Jean Dougall
Jean belongs to: The Diving Centre Ltd
Jean Dougal began diving at the age of 68. She regularly attends pool sessions and dives off the North East Coast during the summer months.
Jean was interviewed by Carl Greenwood on 6 March 2005. The interview took place at Fenham swimming baths and lasted 10 minutes and 15 seconds.
Childhood memories of North Shields Fish Quay
"My father was a fishmonger so I always had, you know, sort of connotations with the sea, stories of the sea"
My father was a fishmonger so I always had, you know, sort of connotations with the sea, stories of the sea and things like that, and going down to Shields and being late to catch the, to get the, you know, fish off the trawlers and things like that.
The fish quay! The café! Lilburns and Appleby’s, and what did they call it- the kipper van- Hayes, Haynes, something like that- he used to be the mayor of Tynemouth, the man who had the kipper factory, you know. And we used to go down and of course when I first went down fish was rationed, you know, well, each shop had an allocation, you know
And they used to, I mean they still, they put all the stuff out on the market, you know, and you buy your box and everybody has their stickers and they slap the stickers on, and of course what happens if, you know, your box is not as good as his box, you turn your back, he switches the stickers and things like this. And my dad used to make me stand, you know, when he had his things, while he went off, he used to make me stand with my foot over- “don’t you let them change the thing!”
And, and they used to bring the herring in, you know, swing all the great crans and the kipper factory still had the ladies who did it by hand, you know, it was mechanised by the time I had grown, but I used to have, go down and see the ladies who did it, you know, the fisherwives.
And then, like I say, a Saturday was bill paying day and there was no market, and you went down and there was a café at the end and it was up a flight of wooden stairs and you went in their and all the men used to be sitting cracking. You used to get a bacon sandwich, which to me as a child, you know, it was this big, and a pint mug. You only got, that was the only way you could get tea, was in a pint mug, and I was only a kid! And they were, were such, I used to love it on the quayside. I used to spend, when I was on holiday, I used to go every day with my dad, you know, yeah, it was good fun.
Jean has 7 memories in the memorynet:
Jean's memories with a Training theme:
SnorkellingJean's other memories:
On starting diving- Women divers
- Most memorable dive
- Childhood memories of North Shields Fish Quay
This memory has these themes:
Childhood | Community | The North East
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