Rock house came into my life one night in 1960, March 1960, when two of my friends ( Rose Thompson and Maureen White) went on a mission. The mission was to win a bet. We all worked at Woolworths in Church Street and one lunch break the conversation turned to boys - as healthy fifteen year old girls what else is there to talk about - I happened to mention that I liked Chris Mileham. Rose, an old girlfriend of his, informed me that no way would he go out with anyone he had been out with before. I then bet her that I could manage to get another date with him. The challenge having been given, was taken. Maureen knew that he went to weight lifting sessions in Rock House hall on a Wednesday night. The following Wednesday my two friends, who incidently had been classmates of Chris, came along with me for support. We nervously went into the Rock House hall and asked Jimmy the instructor if we could join the sessions because we wanted to firm up our figures. He laughed but allowed us to join and train with the lads. Among the young lads there in the hall were Chris Mileham, Robbie Punshon, Billy Rochester and Billy Walters. They all lived in Hawthorn Square and knocked around together. I knew Robbie from school so showing the girls I wasn't scared I asked Robbie to ask Chris if he would take me home. To my joy and surprise Chris said yes ( what a forward hussy eh !).

The Wednesday evening sessions extended to a Sunday morning and then Mr. Kenneth Vlaen-~inke, the the warden, suggested we hold a youth club on a Friday night. We were allowed to used the table tennis table, the kitchen for drinks and a tuck shop. One of the members brought in a record player and some records so for three hours we could be young people enjoying themselves. Enjoying themselves as only young adults knew how to do. We were noisy, boisterous and very happy. The youth club nights were so successful the warden allowed us to attend more nights. So it was, every weekday night we were at Rock House. Mr Vlaeminke had meetings with us and helped us to arrange day trips ( Blackpool and the Lake District) and theatre trips ( Stockton to see Cliff Richard and the Shadows in pantomime and also at a later date going to see the "Robe" on the new cinerama screen).

A concert was arranged and performed by the youth club. Two acts stick out in my mind. The first being Marie Hall who dressed in a slinky black skirt and top, on her head she wore a black beret. The song or was it a mime? was Edith Piaff 's No regrets, The second was Alan Dobson (the ice cream man) playing his twangy guitar.

Marie's sister Diane became my dancing partner. We were the best rock and rollers at Rock House, even though I say it myself. The partnership has continued even to this day. We now dance at least one rock and roll dance at the Ladies darts presentation and dinner evenings. .

In the early sixties the net petticoat became very fashionable. You could either
have 25 yds, 50yds or 75yds of fluffy net to make your circular skirt stick out. My mother got me the twenty five yard one. I was so glad because the seventy five yard one enveloped you when you sat down on a chair, it looked so ridiculous (jealousy gets you nowhere does it?). We all thought we looked so wonderful being dressed in clothes that were the height of fashion.

The Youth Club night ended at half past nine so Chris and I used to go down to Valente's ice cream shop on the seafront where we had a sixpenny hot orange each but we shared a shilling four bar chocolate Kit Kat biscuit. We had to go somewhere till I caught the ten o'clock bus. Happy days. Happy memories.

I married Chris Mileham in September1964 , four and a half years after that March night . In 1969 when our Daughter was two and a half years old a play group was formed and ran by Connie Ayre. Two mornings a week I had two hours of freedom unless I was on the rota to help Connie with the children. They got juice and a biscuit and then Connie used to take them into one of the dressing rooms till the mums cleared away the toys and washed the dishes. A few songs and then it was time for home. We saved up and took the children on a couple of day trips. When Connie left to do teacher training I took over the running of the playgroup for a while until, Heather went to school.

Over the years I've visited Rock House many times in many different roles. Part of the audience watching some of Seaham drama group's plays. Performed on the stage as a little girl with the Deneside Top Hatters, a local concert party. Performed on the stage with Vane Tempest Amatuers choir. Rekindled my tap dancing skills and performed with the Eileen Johnson dance troupe. I even went there for a few weeks with The Write Stuff creative writing group.

Yes Rock House has given me many happy memories over the years considering I only went there on a whim and to win a moneyless bet. It was all worthwhile, the bet paid off Chris Mileham and I will be celebrating our thirty nineth wedding anniversary in September.

THANK YOU ROCK HOUSE

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by the Seaham Project.