South Steads farm

[John Hall]

I was borne at South Steads in 1948. My dad, Charlton Hall, farmed it and East Steads as tenant of the Burn Fireclay Co - ie the brickworks up by Stobswood pit. My first elementary school was at Red Row with the Pettica's bus picking us up at the farm road end just past the pub known then as The Bus (never knew why as its proper name was the Junction Inn!) I left the area in 1967 and both my dad and my mother, Iris, died in the late 80's after having moved down to the south west where I was.

They must have vacated the farm in the early '70s when it was taken for opencast after which of course no trace was left of the house and farm buildings.

I am interested now to find any further information about South Steads - I recall a plaque above the front door which read something like 1865, presumably when the house was built, but I don't think it belonged to Burns until later as to my knowledge the brickworks didn't start up until the early '20s and I believe my father's parents, John and Isa Hall, didn't move in until perhaps around 1930.

My dad, Charlton, was evidently in the Home Guard during the war - I have seen a couple of pictures taken of the local squad but I have not found him amongst them. I recall finding a 303 rifle lying about the place in early years, and he told me that had been his issued gun which he had used practicing in the pill boxes down at Druridge Bay waiting for the Germans to arrive! If anyone has any records from that time - did he have a military number ? - I would love to know about them, or any other anecdotal stories about him.