Shops and Businesses in Wark (North Tyne) 1940s-1960s

Contributors: Mavis Nixon (nee Jackson), George Nixon, Alan Nichol, Mandy Nichol (nee Winstanley), John Davison, Phillip Easton. Pulled together by Clive Dalton.

1. Thomas H Nichol & Son, Grocer and Baker. Van drivers and assistants: Tommy Dodd, Cyril Cooper, Nellie Pigg, Dorothy Stevenson. Bakery: Norman Prentice, Ellie Moore (Bakers). Ena and Margie Wood. Shop manager: Jimmy Proudlock. Office: Lucy Nixon, Annie Tait, Mavis Jackson.

2. Draper: (Opposite Nichol’s shop): Peg White. (Pair of seamed nylons cost 1/11d).

3. Butcher. Ernie Hewitson (next to Nichols).

4. Grocer. William Civil (Master Grocer) ran ‘Civils Supply Store’ until his death when it was taken over by the Co-Op (West Wylam and Prudhoe Cooperative Society), selling a full range of groceries. Then when Hewitson closed, the Bellingham butcher Henry Walton started his business in the Co-Op shop later followed by some of his family. 5. Nurse Anderson (District nurse). Lived in Alms House opposite the doctor’s house. She zipped around on a small motor cycle like a Moped with 98cc engine, before getting a small car in later years. She would assist in anything medical which included childbirth, after-birth care and laying out the dead before the undertaker took over.

6. Tucker Jamieson. Haulage contractor with red wagons started by Dick Davison of Lonbrough, Rowland Telfer of High Moralee and Joe Nixon of Goat Stones. Purchased by Tucker in 1953 with driving shared between Tucker and brother Eddie before being passed on to Tucker’s son Walton.

7. Post Office. Post master John Elliott and later taken over by their son Jimmy and wife Mary.

8. Black Bull. Public House run by Leah (Lil) Walton.

9. Grey Bull. Public House run by Minnie Walton.

11. Bootmaker and Cobbler (shoes, boots and clogs). Jack Redpath at end of Tyne Terrace opposite Town Hall.

12. GP. Dr Coker (‘The Black Doctor’) in Wark as early as 1944 with waiting room and surgery as part of his residence. The waiting room was the kitchen with Aga cooker which kept it very warm. He dispensed his own medicine which could be collected later from the dresser shelves in the kitchen. He was an African and certainly the only coloured person in the valley that anyone had ever seen, but greatly loved by all ages of patients.

13. Chiropractor. Dickie Pattinson.

14. Blacksmith. John Pattinson with forge next to Battlesteads Hotel. Also recharged wet cell batteries for wirelesses.

15. Postal Services. Willie Rutherford was the single postman was who lived at Woodley Shield and travelled on foot from Wark around by Burmoor, Mortley, Ravensheugh, Longlea, Gofton, Shillahaugh, High Moralee, Ramshaws Mill and back to Wark in all weathers. The postal delivery was later taken over by vans driven by Bob Robson and Tot Murray. Ed Murray of the Barns did another part of Warksburn. Betty Turnbull walked the Birtley area before mail vans came from Hexham. Some of the other drivers were Ridley Jackson, Walter Ferguson and Jimmy Cessford.

16. Policeman. Constable Hannah. His superior was Police Sergeant George Fell in Bellingham.

17. Petrol. Tom Charlton provided petrol from pumps beside his small wooden hut which was also a small shop from which he sold everything imaginable. His sweets ranged from Sherbet dips, Trebor chews, Rowntree fruit gums and Gob stoppers. You could buy packets of potato crisps with salt in tiny blue twisted bags for 3d!

18. Mechanic. Bill Charlton in Church Lane. He also provided the school bus service with Bert Wicks.

19. Coal. Purchased from and delivered by Eddie Robson from Sutty Row near Birtley and not Hareshaw pit.

20. Sawmill. Owned and operated by Lawrence Milburn and Walter Binks on the Hexham road on way into village.

21. Wark School. Pre 1950 headmaster was Mr Houston who also taught the older class. In 1950 Miss Walton was headmistress and teachers were Miss Wallace and Miss MacBeth. Before the Kielder dam was built after heavy rain the playground would flood up to the school foundations. School lunches were cooked by Betty Armstrong, Bessie Short and Mrs Charlton.

22. Chipchase Arms. Locals called it The Yett.

23. Battlesteads Hotel. Before becoming a pubic house it was a Temperance Hotel belonging to Miss Crease and Miss Turner.

24. Martins Bank. Next to Tom Charltons.

25. Lloyds Bank. Next to the Black Bull.

26. Town Hall. Used as Mechanic’s Institute with upstairs billiard room, library and reading room. Downstairs was the main hall used regularly for dances. The resident caretaker lived on the premises.

27. The Mart. Formed by a group of local farmers and run by John Johnson, Anty Charlton and Kit Heslop for Government meat grading (approving the body condition of stock for slaughter and payment). It stopped shortly after the war and the sale ring and pens were taken down and removed to Bellingham. Bill Nelson (Mavis Nixon’s grandfather) from Longlea was the Government Meat Grader.

28. Plumber/Electrician. Brian Nichol.

29. Agricultural Contractors. Cecil Dockrey Ramshaws sawmill, and Lawrence Milburn before he had the sawmill. Davisons of Latterford.

30. Fabrics. Mr Franklin sold clothing and fabric lengths etc and was an offshoot of Robinsons of Hexham.

31. Houxty Gardens. W.J.Stables grew vegetables and flowers, and especially tomatoes to be sold by Nichols.

32. Sewing Machine Repairer. Jill Telfer thinks it was her father Willy Telfer who had the business.

33. Hostel for prisoners of war (to provide farm labour), later used for displaced persons from war ravaged areas of Europe. Was on the Bellingham Road on the opposite side from Nichol’s bakery. The site was later used for OAP housing called Westlands. Now there is another housing estate around there.

34. Church. St. Michael (C of E) in Church Lane.

35. Church. Presbyterian church on Hexham Road entering the village. J Strachan Hughes as Minister.

36. Church. Wesleyan Methodist church that became a house.

37. Milk. supplied by Geoff and Bobby Ridley of Mote Hill farm. Milk also supplied to village folk from George and Jean Johnson’s farm in the middle of the village whose cows walked through the village twice a day to be milked, leaving dung to stick to passing cars and pedestrians’ shoes.

38. Rabbit catcher. Jack Wanlass who covered a wide area of farms in the valley in his little green van. Paid on a time basis with extra income from rabbits sold.

39. Sunday papers and magazines. Delivered by car or van from Hexham to Wark ending its journey selling from the Fox and Hounds cow bye in Bellingham.

Footnote: Phillip Easton Railway Hotel – where my Grandfather Walter Easton was publican in at least 1900 and my Father Andrew Richard Easton was born there on March 15 of that year. Soon after I think the family moved to Hexham where Grandfather died in 1903 leaving two children and my Grandmother who was pregnant at the time. Her third child being Nina who eventually was to marry Syd Allen. Harry Glass followed as Publican at the Railway Hotel which had a name change to the Cheviot.

Footnote: Alan Nichol Dr Cooker (The Black Doctor) was one of the most respected men in the valley and a brilliant GP. I used to sometimes call in at the Yet on my way to see Mandy and one night Dr Coker came in and was enjoying a game of darts and a pint with us locals on his way home from seeing patients at Barrasford, when the door opened and in came Eddie Robson (the coal man) after finishing his delivery round – his face black as spades with coal dust. Dr Coker looked around and said ‘Come in Eddie lad, there is no colour bar in here’!