We were recently contacted by Anne Leathem who had many memories of growing up in Forest Hall in the 1960s and 70s. At the time, Covid restrictions were still in place, so we had the added challenge of conducting the interview over the telephone. While this affected the quality of the recording, Anne paints such a vivid picture of life in Forest Hall at that time, we know that you will enjoy listening to her story. Anne shared with us memories of her extended family and the home they shared. The memories included West Moor school, shops and shopping and the lost paths and byways that her family loved to walk. Below you will find a link to the full interview. We have also split the memory into four sections for those who prefer a shorter read. Each one has a recording associated with it so you can listen to Anne telling the story herself.
The full story (26 mins) – Forest Hall Killingworth and West Moor in the 1960s-70s
Home and family (10 mins) – Memories of Our Home in Forest Hall
School memories (4½ mins) – West Moor School in the 1960s
Shops and shopping (7½ mins) – Forest Hall Shops in the 1960s-70s
Paths and tracks (6 mins) – Bygone paths and tracks in Forest Hall
We only have a small number of memories of Forest Hall and Killingworth at present and would love to have more. If you have memories of the area and would like to share them, please get in touch using our contact page.
Header image by North Tyneside Libraries (cc-by-nc)