The Shields woman whose shop 'collapsed' while she was at the pictures - on her first day off in weeks
‘It always happens like this. Seven weeks since I had a half day and then this’
Jean Webster probably wished she had never bothered to take her first half day off from work in 7 weeks - because part of her shop roof collapsed when she did.
The South Shields woman went on a trip to the cinema as a rare treat - but it was a treat she would never forget on this day in 1958.
Jean decided to take her son Gordon to the pictures. After all, she had not had a half day off since June and went to watch Kenneth More in A Night To Remember. It was a film about the sinking of the Titanic.
She hadn’t even seen much of the film when a message was flashed across the screen - saying Mrs Jean Webster was urgently needed back at the shop in Cleveland Street.
She rushed back to find half of the gable end of the house had collapsed and their home was open to the elements. Her husband Tom had to call in demolition men to rope off the property.
A Shields Gazette report at the time said: “The entire attic of the Websters’ small house was laid open to the rain.”
Mrs Webster herself said: “It always happens like this. Seven weeks since I had a half day and then this.”
By complete coincidence, a neighbour called Lilian Jackson rushed to the cinema to raise the alarm with Mrs Webster - and she was on her own half day as well.
The Websters put the incident down to all the heavy lorries which went past the shop every day.
Tell us if Jean, Tom or Gordon are members of your family and retold the story to you.
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