OEM OF THE MONTH
Julie Bartlett lives in Chester-le-Street but was born and bred in Crook.
She has composed poetry for many years since her retirement from work. Julie Left Crook to work at Gateshead MBC housing Dept until she left to become a Housing Officer for Durham Aged Miners Homes where she worked for 21 years until she retired.
Her poems are enjoyed by many people who see them on her social media pages. Julie has agreed to write poems for the Weardale Gazette and we are delighted and honoured to print them.
This first poem to be published in the new-style Gazette, like most of Julie’s compositions, has a story. This one relates to Weardale.
Julie writes: When my sister, Sheila, was first married in the late 50’s and she moved to Windyside at Westgate. An old-fashioned little cottage by the river and the shortest way to reach it was by stepping stones across the river.
There were alternative routes but this was the quickest way from the bus stand. My gran was eager to see my sister’s new baby. My gran looked very smart in her best coat and stylish hat but she was dismayed when she got off the bus to find the next stage of our journey was across the stepping stones.
Needless to say, when leaving we took the longer route across the field. She was terrified after getting off the bus but determined she would see her great grand-daughter. I was only eleven years old but I have never forgotten that day. My sister and her husband moved not long afterwards but years later I noticed a bridge over the river, gran would have loved to see that bless her.
Baby steps
By Julie Bartlett
“You’ll be fine, hold my hand.”
Dear old gran could barely stand.
We’d left the bus, almost there,
She stood transfixed, could only stare.
Stepping stones to cross the river,
Gran couldn’t move, began to shiver.
First time there, we didn’t know,
There was another way to go,
So nervously she held on tight,
Step by step, got it right,
When revived, so pleased to see,
First great grandchild, on her knee.
