On Bedlington.uk Now...

Just the 1920, open touring. not the grain truck. 😃

@Vic Patterson are they the ones you used for people's weddings?

Yes Canny lass, 1920 and 1926 model T Fords. 1926 is a farm truck.

Would that be the two in the picture?

It'll keep you out of mischief!

Zero answers for the quiz but I did know about the Bennett buggies. I drive two of them. Thank you Canny lass, and Google!

@Canny lass - a read through of those 20 questions suggets I will be doing alot of Googling

So much for Christmas, let's see what we know about New Year traditions and celebrations! 1. Where in the world on New Year’s Eve do people dress in white, run into the sea at midnight and jump over seven waves while making seven wishes for the year to come? 2. In which country are 12 spoonfuls of lentils eaten at midnight on New Year’s Eve, one spoonful for every chime of the clock? 3. The ‘redding of the house’, involving giving your home a thorough clean before midnight 31 December in order to sweep out the bad luck of the passing year, is a New Year’s tradition in which country? 4. The island of Bali celebrates New Year (on varying dates) with a strict day of silence designed to ward off evil spirits by making the island appear deserted. All businesses, shops and even airports are closed and NO ONE is allowed to leave their home or hotel. What is the name of this day of silence? 5. In another country where silence is a tradition, the last 12 seconds of the old year are spent in silence making a wish for the coming year. Where? 6. An empty suitcase plays an important part in the New Year traditions of which country? 7. China is also a country which celebrates new year on varying dates. In 2026, the year of the Wood Snake will end on China’s New Year’s Eve. On which date will this occur? Bonus point if you know which animal will replace the Wood Snake. 8. In some cultures, round objects symbolise good fortune and prosperity so, to ensure a happy new year, they wear polka-dot clothing and eat round fruits. Where would you be able to observe this tradition? 9. What is thrown out of houses during the countdown to midnight 31 December in Cuba? 10. Which country also celebrates Independence Day on New Year’s Day? 11. The Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, usually falls in September and is followed a week or so later by the holiest day of the year, Yom Kippur. Between the two it is impossible to get married. Why? 12. Who, literally, jumps into the New Year (from a chair or sofa)? 13. What do children do on the stroke of midnight in the Philippines in the belief that it will make them grow taller in the new year? 14. What New Year tradition do the Italians, Spaniards and Chinese have in common for warding off bad luck? 15. Nouruz (or Nowruz), even called the Persian New Year, isn’t either celebrated 31 December. However, it is officially recognized as New Year’s Day in many countries including Iran, Afghanistan and Azerbajdzan. When is Nouruz celebrated? 16. L’home dels nassos, (the man of many noses) has as many noses as there are days left in the year. He appears on 31 December and, if you find him, he’ll grant you a wish. Where would you go if you want to try and find him? 17. The Irish have many New Year traditions, including setting an additional place at the dinner table for any loved ones lost during the year and having a spotlessly clean home into which to welcome the New Year. They also bang on the outside walls of their house to keep bad luck away. With what do they bang on the walls? 18. What do Greeks hang above their door to welcome good fortune, and even fertility, into their home? 19. Who are what is a Hoppin’ John and where would you find him/it on New Year’s Eve? 20. And finally, where, on New Year’s Day would you be able to witness the “Loony Dook? I'll bet you didn't know: During the 1930s farmers in Canada hitched horses to their cars because they couldn’t afford petrol. Answers Sunday January 4.

Answers to the Christmas quiz: 1. Ardennes 2. Nautical mile 1 852 metres (English mile 1 609 metres 3. Miss Moneypenny 4. Smoking bishop is a type of mulled wine especially popular in Victorian England at Christmas time. It is mentioned in Dickens' 1843 story A Christmas Carol. Smoking bishop was made from port, red wine, lemons or Seville oranges, sugar and spices such as cloves. 5. Walker 6. Veterinary Surgeon 7. 1984 8. Anglia 9. A butterfly 10. A grape 11. In a dictionary 12. 8 (No Rudolph!) 13. Czech Republic 14. 6 15. Kevin 16. Ukraine 17. Berlin 18. New York 19. Noddy Holder 20. A life jn spinsterhood

Miss Short from Nedderton Village School and nature walks . Remembered fondly

This is very thought provoking . Happy New Year . Nature is our first love

Hmm..this is interesting,cos all my classmates were born around 1944/5 depending on the month for the class grouping.I was born in 1944,so my "Stoker" classmate,might have been Billy's older Brother..somehow the name Derek comes into my head. but I honestly can't say for sure!..But if he was from the same family it's a wee bit of a piece of the puzzle!CheersBud!

Some fascinating life stories going on there. .!

Thanks for this. My late, Bill/Billy Stoker was born in 1950 so depending on timing quite possibly have been him.

I went to Bedlington Village Infants school in 1949,then down to the Whitley Memorial old school(that was burnt down)around 1951-2...One of my classmates was called Billy (?)Stoker..there is..or was..a terrace near the Coffin Chapel called Stokers Buildings..just down from Vulcan Place..might have some connection?Good luck!

I hope Christmas has brought you all happiness . Very best wishes for 2026. World peace would be great .

BOLD = GOOGLED Guessed two more before Googling - so 8 out of 20 1. ARDENNES 2. Nautical 3. Miss Money Penny 4. Alcohol 5.WALKER 6. VETERINARY SURGEON 7. DECEMBER 3RD 1984 8.ANGLIA 9. Butterfly 10. 12 LUCKY GRAPES 11. Never 12. EIGHT 13. ANCIENT GREECE 14. Six 15. Kevin 16. UKRAINE 17. GERMANY 18. New York 19. Noddy Holder 20. Kissing under the mistletoe was a way for women to protect themselves from the bad luck of remaining an old maid or not receiving a marriage proposal for the following year. Looks like I take after an albatros

Snap -

I got 6 without Google... 🥴

OK, I know it's not Friday but it is 'officially' Christmas now that Wilf has come out of hibernation so here's a little quiz to keep you out of mischief: Which mountain range between Belgium, France and Luxembourg has the same name as a breed of horses? Which is the longest: an English mile or a Nautical mile? What is the name of the female roll figure who is secretary to M in most James Bond films? Who or what is Smoking bishop? What does the initial W stand for in former President George W Bush’s name? If you have the letters FRCVS after your name, what would be your profession? In which year was ’Last Christmas’, by Wham, released for the first time? What was the Latin name for England? What sort of creature is a painted lady? (Keep it clean!) The Spanish see in the New Year by swallowing what on each of the 12 chimes at midnight? When does December come before November? How many reindeer are featured in the poem “Twas the Night Before Christmas?” Which country has a Christmas tradition of breaking an egg into a glass and inspecting the egg-white to see into the future? How many colours on a Rubik’s Cube? What is the forename of the boy, played by Macaulay Culkin, in Home Alone 1 and 2? In which country is the Christmas tree decorated with spider-webs and artificial spiders ("pavuchky"), instead of baubles and glitter? The 1916 Olympic games were cancelled due to WW1. Where were the games scheduled to take place? In which city do they erect, every year, an enormous Christmas tree in Rockefeller Square? Who is the singer in Slade, who sings ’Merry Xmas’? A common sight at Christmas is Mistletoe. KIssing under the Mistletoe was, many years ago, a way for women to protect themselves from something. What? I’ll bet you didn’t know …. The albatross can sleep in mid-air and can glide for six days without beating its wings. Answers on 30 December.

Whoopee, Wilf is here so it's officially Christmas. Let the festivities begin!!!

Merry Christmas to everyone in this group from Bygone Bedlington:-