Village Life



Colin Gibson was born in Fishburn in 1941.He has lived in the village all his life apart from nine years service in the Royal Navy.
Due to ill health Colin had to retire from work. He now devotes a great deal of his time researching and writing, about the village of Fishburn.
The following pages are extracts from a book he is currently writing about the people and the village Of Fishburn.
Colin would like to thank Lisa Bennison and the people of Fishburn (past and present) for their co-operation with his research.
All factual dates on early history have been taken from Surtees history and Palatine of Durham.

At the turn of the 20^th century the pit was sunk. In 1911 the first colliery houses were built followed by Park view and Maughan Terrace in 1912. The village was now beginning to grow steadily to accommodate the influx of miners and their families. The growth of the village has continued to the present day. Recently the Manor Park and Elderberry Mews estates have been completed, work is on going on the Hall Farm estate and is near completion. There is talk of more estates to be built on the fringes of the village, and I feel the village will continue to grow for many years to come.
As in all villages, Fishburn always had a focal point where people could meet, dance. share their skills. Or  socialize.
Prior to the granary of the old mill, the old church elementary school, which was situated to the east of St.Catherines church had been the focal point since 1851. Church services were held here, until the opening of St Catherines church in 1922. The bell of the old school is still in St.Catherines church, unfortunately it is not in operation at the moment. Hopefully the bell will ring again in the next century. Fishburn Millennium Group are raising funds to make this possible. The bell has been repaired free of charge by Hallcalm (UK ltd) 6,Parsons Road.N.East Industrial Estate, Peterlee. The bell tower will hopefully be built in the near future.
After the church had opened people were not interested in the school, and its popularity declined.
In the early 1920s. the Good Templers Lodge was formed. In 1922 they managed to buy the granary of the old mill. The intentions of the lodge were to convert the hard working, hard drinking miners to mend their ways and give up the evil drink.
Also in the early 20s there was a Salvation Army citadel situated at the rear of the post office on the Front Street.
After intensive refurbishment, the granary remained the focal point of the village. That was until the first Working Mens Club was opened.The club was originally two large houses built on the old Blackiston Manor estate.

1925 saw the coming of the cinema, the Alhambra picture hall was built. There were two evening performances and a Saturday afternoon matinee. The cinema was very popular and always had full houses.With the introduction of the television the cinemas appeal faded. The cinema was converted into a bingo hall. As many picture houses across the country did at this time as the bingo craze hit Britain. Eventually the bingo hall shut, it was later converted into a grocery shop, unfortunately the building is not used for anything at the moment.

The Miners Welfare Hall was opened in 1927.All Dances swung to there. Live bands appeared sometimes with a singer. In those days this was considered to be a big night out even though there was no alcohol on sale. The building has always been active even until today.
In 1947 an amateur dramatics and operatic society was formed, the group produced many plays and musicals, raising money for various charities in the village. Again due to the introduction of the television in the 1950s their popularity faded, as a result the society split up
In 1961 the existing Working Mens Club was opened, due to the sale of alcohol and the facilities within the club it became more popular than the Welfare Hall.

The following buildings have been important to the growth and the culture of the village.

The First Methodist Chapel
This was originally two stone houses converted into one building in 1846. The building accommodated Approx. fifty worshipers.it claimed at one time to be the smallest and oldest chapel on the N.East circuit. After the building ceased to be a place of worship In 1937.Ted Aitkin (butcher) bought it and converted it into the shop area of his business. The shop still serves the community today. The shop fascia now covers the actual date stone (dated1846).
The Three Horse Shoes
To the best of my knowledge this pub has stood on the site for at least 225 years. Vaux Breweries celebrated their 200^th year of supplying the pub with beers in 1974. Through my research, William Swinbank Reed has pointed out that his grandfather told him that there had been a pub on the site for over 450 years (although it may not have been the same building)
At one time, possibly the 1800s the pub bore the name the Salters Arms. As salters camped along Salters Lane on trek to deliver salt. Several landlords have heard strange noises, and experienced strange goings on at night in the pub. It is believed there is a ghost, fortunately It is a friendly one!!
During the First World War, a patient from Winterton asylum hung himself in the carthouse of the pub. One explanation of where the ghost originated from.
The Beehive (The Good Doctor)
The pub like many throughout the land started as a farmhouse. It was converted to a pub approx. 150 years ago or earlier.
In 1851 M r. John Weatherall was the proprietor. In 1895 William Reed left the Windmill Inn which was situated opposite the existing church and became proprietor of the Beehive.
William demolished several of the outer farm Buildings, to create parking space, keeping only one. This building was used later as a gym by the local boxing club.
Unfortunately the pub was gutted by fire in 1989.The Vaux Brewery extensively refurbished it and renamed it the Good Doctor, in honour of Dr.Beveridge.
Fishburn Hall
This was a fine old building, which stood adjacent to the co-op store on Butterwick Road. It was used as a domestic dwelling for many years and was built in the 1300,s. It could have been a boys school as several people have referred to it in their writing,if it was it must have been in the late 1800,s. The hall stood empty for a while and was used to store farm produce.
In the late 1940-50,s it was in a pretty bad state of repair and was demolished in 1953-54. This building was also believed to be haunted, eye witnesses had all seen wet footprints on the upper floor as though someone had stepped out of a bath. The hall had been the home to many of the important families of the village.
Elderberry Hall Farm
This is the only working farm remaining within the village. The hall dates back to 1725 or earlier .it is farmed presently by John Tinkler, for his father, William.It is an elegant building, recently part of the land was sold off, to allow the Elderberry Mews site to be built.
The Old Mill
The old mill stood on the eastern fringe of the village, near to where the bowling green stands today. The mill is the only item in Fishburn mentioned In the Bolden book (the Norths equivalent of the Doomsday Book). The bolden book was a record of the see of Durham for Hugh Pudsey, with an account of its revenues, rents and customs, it was recorded in 1183 thus proving the longevity of the mill. The mill site consisted of two cottages and a granary.
In1933 the whole site was cleared to make way for two houses, Aysgarth and Croft House.
The Old Church Elementary School
The earliest I have managed to trace the school back is 1839.As it was in that year a Miss Chilton died leaving an endowment of £5-09s per year, to be used for the education of three poor children of the parish. The rector at that time also gave £5-00 for the same purpose. Sometime between 1839-1851 the school had a fire. As in 1851 it was rebuilt by public subscription.In 1852 Lord Crewes trustees granted the school £10-00 towards the rebuilding of the schoolroom.
In 1884 it became a national school with places for 70 pupils. In 1906 the school expanded to accept 103 pupils,it was used as a school until 1930, as in 1929 the larger brick building section of the school was opened.
Prior to this there was only the tin building on the site, which couldn't cope with the increase in the population of the village due largely to the influx of people working in the coal mining industry.
         

The People And There Pastimes
In the early1900,s there was no television or perfected radio sets, people used to listen to the cats whisker radio sets for news, music etc. The cats whisker radio sets were a very primitive contraption and you could hardly hear a broadcast on them.
Other pastimes at this time were reading, sewing, playing cards, whist drives became very popular and gambling was rife.
Childrens pastimes included hide and seek tiggy, itchy dabba (played with a shoe polish tin) booling and skipping. For more information on games and pastimes contact Beamish museum, Stanley, County Durham.
George Patterson
George was a farm hand who lived in a gypsy type caravan, which was by the side of the pond at the front of the Three Horse Shoes pub. Down the road from the pub (away from the Village) there was and still is a pond.
George (or as he was known locally Geordie) used the pond to have a bath, he could often be seen doing the full monty. The pond became known as Geordies pond, even to the present day.
Tommy Armstrong
This chap bred and sold rabbits .he kept them on the top floor of the Coatham building. During his life he travelled the length and breadth of the UK.. Advising people on cavies.
Tommy invented the first self-clean rabbit cage. He also claimed that he had once lent Marks Of Marks and Spencer £5-00 so that he could set up his first shop, as he only had market stalls at that time.
Billy Gibson
Billy was N.C.B. boxing champion for three consecutive years (1949-51).In 1950 he was successfull in defending his title at Wembley, London.
Prior to this bill had fought in 110 contests, and had only been defeated seven times, and he had never been knocked out.
He later moved to Doncaster and joined Bruce Woodcocks stable (turning professional at this point)
Billy still lives in Doncaster, but sadly is in an old peoples home. Like so many champion boxers before him, it is not a very fitting end.
Vic Chapman
Vic moved to Fishburn in 1963 after the closure of Trimdon Grange pit, where he had developed an interest in first aid.
He joined the St.Johns ambulance brigade in Fishburn, later he became secretary and held the post until 1982. Vics dedication throughout the years has kept The organization alive in the village .all of the Chapman family were involved at one time in the
1980s and the organization acquired its very own ambulance, of which they are very proud.
Bazzler Buck
Bazzler was a little vagrant, who would always turn up on threshing days at farms in 1930s-40s.He was always given simple tasks (like moving chaff, as he was never any good for much else on the farm) when the grub came up, he would be there, and would always ask to sleep in a byre or barn. Once settled he was very difficult to get rid of he never bathed, on a hot day he would wiff! a bit.
Dr. Ray Harbinson
A doctor of the village for many years, his father also a doctor was believed to be a consultant to royalty. Dr. Harbinson was a heavy smoker and was regularly followed by young lads of the village in the hope that he would drop one of his cigarette butts and they could have a sly puff. A very gentle and brilliant man, he became much loved by the people of the village, to whom he gave many years of devoted service.
Walter Howel
Walter formed the boy scouts group, which is still in existence to the present day. He qualified to be a teacher and was also a excellent artist. After moving to Sedgefield he joined their amateur Dramatics and Operatics group, he became the groups director, and recently received an award for the Best director in the area.
John Laidlaw (courtesy of Robin Grierson)
Few people in the village knew much about john. He was rarely seen except riding his bicycle, a contraption he had built himself from a mixture of new parts and scraps salvaged from the local rubbish tip.
John lived alone in a self-sufficient routine, eating dock leaves from his over grown garden, and visiting abattoirs in Middlesbrough and Stockton for cuts of meat which he would sometimes boil over his fire. Johns reclusive life was unconventional, his history was a mystery, he never had a paid job, and some said that he had studied at college and suffered a mental breakdown but
nobody knew for sure. He was good at making and mending things, especially old bikes, Johns only visitors were the local lads. who would play, joke, talk and spend afternoons at his house.
In December 1987 john was injured in a bicycle accident and died shortly afterwards.

These have been a few of the many Fishburn people who have made their mark on the history of the village.
I invite any ex Fishburn people to contact me at John@waldo42.freeserve.co.uk or at my home address, if interested in obtaining information or books on the village.
I would be interested to know where you are now, what job you do or did. How long you lived in the village, how long you have been left etc. etc. If I can gather enough information from ex pats i plan to write a book titled "where are they now ".

Colin Gibson 1999                 

Copyright reserved 1999


Colin Gibson,   
17, Salters Drive
Fishburn,
Stockton-On-Tees.
Cleveland
England.
E.mail  col-gibson@talk21.com