The Newburn Bridge

A Memory of Newburn.

I remember nicking pears from the trees at the Retreat then going under newburn bridge to hide and eat them, there were a few of us, our Clem, our David (David Liddle), Hughie Williams, Doreen Milne, Billy Milne. The ledge we used to stand /sit on wasn't very wide, trying to pass someone was suicidal, when I think about it now, somebody was watching over us. We also used to walk over the top of the bridge that wasn't very wide either, phew! There wasn't much traffic then but if a car did go across when you were walking across the top it used to shake. I must have been very brave or very mad. Another time just crossing the bridge to get to the Ryton side, again I was with the usual crowd, we were in about the middle of the bridge, there was this big piece of rope tied in several knots onto the side of the bridge, I started to untie it, I had just undone one knot when our Clem saw what I was doing and shouted "Don't loosen that, the bridge will fall down!". I was terrified and I started to cry, I was screaming for them to help me to tie it back up. Everyone started to laugh at me, they told me it wouldn't fall down, it was just a joke, but I didn't believe them. I was terrified to leave loose of the rope thinking the bridge would fall down...I had nightmares for weeks after, I never forgave our Clem.

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