North East sisters’ childhood home recreated as Beamish opens new 1950s exhibits
Linda Gilmore and Brenda O’Neill’s childhood home won a public vote to be copied
Two sisters have unveiled a recreation of their childhood home as Beamish, The Living Museum of the North has opened more of its new 1950s area which includes a recreation of the childhood home of two sisters, as well as other houses, a police office, and a bowling green.
Replicas of semi-detached council houses from Red House in Sunderland, police houses and an office from Leam Lane in Gateshead, and a bowling green and pavilion from Billingham are now open to visitors in its 1950s Town.
Linda Gilmore and Brenda O’Neill’s childhood home won a public vote to be copied after being nominated on behalf of their mother Esther Gibbon. The sisters worked with the museum to recreate the semi-detached house they grew up in at Rochdale Road in Sunderland.
The Rochdale Road houses were chosen in a public vote after Beamish asked people to nominate 1950s-built council housing to be replicated.
In the 1950s, the North East undertook one of the largest expansions of council housing in Britain. Esther’s home, which the family moved into when it was built in 1952, was picked. Beamish worked closely with Esther and her daughters Linda and Brenda, gathering memories of their time living in the house.
Sadly, Esther died in December 2019 but the museum continued to work with her daughters.
Linda, who was born in the house in 1958, said: “It’s absolutely amazing. Coming into the house has brought back so many memories.
“It’s very emotional for me. I was born into a very happy family and to actually be able to have this house rebuilt and the history of our family kept alive forever – it is a very emotional moment for me.”
She added: “The staff and everybody involved in the project, they’ve done a fabulous job, a great big thank you.”
Brenda added: “It’s such a massive privilege. My mam absolutely loved this house, it was like somebody gave her the best thing ever in her life.
That’s just so important for me, that my mam will be remembered for who she was and the kind of life she had and it was a happy place and that’s wonderful.”
The bowling green and pavilion, which have been replicated from John Whitehead Park in Billingham, will give visitors the chance to try this popular 1950s sport. The John Whitehead Park Bowling Club was built in the early 1950s by Billingham Urban District Council. A men’s club formed in 1953, followed two years later by a women’s club, and the teams later merged to become Billingham Bowling Club, which is still in existence.
Beamish has worked with the club to learn more about its history and the pavilion, as well as speaking to other local clubs, who have all shared their knowledge to help tell the story of bowling in the 1950s. Billingham Bowling Club took part in the first official game on the new green at the opening celebrations on Friday.