John and Sandra in the shop at 4 Front Street, Prudhoe
The following is the record of an interview, conducted by Marcus Gatenby in May 2017, with Ovingham resident John Currey.
John was born at Shotley Bridge on 27th January 1945. His father – James Marshall Currey – attended the Royal Grammar School in Newcastle. After leaving school James worked with an insurance company, joining the RAF during WW2, serving in North Africa during 1941. After the war James joined his father’s bookmaking business. John’s mother – nee Evelyn Allen Fletcher – and James had a bungalow built at Runhead, where the family lived until John was 17 years old. His parents then had a house built at High Mickley “Sunkist” where John lived for 14 years until his marriage on 29th May 1976 to Sandra. John’s first school was a kindergarten called Brackenrigg, situated at the top of Batt House Road. This was owned and run by the Steinberg family (shipping magnates) and he was taught by a Miss Blackburn. Sandra, later to become John’s wife, attended the same kindergarten – at the same time! Sandra was born on 19th December in 1944. Her father, John Scott, started work at the age of 14 as a tea boy in Walter Willsons, later being promoted to stocktaking at various branches of the business, finally being made managing director. Sandra’s maternal grandfather, Charlie Spratt, was the manager of Walter Willsons Prudhoe branch. He also performed as an acrobat and magician, and served as a sniper in WW1. During WW2 he served in the Royal Observer Corp. at Edgewell, where Sandra’s father also served. Sandra attended St. Elizabeth’s, a private school, then to La Sagesse in Newcastle before attending a teacher training college in Doncaster from 1963 to 1966. Her first teaching post was at St Mary’s School in Hexham, where she taught for two or three years. She then moved to West Road School in Prudhoe from 1969 to 1997 when she retired. Her interests are home dressmaking, knitting and tap dancing, which she still enjoys. When John was five years old he went to Crookhill School, moving at seven years of age to Mowden Hall School where he was a boarder. At 11 he moved to Holt School in Lockerbie, Scotland, until he was 18. On leaving school he joined the family bookmaking business, working in various betting shops which the family had purchased to make the betting legal. Hannah, Johns aunt, lived at Pendower, 14 Front Street, Prudhoe, with her parents and ran the shop which she owned at 4 Front Street selling sweets, fancy goods, tobacco etc. John’s grandfather, who at that time was running the bookmaking business from an upstairs room at Pendower, transferred the business to a room above Hanna’s shop. John took over the shop at 4 Front Street on Hanna’s retirement, by which time the betting shops had been sold. The shop at 4 Front Street ceased trading around 1989. John then became the main calor gas dealer for North Northumberland at premises in Hexham, until he retired in 1999. After retirement John went back to education, first attending Newcastle College and then Northumbria University where he did courses in physics and computing. |
John Currey's paternal grandparents - grandfather also called John
John's father - James Marshall Currey - (in the centre)
Top row: 1st left John's father, James; 3rd from left Ned Brown.
Bottom row: 3rd left John Finlay, 4th left Ned Finlay. 4th from the right Jutson (first name forgotten) 3rd from the right Stan Marshall
From the left: Stanley Marshall, Jim M Currey, Jim Graham, Hannah Oxley Currey and Bessie Finlay.
John Ray Scott father of Sandra Currey, David and Charles Scott (Sandra's brothers)
Front Street, Prudhoe - postcard of the times.
Hannah Oxley Currey
James Marshall Currey, John's father
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In shirt sleeves, John's paternal grandfather (also called John). To his left wearing the straw hat John's great grandfather. Behind is 14 Front Street (Pendower) John's grandparents home.
James Marshall Currey, John's father
James Marshall Currey, standing outside Pendower House (14 Front Street) Prudhoe
Charlie Spratt
Charlie Spratt
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Here is a list of runners who took bets for the bookmaking business from various locations.
Aaron Newton, who lived on the Oaklands Estate, took bets at Addison Pit. When the Pit closed in 1963 he moved to Emma Pit in Ryton.
Alexander Graeme Bell, inventor of the telephone, is reputed to have visited the owner of Addison Pit (a friend of his) to make a call from the Pit to the manager’s house. This was said to be the first telephone call made in the country, around 1879.
Willy Hudson, another runner, lodged with Aaron Newton.
Sunny Ridley took bets at Mickley and later ran the betting shop underneath the Club.
Jim Donnelly took bets at Crawcrook. Another runner, known locally as Block, also took bets at Crawcrook. When a betting shop was opened there, he became the manager.
A man called Currah took bets at Nenthead. He may have been a relative the name a corruption of Currey.
Percy Callendar/Coulson lived on Beaumont Terrace and worked at the West Wylam Pit.
Uno ran the betting shop at Ryton.
Bob Marshall, uncle of James Marshall Currey, who lived at Castle View, Ovingham, took bets in the village.
Phillip, surname not known, was a man of colour who worked as a painter in the shipyards and took bets for Curreys.
Ron Soulsby ran the betting shop at Half Way.
Jimmy Temple ran the betting shop underneath the Legion Club in Prudhoe, and later became the landlord of West Wylam Inn (The Jerry).
A lady called Bella took bets at West Wylam.
Harry Helm, a Cockney, took bets at Wylam.
Stan Kilpatrick, who lived in Ovingham.
Frank Lynch, who lived on the Oaklands Estate.
Harry Turner of Castle Dene.
Matthew Anderson took bets at Prudhoe Hospital, where he worked as an occupational therapist.
Stan Marshall, cousin of James Marshall Currey, lived in Neil Street Prudhoe and worked in the main betting office.
Billy Bland ran the betting shop on Market Street, Hexham
Joe Fraser ran the betting shop on South Road, Prudhoe, and lived above the fruit and vegetable shop, owned by Bev Arthurs, on Front Street, Prudhoe.
Aaron Newton, who lived on the Oaklands Estate, took bets at Addison Pit. When the Pit closed in 1963 he moved to Emma Pit in Ryton.
Alexander Graeme Bell, inventor of the telephone, is reputed to have visited the owner of Addison Pit (a friend of his) to make a call from the Pit to the manager’s house. This was said to be the first telephone call made in the country, around 1879.
Willy Hudson, another runner, lodged with Aaron Newton.
Sunny Ridley took bets at Mickley and later ran the betting shop underneath the Club.
Jim Donnelly took bets at Crawcrook. Another runner, known locally as Block, also took bets at Crawcrook. When a betting shop was opened there, he became the manager.
A man called Currah took bets at Nenthead. He may have been a relative the name a corruption of Currey.
Percy Callendar/Coulson lived on Beaumont Terrace and worked at the West Wylam Pit.
Uno ran the betting shop at Ryton.
Bob Marshall, uncle of James Marshall Currey, who lived at Castle View, Ovingham, took bets in the village.
Phillip, surname not known, was a man of colour who worked as a painter in the shipyards and took bets for Curreys.
Ron Soulsby ran the betting shop at Half Way.
Jimmy Temple ran the betting shop underneath the Legion Club in Prudhoe, and later became the landlord of West Wylam Inn (The Jerry).
A lady called Bella took bets at West Wylam.
Harry Helm, a Cockney, took bets at Wylam.
Stan Kilpatrick, who lived in Ovingham.
Frank Lynch, who lived on the Oaklands Estate.
Harry Turner of Castle Dene.
Matthew Anderson took bets at Prudhoe Hospital, where he worked as an occupational therapist.
Stan Marshall, cousin of James Marshall Currey, lived in Neil Street Prudhoe and worked in the main betting office.
Billy Bland ran the betting shop on Market Street, Hexham
Joe Fraser ran the betting shop on South Road, Prudhoe, and lived above the fruit and vegetable shop, owned by Bev Arthurs, on Front Street, Prudhoe.