Roundabout Publications

Community magazines for local advertising in Monkseaton, Tynemouth, and Whitley Bay

LOCAL INTEREST: Pétanque in North Tyneside

PetanqueWhat is pétanque? If ever you’ve been on holiday in France or Spain, there’s a good chance that you’ve either seen the game being played, or even tried your hand at it.

Fist-sized steel boules are thrown with the aim of getting as close as possible to a little wooden ball called the cochonnet or butt. The scoring is straightforward and, simply put, the first team to thirteen points wins.

If you have tried playing you probably enjoyed it, but even more important is the fact that it’s a great game for socialising. It’s already becoming very popular in much of England and Scotland, but not so much in the North East of England.

Things are changing though. A growing number of pétanque enthusiasts meet every Sunday at 3pm at The Wheatsheaf Inn in New York, North Tyneside, which boasts the best pistes (pétanque courts)  in the whole of North Tyneside. Andrew, proprietor of the pub, is more than happy for anyone to turn up when the pub is open and use the pistes; you can even borrow some boules, if you don’t have your own. If you catch the bug and want to take the game a little more seriously, come along on a Sunday and enjoy an afternoon with a friendly group of people and learn more.

For more information, see our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/northtyneside.petanque.1) and if you have any questions then get in touch by emailing northtynesidepetanque@gmail.com.

LOCAL HISTORY: Victor Noble Rainbird

Rainbird with his painting 'All Quiet on the Western Front' based on his experiences on the Somme Victor Noble Rainbird was a prominent local artist who was born on 12th December 1887 at 49 Sidney Street, North Shields. From 1917 to 1933 his home was at 71 West Percy Street, which is now marked with a blue plaque to mark his residency there.

Rainbird painted in oil and watercolour and was also a stained glass window designer. He attended Armstrong College, Newcastle, during which time he began to exhibit on Tyneside before moving on to study at the Royal College of Art and, later, the Royal Academy of Arts in London.

When the Great War broke out in 1914, he joined the Northumberland Fusiliers as a private soldier. He was posted overseas and served on the western front at Ypres, Passchendale, Vimy Ridge and Armentieres. He later joined the Northumberland Fusiliers, 34th Division and, in connection with field observation, prepared drawings for headquarters in the Somme’s front line.

After a short break in England, he returned to France to take part in the retirements on the Somme Front, and was made a non-commissioned officer in charge of a company of Lewis gunners in shock troop training. He ended his war career as a corporal with the Durham Light Infantry.

There is no doubt that Rainbird was badly affected by his war experiences, during which time he had been the victim of an enemy gas attack. It is believed he suffered from what is now termed ‘Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder’, or shell shock as it was then known.

On being demobbed, Rainbird returned to North Shields and set up as a professional artist, exhibiting his works at various galleries throughout the country.

During the years following the war he encountered serious alcohol problems, and on at least one occasion was arrested and fined for being drunk and incapable. It can only be speculated as to how his experiences during the war were a contributory factor to this.

Common works that Rainbird executed are of the sea, seafront and streets in and around North Shields. He produced and sold paintings in large numbers to pay his way through life, using inferior materials and selling them to pub landlords for a drink or two. He would often set out several boards on a table and paint in sky, foreground and details before adding a title and his signature, all in a very short space of time.

Rainbird moved to Otto Street, Sunderland around 1934 and died there on the 8th March 1936 aged 48 following a short illness. He was brought home to North Shields and was laid to rest in a pauper’s grave in Preston Cemetery.

The Victor Noble Rainbird exhibition ‘From Dark to Light’ ran for three months last year at the Old Low Lights Heritage Centre, North Shields, with over £6,500 raised by donations and receipts from catalogue, card and print sales. A memorial service was held at Christ Church on 8th March 2016, followed by the unveiling of a Memorial Sculpture at Preston Cemetery, North Shields on the artist’s unmarked grave in recognition of his life and amazing talent.

by Charlie Steel © 2016

Charlie SteelFurther reading for many of Charlie’s articles can be found in his books: ‘Monkseaton Village’ (Vol. 1 & 2), ‘North Shields Public Houses, Inns & Taverns’ (Part 1 & 2), ‘Tynemouth Remembered’ and ’Whitley Bay Remembered’ (Part 1 & 2) , all published by Summerhill Books.

More information on www.monkseaton.info and on the Monkseaton Village Facebook Page.

ALL AT SEA: An Apprentice’s Lot

Sailors holystoning the deckAn Apprentice in the 1950s was a lowly creature, used mostly as a low paid labourer on the ship.  My ‘salary’ on first going to sea was £8 8s per month, which rose to the dizzying £13 16s a month in my final year. It was slightly better than nothing but only just!

We had a one hour ‘study period’ every day when at sea, followed by seven hours working on deck. Exams took place every six months to keep us focused! Cargo watches generally took precedence in port.

The work was generally on deck with the bosun or, if there were more than two Apprentices on board, we worked under the Senior Apprentice. Looking back, it was very good training as, by the time we had finished our four years, we had done most things on board the ship – although for the first two years, we were not allowed to go down the tanks or climb the masts for maintenance. After two years, anything the crew could do, we could do, and did!

As there seemed to be an inordinate amount of rust on the ships then, a great deal of time was spent chipping the decks, especially when the ship had no cargo and was gas free.

As most vessels of the time had wooden decks round the accommodation, a lot of time was spent ‘holystoning’ them. Using a brick of sandstone in a bracket with a broom handle attached, we threw sand on the deck and pushed the ‘holystone’ back and forth until the deck shone white. This was normally carried out when the weather was wet and awful.

On the ballast passage back to the loading port, tanks had to be cleaned and gas freed. This involved heavy ‘Butterworth’ machines that were attached to high pressure rubber hoses, held in place by ropes. The hoses were lowered every hour or so to near the bottom of the tanks, to wash away any remaining residue. On very large vessels the hoses were lowered on a winch, as the length was too great to be manhandled.

Every Sunday morning we had cleaning duties with brass cleaning at the forefront; there was a lot of brass, particularly on the bridge. Captain’s inspection was carried out every Sunday and everything had to be gleaming for that event.

Sunday afternoons, weather permitting, found us practising Morse Code using the ship’s signalling lamps, one apprentice being under the forecastle and another on the bridge sending messages to each other. We became very proficient in signalling as we were often called to the bridge on the 0800 to 1200 watch to ‘talk’ to a passing ship.

After two years we commenced bridge watches, the senior apprentice doing 0500 until 0700 and 1800 until 2000, whilst the others did either midnight until 0300 or 2000 until 2300 on the night watches.

My apprenticeship was completed after three and a half years, as I had already spent three years at the sea school. Then it was time to start thinking of enrolling in a Nautical College to gain a Second Mate’s Certificate.

by Terry Took © 2016

Terry Took was born in Yorkshire but has lived in Tynemouth for over 50 years. He spent 45 years in the Merchant Navy which included 27 years as North Sea Pilot. He then spent five years as a lecturer at the Marine Department of South Tyneside College.

He is now an Elder Brother in Trinity House.

If you have any comments or would like to contact Terry then please e-mail him at pilotone@pilotone.plus.com.

 

NORTHUMBERLAND AND BORDER WALKS: A Potentially Dangerous Place

Shill Moor summitStriding out across the high lonely ground of the Cheviot Hills on a beautiful summer’s day it is so very easy to forget that in bad weather this can be an unforgiving place. Even the most experienced, weather-beaten walker is not immune from the potential hazards of the unpredictable and ever-changing weather conditions; just ask any member of a Mountain Rescue Team.

On a mid-April afternoon in 2005 two Pennine Way walkers, little more than eight miles from the end of their 270 mile journey northwards, left Auchope Cairn in rapidly deteriorating weather. Blizzard conditions quickly made route finding impossible so the walkers decided to pitch their tent and to sit out the storm. Gale force winds piled snow against the tent forcing the sides dangerously inwards. The poles became worryingly bent and then, after more than 12 hours huddled inside the tent, the walkers finally made a potentially life-saving 999 call.

The Border Search and Rescue Team was alerted and, despite being hampered by flooding, 70 mph winds, temperatures of -15°C and waist deep snow, the rescue team slowly made their way high into the hills. Eventually, after nearly 5 hours, the walkers were found and both were treated for hypothermia. The weather had been amongst some of the worst ever experienced during the month of April.

In October 2013 five walkers set off at lunch time from Wooler intending to walk to Byrness in Redesdale, some 25 miles away over exceptionally hilly terrain. By the time they had reached the mountain refuge hut at Yearning Saddle, and with 10 miles still to walk, it had turned dark. Inadequately dressed, and with only a torch to guide them, the walkers decided to cut their journey short and to head towards the lonely road through Upper Coquetdale some 4 miles away.

They quickly became disorientated and, with one member unable to carry on, they sensibly made an emergency telephone call. The Border Search and Rescue Team were mobilised and were joined by the Northumberland National Park and the North of Tyne Rescue Teams along with a helicopter from RAF Boulmer. Eventually, the bedraggled walkers were found, all suffering from hypothermia.

Even the hardiest and self-sufficient of fell runners can find themselves in difficulties as was demonstrated in January 2013, when a number of competitors in the gruelling ultra-marathon event, The Spine Race, were forced to seek overnight shelter in the two isolated mountain refuge huts in the Cheviot Hills. Three Mountain Rescue Teams were alerted and eventually the exhausted and cold runners, all of whom were well prepared, were safely assisted off the hills.

In each case, all members of the Mountain Rescue Teams were volunteers, as are all Mountain Rescue Team members throughout the country, and without their dedication to helping other in difficulties many of the walkers and runners rescued may never have arrived home safely. They deserve our support.

by Geoff Holland © 2016

Geoff HollandGeoff Holland is a regular contributor to a number of magazines and the author of four books of self-guided walks, ‘The Hills of Upper Coquetdale’, ‘The Cheviot Hills’, ‘Walks from Wooler’ and ‘Walks on the Wild Side: The Cheviot Hills’. All books can be purchased online from www.trailguides.co.uk. Geoff, who has lived in Monkseaton for over 40 years, also operates the award-winning website www.cheviotwalks.co.uk. His poems have appeared in a number of publications.