The Laidlaw Family of Brush Makers

David Wardell follows the Laidlaw family through the rise and fall of fortunes, times of tension when their land was taken for rail improvements at Manors and various business exploits as one would expect over such a long term. The story is accompanied by numerous news snippets which illuminate particular instances of the lives of individual family members which were deemed to be news worthy and set in print for us all to read.

Discovering Heritage header of Gosforth Central Hall 1949

Memories of Gosforth High Street! (part 4)

Sit back and enjoy a wonderful walk along 1950’s Gosforth High Street!
Discovering Heritage are a team of specialist historical researchers with expertise in researching local history and residential history. As part of our community outreach we share some of our research through this blog.

Gosforth High Street Old Tramway Buuilding Discovering Heritrage

Memories of Gosforth High Street 1950 onwards (Part 3)

This was Andersons, a general dealer and grocer. Here we could get a ‘cheap’ ice lolly after the cinema if money permitted for about 2d or 3d. These were called Jubblies, a watery orange ice lolly shaped like a pyramid about 3 – 4 inches in size and without a stick in a waxed cardboard covering. Tearing off one corner, you could squeeze the pyramid of ice up gradually as you enjoyed it. As you sucked away at it, the juice came out, leaving behind more of a pyramid of plain ice than a fruit lolly. They’re still available today for home freezing, but they are now only half their former size. 

Gosforth High Street Discovering Heritage

Gosforth High Street in the 1950s

In my infancy I can just recall this Baker’s shop as Masons the bakers from where we would get our bread. Thomas Mason and his wife worked here making their bread in the rear of the premises. Around 1951 this shop was to become the very first shop of Greggs the Bakers. John Gregg and his wife started up the well-known chain of bakers from here with just this one shop and a van round.

Portrait photograph of Richard Welford used to illustrate the detail that Discovering Heritage may find when researching the history of your period home.

Richard Welford

The first most comprehensive history of Gosforth was published in 1879, namely “A History of The Parish of Gosforth” by Richard Welford. Join us for a snapshot glimpse into the life of this remarkable man who lived on Gosforth High Street.