Chris Gardener writes and agreed for this to be shared
Was recently thinking of these long-gone images of a Co. Durham former mining community which was mainly flattened in the 70s.
I had family connections in Allendale Cottages, who were all of mining stock.
Up till the early 60s I was sometimes taken to visit relatives there, remembering the dirt-track back lanes and outside ”netties” ( WCs !). However, on a more positive note, I recall the home baking done on the old fashioned open range, where indeed all the cooking was then done….
It was a rough and ready community, but basically a kind-hearted one. Rather like something from a DH Lawrence story.
I never went into the chapel pictured here, though understand that it had a fine little pipe-organ of German make.
I resided in the nearby Dene Estate for 11 years until about 2015, sometimes walking around the site of that long- lost pit village, feeling rather nostalgic.
