Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum'

Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum'
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School Street Flats

Posted by AJG on 14/8/2025, 6:09 pm

I have written a blog post with my memories of School Street Flats from the time I attended St. Aloysius Infants in the early 1970s.

As I was pretty young at the time, some of my memories might be a bit hazy, so I'd appreciate anyone's clarifications, information or other memories of the flats.

Thanks!

Link: School Street Flats Memories

Re: School Street Flats

Posted by Sheila on 14/8/2025, 6:31 pm, in reply to "School Street Flats"

Really interesting AJG. I was still living in Hebburn at the time, but never saw the School Street Flats. I noticed they were all named after Labour MPs. I wonder who had the idea for that. Sadly they didn’t last long did they. I used to get the bus from Reyrolles at Lunch/Dinner time with John Haines and his nephew Alan. John was a lovely man and a local councillor. His nephew Alan a a nice much younger man used to try to wind John up by telling him the council were building tomorrows slums, but he never got annoyed he just used to smile and say we are giving people from the slums, better housing. Just a memory, but I always thought John was trying to do good. Sadly they didn’t seem to last long.

Re: School Street Flats

Posted by Norman on 14/8/2025, 7:17 pm, in reply to "School Street Flats"

Very good piece of history Andrew.
Our school dinners were cooked in the Council kitchen in Council Yard off Glen St, back of the Station Hotel and then delivered to the schools.

Re: School Street Flats

Posted by Peter on 14/8/2025, 11:52 pm, in reply to "Re: School Street Flats"

I attended St. Aloysius Infants and Juniors from 1978 to 1985, and the flats are etched in my memory from back then.I never lived in any of the flats but knew classmates and relatives who did. I think I visited most of them at one time or another and do remember the last of them being demolished in 1989/90. I remember the shops next to Wilson Court (a youth club may have also been here), and the demolition of Wilson Court in 1985. I think the whole demolition process of all the flats ran between around 1983 and 1990. Some were barely 15 years old. I also remember something about an council depot below a concrete area which many children played on. I also remember the railway sidings and crossings for Hebburn Palmers and Leslies shipyards, next to St.Aloysius Infant school which would have separated the school fom the flats on one of the photos that you posted.

Re: School Street Flats

Posted by AJG on 15/8/2025, 1:36 am, in reply to "Re: School Street Flats"

Brilliant, thanks for posting those memories. I also kind of remember the youth club. Amazing to think how short a life all those huge buildings had.

Re: School Street Flats

Posted by AJG on 15/8/2025, 1:33 am, in reply to "Re: School Street Flats"

Thanks for that piece of information. I'll include it in the blog!
I always wondered where the meals were cooked.

Re: School Street Flats

Posted by Jackie W on 15/8/2025, 10:16 am, in reply to "School Street Flats"

Thank you for that Andrew, very interesting. My family lived there in the 70’s in Morrison Court on ground level right by the railway line. 1972 we moved there and used to cross the line to get to the shops, occasionally Patrick’s when they were shut.
They built a wall and we had to walk round at some point.
We had constant heat available and hot water which was lovely , sadly my mother was the last of the family to leave there and she had no heating for a while. I guess they were running it all down. I can see her sitting in the kitchen with the oven on, door open.
There was a lady in our street that sold milk. She was handy when we ran out. She had some agreement with the milkman. She was just ‘The Milk Lady’ to us kids.
My brothers did very dangerous things on those ramps that I don’t even what to think of.
My first experience of a disco was at the youth club. You were a ‘ Hairy’ or a ‘Skinhead’, actually I was neither! My mother made me a sequinned pink smock to go and I was so happy with it!

Re: School Street Flats

Posted by colinmcallister on 15/8/2025, 10:24 am, in reply to "Re: School Street Flats"

we lived in Tennant st, back yard dunny and a tin bath in the kitchen! When I was at sea for 6 months I came home to Gaitskell court with all the luxuries it afforded, a bath, hot water and rubbish chute and safe areas for the kids to play.

Re: School Street Flats

Posted by Mac Hardy on 15/8/2025, 12:26 pm, in reply to "Re: School Street Flats"

We used to live at 13 Morrison Court before we bought 102 Tennant Street, a fantastic house.

Re: School Street Flats

Posted by Sheila on 15/8/2025, 1:23 pm, in reply to "Re: School Street Flats"

Colin, I think back to councillor John Haines. He was correct, even although the flats didn’t last many years, they did give people better living conditions.

Re: School Street Flats

Posted by AJG on 15/8/2025, 5:16 pm, in reply to "Re: School Street Flats"

Thank you for sharing your memories Jackie! I had forgotten about the railway line that used to rn through that area and across Argyle Street.

Re: School Street Flats

Posted by neil coltman on 15/8/2025, 10:53 am, in reply to "School Street Flats"

I used to sit on my Grans wall in the 70s and watch the gates being shut across Argyle street. This was to allow the shunters to take steel down to Palmers.
My gran lived Attlee court not far away from the crossing and heating chimney.

Re: School Street Flats

Posted by AJG on 15/8/2025, 5:24 pm, in reply to "Re: School Street Flats"

Thanks for sharing your memory, Neil! I had forgotten about the railway crossing Argyle Street and the gates coming down. I had also forgotten the chimneys for the Central Heating so thanks for that too!

Re: School Street Flats

Posted by Peter on 15/8/2025, 5:31 pm, in reply to "Re: School Street Flats"

I would love to see a photo of the railway crossing and sidings, and the heating chimney and shops.

Re: School Street Flats

Posted by Davy on 17/8/2025, 4:14 am, in reply to "Re: School Street Flats"

All us from the quay used to call them crudens flats after the firm that built them.

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