"Days in the Life" jimgibson4's Profile

Life or the living of it is rather like travel in that it's a rich tapestry of moods and highs never knowing from one day to the next just whats around the corner. This is what I like, you realise what life is about living in this manner I've experienced most of these, but saying that I would not change a thing as the life you live as the holiday is as you make it.

I have one belief in life live each day as it were your last and treat every one you meet along the way with the respect and kindness you would expect yourself. Try and find compromise rather than controversy as you go along your path in life.

I prefer to be called Jim but I was given the name of James Edward Gibson but everyone knows me as Jim, I'm 50 something and proud of the fact.
Married to Audrey for 28 years and have two daughters Cheryl and Lisa with a grandaughter Rebecca, who is the apple of our eye.

Music is another pasion on my life, everything from stormy Ballads to Heavy Metal. Computers are marvelous things I used to buy Albums and singles which sounded great on my mono player but had a tendancy to scratch and the sound quality suffered but now I have a electronic collection, even some of my old sixties and seventies music from vinyl has been uploaded and stored on the hard drive crystal clear and ready for me to play and sway.

Average is how you might describe me but I think I'm special and I hope so does my family.

Collingwoods monument looking to the sea he loved.

I was born within the sight of the river Tyne a place called North Shields now in Tyne & Wear. I still pass our old house in Widdrington Terrace a rambling three up two down Victorian house which now is a glazier shop.

Born the only surviving son to Rose and James they had 5 Daughters and lost two other boys due to 'complications' this was common at the time. My sisters were Jean, Pearl, Carole (Then me) Pamela sadly no longer with us and Maureen.

My early days were spent in or around the Ferry Landing or the fish quay a haven for small boys either for fishing or adventure. I can't say I was a keen fisherman but I do like adventure and the sights, sounds and smells were unmissable to a young kid. In the summer holidays we would play for hours making dens from the fish boxes that were everywhere and in plentifull supply, your mother might send you to the quay for fresh fish not wishing to pay for it of course but the trawlermen would always give you something for that evenings meal.

Another pastime at that time was to use the coal shovel or a piece of linoliumn to slide down the grassy bank from Tyne street toward the fish quay very dangerous when you think of it as the road was busy with the traffic you would expect, from the small 'hoppers' that towed the trailers full of fish to the various fish processors around the area to the lorries and vans rushing to deliver that days catch. A lot of the time you forgot the shovel you borowed and you could expect a clout from the owner.

As a family we would often go and see aunt Commie and Uncle Ronnie, my mothers sister. They worked a farm about three and a half miles from our house in a place called Backworth, though the farm is still there Connie and Ronnie are long gone. He became a game keeper on the Duke of Northumberland's Estate in Alnwick.
I do remember well the journey there, we would start early in the morning thats all eight of us walking from Briawood Avenue in the Ridges along the Norham Road past all the factories and the Tynemouth bus Depot crossing the coast road I remember it was only a single 'B' road then onwards to New York and when we arrived at the Wheatsheef pub we would stop for ou sandwiches and tea.
The next stage was the longest to us a walk along New York road to the Northumberland Arms known by the locals as 'Hill's. turning right at this junction it was the final leg to Backworth past the Shiremoor crossroads and Moorside estate and into Backworth village and the farm.
Aunt Connie would always greet us as we arrived at the five bar gate, Mam and Dad would go inside and have a cuppa and a chat while us kids would explore the farm and the Animals with Connies children. We would spend all day at Ronnie's farm and by evening we were too tired to walk back and Ronnie would put us in the landrover and drive us back home.

My first school was st Cuthberts now the catholic club I recall it was a great place as you seemed to play all day.

We moved in the early sixties to the Ridges estate now called the Meadowell, it was marvelous as we had a bathroom with hot water and an indoor toilet.

It was noticed by all that I was a little short of 'lamp oil' as they say (considering my father was both blind and deaf I think I got of lightly) and the authorities of that time insisted I should be schooled away from the area as all my sisters went to st Josephs in the Ridges I went to Pendower Hall in Newcastle upon Tyne this only segregated me from my own kind and left me feeling isolated later on.

Queen Elizabeth II arrives on the Tyne

Pendower hall was a school for disabled kids from all over the region run by our headmaster mr. Adamant, I think that's the spelling though I was rubbish at school, mathes, english and science I had no interest in and try as they might I was having non of it.
But in the day this would not be argued at higher level as because you had a disability it was thought you would settle for less in life this was not the case in most instances. I did love working with my hands subjects such as woodwork and metalwork I had a passion for.

From 1962 I was taken to school with the local ambulance service who would collect us and transport us to our place of learning in the morning and by the afternoon return us saftley home again this was up until 65 or 66 when they thought we would be better off getting the train or bus this was great for me I enjoyed traveling by train from Percy Main to Newcastle Central and then on the 'Trolly' bus up the West Road to Pendower using the small plastic tokens which we were issued with to gain free travel. Remember in those days we had 'clippies on the buses and we were kept in check and we sat rigid in our seats not daring to move and if anyone was to ring the bell other than the conductor there was hell to pay.

My feelings of those times were harsh and forgetable I hated school as a result I bunked off as much as I could, but the one great thing about Pendower was the food and they kept horses, this was because one of our teachers was herself a horsey woman and she instilled in us all the power of the beast. We were all taught how to ride and it made sports day fun as if you could handle a horse you could be picked for the shows.

The Boys from the Co-op, just before we finished

Work was dificult to come by in the early part of the seventies. I was hardly able to become a train , bus driver or pilot this was quickly ruled out and was eventually taken on by Littlewoods stores on Northumberland Street Newcastle. I lasted about two and a half years and met a handfull of marvelous genuine people who I remember to this day.

I've always stuck to retail trades as this did not require any close work as such and I have to say I made a good living not a great one but never the less I have become one of lifes survivors.

I've had a hanfull of jobs in my time but for the main I was employed by the North Eastern Co-operative at Jackson Street Gateshead in various roles and working with a host of people who I'll always have fond memories.

Redundancy loomed in 2002 when the Co-op was merged with CWS at Manchester to become a national retail giant. Sad day for everyone I recall, but we should always look at life in the positive rather than the negative we thrive on positivity but die under the strain of negativity.

I'm almost up to date now and I think this has almost become as dreary as the weather! but I have been lucky in many respects I have lived a long life (still more to come I hope) and other than my eye sight I have nothing to complain about, well I have but no one would listern anyway.

Audrey my long suffering wife

I met Audrey at Whitley Bay Ice Rink in the mid seventies, we dated for about 6-7 years before I poped the question. She was from Shiremoor and at that time I still lived in North Shields so I would travel from the Rink with Audrey and her best friend at that time Susan who would stay at Audrey's home overnight.

We married at st Mark's Church Shiremoor on the 12th of September 1981 with the reception at the community centre on Stanton road afterwards. tHe day went well and in the evening it was a disco in the Blue Bell pub with all the freinds who dind'nt make the service earlier. We did book a honeymoon of sorts it was at Haggerston Castle near Berwick, the plan being that at about half nine or ten we would slip away with the best man Andrew Bell he was to drive us there and travel back the same night.

We arrived in Haggerston at around ten thirty, I remember because the bar was still serving and the Chinese take away was still serving while I got the food Audrey got the key for our caravan from the bar. Andrew had his meal but fell asleep so we did'nt disturb him we sneeked of to bed and he left the next morning after breakfast so we can say ther is not many married couples who had their best man stay with them on their honeymoon.

Audrey and I had our first child Cheryl in 1982 born in the same hospital as her dad, Preston Hospital in North Sheilds she kept us waiting as it goes not making an appearance until about ten thirty or so. But she was well and screeming so we were overjoyed by her birth.

At this time we had a flat in Killingworth and although it was fine for the three of us we asked the local council if we could move nearer to Audrey's family in Shiremoor. The council rules of that time were you could get a council house once you had a family so we were offered a property in Backwoth, Moorside Estate. Our lisa was the next one out, born October 30th 1985 this time at the new Rake lane Hospital in North Shields. Both girls are grown up now and have indipendent lives, Cheryl lives with her partner Jeff and have a Daughter Rebecca. She's coming on fine now a credit to cheryl and Jeff. Lisa is still living at home but spent a couple of years in London living with her work mates at Stanstead (she works for Easy Jet) now she flys from Newcastle and is back home.
Lisa's partner is currently Andrew but she shows no interest in moving on, to be honest I think we like her at home she;s a miss when she's away.