On Bedlington.uk Now...

100% behind the nomination of Friends of Westlea Cemetery for this year's Piper Award.

Why not put it on the internet as do the war cemeteries abroad, after all we do have war graves in West Lea. These cemetery plans are a great help to researchers.

I wonder why a doctor or an ambulance couldn't attend to the injured at the pit? I mean, moving a back injury isn't the most sensible thing to do. Would it perhaps be because the pit would have to pay the 2/6d.

During WW2 my maternal Grandfather was working a double shift in the middle of the night (to help the war effort) when he was injured underground by a rock fall causing crush injuries to his legs and back. His mates dug him out, brought him to the surface and stretchered him the mile-and-a-half back to his home. The doctor was called, meds given and an ambulance was called to take him to hospital in Durham ... he worked at Sherburn Hill Colliery near Durham City. My Grandmother had to pay the Doctor for the home visit and for the ambulance - it cost her two shilling and six pence. You had to pay for all this stuff when the pits were privately owned and there was no NHS. He got plastered-up and was back at work a couple of months later.

Posted somewhere would be great because of scheduling especially weekends and holidays. Thank you Mal.

I think there is a guide Vic but the cemetery managers have it. Don’t see why it can’t be put on the building? I have just advised some people looking for their family plot to get in touch with them so it would be handy. There are other upgrades coming soon and an expansion.

Don't know Vic - @Malcolm Robinson might know. ps. I forgot to mention that @John Fox (foxy) has also helped in the restoration :-

A great suggestion Alan, I was truly impressed with the cemetery last year, a lot of work must have gone into it. I have had relatives visit it this year who were very impressed. Because I don't have anyone living locally has anyone thought of marking the lanes and rows, giving a 1 by A grid to assist giving directions. (I did this for my relatives)

Excellent suggestion Eggy.............In effect just two lasses spending all their free time helping to make the cemetery somewhere everyone can be proud of. They are currently making Xmas wreaths and all money raised is spent in the cemetery. BTW, Look out for a huge revamp at the Garden of Remembrance and the path behind!

My thoughts for this year are as this group has been very quite and very few questions asked from members that have resulted in anyone having to dig deep to help out is that the Piper Award should go to 'The Friends of Westlea Cemetery'. They are a group of volunteers that have organised and helped in the restoring of the delapidated buildings, grounds and appearance of the cemetery. @Malcolm Robinson has been involved with them and I am sure he knows a lot about them. For Facebook (FB) members this is a direct link to their Facebook page :- https://www.facebook.com/Thefriendsofwestleacemetery An article published by the Northunberland Gazette :- https://www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk/news/westlea-cemetery-in-bedlington-to-get-queen-elizabeth-ii-memorial-and-remembrance-garden-refurbishment-4339703 This is their FB cover page :- Some images of the volunteers and some of the items they work on :-

Hope everybody's keeping well,apologies for absences,Hope 2024 is a better year than the last four years!![we keep saying that..!!] Cheers Bill!

Cheers Bill.

As to injured men underground,even fatalities,every man was stretchered out the pit usually by his own Marra's..not necessarily First Aiders like myself..if a man needed Morphia [Morphine],after a serious accident,only a qualified Official [usually the face Deputy],was allowed to administer by injection to the injured person,and only if that person requested it..then whoever administered Morphia,HAD TO...BY LAW..escort the that person to the surface and hand him over to the Ambulance team...after tying a named and dated bracelet to the injured person's wrist. Morphia was kept in securely locked safes built into brickwork in every Deputy's District underground.The Deputy was the ONLY person,other than a Doctor,in any industry in Britain,who was trained and certified by Law,Mines and Quarries Act 1956,to Adminster Morphia by needle injection,when requested by an injured person.That,was the level of responsibility of a Mine Deputy.[UNLESS..a Doctor could reach the injured person within TWO hours..over that time period..the Law would apply..]

Alan,from my experiences,going back to 1959,normal injuries like broken legs or arms or other minor injuries,the Blue Coal Board Van took men across to the old Ashington Hospital..[which was originally built by the Miners]..more serious accidents of an urgent nature,men were taken by Ambulance..which was basically just a van with a stretcher and first aid kit..bandages etc..in it!![nae Defibrillators or Cardiogram machines in them days!!]..reet till bates closed..less serious injured men were still taken in the Pit van!!..aav been it a few times owa the years!! Cheers Bill!

Also,Adam,no person under the age of 15 yrs was allowed to work underground after Nationalisation..and here they are recruiting 14 yr olds!!

I wonder if they had ambulance transport from the pits in the 50's - 70's after the NHS act was introduced in July 1948 or did the pits just rely on First Aiders in the pit getting the injured to the surface to be collected by the NHS ambulace? @HIGH PIT WILMA & @James would know

it probably had 350% less equipment on board as well.

Same year as my car!

https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/dont-leave-us-waiting-at-the-station?fbclid=IwAR26POMUwM1oiNOdorVtCWxy512Td7W-kgRwkTfLShxbDV1A1aOezCO950M

So the 1920 ambulance motor value today would be £44,094.08. (8 x £5,511.76) An NHS ambulance today costs £156,000.00. Therfore the 1920 £800.00 ambulance motor was approximately 350% less the value of a 2023 amblance

Found this little bit of information today, dated 8th November 1920:

Wheyhey! now it's official! Mince pie baking tomorrow.