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Anne McDonald was born as Anne Wagstaff in 1944 at Wingate, County Durham. She attended Wingate Infants School, Moor Lane Girls School and then Billingham Technical College.
We used to live in Kings Road with my Nana (Margaret Robson nee Adams), and the small garden backed on to the wood; this was our playground and a place of wonder; no one worried if we were gone for hours then.
The Hunt used to go through the wood; we heard them one morning
crashing about; it was a fine day. The back door which looked on to the wood was open. We were cooking bacon for breakfast.
Suddenly two hounds came over the fence and into the garden. Then into the house and off with the bacon. I still remember my mum flapping a towel at the dogs and Nana hiding in the pantry.
My Mum (Edith Wagstaff nee Robson) had been a nanny in Castle Eden and she knew who to speak to. We had a lovely basket of all sorts of goodies sent with sincere apologies. What a lovely treat!
Dad (Herbert Ferguson Wagstaff) worked in the pit at Wingate; he had been in the army (Cameron Highlanders) and then worked in Durham prison. He said he did not like being shut in there so he went to work down the mine instead. It always seemed an odd choice.
I remember being taken out of bed one evening, wrapped in a huge quilt and going out to watch the bonfire up on the pit-heap. To a child's eyes it seemed enormous.
Though we both live in Australia now my sister (Christine) and I have many happy memories of Wingate and our childhood.
Anne McDonald, Australia, 2002
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