Bygone days project melts away the years.

Byline: By Helen Rae

Memories of times at the seaside and schooldays have been rekindled by pensioners.

For over a year five women, all in their 70s and 80s, have been meeting to share childhood reminiscences to create a book based on their time growing up.

Joyce Hayley, Cathy Collier, Pip Gray, Alys Crisp and Olive Adams have recreated stories of Whitley Bay, North Shields and Wallsend during the 20s and 30s.

In the booklet, Childhood Memories ( Growing Up in Whitley Bay, North Shields and Wallsend in the 1920s and 1930s, memories are shared such as their experiences at infant school and first jobs.

As a young mum in 1939, Alys Crisp, 89, lived on St Mary's Island in Whitley Bay ( a tradition her daughter Erroil has now taken over.

The great-grandmother-of-one, of Shields Road, Whitley Bay, said: "Being able to share my memories for this booklet has been something I've thoroughly enjoyed.

"My life has been unique in the respect I spent decades living on St Mary's Island.

"I used to go to the lighthouse and help take the oil up into the light room to keep the lamp burning.

"It was something that had to be done on an hourly basis but I used to spend my time chatting with the lighthouse keeper's wife.

"There was one occasion when I went into labour. It was a breach birth and the tide was coming in so the ambulance men had to come and carry me through the sea to mainland.

"It is stories like these I think people will really enjoy reading."

The group of grandmothers joined forces with Age Concern North Tyneside to create the booklet. Lesley Turner, promotion and events officer at Age Concern, said: "We decided to write the booklet after the positive response we had when we took part in the People's War Project.

"For the event many pensioners discussed their memories during the Second World War and we felt it would be appropriate to write them down so future generations can read about what life used to be like."

Pip Gray, 82, of Victoria Court, Cullercoats, talks about her time at the Western Board Infant School in North Shields.

She said: "When I was reliving my experiences it was quite an emotional process as a lot of the people I talk about have now sadly passed away.

"I had to be very selective in what I said as I wanted to put everything in the booklet but there was not there was not enough room to do so. As a result I decided to focus on the fun times I had at a carnival in Whitley Bay and my first job."

She added: "I believe it's very important to get young children to learn about the history of the area in which they live and I hope this is exactly what the booklet will do."

The booklet will be on sale for pounds 2 at a reminiscence event on Thursday, May 25 between 2pm and 4pm at the Age Concern Centre, Park Road, Whitley Bay.