Hawthorn Leslie's in its early days in the middle of the 1800s instegated our Barker family moving from shipbuilding on Wear side to Tyneside when my great grand dad ships carpenter and my great grand mother her as a sailmaker they were housed in houses built by Leslie's opposite the yard in no 9 Bon accord st along side Bottom of Ellison st.My grand dad was born there he worked at the yard as a Felter he left home and moved to Dunston st my dad was born there in1901alongwith his two younger brothers uncle Joe and Thomas all 3 were riviters in 1926 the depression tom and joe left to work in Southampton dad married my mam and moved to Tyne st where they had 7 lads John Jimmy Alan Ronnie my twin brother who served his time as a plater and myself as a woodcutting machinist both Robert and l were next door in Palmers.the yards like every one else was our bread and butter even my mother having ten children in all worked as a cleaner in Palmers offices early mornings and evenings.
Leslie's as a 12 to15 year old give us our pocket money by selling papers for Whinnie Gallagher outside the main gate bottom of end of Ellison .st.
l get up to Hebburn now and then to see its plight is heart breaking it deserves better why don't they just bulldoze it.when you think back Leslie's was the hub of this side of the river,as Jimmy Nail in his song at the end Big River wouldwith words NOT NOW