Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum'

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

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Last Header before my New Year one

Posted by Norman on 29/12/2025, 2:54 pm

A last local image before my New Year greeting image on New Years eve & before I go out to 'First Foot'.
Ive done that every year since I married Joan in 1969. These days I'm the only one in the street who does it so it is dying out sadly

My Scottish Granda 'Robert Campbell Dunn' lived in Hebburn & worked in Leslies Shipyard & he used to get all his kids up out of bed just before midnight for Hogmanay celebrations.

Tyne-Bridge-looking-north-1930s

Re: Last Header before my New Year one

Posted by Sheila on 29/12/2025, 3:31 pm, in reply to "Last Header before my New Year one "

We did it for a while down here Norman, but I don’t think anyone stays up until 12 midnight now, including us.

Re: Last Header before my New Year one

Posted by Liz Dance on 29/12/2025, 4:19 pm, in reply to "Re: Last Header before my New Year one "

I remember when I first moved to London having to work on New Year’s Day , I couldn’t believe it at the time.

We dud first footing in our street, to be honest nowadays I am hardly ever up to see in the New Year, it must be old age!!!

Re: Last Header before my New Year one

Posted by Sheila on 29/12/2025, 5:41 pm, in reply to "Re: Last Header before my New Year one "

Liz,, my sister and husband who lived and worked in London used to come for Christmas but had to return to London as the south didn’t have New Year’s Day as a holiday.

Re: Last Header before my New Year one

Posted by AJG on 29/12/2025, 6:51 pm, in reply to "Re: Last Header before my New Year one "

I can remember first footing when I was young, and also the sound of all the ships' (or maybe shipyards') hooters going off at midnight. Quite an eerie sound!

I was wondering if anyone still did first footing. It's not a thing here in America that I know of!

Re: Last Header before my New Year one

Posted by Malcolm on 29/12/2025, 9:45 pm, in reply to "Re: Last Header before my New Year one "

We always had a massive party at our house on New Years Eve, ALL of the family, maybe 20+

Pub first, then home by 12... and a couple of youngsters, maybe 14 year olds, would knock the door, to first-foot.

We popped money in their pockets, sweets, food etc.

Happened for a few years (mid 1960's) then we didn't see them for a while...

Then 3 lads turned up...several years on...in their early twenties...."we used to come here, and you gave us money" with their hands out !!!!

Sent on their way !!!! Cheeky monkeys!!

Re: Last Header before my New Year one

Posted by Brian on 29/12/2025, 10:05 pm, in reply to "Re: Last Header before my New Year one "

Myself or one of my sons will be our first foot, a couple of neighbours will pop in for a drink, but gone are the days when we had a houseful with musicians playing till the early hours.

NY Day Hol for Sheila

Posted by Mac C on 30/12/2025, 10:23 am, in reply to "Re: Last Header before my New Year one "
Edited by administrator Admin2 30/12/2025, 10:24 am

New Years day was not an official holiday in any part of England until 1974 but people in parts of the country enjoyed it as a "local" holiday.
I worked New Years Day as did every Bank employee in England but in the NE we closed at Mid-day.
Thank goodness...... because many of us were seriously hungover!

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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'.