms?

5 houses made up the Willows. There were the three families above and the district nurse and the Gowards. And that's exhausted the my poor bro in law's brain for today :D

Betting shops only became legal in 1961 so this must have been a covert operation but my mother did mention someone before that being a "bookies runner".

Re: Bookies
 

That garage was a going concern, certainly until I left Red Row School in 1955. My Grandfather was badly injured in a mining accident and had a three-wheeled invalid chair. He had it serviced at that garage and asked me to get it back to his house after school. I thought that the easiest way to get it to Hadston would be to sit in it and propel myself along. WRONG. I was all over the road, pavement, a few grass verges, didn't know how to brake etcetera. It must have taken years off my life, given quite a few who saw me a good laugh, and took me about an hour to get the blessed thing to Granda's bungalow. I think he gave me a tanner for doing that for him! But experience it gave me - never volunteer!! Little wonder that I went bald earlier than most.

What about the McKenzies. I am sure I did not imagine going to my aunts house for a bite to eat rather than face those horrible school dinners at Red Row infants, raw sliced potatoes on the hot pot and watery custard. Oh and the comics she used to buy us, great.
You will have to tax his brain again when he`s up to it.

Yes Jackie Liddle and before him we think it was Teasdales Garage

Yes Billy Mavin ran the picture hall he lived across the road from the house in the photo near the Hebron Hall

Yes he does remember the McKenzies. Strangely we were talking about them a couple of months ago, in the context of Betty MacKenzie?

the garage at red row was owned by jackie liddle who moved into the buffs club his late wife used to make china things

Betty is my cousin from down south and France at one time I believe