Golden Lion south hylton



Jon Dough said:
I wonder his real story, how he ended up in a shed on waste ground sans running water and electricity, with a pack of feral dogs as company, an eccentric indeed even by South hylton standards back then.
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told us he used to drive the hylton ferry and when it finished he was given the land to live on,he did used to squat in the lion when it was closed,when matty roseberry bought it and moved charlie out he must have just toddled along the track and pitched up there,as a kid there was a few fellas who lived like Charlie,wilfie lived in the old railway cottage and there was a fella called Jack who lived in a caravan on albion Street.
 
cornbeef island said:
told us he used to drive the hylton ferry and when it finished he was given the land to live on,he did used to squat in the lion when it was closed,when matty roseberry bought it and moved charlie out he must have just toddled along the track and pitched up there,as a kid there was a few fellas who lived like Charlie,wilfie lived in the old railway cottage and there was a fella called Jack who lived in a caravan on albion Street.
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Wilfy stuck a fork in a plug socket and died, I remember the guy in the caravan, Charlie told me he owned half of the village but had somehow lost it, I was a gullible kid and never questioned him further,he told me he had pulled 100+ bodies from the river over the years and got a cash bounty for each.
 
Jon Dough said:
Wilfy stuck a fork in a plug socket and died, I remember the guy in the caravan, Charlie told me he owned half of the village but had somehow lost it, I was a gullible kid and never questioned him further,he told me he had pulled 100+ bodies from the river over the years and got a cash bounty for each.
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he'd be in jail if he was around today he had a penchant for firing air rifles and catapults at young children,he lived to a rare old age over a 100.
 
cornbeef island said:
was bought years ago by a fella from Washington but he died a few years ago and it has stood empty since the,St Mary's Church I'd up for sale if you are fancying a religious building
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I thought about buying St. Mary's. My Grandad was Churchwarden there and both of my parents were in the choir. It was too big of a project for me to convert it into a home/art studio.
cornbeef island said:
told us he used to drive the hylton ferry and when it finished he was given the land to live on,he did used to squat in the lion when it was closed,when matty roseberry bought it and moved charlie out he must have just toddled along the track and pitched up there,as a kid there was a few fellas who lived like Charlie,wilfie lived in the old railway cottage and there was a fella called Jack who lived in a caravan on albion Street.
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He was the last ferryman. Wilfie's cottage is still there I think.
Jon Dough said:
Wilfy stuck a fork in a plug socket and died, I remember the guy in the caravan, Charlie told me he owned half of the village but had somehow lost it, I was a gullible kid and never questioned him further,he told me he had pulled 100+ bodies from the river over the years and got a cash bounty for each.
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My brother fell into the river in 68. He was pulled out by Billy Doran and Charlie took him upstairs in the Lion until and ambulance arrived. That's how we knew he was squating up there.

Never get in the water at Hylton.
There's a decent South Hylton FB group
 
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AB22 Easy Tiger said:
I thought about buying St. Mary's. My Grandad was Churchwarden there and both of my parents were in the choir. It was too big of a project for me to convert it into a home/art studio.

He was the last ferryman. Wilfie's cottage is still there I think.

My brother fell into the river in 68. He was pulled out by Billy Doran and Charlie took him upstairs in the Lion until and ambulance arrived. That's how we knew he was squating up there.

Never get in the water at Hylton.
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My dad was saved further down stream by someone coming off shift in the yards. The bloke was awarded a medal at the civic.
 
cornbeef island said:
was bought years ago by a fella from Washington but he died a few years ago and it has stood empty since the,St Mary's Church I'd up for sale if you are fancying a religious building
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Got as far as knocking down the church hall part attached onto it before work stopped from the last time I was in the village. Didn't know St Mary's was gone now as well - but it's not often I go up north these days.

Gerry used to spend half his days sat in the front garden of the Oaks saying hello to anyone who went past up and down the bank as well.
 
Gremlin said:
Gerry used to spend half his days sat in the front garden of the Oaks saying hello to anyone who went past up and down the bank as well.
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Gerry was a dude, used to scare me with stories of his pacemaker wires popping out of his chest 😂 always smoking his pipe on that bench.
AB22 Easy Tiger said:
My brother fell into the river in 68. He was pulled out by Billy Doran and Charlie took him upstairs in the Lion until and ambulance arrived. That's how we knew he was squating up there.
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I knew Billy doran, all the Dorans, shocked to hear the twins Michelle and Barry had died so young.
 
Charlie Darby appeared in the village around 1956/57ish to row the hylton ferry which he did for a few years until it was wound up,he continued to live in the ferryman cottage until it was condemned by the council and demolished,which rendered him homeless,the vicar then lent him a tent and allowed him to camp in the vicarage garden,in that time Scottish and Newcastle had closed the golden lion and had rented it out to hylton rowing club to store their boats,charlie ended up living in the lion as a sort of caretaker/security for the club until they moved to their new building a bit further along the river,charlie continued to squat in the lion until it was bought by matty roseberry who evicted him and he moved onto the piece of land next to the lion,that land had been bought by a lady who lived in rose cottage for her brother who was known as the woodcutter as he would walk from Thorney close with his wheelbarrow to collect drift Wood from the river,he had built the hut on the land that charlie ended up living in till he moved into a care home in Ryhope,as a footnote he used to smell so bad that he was barred from every shop and pub in the village.
 
AB22 Easy Tiger said:
My Grandad also wrote. a history of the village. I hope this Dropbox link works

Or this one
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As a young lad, I was in the choir at St Mary’s and knew your Grandad and he was probably one of the most respected and highly regarded people living in the village at the time, a true gentleman

Also, you mentioned your parents were in the choir at St Mary’s and I was wondering if your Father was called Jim?
 
Jon Dough said:
Gerry was a dude, used to scare me with stories of his pacemaker wires popping out of his chest 😂 always smoking his pipe on that bench.

I knew Billy doran, all the Dorans, shocked to hear the twins Michelle and Barry had died so young.
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Was there an Ernie Doran? He'd be in his mid/late sixties now I think!
 

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