Take a walk round Greenside village, a community in the very far west of Gateshead. Once a coal-mining village of County Durham, it is now part of Gateshead itself, its bigger and more famous neighbour. Now the pit has closed, it is once more a rural community.

This fine painting by Milton Gray shows Greenside when it had a new pit - and no traffic!

The pit was opened about 1902 and closed in 1966. Buddle Gardens is on the right, and the Methodist Chapel in the centre.

This year, 2009, Greenside School celebrates its centenary. All the classes are doing a local history project and need your help. Please send them your reminiscences and anything of interest, particularly old photos (or copies, if you want to keep the originals). And you are warmly invited to come and visit. There is an Open Day on Friday, February 13, 2009, when the children will be dressed as in Edwardian days. If you attended the school some time ago, you will be amazed at the transformation inside the building!

Click on Greenside Talkabout for more details.