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Welcome to the Guestbook
Feel free to add messages relating to the site and the school. The only rules are: real names only, no personal attacks and no unrelated messages (inappropriate messages may be edited/withdrawn without warning).

It would be appreciated if you gave an email address, where you now live and said when you were at the school, but you don't have to.

Plase note that if you click on an email address below you will need to replace ~DOT~ with . and ~AT~ with @ in your email program. The Guestbook presents these this way to avoid email address harvesters collecting your email addresses from the page. I know it's a pain, but it's very much better than the alternative.

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Bruce Graham | bsgraham~AT~btinternet~DOT~com

Sort of linked into previous messages and sort of linked in to our old school.

When I joined the school in 1950 I was keen to joint the Scout Troop as my brother had done 5 years earlier. Major snag - there was a waiting list of several (9) months so I went off and joined a scout troop attached to St John's Presyterian church just behind the Town Hall.

As a result many happy camping trips in the wilds of County Durham and Northumberland including my First Class Hike which included a stretch along Hadrian's Wall and back to Haltwhistle.

Of course my Scout troop took part in the Good Friday parade/ demonstration which may or may not still exist.

Fri 6-Jun-2025 19:52 - ruskington lincolnshie

Alex Patterson, VUA 1946 - 1951 | ad1935ap~AT~gmail~DOT~com

Hello Mike, Neale and Bruce and everyone else,
It’s so good to see other inputs to our book and to know that you’re still competent enough to send emails.
As a footnote to my last entry I’ve walked Hadrian’s Wall in the company of Robson Green, the Geordie actor. The video is in three parts, about 40 minutes each section. When he’s passing through Hexham, where he was born and now lives, he bumped into an old colleague alongside whom he started his apprenticeship at Swan Hunter as a Ship Draughtsman. So Neale and I have something in common with a movie star.
He introduced his much older friend as his ‘mentor’ who was instrumental in Robson giving up ship draughting and taking up acting, with the wise words, “If it’s going to make you happy, go for it !!” And while Robson was relating the story he got quite emotional. He came across as a really nice humorous and unpretentious guy.
When I started at Hawthorn’s I had the same sort of overseer throughout my apprenticeship who was a “Journeyman”, someone who had already completed his apprenticeship and had been selected to look after a junior employee. I don’t know whether that position or concept still exists anymore. It was invaluable to me to be exposed to that follow-up training, which was invaluable to me. Peter Craggs was his name, he went to Vickers in Montreal as I did a few years later, and he ended up working for me. He said he taught me too well…and he did, He taught me not only the technicality of ship design, but about trying to do an honest day’s work and listen to the older members of the staff.
That’s all for this week, but it’s really great to see some letters again and know that you’re all still out there.
Best wishes from a sunny and warm evening in North York.
Alex

Fri 6-Jun-2025 00:43 - North York, Ontario, Canada

Neale Backhouse | neale1447~AT~gmail~DOT~com

Hi Mike,
This is great. The Guestbook is developing a party atmosphere.
First, thanks Alex for my ninety reminder. I think it's the 18th. At least that's the date my boys have insisted we should be celebrating.They wanted to do the Restaurant thing, but Liz said "Why spend all that money on the whole gang when us girls can do a fancy birthday lunch in the back garden." I liked that. So that's what we'll do.
You mentioned "Shields Walks" (I found them on You Tube). I feel that I don't need to visit the old town again, these walks are so well done. Much has changed and yet a lot remains to provide happy memories. Cars are everywhere, as they are in all urban areas these days. I also did Hexham and Rothbury and the sea front from Marsden to the pier. There is also an interesting car ride from Shields waterfront to Seaham. I felt I was sitting next to the driver as it wound it's way through a "new" Sunderland. (where we lived for four years).
Great to hear that you still enjoy the Gym experience, Alex. You're so right. If we hope to enjoy a few more years we have to stay mobile and pump the old heart rate up regularly.
Before I go I wonder if one of you has advice on how to free my computer of unwanted pop ups. I've tried one or two sites but the blighters keep showing up. And they're becoming more numerous.
Best wishes to all. Neale.

Wed 4-Jun-2025 21:29 - Victoria BC

Mike

I'm still here as well :-) ... a mere youngster, just turned 74 - and in haste (as always).

I don't think I saw the Vera episode in South Shields - night look it up. Occasionally there are bits from around here in Northumberland.

Rothbury has been a popular site for some films (well a couple) ... "The Currents Wars", some shot in Cragside ... "The Boy and the Bus", an independent film for which I edited a "behind the scenes" mini-documentary ... more recently, "28 Years Later", a zombie/virus horror from Danny Boyle, which comes out later this month.

Ann Cleeves never revealed where she got the name "stanhope" from in her books - but I would presume it was from Stanhope in Co Durham.

As for walking - not my scene at all!

Lovely to see a few continuing to contribute here - THANK YOU!

Tue 3-Jun-2025 12:37 - Rothbury

Alex Patterson, VUA 1946 - 1951 | ad1935ap~AT~gmail~DOT~com

Hello Bruce,
Thank goodness you're still with us. It's good to see that your computer is still working and you're still there to feed it. I was pleased to see that both of our erstwhile local teams have done well this year.
Speaking of “Vera”, I was in South Shields a few years ago when they were filming scenes with Brenda Blethyn opposite the library on Ocean road beside the ‘Man with the Donkey’ statue of Kirkpatrick. We later bumped into her at Minchella’s where they were filming on Beach Road, but the security was pretty tight. I think that must have been on our last visit in 2021. It’s been on TV here for maybe 10 years and we’ve seen a lot of the show. Her surname in the show is Stanhope, I don’t know whether or not that was a specific choice or just coincidental.
I notice that Mike Todd has been very vocal on Facebook about American politics and often manages to find some detrimental news or observations about Trump. Well Done Mike. Keep it up !!
I go to the gym here every day, using the treadmill, weights and floor exercises to keep me mobile. I find the treadmill a bit boring and thought I’d take my iPad down with me so I could at least watch something. My daughter Laura took me out for coffee the other day and while I was grizzling about the treadmill, she suggested I use podcasts to help pass the time. So I did, and the first one was ‘A Video-Walk, South Shields Market and Beach” It ran about 40 minutes and took me at walking speed from the ferry landing, The Word, market place, King Street, Ocean Road and sea front. There was no narration but the screeching of the seagulls was so irritating I had to switch the sound off. Since then I have done the “El Segundo Walk’ reliving our time in Los Angeles, Rothbury, Alnwick, Forres from my Airforce days and Hexham.
If you have a treadmill at home, give it a try…it beats looking at your reflection in the mirror, that’s what I otherwise do in our gym.
I just realized, this is my June contribution to my New Year’s Resolution.
Best wishes to all and to Neale birthday wishes for your 90th on the 8th, 18th or 28th, I can never remember, but there again, I’m already 90.
Alex from a delightfully sunny and warm North York.

Mon 2-Jun-2025 23:56 - North York, Ontario, Canada

Bruce Graham | bsgraham~AT~btinternet~DOT~com

Regarding the comments (mine included) concerning the paucity of contributors, Shakespeare came to mind ."We few, we happy few"!

I heard an interesting comment from a Newcastle lass on TV recently. " There are two types of people in England. Geordies and those who want to be Geordies" I'm sure that We deserters from our roots all look back with affection to our time on Tyneside all those years ago.

I don't know if the marvels of UK TV streaming services extend to Canada but if they do the ITV series "Vera" is worth watching for a lot of scenes set in SS.

Sunderland in the Premier League!! I watched their qualifying matches against Sheffield United with my heart in my mouth and was taken back to my boyhood - getting on the bus to go to Roker Park. Bus fare 4 pence, entrance to the ground 6 Pence (I think).

Len Shackleton transferred from Newcastle to Sunderland and opened a sports shop next to the swimming pool. Maximum pay for footballers £20 per week.

Keep smiling.

Fri 30-May-2025 16:28 - ruskington lincolnshie

Alex Patterson, VUA 1946 - 1951 | ad1935ap~AT~gmail~DOT~com

Dear all,
Sunderland have won their way back into the First Division (Ooops, Premier League) in the very last minute of added-on time. I'm a Newcastle fan but love the rivalry. Howay the Lads
Alex,
From a sunny but cool North York.

Sat 24-May-2025 18:08 - North York, Ontario, Canada

Alex Patterson, VUA 1946 - 1951 | ad1935ap~AT~gmail~DOT~com

Hello…Is anyone out there…Hellooooo, Neale , Bruce, Mike, Alan and Eric etc.
I promised myself I would contribute at least once a month throughout the year as well as replying to other letters that may come in. It’s working so far. Bruce mentioned that Good Friday had passed and I’m sure many of us have memories of those days, when the old timers would be matched against a local team. I remember seeing Warney (Warnford) Cresswell, but I’m not sure whether or not if my distant cousins, Bobby and Jack Charlton and Jackie Milburn ever played there. They are related to me through the Swinney and Paxton families of Ashington. Never met them never got a free ticket to any game, not even the Old Timers.
Victoria Day has just been celebrated here in Canada. So my eldest daughter drove to Toronto to pick me up for last weekend to go to her home on Georgian Bay. A beautiful home on the shore of Lake Huron. She wheels her kayak down her garden into the lake. I was out in the canoe but the weather wasn’t clement enough for me and I don’t like being too far from the shore. I’ve got my lifejacket on and I still swim once a week at the local geriatric pool …but they’re all old folk there and don’t even like getting wet!!.
Anyhow the reason for this month’s episode is that while I was at Katherine’s it was pissitively pottling down on Saturday and Katherine introduced me to AI (Artificial Intelligence, not as one of Trump’s spokespersons called it on air last week, “A ONE”). I wasn’t familiar with the use of it but after she gave me a couple of examples, I became hooked on it, and have been trying all sorts of questions. Most of which I figured would baffle AI. But to my surprise answers came thick and fast…roughly after about 5 seconds after entering my questions. One question I asked was about Newcastle United and the answer came back, ending with “Howay the Lads” I recognize there is a bit of a dichotomy about its use but I don’t think I am prominent enough in my queries to be affected by mistaken or misleading answers. I’d be interested in hearing Mike’s thoughts on the subject and of course the thoughts and experiences of any of our readers…if there are any out there other than us.
Bye from a cold, rainy and blustery North York.
Alex

Fri 23-May-2025 02:31 - North York, Ontario, Canada

Bruce Graham | bsgraham~AT~btinternet~DOT~com

As it's Good Friday I got to thinking whether or not there is still the parade and gathering in front of the old Town Hall - collapsed or not?

I seem to remember that I had difficulty getting to the town from the outskirts of the Sutton Trust estate as the buses didn't start running until 9 AM.

The ancient ones reading this will understand.

Fri 18-Apr-2025 20:55 - ruskington lincolnshie

Alex Patterson, VUA 1946 - 1951 | ad1935ap~AT~gmail~DOT~com

Hello Mike, Neale and Bruce,
Thank Goodness!! It's such a relief to learn that there are at least two more un-popped cloggers out there. Though it seems that neither of you saw the 'collapsed Town Hall' on Facebook. I still haven't had a reply from the Gazette. I'll keep plugging away at it until I get some satisfaction. At the moment I'm like 'The Rolling Stones'...not getting any.
Cheers, from a light snowy North York,
Alex

Thu 10-Apr-2025 19:46 - North York, Ontario, Canada

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