Corrie weekly update - Bernie’s birthday suit & Freshco sausage rolls

I've been writing Coronation Street weekly updates since 1995 and this week's Coronation Street has just gone live here.

In this week's Corrie Chesney got an eyeful of Bernie in her birthday suit.
__
Glenda Young

Author of historical novels with Headline

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

A walk around Ryhope Village

My six novels published by Headline are all set in the northeast coal mining village of Ryhope, in 1919. 

Ryhope is where I grew up and what's amazed me more than anything else while I've been researching the village before writing my novels, is how much I don't know about the village where I was born and bred.

With the help of Brian Ibinson and Peter Hedley of Ryhope Heritage Society, of which I'm now a member, I've been trying to fill the gaps in my knowledge of Ryhope's coalmining and farming past. 

 I took a walk around Ryhope's old pit, saw the remains of Cauld Knuckles School and Leechmere Hall. You can read all about that walk here, and see some pictures.

Brian and Peter took me on a walk that took in the site where Ryhope Asylum once stood. It was also known as Cherry Knowle hospital. 

It's now been demolished and in the same proximity stands a new purpose-built NHS mental health hopsital.  One hundred years ago, those who were given over to the asylum included single, pregnant girls; those with epilepsy; 'unmanageable women'; and more. These days, thank goodness, much more is understood about mental health and how to manage those who suffer from illness of the mind.

From the site of the Asylum, we walked around the village green and Brian was very generous with his time and his memories, showing me where the old farms were and where the farmers lived. We were even called into one house (not an original farmhouse, but on the site of one) to take a look in the back yard. Ryhope folk are very friendly!

From the village we then walked to St. Paul's church, which is featured in all of my books. The vicar at the time I write my novels in 1919 was called Canon Knight. And in his honour, I call my fictional vicar Reverend Daye. 

Knight - Daye. See what I did there?

In the stone wall that runs along the pavement in front of St, Paul's church, are these peculiar coping stones with holes at the top. Brian explained to me that  the coping stones of the churchyard wall (shown below) are salvaged stone ‘chairs’ taken from the Ryhope Colliery railway. Many of them still show the holes where the iron spikes were secured. These are my pictures I took on the walk today.

After visiting St. Paul's, we passed the site of the old police station and saw the Grand Cinema, which is awaiting its fate after decades boarded up. It'll soon be making its way to Beamish museum, brick by brick. This makes me feel very proud. You can read more on that on the Beamish website.

Then the plan was to continue our walk to where the Co-op once stood in all its glory on the colliery bank. My dad used to work at the Co-op as an insurance collector, it was his first job after leaving school. Here it is in its hey-day.

And here's what is in its spot now. 

This bland, uninspiring building was built as the "new" Co-op when the old one was demolished in the 1970s. I know which one I prefer and it's not the second one. 

The "new" Co-op, above, is now a bathroom and kitchen showroom, and it's currently up for sale. You can't see it in the photo above but it has the logo...

CO

OP

...built in brick relief at the front.  If I won the lottery, I'd buy the land, demolish it and build some affordable, family apartments with a communal garden and I'd call the development The Old Store.

However, we never made it to the site of the Co-op on our walk today. It was hot. We'd walked for two hours and we'd chatted all the way. To say we were in need of a sit down and a cold drink was something of an understatement and so we called it a day. 

I am indebted to Brian Ibinson and Peter Hedley of Ryhope Heritage Society for their help.

(Note, walks and talks below were held in 2019)

I'm giving a free guided walk around Ryhope on Saturday 14 September as part of Heritage Open Days. The walk will take in the locations used in my novels set in 1919 and booking is required. 

I'm also giving a talk as part of Heritage Open Days about the farming and mining communities of old Ryhope. This takes place on Friday 13 September. No booking needed, just turn up!

You can find out all about Heritage Open Days at their website here.
 __

Glenda Young

Author of historical novels with Headline

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Corrie weekly update - July 20 2019

I've been writing Coronation Street weekly updates since 1995 and this week's Coronation Street has just gone live here.

In this week's Corrie I am loving Sarah and Adam as the new Corrie power couple combo.
__

Author of historical novels with Headline

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

A walk on Ryhope's wild side

My three novels - Belle of the Back Streets, The Tuppenny Child & Pearl of Pit Lane are all set in the northeast coal mining village of Ryhope, in 1919. Ryhope is where I grew up and what's amazed me more than anything else while I've been researching the village before writing my novels, is how much I don't know about the village where I was born and bred.

With the help of Ryhope Heritage Society, of which I'm now a member, I've been trying to fill the gaps in my knowledge of Ryhope's coalmining and farming past. And today, I went on a wonderful walk with two of the historians from Ryhope Heritage Society. I saw things I'd never seen before. It's been an incredible day and I'd like to share some of it with you.  I'll be going back to Ryhope same time next week to walk the length of the colliery bank and around the village green so there'll be even more photos next week.

Today, I was shown the location for the oddly named Cauld Knuckles School. I also walked the area where Irish immigrants settled, an area called Vinegar Hall.  Some of Cauld Knuckles School remains, a stone wall from the 1800s, you can see in the picture above.

In the picture below, is a track which was originally the pathway to the school entrance. At the end of the track, in between the houses, is a gap where the school gates originally stood.

Here is the entrance to what was the rather grand Leechmere Hall. Only the entrance and a wall remains. Leechmere Hall was where Mr Tom Hall, one of the chiefs of the Ryhope Coal Company lived. When Ryhope Coal Company closed down in the 1960s, Leechmere Hall was turned into a convalescent home for miners.  It is now a housing estate.

But what Ryhope was best known for was its coal mine. It was heavy industry on a large scale, making Ryhope Coal Company one of the most productive coal mines in the north east. It ran for over a hundred years. And now it's landscaped, nothing there. 

Just a memorial to the past.

I'm giving a free guided walk around Ryhope on Saturday 14 September as part of Heritage Open Days. The walk will take in the locations used in my novels set in 1919 and booking is required.

I'm also giving a talk as part of Heritage Open Days about the farming and mining communities of old Ryhope. This takes place on Friday 13 September. No booking needed, just turn up!

You can find out all about Heritage Open Days at their website here.
 __

Glenda Young

Author of historical novels with Headline

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Nailing my colours to the mast for Heritage Open Days

I've long been a fan of Heritage Open Days. It's the one time each year when buildings normally closed to the public are flung open and we can take a look inside. 

I've seen some wonderful things - been into the Mayor's parlour, on heritage bus rides, seen the normally hidden interiors of historic pubs. I even had a free and delicious lunch in a Sikh temple. 

There is a lot to do and see in Heritage Open Days and all the events are listed in a handy booklet and online - the website is here.

Well, this year I've been asked to deliver the welcome speech at the official Tyne and Wear Heritage Open Days launch!

It takes place at the Land of Oak and Iron Visitor Centre on September 10th at 6pm. All welcome, please come.

And remember to check out what's happening in your neck of the woods for Heritage Open Days.  

I'm even hosting two events of my own this year for the very first time!  Find out more here.

If you'd like to read my blog posts and see pictures of places I've visited on past Heritage Open Days, they're here:

• My local history month - a vintage bus ride around the northeast
• My local history month - places of worship in Sunderland
• Heritage Pubs of Sunderland - a bus ride around Sunderland's old pubs. Hic.
• Inside the River Wear Commissioners' Building. What a gem.
• A visit to Roker Lighthouse.
• Inside The Mayor's Chamber, Sunderland council.
• Nailing my Colours to the Mast: A Walking Tour of Sunderland's East End

__


Glenda Young

Author of historical novels with Headline

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Corrie weekly update – Bananas and Bangkok

I've been writing Coronation Street weekly updates since 1995 and this week's Coronation Street has just gone live here.  

This week in Coronation Street, Gail went to Bangkok. 
__
Author of historical novels with Headline

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Help! My Husband's a Hipster!

For those who enjoy reading my novels, you might like to know that I have three short story collections available. 

They're all heart-warming, family stories originally published in The People's Friend magazine and reprinted with their kind permission.

Some of the stories will raise a smile while others will bring a tear to a glass eye!

The ebooks are 99p and paperbacks £3.99 and all are available from the links below:

Help my Husband's a Hipster and other short stories
http://bit.ly/HelpMyHusbandIsAHipster

The Seaglass Collector and other short stories
http://bit.ly/SeaGlassCollector

Just the Ticket and other short stories
http://bit.ly/JustTheTicketShortStories

__
Glenda Young

Author of historical novels with Headline

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Corrie weekly update - Holding the Lady

I've been writing Coronation Street weekly updates since 1995 and this week's Coronation Street has just gone live here.  

This week in Coronation Street, Carla returned to Weatherfield

___

Author of historical novels with Headline

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

My Ryhope events - Heritage Open Days 2019

It makes me hugely happy and very, very proud indeed to announce that I'm hosting two events as part of this year's Heritage Open Days. 

It's a special year for Heritage Open Days too, their 25th year!

On Friday 13th September 2019 I'm giving a talk on Old Ryhope with a slideshow of some wonderful pictures. I'll explain how the setting of the village 100 years ago helps inspire my novels, the gritty sagas set there.
Full details here. 

And on Saturday 14th September, along with my friend and local historian Paul Lanagan, I'll be leading a guided walk around Ryhope. I'll show the locations where my novels are set, especially Belle of the Back Streets. It's a story that I know has already inspired readers of the book to take their own walking tours of the village to find out where the characters lived and worked.
Booking is essential for the tour. 
Full details here.

-- 

Glenda Young

Author of historical novels with Headline

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Competition! Win Belle of the Back Streets audiobook

I'm running a competition on my author Facebook page to win a copy of the audiobook of BELLE OF THE BACK STREETS.

Overseas readers can enter.

Closes Sunday July 7th June 2019 at 3pm (UK time).

If you'd like to, you can enter here.

-- 

Glenda Young

Author of historical novels with Headline

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor