Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum'

Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum'
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Orange Marches in Hebburn

Posted by AJG on 29/8/2025, 5:37 pm

Trying to clear up a fuzzy memory in my mind.

When I was a kid (early '70s) I can vaguely remember there being an annual(?) Orangemen's March in Hebburn. I remember this being something my mam always said to stay away from, as we were a Catholic family and there was often trouble at the march. She mentioned one time someone being hit on the head with a twirling mace, don't know if that is true or not.

I also remember one of my relatives who lived at the bottom of Prince Consort Road telling a story about the marchers gathering on the field down there to start their march, and one of the marchers asking him if he could use their toilet.

He let the man in the house, he used the loo, then thanked him and left. Afterwards, however, my relatives father told him that there could have been trouble if the man had seen a statue of the Virgin Mary that they had and realised that they were Catholic.

So a little bit of sectarianism in Hebburn in the 1970s?

Does anyone have any information or history about the Orange Marches in Hebburn and when they stopped? Thanks!

Re: Orange Marches in Hebburn

Posted by Norman on 29/8/2025, 6:19 pm, in reply to "Orange Marches in Hebburn"

I went to St Aloysius School 1949 to 59 and have never ever seen any trouble in Hebburn between religions. I had Catholic & Protestant friends and we all got on great.

Re: Orange Marches in Hebburn

Posted by Colin Thompson on 29/8/2025, 10:23 pm, in reply to "Re: Orange Marches in Hebburn"

When I was at school we were told that Hebburn had the highest number of catholics per head of population in mainland UK. That was at Newtown or the central - - I can't remember. But that only meant that most of my friends were catholic I even went to confession with Gerry Roberts on a Wednesday before we played out - - good times

Re: Orange Marches in Hebburn

Posted by AJG on 29/8/2025, 10:31 pm, in reply to "Re: Orange Marches in Hebburn"

Despite what a couple of family members said, I never encountered any bother between religions myself either. I was aware that there were Catholic schools and regular state schools (that I probably thought of as Protestant schools at that age) but the only time there was any tension of any kind between the schools was when they played each other at football!

Re: Orange Marches in Hebburn

Posted by Liz Dance on 30/8/2025, 6:34 am, in reply to "Re: Orange Marches in Hebburn"

I started Clegwell in 1961, I was an ‘outsider’ I came on the bus from Bill Quay, at the same time that I started Clegwell there were 4 others who also traveled by bus to Clegwell, they were Catholics, they never attended the morning Service, they had some kind of Service in the Library withMrs Rogers, after the Service they came into the Hall to listen to whatever announcements were given.

On Fridays they were allowed to buy fish and chips for their lunch as usually meat was served, I really envied them being allowed that privilege when we had to suffer whatever was in offer to the rest of us.

There were never any problems.

Re: Orange Marches in Hebburn

Posted by Davy on 30/8/2025, 7:17 am, in reply to "Re: Orange Marches in Hebburn"

They still have orange meetings upstairs in the bentinck and some go to marches up Scotland used to work with a lad in palmers and the neptune and he was always belting out sash on his flute pretty annoying in a small cabin.

Re: Orange Marches in Hebburn

Posted by Norman on 30/8/2025, 9:22 am, in reply to "Re: Orange Marches in Hebburn"

Many many years ago I was a Service Engineer for Sigmund Pumps on the Team Valley & one repair I did was at the Princess Louise Scottish Hospital at Erskine alongside the river Clyde. It had been set up for World War 1 limbless soldiers. When they found I was from Hebburn they told me the 'Bentinck Club' was a great supporter of their Charity.
By coincidence, (but years earlier) my Dunn grand parents lived in Old Kilpatrick directly across from Erskine.

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[ Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum' ]

Rules! No bad language or derogatory remarks or we will delete. Anyone sharing our content on Face Book must credit 'Hebburn and our Neighbours'.