Hi Bruce, I must have seen you in the North Road in those days. My sister June was a year younger than you and I was born in 1952. We lived at 29 North Rd and overlooked the end of Jackson Avenue..We used to go along to Charlie Hardman's shop to get our sweets in Jackson Ave. My grandma and great aunt lived at number 9 North Road opposite the school and Mr Healey the dentist (where my step mum was the receptionist). I too started school in 1956 at the old school next to St Mary's Church. I remember queueing up in the Headmasters office there for our polio injections.. I then went up to the Junior school and I was in Mrs Wingate's class in year 4 and we went on a trip to Holy Island as she used to live there-her son taught the B class. In year 5 I was in Mr Charlton's class and in year 6 I was in Mr Ridley's class.After that I went to Wallbottle Grammar school. I too remember the slides all the way down the Junior school yard to the iron railings in the winter and the big kids hurtling down as I walked back home from the Infants school. My uncle Syd Robinson and my Dad had Bell Villa Garage. They modernised it in 1960 or so and we went to live there above the shop after my mum died. My step mum now lives just near there and there is a Sainsburys on the site now. Yeah I too played all around the village and in the churchyard. We liked the river and used to fish and plodge in it in the summer. I fell in 4 times one afternoon.. Did you ever cross the river on the stepping stones at the back of The Cloggs or cross the river on those black pipes that you could sit on and shuffle across on. They were a long way up above the river. Health and Safety didnn't even feature in our lives then. In November we used to buy fireworks and matches aged about 9 and go up the raliway line and set them all off. We held the bangers in our fingers, lit them and let them fizz before chucking them down. We used to buy Indian Lights that were like coloured matches.. and of course we climbed trees and lit fires. As I said it was a good place to grow up and it's a miracle that we did when I think back to what we got up to.. In 1962 Dad married again and we went to live in Darras Hall-- I never liked it as much as the village. I saw that the school is up for redevelopment when I was up north in October.I still visit regularly from Cambridge as I still have family there..Yours John _________________________________________________________________ We want to hear all your funny, exciting and crazy Hotmail stories. Tell us now http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/195013117/direct/01/