Dear Editor,
Steve, a friend of mine, is writing a piece for the Campaign for Real Ale magazine on pubs along the route of the Stockton and Darlington Railway. To that end, we spent a greatly enjoyable couple of hours last Friday (March 21) at the George Samuel Brewery tap, located in the former Shildon Wagon Works canteen.
On the short walk from there to the Railway Institute, however, Steve somehow fell off the kerb, landing headlong in the road and making a bloody mess of both his face and of the A6072, forcing traffic to an emergency stop.
What happened next was so typical of Shildon. Several nearby residents came running from their homes, none more assiduously than the family at 42 Redworth Road. They took Steve in, tended his extensive facial injuries despite the mess it was making of their front room, even offered a medicinal tot of whisky. “Jura” the man of the house added, reassuringly.
Finally on his way, he nursed a great many aches and pains – and a brutally battered face – next morning, but will be fine.
The Crier has been good enough to publicise my new book, All Change, which in 92,000 words chronicles how greatly Shildon has changed over my lifetime. For all the challenges which the town now faces, however, the great majority of folk remain the salt of the earth – as abundantly was demonstrated last Friday.
The book will be launched with signings alongside a coffee morning at St John’s church on Saturday April 5 (10am-noon) and over a couple of pints at the Railway Institute on Sunday April 6 (12-2pm). It costs £13.
By then, however, a complimentary copy will have been delivered to the good folk of 42 Redworth Road, an example of the goodness and humanity which still characterise my home town.
Your sincerely,
Mike Amos
Shildon & District's local community newspaper.
