Stories From Skinningrove

Memories of the Old Village    by Bill Fothergill.

an Achive from Issue 6

Mining communities were always very close knit, brought about no doubt by the fact that almost everyman worked in the mine, a very dangerous and poorly paid occupation.

Pitch and toss was a game regularly played by the miners, we lads were given a penny to keep watch for either Bobby McCabe or Husband who served in the village in those days, what a scatter if either were seen in the vicinity.Everyone in the village knew everyone else, at one time you could go down every street and name everyone including children.
Life was much simpler than today, no one had much money and everyone made their own amusement, children were happy being able to roam free in the woods on the cliffs and sands for hours on end, parents had no need to worry not like they do now.

Children's games came in yearly cycles, whips, and tops, paper aeroplanes, quoits, football, tip-bat, and in and in, to name a few.Bonfire night started weeks before, we descended on the local woods armed with axes and rope to drag huge loads to the bonfire sites. Each area of the village had its own site, Beck Rovers, Sea Wallers, Grove Hillers, and Primrose Hillers. Raiding and robbing each others sites was a favourite pastime.

The men were not above making their own entertainment, I remember when there was deep snow the men rolled a snowball that got bigger and bigger until it was 10-12 feet diameter up and down the streets and finally left it onSeaWall at the bottom of high street, it took a gang on men to push it.

Certain points in the village were where the men to stand and gossip store corner and bridge end were two of the favourites, bridge end was the favourite especially on the day the brewery rep called at the club because if you were in the club you got a free pint the men did not miss a trick.

The club was run by Russell and Wrangham in those days.The village institute played a big part in the village life in those days, two tables and newspapers to read, and when the boys became fourteen they could become members some could not wait till then as they would sneak in, but if Billy Metcalf the caretaker you had to go.
You really became part of the Tute as it was called, when you owned your own Billiard Que and your metal case hung around the wall. My first one cost me five shillings (25p). The lads could only play on one table until they were reasonably decent players, the main match was used for matches and by the likes of Tom Forrest, Jack Burdett, Horace Trembath, first class billiards players snooker not a favoured game in those days.

Skinningrove turned out some Champion Quoits players like Tom Hall, [banana] Wheatman, Dennis Tyler, Edmond Tyler, Billy Flinton, just to name a few. Match days held at the club was a big event visitors came by the bus loads, as lads we used to cross the beck and climb the wall to watch the matches as long as we behaved ourselves we could stay. During the course of the evening the kids used to run to the fish shop run by Jim Adamson for the suppers for the visitors, our reward was coppers, but we were happy to do it for pocket money.

The village Brass Band was reformed in 1941 by some of the old players, Albert Soloman, Jammy Willis, Albert Marley, Albert Down, Tom Shaw,Chris Cussion, Freddy Weaver became the conductor. I joined for a lark but found that a really loved playing, finishing up playing the Baritone. We gave concerts at Saltburn Spa, Boosbeck Cinema, Loftus Regal, to name a few, also playing for many a parade during the war, including Remembrance Sunday services.

So readers will see the village was a lively place to live and a happy community to live in. These are just a few reminisces of life as it was years ago.
A village full of characters who made Skinningrove a place to remember.