Kenton Bar Estate - A Blast from the Past

Don’t know who the doll is in the photo but it shows a nice picture of the gas 4 bedroom houses on Thirston Way. Note the black stuff on the walls, the lack of garden fences and a clue to the date - the window vent on the kitchen window that were only fitted by the council after North Sea gas arrived. Anyone guess the date?

Perhaps slightly off topic but stimulated by anonymous's wonderful post(Kenton Bar 1967)... he/she said:'Within a few years the pyramid had become a meeting place battleground for the local gangs of skinheads who would test the metal pressings in their Dr. Martin boots and Brogue shoes against each other to see who could wound the "enemy' the most.'... now I think you refer to steel toe caps, not 'segs'... but initially I thought of 'segs'... this made me remember and think about segs, and the craving for segs in the late 70s..., these were usually put into 'rider boots', very fashionable in the late 70's ....why?....the function of segs was to stop the wearing down of the sabog(shoe) sole, but became a fashion accessory for nadsats(teens) who likened the sound they made to spurs on the wild west cowboy boots...in essence the male equivalent of the click clacking high heeled noga of a beautiful devotchka if thou doth know what I m...

Here is a second comment posted up on the blog that without a shadow of a doubting thomas is surely worthy of a full post in its own right, a most marvelous piece of prose from an avid fan...thought provoking and beautifully written...so read on oh my brothers and only droogs in this fell, cruel and wicked world...then consider the question: Does the pyramid deserve to be remembered as a 'vision of architectural beauty and hope' or is 'The Korova Milkbar 'perhaps a more appropriate ulogy?...I, being a sensible cub scout type saw only the beauty, the majesty of herself the 8th wonder of the world,regardless of tar, hooligan or graffiti......but what doth thou, oh avid reader think?... thank thou anonymous! Anonymous said... I moved to 26 Apperley Avenue in 1967. I was 9 years old. Some of the families I remember who lived near my street were named Alexander, Aynsley, Emerson and Robson. I remember others but not their family names like Andrew, Stephanie, Jackie, ...

Yvonne said: (comment on post 'kenton bar pyramid-the icon of kenton bar estate July 2009) -Another point of (probably little) interest is that when we initially moved into the Bungalows it was then called Broomlee Walk which was subsequently changed to Studdon Walk as there was already a Broomlee Walk in Red House Farm also NE3... Now this comment was NOT of little interest and was a major piece of jigsaw... Well done Yvonne!...you get the 'Kenton Bar knight award'!...arise Sir Yvonne! So I went and took this photo of the original Broomley Walk sign...I presume they had to change the name from Broomley to Studdon on Kenton Bar due to post getting misdirected... fascinating!.....

Dear Bozos, I had an email from Rutter Carrol a few weeks ago in which he told me the following: “North Tyneside Council has received demolition orders for Stephenson House and Norgas House, two of Ryder and Yates' buildings in Killingworth.  An application has been made to English Heritage for spot listing so fingers crossed that important examples of the north east's  architectural heritage are not lost for future generations to enjoy.”   FIGHT THIS TOOTH AND NAIL COMRADES!!!

Closer...its getting closer oh my brothers...we heard a rumour...we investigated tirelessly, leaving no stone unturned...we found that the rumour was true...we sent our elite troops to investigate... I now have it on good authority that we will have news later this week ...there may even be more than 1 photo of she, our beloved pyramid...mein heart is racing... await developments with baited hooks... watch this space...

Published on the blog by kind permission...the Engineering Research Station....the awe, the wonder, the power of this image epitomises the genius of the architects who created our beloved Kenton Bar Estate...who is that fellow in the background?...what is he thinking?...could it be Peter... Gordon...Ted...?...truly magnificent...

see this post:- http://kentonbar.blogspot.com/2010/10/plateau-2.html?showComment=1288140169489#c3987037669206194627 I remember Beaky Thomson one time didn’t like the way I threw down a cricket bat when I missed a ball. So – in his usual slimy high pitched (nasal ha ha) voice he told me that I was just like my older brother (he was a vindictive bastard who just could not understand that I AM NOT my brother – I was not his only victim in this respect…..) and punished me by telling me that instead of cricket that I had to run around the field instead. I shouted “fuck off” and stormed up the plateau where I proceeded to sunbathe on the top for the next hour. I do believe I even smoked a fag.

I often saw Dippy Dave loping about the estate and occasionally engaged him in polite conversation. I have no idea what his real name was by it must have been Dave something……. This feller was about 6’ 5” tall and very skinny with a long neck and a head the shape of a large kidney bean cut in half along the lesser axis – so that the front was kind of flat – don’t know if I am making sense. At one time he had a CB radio and his handle was believe it or not “Italian Stallion” – he certainly did not look or sound Italian to me though or look like a stallion – in fact the only thing stallion-like about him was the way he neighed instead of laughing.

An anonymous reader posted a comment on the post 'Nicknames on Kenton Bar' concerning flies and one 'John Bullhead'...I thought it was hilarious and deserves a full post in its own right!...thank you anonymous! Anonymous said... 'John bullhead-wirebull-horns'-I knew this chap...I remember once(and only once) going into his house after school(Kenton Comp) and that it was full of flies...bullhead whipped off his school tie and wrapped one end round his hand and began flicking the other end at the flies(bluebottles)...once he hit one, stunning it to the ground he then carefully picked it up by a wing and took it into the kitchen and put it on the an unlit gas ring on the top of his oven...next he turned on the gas, gasing the unconscious fly...finally he lit the ring incinerating the fly...he spent about an hour repeating this operation until all the flies were exterminated... Incidently there is a post(Nov 2009) 'Kenton School Tie' which expl...