Prudhoe’s Shopping Centre
Before the days of out-of-town shopping centres, Prudhoe’s Front Street was home to a diversity of small shops ranging from shoe repairers and shoe makers, wireless dealers, ice cream parlours, chemists, drapers, hairdressers, bakers, fried fish shops and general dealers to the major Co-operative stores.
An example of one of the small shops was Brookhouses at number 4 West Road (a building now converted to a house but which, over the years, housed Liddle’s general dealers and Sunday paper shop, a betting shop and Gilmore’s taxi office). Winnie Walker (née Brookhouse) lived here when it was a general dealer’s shop, owned by her mother. The shop mostly sold sweets and some drapery. Its stock also included clay pipes at Y2d each, Woodbine cigarettes at 2d a packet and ‘Dandelion Stout’. Mrs Brookhouse made her own pease pudding to sell and, in the 1920’s, on a Friday you could buy from her a Longstaffe’s pie and peas for 3d. She also sold potted meat for which she obtained the meat to make it from Farnley Grange, near Corbridge. It was one of Winnie’s jobs to go to the Blaydon Co-op butchers (just west of where the library now stands) when a pig was about to be slaughtered. The blood was collected in a pail and carried back to 4, West Road where her mother, Rachad, made it into black pudding to be sold in the shop. The pudding was cooked in the oven of the black-leaded range in the living room behind the shop.
The window of the shop advertised Rubicon Tobacco in letters stuck onto the glass, but for many years it read ‘ubicon Tobacco’ since the first letter had fallen off. The gable end of the building displayed an enamelled sign advertising Robin Starch.
Once or twice a year the shows came to a field behind Mrs Brookhouse’s shop and to what is now the Dr Syntax car park, (then known as the ‘showyard’). There would be hobbyhorses, shuggy-boats, swings and chairs and sideshows to test one’s skill, such as a rifle range and throwing balls into a bucket. After her day’s baking Mrs Brookhouse would put her loaves out onto the backdoor step to cool and the showmen would shout “Would you make us one of them, missus?”
Where the Dr Syntax pub now stands was once the site of a row of thatched cottages. About 1800 these were rebuilt as a tavern (reputedly once one of the most picturesque in the locality). At its peak it was a hive of activity, being a halting place for the carrier’s cart and a staging point for the Newcastle to Carlisle coach. Here the horses would be changed. Could this also be one of the reasons why two blacksmiths’ businesses grew up on opposite sides of the road beside the Syntax? The inn’s importance, however, declined with the advent of the railway in 1835.
Sketch of Old Dr Syntax 1899
Perhaps Thomas Coxon was still the publican then. He is recorded as such in Parson & White’s Directory for 1828. When the Newcastle to Carlisle railway was opened, the stables attached to the inn were taken down and this work helped to reveal the age of the structure. It was found that scarcely any iron had been used in the buildings. The woodwork of the roof, and of the doors and windows, was put together with bone or oak pins and wood couplings.
According to a document dated 1611, the ground on which the premises stood, together with the croft lands and emoluments, were purchased from Sir John Fenwick of Wallington by Thomas Bell, yeoman of Prudhoe “for a sum of money paid into Sir John’s hands, and subject forever to a yearly rent of eight shillings, being yielded to the late monastery of Hexham and payable at the feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary (March 25th) and St Michael the Archangel (September 29th), and forever to be performed all the suites and services at the Courts Letes and Court Baronettes held at the manor or lordship of Anick Grannage upon warning being given”.
In spite of the recorded decline in the pub’s use as a coaching inn it was still deemed commercially viable to replace the Syntax with a bigger and imposing new structure in 1899 (the current building). This must have been due to the rapid growth of the town at this time as a mining community. In Whellan’s Directory the population of Prudhoe in 1831 is recorded as 71 and in 1851 as 102, but Bulmer’s Directory shows an increase to about 400 by 1855 and between 4,000 and 5,000 in 1886.
The Newcastle Chronicle of 18th May 1899 records the demolition and rebuilding of the Dr Syntax stating that “this old time village inn will soon be a thing of the past – to be pulled down to make way for a hostelry of the modern type. Mr F Laing of Farnley Grange (near Corbridge) has obtained possession of the inn, and will rebuild a new inn on the site of the old structure.
An edition of the “Hexham Courant” of 1900, on the opening of the new building, declares it to be “one of the most commodious village inns in the county”. It goes on to tell us that the opening was celebrated by Mr Laing, the owner, staging an invitation supper in the banqueting hail, “to which ample justice was done”. The chairman for the evening was Mr William Bell, of Harlow Hill, who spoke of his family’s connection with the Dr Syntax of 208 years without a break. He described the old Dr Syntax, built in 1611, as a “thatched building, and but a pale shadow of the magnificent edifice which has replaced it”. He went on to outline the many changes which had taken place in Prudhoe during the life of the building, saying that “even 60 years ago, Prudhoe was a township with a population of 300 people. There was no railway, no churches, no chapels and no trouble with sanitation and water”. He forecast that “Prudhoe, now with a population of between five and six thousand has great industrial prospects for the future”.
Dr Syntax Inn c. 1900Just beyond the pub, next to Coulson’s blacksmiths sttod a little gents’ barbers shop. Note the wall and railings around the West Road Methodist Church on the right.
The Inn in the late 1980s was renamed ‘The Northumbria’, possibly to avoid confusion with another nearby Dr Syntax Inn at New Ridley. However, in the autumn of 1999, the new landlady, Olga Stokoe, because of requests from the pub’s users, decided that she would change the building back to its original name. Doctor Syntax is a strange name for a pub. The original Dr Syntax was a fictional character invented by the author, William Coombe (1741-1823). He was a Doctor of Divinity — a pious clergyman who was fond of travelling to escape from his nagging wife! Did subsequent users of the pub which bears his name perhaps use it for the same purpose? The name Dr Syntax was then given to a famous racehorse of that era. It was the only horse to win the same race seven years running, namely the Preston Gold Cup from 1815 to 1821 inclusive.
In an article in the “Hexham Courant” dated 6th November 1987, Brian Tilley writes that “the decision to change the name of an ancient coaching inn to “The Northumbria” has caused some consternation in the town, with even local councillors becoming involved. The objectors feel the name is unique, for there are only two other pubs of that name – one just a few miles away at New Ridley, Stocksfield, the other in Oldham”. He goes on to say that “the regulars have already given their verdict on the new-look Syntax – Northumbria — they have dubbed it ‘The Dagmar’ after the upmarket bar in the television soap opera “Eastenders!”
For many years Atkinsons had a corrugated iron fish and chip shop in the comer of what is now the Dr Syntax car park. A section of the shop was set aside so that you could eat your fish and chips on the premises. Later on this was taken over by Mrs Testo who had a ‘housey’ (bingo) stall there. This was then moved onto the ‘Hoppings’ field behind. The show yard was also occupied by a large shed used as an auction room by Mr Thomas Pattinson. This may have been the predecessor of his larger premises at Crawcrook, or as a Prudhoe branch of the same business.
In the 1940’s and 50’s Mr Brown had a motor bike repair shop in a shed in the north west comer of the show yard. Mr Brown lived just over the road in a house adjoining the West Road Chapel. The site of his front door can still be seen, although it has now been converted into a window.
Regular visits to Prudhoe were made by the Cullercoats fish wife and the muffin man, who carried his tray of muffins on his head and each Monday called on his regular customers. Gypsies would make their seasonal visits, selling lace or telling fortunes for 6d.
The bottom of South Road, on both sides of the road outside Coulson’s, was the site of Paddy’s Market. This market was held fortnightly on the evening of ‘Pay Friday’ (the miners were paid fortnightly). Although some proper stalls were set up, other vendors simply laid cloths or tarpaulins on the ground on which goods were displayed. A variety of knick-knacks and second hand clothing would be sold. Other attractions were escapologists and fire-eaters. In winter the stalls would be lit with paraffin flares which added a magical charm to the street. It seems that the market ceased to operate towards the end of the 1920’s.
At the time of Paddy’s Market, at the bottom of South Road, where the toilets now stand, was Robinson’s Smithy (demolished in 1940). At the turn of the century the smithy provided a congregating point for the reading aloud of the daily papers for the benefit of the illiterate, or those who couldn’t afford to buy a paper. Local quarrymen would leave their chisels here at the end of each day and the blacksmith would have them sharpened and ready for collection at seven o’clock the following morning. Two blacksmiths, William Robinson and James Donkin, are recorded in Parson and White’s Directory as having smithies in Prudhoe in 1828. Mr Donkin was an antecedent of Coulson’s and his premises were those later worked by David Coulson for his garden machinery repair business. The blacksmith was still important in the years leading up to the Second World War. In addition to the long established Coulson’s Smithy, Mr Buglass had blacksmith premises next to the ‘Tory’ Club.
Robinson’s blacksmiths c. 1930Siddel Robinson, the horse dealer, is second from the left. Fourth from the left is John Curry, the town bookmaker and moneylender. Standing next to him are his two ‘runners’, who helped in case of any trouble. They rarely left his side. In the background is the newly rebuilt Dr Syntax pub. Note the circle on the ground on which the hot metal rim of the cart wheels would be hammered onto the wooden wheel, then doused with water to make it shrink tightly onto the rim.
Coulson’s Blacksmiths c. 1890The tall figure is George Laidler Coulson, the first of the Coulson family to have the business. He married into the Donkin family who had already been established there for many years. The cart on the left is the Co-op’s milk cart.
One of the most successful shopkeepers in the town was Joseph Lee, the draper of 4-7 Front Street whose business operated from 1919 to the late 1950’s. This block of shops consisted of a menswear shop, a milliner’s and a shoe department. Other shops in this block at the time were Bannister’s the Cobblers and Eva Swan’s the hairdressers.
Joe Lee’s shops decked out to celebrate the end of World War I
Fred Quarzi, the ice cream vendor, had a corner shop at 71 Front Street for over fifty years until the shop was demolished in the 1990’s to make a wider entrance to gain access to the new Co-op Superstore. Mr Quarzi was, as his name suggests, an Italian. He could speak little English. The shop was fitted out with booths of high-backed seats.
Quarzi had another ice cream parlour at number 19 Front Street (now occupied by Economy Drive) during the 1920’s until the 1950’s. It had café tables where customers could sit and enjoy their ice cream from dishes and have drinks of tea and coffee. They also sold the usual comets and ice cream sandwiches with a wafer at the top and bottom and their shop made ice lollies, the cheapest of which cost 1d in the 1940’s and 1950’s.
Another ice cream vendor on the Front Street is recorded in 1910 as Pasquele Francoisy.
Standing outside outside Quarzi’s Corner Shop c. 1925
Tony, Theresa and Camelia Quarzi
Quarzis also owned the Temperance Bar at Number 19, Front Street
Standing at the door are Winnie Barron and Theresa Quarzi
Near Quarzi’s Corner shop (at 68 Front Street) stood the Meadow Dairy. In the days before refrigerators the door was kept wide open to keep the shop cool, but the shop assistants were frozen! To test the freshness of the eggs they were placed on a box which was fitted with holes of the appropriate size to accommodate them. A light was switched on beneath them so that the egg was illuminated inside to check the condition. A pole in the picture, which was covered in a mosaic of small mirror tiles, can still be seen in the premises which until recently was occupied by Windsor Bakery.
One of the longest standing of Prudhoe’s businesses was Applebys, the drapers of 53 Front Street, established in 1881 and closing in 1981. During its existence it suffered a major fire in the late 1920’s and had to be rebuilt. The premises are now occupied by ‘Spend’n’Save’.
Staff of Meadow Dairy 1958Building until recently occupied by Windsor Bakery. Left to right Carole Cowie, Audrey Walker, Annie Colpitts, Joyce Mitcheson, Sheila Armstrong, Barbara Mitcheson, Gladys Dickinson.
Next door to Appleby’s, at number 52, was the London & Newcastle Tea Company. The shop had a system of sending cash from the shop assistants to the cashier. The money was placed in a container with a screw topped cap which was attached to wires which stretched above head height and, upon the pulling of a lever, the container was sent along to the cashier’s desk. The change was returned to the counter in a similar way.
A little further east, at number 49, was the Electric Cinema, once owned by the family of Ben Travis, the actor. This was built in the early 1930’s on the site of the old drill hall and was rebuilt in 1936. It was later renamed ‘The Rex’. On closing it was converted into an indoor swimming pool which was ultimately replaced by the Waterworld pool. The premises stood empty for almost five years until the Redbrick House Nursing Home was built there in 1994-95.
Appleby’s Shop c. 1950
On the other side of Front Street, a little to the east, stands the Police Station. At one time the police inspector lived on the ground floor with the office at the other side of the main door. Upstairs was the ‘jury room’ with a raised dais at one end.
Further along, at number 27, a shop converted from a wool shop into Walnut beauty salon, was recorded in 1929 as being run as a general dealers by James Welton. It was later taken over by Mrs Mary Welton, nicknamed “Baggy” Welton. 1n her shop she sold sweets which she wrapped up in bits of newspaper.
Next door to Welton’s in the 1920’s, at number 28, was a chip shop run by James Telford, a man with a beautiful tenor voice. He was nicknamed “Fishy Jimmy”.
Beavan’s Chemists c. 1890
Alwyne Dyson’s Chemist Shop c. 1930. This firm took over from Beavan’s in 1907.
Staff of the Electric Cinema (later Rex) c. 1930
Note the ornate wrought iron canopy over the entrance
Nicknames were not only applied to people. The West Wylam Inn was, and still is, nicknamed the “Jerry”. The pub used to have a porch which protruded onto the pavement. This had a door in both the east and west sides of it and which one was opened depended on the prevailing wind.
Returning to the top of Station Bank, opposite the Parish Hall, at number 72, Douthwaite’s the Chemist operated from pre-World War I years into the 1970’s. Its interior was little changed over the years and when it closed its fittings and drawers with beautifully labelled chemical names were taken to Hunday Museum which was opened at Newton by Mr Moffatt of Peepy Farm, an avid collector of farm machinery and old artefacts. When Hunday closed down the fitments of Douthwaite’s were bought by Stapehill Abbey, between Ferndown and Wimborne in Dorset, where they are now on show.
Another Chemist’s Shop, namely Douthwaite’s, is festooned with flags, probably to celebrate the end of the First World War
Just beyond is Quarzi’s Ice Cream Parlour and in the mid-distance is the Wesleyan Church (now the site of The Factory Shop)
In 1919 Mr J Douthwaite opened a bank in the front room next door to his shop. At that time not many people would be in the habit of using a bank so, if it were closed, the customer had to go next door to the chemist’s and Mr Douthwaite would lock up the shop and transfer his attention to the bank next door. The bank was taken over by Martin’s in the 1930’s and has since been amalgamated into Barclays. Martin’s Bank had the most impressive frontage on Front Street, but this was recklessly destroyed by Barclays when they expanded their premises. Martin’s at that time occupied number 75, the premises immediately to the east of the Northern Rock.
Mr Douthwaite was obviously a man of many parts for, in his role as chemist, he also pulled teeth!
Further west from Douthwaites stood Plender’s which is now the Post Office, and was characterised by the rolls of linoleum which were displayed on the street outside. On the gable end of the building was a clock which unlike recent clocks in Prudhoe, was reputed to keep perfect time. The clock’s mechanism was encased in a beautiful walnut corner cupboard inside the premises. The clock was removed in the 1960’s. Following Plender’s time, the shop was run by Stells, the drapers.
In the 1920’s, number 77, was the premises of Andrew Jordan, the tailor. Being one to attract publicity for his business, during one week in 1 925 he arranged to have a live female model in his shop window. The young woman was hypnotised so as not to move, and lay there on a chaise longue.
The major shops in Prudhoe, as in most towns and villages in the area, were the Co-ops. Prudhoe boasted two co-operative societies. The West Wylam and Prudhoe Co-op was situated to the east of the Wesleyan Chapel on the north side of Front Street, while the Blaydon Co-operative Society’s premises were on the opposite side of the road. The latter is now occupied by a number of restaurants and take-aways offering cuisine from several parts of the world. On the ground floor of the Blaydon Co-op were the store butchers, with its slaughterhouse behind the grocery department and the drapery department. Upstairs there was a library and cobbler’s shop.
The West Wylam and Prudhoe Society was formed in 1871 and was one of the first Co-operative Societies formed in the north east. After seven years its yearly sales had reached £16,756 and it had 409 members. Dividend was 2s 0d in the pound. By 1883 sales had virtually doubled and the dividend had increased to 3s 3d in the pound. At this time a new branch was opened at Mickley (now the premises of ‘The Jiggery Pokery’). By the end of the 1880’s the society was trading in groceries and provisions, butchery, boots and shoes, drapery and millinery. It was even involved in house building and, at the end of the century, a fund for education was set up and extra branches had been opened at Corbridge and Crawcrook. In 1900 the sales were more than £75,000 and the dividend had gone up to 3s 8d. After 1900 extensive new premises were opened in Prudhoe and a bakery was added to this. Additional outlets were set up at Low Prudhoe, Ovingham and Greenside.
The upstairs of the new Prudhoe store, above the butcher’s and hardware departments (in the Regency Reproductions premises) was known as the ‘Emporium’. This was an Aladdin’s cave which seemed to sell innumerable household goods. The counter formed a large, continuous rectangle in the middle of the floor. The shop assistants would stand inside this rectangle while the customers walked around the outside to choose their wares.
The society had also expanded its services to include dressmaking, insurance, watch and clock repairs and dentistry. In 1916, the society took over the Hexham and Acomb Co-op and at the end of the First World War it acquired two farms and by the 1920’s it had opened ten new branches, begun a funeral service and ventured into the milk business and coach hire. The 1920’s were difficult financial times because of strikes and unemployment and for a while both the sales and, in consequence, the dividend fell. When the economy recovered a further branch was opened in Prudhoe at Castle Dene. At this time the receipts given with purchases had to be stuck in columns onto a dividend sheet and each quarter this would be totted up by the girls in the ‘Store Office’ who ran a pencil up the columns and could add pounds, shillings and pence lines together (without a calculator) in one process. The dividend from the purchases was then paid out. Those who were well enough off (and this would not be many) would let their ‘divi’ lie and draw it out at Christmas time. Post World War II development levelled off for the Co-op and although sales topped a million pounds in 1969 the dividend was only 4d. Share capital also fell dramatically and the West Wylam and Prudhoe Co-op merged in 1970 with the North Eastern Co-operative Society.
With increasing competition from other outlets, such as the Metro Centre, and greater mobility of shoppers, the Co-op closed down its Prudhoe stores and built a new supermarket on the site of Oakfield Park which had housed a bowling green, tennis courts and a putting green. A children’s playground was further up the hill. Greenhouses on the site provided flowers for the park.
The park was created in 1927. The putting green and bowling green were laid under the supervision of Bob Lowes, Lord Allendale’s head gardener. The drains were extremely efficient so that the bowling green could be under water in the morning, yet a match could be played on it in the afternoon. The surface was said to be perfect so that County matches could be played on it. The park was a favourite meeting place on fine days. The children could enjoy the swings, and shoppers could take a rest, surrounded by a fine display of flowers.
During 1926 it had still been a flat field with a slope above it and this proved to be an ideal site as a venue for miners’ leaders to address the people of Prudhoe and district. Many would walk from other villages as far away as Chopwell to hear the speeches. The men and women who marched from Chopwell were led by Will Lawther and A J Cook (prominent Labour Party leaders of the time). The new superstore was opened on this site in 1990 and, as part of an agreement with Prudhoe Council, the Co-op funded a new bowling green and pavilion; part of the Waterworid complex. Unfortunately, local bowlers complain that important matches can’t be played here because the green is several inches short of the regulation length.