THE HOUGHTONIAN | SPRING 2013 | VOL 2 ISSUE 4 | ISSN 1757-3890 SPRING 201 3 | VOL 2 ISSUE 4 | ISSN 1757-3890 QUARTERLY MAGAZINE OF Houghton Heritage Society :: BIG THANKS TO GENTOO :: VINTAGE PHOTOGRAPHS :: THE JUNIOR SCHOOL :: GOD SAVE THE QUEEN :: THE GREAT MINERS STRIKE :: AND MUCH MORE! THE HOUGHTONIAN | SPRING 2013 | VOL 2 ISSUE 4 | ISSN 1757-3890 CAN YOU HELP? If you have any old photographs of Houghton-le-Spring that you would like to share, please contact the Society via www.houghtonlespring.org.uk/contact FACES AND PLACES Photographs are treated with care and respect and are returned promptly once they have been copied. Allowing your precious photographs to be copied and shared ensures that they will be around for generations to come. THE HOUGHTONIAN | SPRING 2013 | VOL 2 ISSUE 4 | ISSN 1757-3890 www.HOUGHTONleSPRING.org.uk THE HOUGHTON HERITAGE website has undergone a massive transformation over the Holidays. Regular visitors will know how much it has changed from the old - style ‘framed layout’ to the new ‘button format’. This has taken many hundreds of hours and involves all the old pages having to be re-made with new images and text, while the heritage articles are also revamped/updated and put online as printable PDFs. The site is expected to be finished by the late summer 2013. Our efforts will result WELCOME TO THE HOUGHTONIAN, in a website that is a lot easier to the quarterly magazine of the Houghton-le-Spring navigate, is more user friendly, Heritage Society. This is our ninth consecutive particularly for those on tablets, as well issue, numbered as Volume 2 Issue 4 and looks at as being more interactive – just have a the last of the Society’s activities in the year 2012. look at the links to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Flicker. IN THIS ISSUE we reflect on autumn and winter 2012, Speaking of Flicker, one of the biggest which proved to be as busy for the Society as the changes to the website is the removal of preceding summer months. We contributed to another Gentoo Fun Day (for Hallowe’en), placed a wreath on the ‘updated pages’ blog – now, just keep Houghton’s Cenotaph for Armistice Day, had a stall at a an eye on our Twitter feed to see what the local Christmas craft fair where Billy Purvis the clown updates are. made a rare appearance…and let’s not forget the Houghton Diamond Jubilee Feast, which was one of the We would like to thank all of our visitors most successful festivals in recent years. The Society for their patience while the transition is in played a bigger role than ever before; we had exhibitions progress. In the meantime, if you cannot in the Broadway and Good Grub Café, an Olympic Fun find what you are looking for, use the new Tent where Paralympian Hazel Robson kindly displayed her medals, the mega-popular Haunted Houghton Walk, Google search box on our home page. another eventful Houghton Heritage Walk which had attendees from Hong Kong and USA, plus the task of * * * * * * * * distributing a tonne’s worth of Houghton Feast IF YOU ARE reading a brochures (I salute those brave members who kindly undertook this challenge). Despite all the hard work, printed or photocopied version of there was still time for some fun and we joined in with THE HOUGHTONIAN and are the annual Carnival Parade and had a lot to eat with numerous meals, banquets and feasts at our annual having difficulty seeing the print, Houghton Feast! did you know you can read the online PDF? This can be THE YEAR ENDED with our Annual General Meeting, which was held in the old Houghton Urban District increased in size up to a whopping Council chamber in the Rectory building (shown above). 6400% in Adobe Reader! Thanks are extended to the Society’s members who came along. * * * * * * * * I do hope you enjoy this issue and have a peaceful FOR INTERNET ACCESS AT Easter. HOUGHTON LIBRARY – TELEPHONE PAUL LANAGAN, CHAIRMAN 0191 561 6383 FOR DETAILS. H-L-S HERITAGE SOCIETY THE HOUGHTONIAN | SPRING 2013 | VOL 2 ISSUE 4 | ISSN 1757-3890 meticulous when it came to detail. She has left a hell of a pair of boots to fill.” KATH ROLPH The Heritage Society wishes to pay tribute WE’RE SAD TO report the news that Kath to Kath for her years of service to Rolph, a Ward Councillor for Houghton-le- Houghton-le-Spring and in particular the st Spring, died on December 21 2012 aged assistance she gave us in rescuing 59 years, following a brave battle against Houghton’s WWII Treasures (above) from cancer. Kath’s husband, Jim Davidson the Council Offices before their demolition said: “Kath was always an optimist, and in 2011. Kath was also a fellow member of she worked right up to the end, still the Houghton Feast Steering Committee involved as a councillor until two weeks (pictured below, fourth from left, at a before she died.” Fellow Houghton meeting in July 2012). Councillor, Dennis Richardson, said: “She Kath is survived by her husband, Jim, 59, was good at everything, and she was son Ian, 21, and daughter Ruth, 19. THE HOUGHTONIAN | SPRING 2013 | VOL 2 ISSUE 4 | ISSN 1757-3890 THANKS TO A grant from Gentoo’s Aspire grants are designed to be easy and accessible fund, Houghton Heritage Society is now on a to anyone living or working with local people in firm footing to be able to continue putting on the City of Sunderland. They support a range exhibitions, displays, talks and the Houghton of different activities which compliment the Heritage Walk. Heritage Society Chairman, work of Gentoo, a social housing provider. Paul Lanagan, said: “The grant of £115 will first and foremost be used for public liability insurance, as without this we could not HOW TO DONATE operate. The remaining funds will be put If you would like to support Houghton Heritage towards our website which received 79,000 Society with a donation, please complete the unique visitors in 2012.” form at the back of this magazine or see the link Gentoo Aspire’s main aim is to enable local on the HH website. people to improve their community. The THE HOUGHTONIAN | SPRING 2013 | VOL 2 ISSUE 4 | ISSN 1757-3890 WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? Can you help solve these Genealogical & Heritage Quests? ALAN’S THOUGHTS Mr Tom Vickers, eldest son of Mr SHEPHERSON VIPOND Durham Rootschat regarding Hello again, a few of my thoughts and Mrs H. Vickers, of 34 Station Dear Sirs, I wonder if you could Houghton-le-Spring Secondary in response to readers’ questions Avenue North, Fence Houses, has help me with information or School. I have a class photograph and queries in the Houghtonian won the Higher School certificate pointers regarding the following: from approximately 1928 and a magazines of 2012. Regarding of the Northern Universities with Shepherdson Vipond, 1855 - report book for that year for my the restriction on brewing distinction in pure mathematics 1876. Born and died at Houghton father-in-law, Charlie Paisley. An mentioned in the letter 'Along Hall and chemistry and the Board of le Spring, but only appearing on Alan Vickers responded to my Lane', I wonder if the land had Education has awarded him, as a the Census record for 1861. Also request for help in locating a earlier belonged to Robinsons the result, a State Scholarship, the spelled variously as Shepherdson photograph of the school around brewers and when it was sold on maximum value of which is and Shephardson. I can find this time. He believes your society Robinsons included this condition university fees and £100 per absolutely no information at all, holds a photograph of the school in the sale documents and it has annum for three years. He has except for birth and death dates. taken in the 1940s, and he come down to the present day, been accepted as a student ready Any information would be suggested I contact you to see if it just a thought. Regarding for mathematical honours at gratefully received. Thank you would be possible for you to scan Junction Row, the correct name King’s College, Cambridge. In very much indeed. me a copy. If this is possible, I for the hospital was 'The Northern addition to the State Scholarship, Ms E Jackson would be very appreciative, but if Isolation Hospital'. I was in there he has been awarded a Kepier it's not, I do understand. Thank for about 6 weeks in 1936 when I Exhibition, while a year ago he you, had Scarlet fever. My parents was awarded a Durham County NORAH SMITH B. 1902 Carolyn Paisley used to walk through the fields Council University Exhibition. He I have just found your site and will Canada from Sedgeletch Road twice a has been attending Houghton-le- certainly spend more time looking week on Wednesdays and Spring Secondary School." through it. I came across a Sundays to see me. They had to After being awarded his degree request for information on Norah HOUGHTON CEMETERY stand outside the windows and Tom worked for a short time with Smith, born 1902. If this is the Hello, my name is Joy Dunn my look into the ward as visitors were the then Ministry of Supply person in my family tree, she was mother was born in Houghton le not allowed inside. The Southern following which he worked at the born Norah Gallagher in Spring and has this week passed Isolation Hospital was close to National Physical Laboratory at Houghton and in 1911 lived in away in Canada.