Audrey Gash (nee. Walker) undated letter

I moved to Peterlee from Shotton Colliery in 1953 when I was nineteen. We had a four-bedroom house in Jude Place. Peterlee’s first vicar, the Reverend Reginald Beevers lived with his family next door to us at no. 18. On the other side at no 22 lived Peterlee’s first Police Chief, Inspector Kay. The Police Station was at Mansell Crescent.

The first place of worship in Peterlee was a Wimpey hut at the corner of Crawford Avenue. Later, a community centre was built opposite the Royal Arms on Yoden Road, which was used as a church for all denominations. The building no longer exists [it is now the current site of Community House, the offices of East Durham Trust]. Ours was the second marriage ceremony to take place in the community centre on 6th August 1955. The first bride to be married there was a Miss Audrey Longstaff, on 30th July.

My mother, Mrs Mary Walker, was a pioneer of the church and one of the founder members of the child clinic at the Whitehouse, serving National Milk to all the mothers. She received the Maundy money from the Queen in 1967 for her work to the church and community. She died in 1987.