First Ann & I.

I went with George Hinds to a Xmas dance at High Lane Row Methodist Church in 1959.

Met and danced with Ann and then walked her home.

I cannot for the life of me think why did I not ask her out then.

It maybe because I lived at the far end of Hebburn ( Crawley Ave.) and she in Byron Ave. Not exactly the girl next door.

To be honest I was a very shy lad ( I think) so maybe that’s part of it. At the time I was up to my eyes with college in Newcastle both day release and one evening lecture,

However I passed my driving test in January 1960 and a few months later Dad bought me my first car.

After I got the car Ann came to Palmers for an interview and then started in the Dockyard offices.

So I gave her a lift home and our courting started around then and we married in 1965.

My parents. This is guesswork but probably near the mark.

Both Mum. And Dad worked in Reyrolle’s. Dad was a wireman building electrical panels and other switchgear. Mum was a typist or secretary.

Both loved dancing and maybe met at Reyrolle’s Doo.
However I think it could be because of Reyrolle’s tennis club of which I have a group photo but Dad not on it, I assume that he could have been away playing football for local teams or for Bolton Wanderers as an amateur professional.

They married in June 1939.

My Campbell Grandparents. Granddad Allan was a plate marker in Leslie’s and was in the Royal Engineers 1904 to 1908. He lived in Hood street then Ellison St. Hebburn Quay.

One of the reasons for joining the Royal Engineers was that he then got what he called a paid holiday! No doubt used the Drill Hall on Ellison St.

Grandmother Annie Morris lived in St. Rollox St. and worked in the Dry Saltery of the Co- Op in Pelaw.

My Dad’s sisters husband Alan talked a lot with Grandfather as they lived about 150 yards away from My G/Pts.

Alan wrote a lot of grandad’s stories and gave them to me.

It appears that Grandad was with the Sappers at Branspeth Castle and met up with Annie who was on a works trip to Branspeth.
G/D a 6’6” man and Annie close to 6’ about and ginger headed.

They courted for 5 years 1907 to 1911 when they married. G/F ‘s workmates presented him with a brass VC saying Long Service!

My Campbell Great Grandparents Allan Campbell and Margaret Fletcher. Allan had a difficult upbringing, his father m a boilermaker died when he was about 8 years old in 1865. That being in Govan.

His mother Mary then remarried and the second husband didn’t live long and she married again. She had moved from Govan to Glasgow and finally to Paisley.

The family of 2 boys and 2 girls. Split up, the boys stayed together and worked in the same shipyard in Paisley as Platers or boilermakers. The girls , never found where they went after the 1871 Census.

Margaret Fletcher, born in Kilsyth and moved around a lot as her father was a pit shanker. He seemed to work sinking pit shafts across the area to the North of Glasgow and ended up in Airdrie.

How did Allan and Margaret meet?

My best guess is as follows. Allan was the best man to one of his workmates in the shipyards in Paisley. He signed the marriage Certificate of a Robert Christie to Agnes Fletcher in 1881. Agnes had a younger sister Margaret.

Maybe Allan and Margaret had met before the wedding , which would be more than likely when Robert and Agnes were courting.

Allan and Margaret married on the 31st. December 1884 in Paisley Town Hall.

They were in Hebburn by 1886 when my Grandfather was born.

I think that they followed Robert and Agnes down to Hebburn as they had moved down and had children in Hebburn before 1886.

As regards my mothers side I have not as yet tried to see what I could discover.

Sorry to be a bit long winded but it’s good to write it down. I had the information about Allan and Margaret for some years but just never put it together till about 4 weeks ago.

.Allan C.