Temple Park, South Shields
What a load of rubbish!
Temple Memorial Park in South Shields was bequeathed to us with a covenant that it be used in perpetuity for leisure purposes, the Church Commissioners saw no huge building developments upon it after the last war and had no wishes that the position should change, unless it was to add pleasure and leisure to our lives. Over the years we have seen one or two smaller developments come and go there, it once housed a small golf course, a church which was burned down, and we now have a leisure centre which is ailing and expensive to maintain, and a Fire Station, as well as an old civil defence facility buried below one corner of the land.
I received an email from a customer here last week looking for online confirmation that Temple Park had once been used as a landfill site for South Shields’ rubbish, I must admit that finding some sort of online confirmation was near impossible although I was able to find one reference to it in an old Shields Gazette article. My own memories as a child, which are not too clear, was that part of Temple Memorial Park was used to receive our bin wagons, the corner adjacent to The White Ensign and the old King George School on Nevison Avenue comes to mind, that part which is now football pitches.
I know too, that monitors for methane gas are installed in Temple Park Centre and at locations around the immediate area, the presumption is that the amount of methane reaching the surface is negligible and no threat to anyone at all.
However, if readers have any particular memories about the rubbish tip that was on Temple Park then please leave a comment, my correspondent would be delighted to learn more about this period of the late 1950s and early 1960s.
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There most certainly was a tip there and can vividly remember the look of horror on my mothers face (and what I smelled like) after returning from playing on it! I recall on one occasion building a raft with my mates as there were a number of ‘ponds’ on the site. How on earth I didn’t drown, catch some terminal disease or poison myself I will never know! From what I recall, but I could be wrong, it extended adjacent to the areas between Park Avenue and The Ridgeway.
Derek
March 8, 2011 at 5:58 pm
I am whats called a senior citizen these days but well remember the tip on Temple MEMORIAL Park ,
and the paper and other bits and pieces flying around the surrounding area on windy days . It was surrounded by a wire mesh fence which had all kinds of rubbish stuck in it and was a complete eyesore .
I have been in e-mail contact with Kevin Flannery about the relacement of the the plaque showing that the site was gifted to ‘ The people of South Shields in Perpetuity ‘ ( recently removed during landscaping ) .
There is now a sign saying that Temple MEMORIAL Park is owned by South Tyneside Council , it was gifted in perpetuity to the people of South Shields , STC do not own Temple MEMORIAL Park .
bill frazer
July 12, 2011 at 11:56 am
Hi,
As a child I played in that dump, if I remember correctly (I was about 10 years at the time and lived in notorious Ashgrove Avenue) it sprung up after the bin men’s strike in the 70’s. As kids we would collect peoples rubbish bins an old wheel barrow and cart it off to that dump, past those signs that said ‘Dumping Prohibited’. I left South Shields in 1980 to join the army and have never been back. Since then I have lived in Africa and Australia, although thinking of a visit in 2012
Steve Dodd
August 9, 2011 at 5:56 am
I think you would find plenty to surprise you Steve, not least the new housing estate that has replaced Ashgrove Avenue! Then there are improvements to the beaches and promenades and a brand new swimming pool may just be about ready at the Pier Head in time for your visit. The South Marine Park is also much improved and you will find a far greater variety of modern housing in South Shields, and not just on the estates.
Curly
August 9, 2011 at 2:35 pm
Re my earlier remarks:- I have been at the council about replacing the plaque which was taken down , I have been advised that it should be in place bt the end of this week . Does anyone know where I can find out the exact wording that was on the original , because the councillor in question has mentioned the ‘ new sign ‘ .
Bill Frazer
September 13, 2011 at 4:28 pm