'The names come flooding back' The old school website.

A LETTER from Pat Nicholas in issue 74 really surprised Elaine Smart (nee Sawdon), of Middlesbrough.

She writes: A lot of years ago I was told that she and her husband, who was a well-liked teacher, were involved in a fatal car crash in Germany. I'm pleased they're both OK.

I remember Pat as a child, jumping on an old air raid shelter in Mary Stinton's garden. I believe she caught her knee, taking a chunk out. Do you have a scar from that, Pat?

I also remember he birthday - February 24, 1940, where I was July.

Are you still around Mary Stinton, of Pallister Avenue?

The names come flooding back when someone opens the memory gate: Pat Barnaby, she used to be a beautiful singer who used to do panto, she still looks the same, only a bit older as the rest of us; Cathy Dales hasn't altered much, either. Do you remember the spiders, Cath?

Then there was Mary Murphy who lived, and still does, in Marshall Avenue. Her mum made the most gorgeous toffee dabs.

Mr and Mrs Nelson, of 15 Kedward, let me watch their telly on a Saturday night for two whole hours - nobody else had one.

Then there was Margaret Cope at No 17.

We went to school together and later pedalled to work together until one winter I had a lucky escape when I came off my bike, due to black ice, and straight under a tanker, ending up with my thigh inches from a wheel. All traffic stopped and when I got up the driver shouted at me for riding a bike in such weather.

When I got home from work and told by parents about it my dad took my bike off me.

The Cobbles lived at No 16. Marion, who was a few years older than me, took me to the fair one night when I was about 10. One ride really swung until almost going over; I screamed so much that they had to stop it, so you can understand why she wouldn't take me to the fair again.

There were the Baines, Smiths and the Winwards, of which Evelyn was the midwife on duty when one of my sons was born and what a beautiful person she was. I think she is now in the Marske area.

Mrs Sheridan, I remember, used to chase us when we made swings on the lamp post near her house, probably rightly so but we didn't think so then.

The Lamberts used to live on the other side of us and Jimmy Lambert is still going strong. In fact, his mother, son and daughter have occupied the same seat in the Cargo Fleet club for what must be about 68 years. I think they should be honoured in some way.

Sometimes, I would say often, a group of us would go to the beck, which was behind the shops on Alexander Terrace long before Pallister Park Estate was built. I often went home with half the beck, as I'd fall in. We spent many a happy time beck-jumping though.

I remember that there was a small bridge and one day, in 1948, we were looking up at a plane when an old lady said to us: "Watching the plane, are you?

One day they will be going to the moon, but I won't see them."

After the bridge was allotments and then on to Pally Park, as we used to call it.

There used to be beautiful gardens in the Park then, and when it was so hot you could smell the rubber off some kind of stone that was in the path and we used to try and pick it out.

1947 brought deep snow that was higher than us kids going to Brambles Farm school. The paths were dug out for us, milkmen, coalmen and postmen.

Though I don't think I want to see snow like that again.

So, from the 1940s to the next century I have four children, 10 grandchildren and by December this year four great-grandchildren.

I would most certainly say, Remember When, that someone has a story to tell.

Apparently on page two of issue 74, Elaine says that Redwood is actually Kedward Avenue, which is in two halves; Brambles Farm is at the top, where she and her friends all lived.

CAPTION(S):

FORMER PUPILS: Class 1a in 1955, right; Form 1B: September 1962, below; BELOW RIGHT: A sixth form private study session