On Bedlington.uk Now...

Well Mal you would have my vote, if I had one, regardless of the election results you can be proud of your achievements, walk tall sir.

Just to keep everyone updated.......here is my 'application' for County Councillor. So we have a full list of candidates for the NCC Bedlington West Ward seat and it looks like an election has had its starter gate opened with claims, counter claims, spin and misdirection already! As I have said the only promise I give is to continue to do my best for the ward, so more of the same if you like! Like any job applicant a CV would seem an obvious starting option. So here are the main points in mine: As a resident I wasn’t happy with the way our Town’s needs had been ignored for decades so as a private individual I decided to try and do something about that. You don’t really need a position but you do need a commitment and some level of understanding as to how the system works. Set up the Bedlingtonshire Development Trust. Worked with NCC to get the sports pavilion at Gallagher Park. Ran a Fields in Trust campaign after getting Gallagher Park qualified as a QE11 Park and won a national award! Did the training in counselling skills so I could interact confidentially with people on a one to one basis. Completed training in procurement, project management, VCS development, planning training and others which I thought would be beneficial. Got the funding for and ran a Heritage themed event with Leading Link, which we had to go to Manchester and receive a commendation for. I had to go to Blyth Sports Centre and push in to argue with the Olympic Torch Committee for Bedlington to be included in their processional route so our kids could see it pass too. This after NCC said no! With Richard from Salvation Army and Lyn from Leading Link we had over 5000 people lining a very wet Front Street that day! Bedlington Terrier seats……..my design and my project with the money made paying for Xmas lunches for our seniors and support for our food banks. In May 2013 I was elected as a Town Councillor. The chevron parking on Glebe Road, my idea to stop the double parking there so others could pass. My project through the Town Council. New footpath down to Attlee Park, to stop the need for pedestrians having to step out on the main road. Again my project through the Town Council. After lacklustre and aimless two years under Labour control, which was more about claiming the council to be a Labour one instead of actually doing things, I was elected to the chair of the Town Council. What happened in the next two years was more than had happened at any time before! New Bus shelters throughout. Street furniture painted gold and green. Two new play parks at West Lea and Meadowdale. New Town Gateway features, which I designed and oversaw the project. Started on the discussions with a local resident who made sun dials internationally, but who couldn’t get one in their home town. Now in the Market Place! We bought the two new commemorative seats which now sit behind the War Memorial after I did the research and costing. Restarted the Town Fair and held it on the street. First to put on a show for the Xmas Lights switch on. Put in the original three defibrillators onto the street after the existing NCC Councillors refused to back them. Brought in a REDUCTION to the Town Council tax charge, the only one to ever manage that and do everything (plus) listed above. No wonder we got phone calls from all over asking how on earth we had done it. Then in 2017 I was elected to County Council. I said “I’m drawing a line in the sand…….we don’t go backwards from here!” First job get a light controlled crossing next to the COOP because it was gravely needed! All main roads into my ward area resurfaced. I recorded every pot hole in the ward and sent in the lists. I also had to stand up to what had happened at Arch and Active Northumberland to try and bring some resolution after unbelievably bad independent audits. Covid hit and while everyone else hid under the blankets I was running around dropping food parcels off because the government essentially locked up elderly people for 12 weeks! I made sure the ones I knew in my ward had something at least once a week. I got the 100’s of food parcels from the Salvation Army so I raised money for our food banks to make sure I wasn’t taking out more than I put it! West Lea Cemetery needs a special mention: First try and sort out the flooding issues which saw flooding on the children’s graves. Cleaned out the main culvert pipe which runs alongside the western side of the cemetery. Next the road inside the Cemetery needed resurfacing. Helped set up the Friends of West Lea Cemetery group. Did the D Day commemorative plaque at the side of the entrance. Renovated the old derelict hut which stands in there for a base for the Friends of West Lea Cemetery. Flooding reoccurred so I had to fight for new field drains fitted at the lowest bit on the South side. Did the Covid plaque at the other side of the entrance. Garden of Remembrance needed sorting out. The path between the cemetery and St Bennies needed sorting out too so QE11 Memorial Path, again after Bedlington not planned to get one. Now we have the best! New railings along the Front. Worked with Cemeteries management to turn the look of this cemetery around. It’s a popular place to visit these days and the Garden of Remembrance is now filled with flowers on tended plots. Plessey Woods needs a mention too. Went down 8 years ago and spoke to the staff there and saw it was only been used by a few dog walkers. Lobbied for the money to get the new playground done as well as path repairs etc. I got the funding on the proviso that I increased visitor numbers Put on events (children’s and adults) to get people there so they could see what was on offer. Argued for the extra parking area because it was proving that popular now. Had to get double yellow lines outside to stop the indiscriminate parking along Shields Road. Set up a Friends of Plessy Woods group. Continually argued for café and toilets upgrades which are now planned for end of this summer. Came up with the idea of Climbing Boulders as a way of attracting more people down there. Worked on the design, costs and siting with manufacturers and park managers. Should see them soon! More events in the pipeline for this park! Road speeds are an issue in several places, first one to tackle, Hazelmere. The internal roads have now gone to 20 MPH. Also the B1331 as it passes four school entrances……now 20 MPH after being told it wasn’t going to happen! New path opposite Hartford Hall, again after being told it wouldn’t happen. Had to fight to get Bedlington into the mix for a PlayZone but we were eventually. Then loads of fences and hoops to jump to get it actually built. Now being built at West Lea. The first new build leisure facility in Bedlington I can remember! I’ve also had to tackle house builders on behalf of residents and we have residents meetings with them (I’d like to say regularly but………) so problems can be worked out and residents made aware of what’s going to happen. Sensible communications is very often the key! I have documented just about every aspect to this ‘job’ over the last 8 years even to the point of being referred to solicitors when it doesn’t suit one party’s narrative! I’ve told everyone what’s going on, what’s about to happen and the reasons behind the way I’ve voted on most issues. I can’t think of any resident who has been in touch and who I’ve not responded to. We might not get the answer we wanted but all concerns have been forwarded to the right place. In short this is the sort of stuff I’ve been doing for the last 8 years, a lot of which aren’t really the remit of a councillor but hey it’s Bedlington, someone has to do something! This isn’t an exhaustive list by any means, and for more examples in much greater detail take a look at the Historical Factoids I posted on my Facebook page: “Malcolm Robinson Bedlington West Ward.” If you vote for me it’s not difficult to work out what you will get! Trying to inject some common sense into the county council instead of the political spin and gyrations of the Political Party’s! ‘Residents First’ because I don’t have a political party to promote and gain benefit for, so the only people who tell me what to say and do are my residents. We don’t go backwards and we don’t leave anyone behind! It’s that simple really!

Thanks for the information . I lived in Bedlington as a child, but moved away, when I was twelve. I spent a lot of time visiting my grandparents who lived in Shiney Row and was delighted after spending yet another holiday up north my husband and I moved back to Northumberland .

@Pegwoman shared your photo on the Bygone Bedlington Facebok group but no response from the members I sepculated that your uncle would have gone to the Bedlington County primary School, Ridge Terrace at the Wst End of bedlington as that would have been the nearest school to Shiney Row. That school opened c1916. Are you from Bedlington or would you like to see maps of the area showing where the old schools were?

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Thanks Maggie/915 for your help. Very interesting, I'll have a look at that.

The church did a list of burials / I believe It has been opened for cremated remains . John Grundy did an article on the church yard and graves . I think it was covered in the forum Good luck

Such a shame that you no longer have it. Another person has told me that they were made of satin wood and stained dark to look like mahogany.

I haven't heard of either identity discs or first aid kits for children. However, I do recognise the name Lifebuoy - a soap in common use during my childhood, When the pit-baths opened at Netherton Colliery my father refused to use it. He thought it smelled like 'women's scent'. If I'm totally honest, the words he used were "like a whores handbag". I thought it smelled like carbolic myself. He stuck to the hard, green, Fairy Household soap that was grated (on the cheese grater) to put into the washing machine/poss-tub.

Mahogany is how I remember the press in my home but I think it may have been veneer. It weighed a ton! I can remember the job we had getting it down the stairs and out of the house when we cleared it after my mother's death. Sadly, I think it went for firewood.

Have you heard of identity discs for children during the Second World War ? These were like dog tags worn by soldiers , which had the child’s name and address and identity number on These discs were worn round the neck by the child, were as adults had identity cards. Sorry if this is of no interest.

Should have said pupil sorry for the mistype

Of course you can share the photos. The biro is just to give an idea of how small the first aid kit is as I couldn’t find a ruler to measure it. All is I know that my uncle was a pious in school in Bedlington and shortly after the Zeppelin crashed there (1915) I think. all the children were presented with one of these.

Looking forward to seeing your photos. Apart from my granparents beds I have all their furniture, china and family correspondence and documents. James’s and Annie were married in 1906. James was from Longframlington, Annie formerly Nobley was from Barrington unfortunately she had two younger brothers who drowned whilst skating on the pit pond . I have some disaster glasses which record the incident Thank you for your information and comments about the press

Your Linen Press looks to be made from Satinwood commonly used for this purpose as its natural oils deterred moths and other creepy-crawlies (fleas). When I have a minute I'll upload some photos of my Satinwood bedroom press and dressing table for comparison ... similar carving. When the fashion for presses ended many were converted into wardrobes but they lacked the depth (front to back) to accomodate clothes hangers on a rail like modern wardrobes, so hooks were usually screwed into the carcassing around the inside. I also have a very large Victorian mahogany linen press in another bedroom which has some 'converted hanging space' but also retains internal drawers for folded clothes; again, a photo to follow. It's good that your linen press seems to be unaltered as much 'old' furniture has been repurposed.

@Pegwoman - I can't remember having seen, or even heard of, the first aid sets for school kids. I checked on the local Facebook group, Bygone Bedlington, but couldn't find anything having been posted about them. Ok if I share one of your photos plus your comment with the Bygone Bedlington group?

Thanks Canny Lass, I will. I'll contact St Cuthbert's and take a look at the burial records for the cemetery to see what I can find. Thanks for your help.

The closure order for burials at St Cuthberts was as late as 1983. There are some very old gravestones so it might be worth investigating further.

No problem, thanks Alan.

@Miner Granddaughter not something I have ever looked into and i think the only active members that I have noticed posting in connection with St Cuthbert's are @Maggie/915 & @Bedlingtonian

Thank you so much for the information Netherton isn’t far from Bedlington perhaps the families knew each other. I believe my grandmother had bedding in the drawers, but China in the top. Now the China it’s still there and the drawers are full of family documents and correspondence from 1906 until 1960 . I am trying to upload it onto my iPad. It is taking me ages as I get so caught up reading stuff that it my progress is dead slow stop. I have all the furniture that belonged to my grandparents apart from their beds. I just love it. And I am sure that your family press was just as beautiful.