Dear Sir,
On Monday 10th September 1951, my parents, Malcolm and Christina Denham, younger brother Malcolm and I took possession of a newly built house at the west end of Lee Green, Newton Aycliffe. I was five soon after, on 4th November.
Some of the names of our neighbours in Lee Green were Garbutt, Vos, Hindmarch, Johnson, Packard, Price, Greaves, Bellis, McKenna, Temple and McMahon.
I think the rent for this council house was about £3.00 per week, but my mum was happy to pay an extra 3p per week for a gas cooker and another 3p per week for a washing machine, which had a mangle.
We were on the edge of the town building work. Nothing, as yet, had been completed, to the north in Emerson Way and to the west in Walker Lane and Hopper Road.
To the west, there were the remains of Simpasture Farm, where the Iron Horse pub now stands, Outside of the bend, where Finchale Road met Simpasture Gate, was a small wooden hut, which was the Methodist Chapel, where Malcolm and I attended Sunday School.
On the inside of the bend was the home of the Stevens family who ran the Post Office. There were two shops in Finchale Road, the Post Office and Duncans the Grocer. Above the shops was a room used by many different organisations, including the St. John’s Ambulance Cadets, which I joined when I was 11. Adjoining the PO was Clarence Hall and between it and the railway line was the building used by the Church of England. Vicar Drewette lived in the first house in Clarence Chare.
My first school was in the Bede Crescent flats in the first two floors of the south section.
When at school, I remember watching the building of the Blue Bridge, a cow running up St. Cuthbert’s Way and listening to the funeral of King George VI.
We left when the new Sugar Hill School was opened. My father was one of the first to be employed at E.N.V. Engineering, which later became Eaton Axles.
When the Post Office transferred to the newly opened Neville Parade, Marjory Carey opened a hairdressers. My mum, Chris, started as a cleaner and then became the receptionist when it became known as Jacques.
I am sure that there are quite a number, who moved onto the town before me, or at about the same time, who are still living.
It would be great to hear from them. They knew the town when it was just starting.
Email: paul@newtonnews.co.uk
John Strachan Denham