Mike Felton

Mike Felton (far right) and friends outside 2 Johnson Close, c.1953.

This photo was taken after we had been scolded for playing in the “workies hut” over the road. It goes some way to explaining the look of sheer terror and apprehension on our faces.

We moved from Horden to 4 Johnson Close Peterlee in 1952. Peterlee as we know it today was just farmland. The area was basically a building site when we moved in. Houses over the road were still being built. It was a ready-made, albeit a dangerous playground for children. There was a large green space in the middle of Johnson Close where we played. Our favourite games were Kingie, Queenie, Hot Rice, Blind Mans Bluff, and Cricket, using a metal dustbin lid for wickets. Of course it was reasonably safe to play in the streets due to the lack of motor cars.

Broken or discarded prams were eagerly sourced. The wheels were used for making bogies. I still bear the scars of crashes caused by faulty brakes on Jude Place.

Near where Crawford Avenue meets Essington Way there was a piece of waste land which later became Bruce Place. Back then we kids called it “The Long Grass”. Our imaginations went into overdrive here. It became a jungle for war games and a prairie for our take on Western adventures. The early TV schedules featured lots of westerns. We were obsessed with The Lone Ranger and Champion the Wonder Horse.

Mike Felton