Dominoes and a life peerage: How a South Shields man made Christmas 1964 memorable

Bill Blyton was a South Tyneside man who went on to become the MP for Houghton-le-Spring.

Life peerage 60 years ago this month

He had a Christmas to remember 60 years ago this year when he was bestowed a life peer by Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson.

Even though he represented Houghton, his home was still in South Shields.

And when a Shields Gazette reporter called to get his wife’s reaction to news of the peerage, they found a down-to-earth family who were getting on with their lives.

Lady Jane was painting the kitchen when the Gazette called

Lady Jane Blyton was busy painting their home on the Biddick Hall estate when we popped round.

She said: “I am thrilled about it, of course, but it won’t make one scrap of difference to our lives, everything will carry on as usual.

“I don’t lead a busy life, and at my age I like to take things easy. I am looking forward to going down to London with my husband next week, when he is installed in the House of Lords though.”

Dominoes was a great game of skill

Like many miner’s wives of her generation, Lady Blyton had not led an easy life. One of 14 children, she worked in munitions in Gretna Green during the First World War, going into service’ after the conflict ended.

One of her husband’s great claims to fame came when MPs were discussing the 1960 Betting and Gaming Act.

He successfully fought to have dominoes and Fives and Threes legally recognised as games of skill, rather than chance.

Raised in the Tyne Dock area

He explained at the time: “Fives and threes take a great deal more skill, if one wants to win, than chess - a monotonous game played in the smoke room so often.

“It also requires more skill than playing draughts, in trying to think what the next moves will be.”

Baron Blyton was an MP from 1945 to 1964 and was born and raised in the Tyne Dock area.

He attended Holy Trinity Primary School and Dean Road Secondary Modern and later began an apprenticeship at Harton Colliery.

A greyhound and a pint of brown ale

He worked there for 32 years and also served on South Shields Town Council.

When he was made a life peer, there were reports about his reply when he was asked what his coat of arms might be.

He suggested it should have a pint of brown ale, a greyhound, crossed darts and a miner’s lamp.

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