What's on the computer today?
In 1964 I took a lot of photographs around Seaham Harbour for Bowes Museum. Frank Atkinson the Curator was building up his archives for a dream he had to open an open air museum depicting life in the early 1900's. His dream came true and Beamish Museum is thriving today. A friend and I photographed many constructions at his request. As well as the coal drops I snapped the old paddle steamer tugs that used to berth in Seaham Harbour, one of which ended up in San Francisco Maritime Museum. Eppleton Hall was built for the Lambton and Hetton Collieries in 1914. She ended her working days on Wearside in 1964 in the ownership of France, Fenwick - Tyne and Wear Ltd. She lay in poor condition until 1969 when she was rebuilt and sailed to San Francisco under her own steam. The journey took until March 1970 with many stops along the way.
Selecting a fish off the railings at Seaham was a tradition. I can remember catching cod, mackerel and coley and giving away what we didn't want. You could only eat so much fish and what you didn't keep was strung on a fence to be taken away. A sort of food bank but without the political football games.
My late friend's son asked me for some copies of the pics and some others of his Dad in his Morris Minor so today I've been scanning old negs. Of course it's been a real job stopper and a task which should have taken an hour or so has lasted all afternoon.
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