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I lived in Gosforth Street when i was first born in 1952 , it used to be called rhubarb terrace, I don't know why but i do know that a lot of the streets had their own nick names then. My Mother was born in Gosforth street in 1930, along with her two brothers. My mams maiden name was Edie Maw and her two brothers were Alf (born March 1928) and George (born April 1926).
Mam is still going strong at the age of 81, George is now 85 but has parkinson's and unfortunately we lost Alf some years ago. Alf used to work in the shipyards as a shipwright, I remember he worked at Greenwell's, Thompson's. and also Doxfords and quite a few more over the years but i don't remember all of their names. My Grandma Edie Horabin married Alexander Maw . Alexander's father George Maw and his wife Jessie Maw lived in Gladstone street. When my Grandma and granddad married they lived in 33 Gosforth street, beside my Grandmas mother and father who lived in number 45. There names were Alfred Horabin and Mary Jane Horabin (ne Marquez) . Alfred Horabin and Mary Jane had 8 children My grandma, Alf, George, Arthur, Johnny ,Hetty,Doris, and Fred. My granddad Alex used to work in the ropery and also helped out looking after horses. He also, so my mam was told, was a very good singer and accordion player. He used to entertain people from the street when they went on trips. He unfortunately died at the age of 27. My grandma then moved down stairs to her mother and father. When her mother passed on two years later she looked after all of the family.
Her father Alf used to have boat in the north dock, I don't know what type it was but i do have a picture of his first one, He was noted for taking the family and neighbours up the river for pick nicks and playing pranks on the kid and the adults alike. He would take the boat out to sea on his homeward journey saying he needed to turn it around , but this was just because he knew that aunt Georgina was afraid of the sea and she would get on her knees in the middle of the boat and pray until they came safe back to the dock. This for some reason really amused him. Another time he took my mam and her brothers out to sea to catch fish, after spending some hours fishing it was time to come home, Alf spotted a porpoise and decided to have some fun. He told the kids it was a whale and that they had to throw all the fish back as the whale would turn the boat over if they didn't. So panic set in and the kids scrambled and threw all the fish back into the sea. Alf had a good old chuckle and the story got passed down through the family. My mam told me it again just the other month and i decided to write a poem about it. I like doing it in dialect so here it is. hope you enjoy.
All at Sea
Situn in the back yard.
Mendun lobster pots
Tellun tails of trips tu sea.
Laugh at the plots.
***
Remembrun when thu went to fish.
In their grandas boat.
Catchun every thing thu could.
Just so they could gloat.
***
Tu tell thu friends how great thud been.
Braggin all the while.
About how strong und brave thu were
Eye, that mad thum smile.
***
It didn't quite work out that way.
As a will surely tell.
Yu see thu saw a git big fish.
Follerun the boat aswell.
***
Eee granda what type of fish is that?
The younguns asked in aw
Ohhh my, ee said
Should a let yu nar?
***
Eye granda, tell us now.
Well if I must, I must.
With a twinkle in ees eye.
Ee turned und finger thrust.
***
Pointun out tu sea ee said.
Uts a whale dinit ya nar.
Un if ut smells the fish on board.
Ut ull tip us owa far.
***
Cos whales like nothun better
Than fresh cought fish from sea.
So yu better throw thum all back.
Un then wull after flee.
***
Fast as thu little ands could gan.
Thu threw back ivry one.
Thu didn't notice thu owld mans face.
Or thu laughter in ees tone.
***
As thu reached the safe dock wall.
The telt thu friends the tale.
Of the day the granda.
Saved thum frum thu whale.
***
Smilun broadly to ees mates.
Thu granda winked with glee.
That porpoise back Alf, one man said
Yu never nar, said ee.
By Marie Erskine