Seaton..Select a picture to enlarge

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John William Royston in front of the 2 railway cottages at Seaton Bank Head, just west of "Darkies Plantation". This building still had no mains electricity in the 1960s. According to my grandmother, Darkie was a Scotsman who, in the late 1800s, would wander through the wood at night playing his bagpipes. Buildings now demolished, probably c1980.

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The Seaton Lane Inn c 1964 when Elsie Orton was landlady. The wooded area is to the left of the driveway to Seaton Hall, then the paddock with underground air-raid shelter just visible near the top then the Hall garden and Donny Hindsons field at top right. Josephine (Josey), Elsie's daughter, was still show-jumping at this time and her stables can be seen behind the pub.

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Lynn Angus, now Thompson in 1970 (Lynn is the one without the hat), this photograph is not here to demonstrate my snowman building prowess but to show the Seaton Lane Inn, unaltered since 1949, in background. The outbuilding with entrance to the pub was the "cellar"(warm beer in summer, icy in winter), the doorway at right (behind the telegraph pole) was the entrance to the gents toilet, the ladies toilet, also outside, was at the rear of the building. The Ryhope Grammar scarf should bring back memories for quite a few people.

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Seaton Village School c 1920? with stackyard behind. The sign at the teacher's feet says "Jumble Sale"

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Warden Law crossroads probably around 1963