Peterlee Festival: Ballroom Dancing demonstration group at The Whitehouse
Back Row: David Turnbull, Brian Currison, Bill Raine. Middle Row: Maureen Waddell, Elizabeth Piery, Margaret Waddell. Front row: unidentified.
The Whitehouse was a hub of community life. It housed the Doctor’s surgeries, (Dr Trotter was ours), a dentist, (Neil Jones), Peterlee Branch Library, as well as serving as a community centre. The Scouts and Cubs started there in the old garage. There was the Ballroom Dancing School, the Caledonian Society, the Badminton Club. The Salvation Army, Photography Club, Model Making Club, Railway Club, Drama Group, Choir practice, a WRVS, the Mormons, and a few others, came and went. The stable block was knocked through and converted to a point 22 Rifle range. A new entrance room was built between the stable block and the garage, as well as a gym in the old garden. The annual Peterlee Festival was a showcase for the organisations and clubs that used The Whitehouse.
As a young child the woods surrounding the “Big House”, as we called it, were a favourite spot to play. At that time, much of the fencing was missing around the grass tennis court. The old walled garden was overgrown and the south facing greenhouse/orangery was derelict. There was a little central fountain and fishpond in a half-moon walled rose garden and the crazy paved walk ways were still in place with steps and columned entrance walls. This was our place to make camp, to climb, to find insects and play.
Bill Raine