What Do You Miss?

[johndawsonjune1955]

I miss the neighbourhood spirit,unlocked doors open to all! Some things I miss from my child hood are Milk Bottles(sweets) proper ones, Tudor Bovril crisps,Texan bars, being able to play in street without getting ran over by a chav in a super-charged Nova Waiting for buses that never turned up, ever! STANDING on the terraces at St James' Park, playing Japs 'n' English never Germans 'n' English for some reason! Playing on the pit heaps, getting chased off the farmer with his 'Jelly Gun' Tettie picking with same farmer Being scared of 'The Colliery Polis' Generally having fun and not knowing what 'white lightning' was and not being bothered anyway!

Am gettin auld

Cracking topic here. Yes the pit heap was brilliant. We moved from Scotland Gate to West Avenue in Guidepost in 1961. There was, still is today, a lonnen at Patterson's Farm and i and my friends as kids walked down there to the pit heap regularly. One day on the pit heap i found, what i know now, as a fillers shovel, the handle broken off. I went to the top and some of my friends had old conveyor belting to slide down, but me, my new shovel slide. I sat on it and away i went, it was like out that Chevy Chase film the National Lampoons Vacation when he used one to slide. I was doing some speed and was heading for the burn at the bottom. I had to roll off the shovel it was going too fast. When i rolled off i still landed in the burn. Never forget that. All the lads were having a laugh, but when me mother seen the colour of me when i got in, i got a clippin on the ears and sent in the bath.

The colliery pollis never caught us but should have if he knew that we had a camp in the Choppington pit stockyard made from wood chocks. Great days indeed.

Crisps brings to mind "Chipmunk Crisps" do you remember them ? Tudor tho was my favorite. What with all these take-overs you can't get a decent crisp. i think there all bland.

Tettee picking was hard work too. We picked them for Patterson. Jack was a canny fella, and sadly his son, Neil, a couple years older than me, died of a heart attack at a young age.

Oh, do you know there's an Anglo Saxon burial site on that land ? Can't say where tho, but one is there and would love to see the right people do a dig. I took Barry Mead down to it and he was buzzing. That sort of thing is his forte, but nothing has happened as of yet.

I remember when living at Scotland Gate me dad telling me not to go in the farmers field as the farmer had a jelly gun. Never went in and me dad was pleased i listened. Mind you it wasn't the jelly gun that frightened me off, it was that huge bull that the farmer had in there. Never told him that tho

Yes some memories posted here. Keep them coming.

[Symptoms]

johndawsonjune1955 wrote: ".... my friends had old conveyor belting to slide down,.."

yep, I remember this trick on the !*!@# heap at the Doctor Pit ... I seem to remember we called the stuff 'Belatta' belting.

We also used to do something similar at Costains (the open-cast site) only there we'd use metal salvaged from the vehicle tip on the site; the place was full of knackered earth-moving tackle - stuff like Euclids, graders, etc. My favourite 'sledge' was part of a Euclid door.

The woodwork teacher at Westridge (I can't remember his name) used to have a ski making project; he used to take us out onto the playing field and show us how to ski with them. I remember that once or twice he took us to Costains to try our luck down the snow covered !*!@# heaps; he must have had permission from the bosses ... wouldn't happen now 'cos of Health & Safety.

edit: why on earth has sl*g heap being chopped into !*!@# heaps ... the * I inserted, poo.

Edited January 6, 2012 by Symptoms

[Symptoms]

test ... Scunthorpe United.

[Keith Scantlebury]

test ... Scunthorpe United.

Exactly ..... who put that in Scunthorpe ?

[John Fox (foxy)]

Exactly ..... who put that in Scunthorpe ?

Bet it was the same one that put that in clitheroe.

[Keith Scantlebury]

Bet it was the same one that put that in clitheroe.

Totally agree, the roe from cod is very tasty indeed, as indeed is the meat from a roe deer

[Barton Lad]

This photo reminds me when I was very young chap, dashing across the railway foot bridge at the Station to miss the engine smoke. I am sure the engine fireman through some extra coal on, just make the smoke as black as possible.

I also seem to recall that every Friday there was a racing pigeon special train. The platform was often seen with many pigeon baskets ready to be loaded on the special pigeon train. I have never being involved with pigeon racing, hence I have no idea where the final destination was ?

[johndawsonjune1955]

What about school dinners ?

Not many happy memories from Guide Post Secondary Modern.

We had long tables and over your time at school worked ya way up to either a server or head of table.

Remember when first went there, didn't like it at all.

But as SPLINK says Waggon Wheels, the originals. bought them at break time at school, not the mini wheels we see now.

Funny mentioning this as just talked about it tother day to my wife.

Oh, and Dobsons Sweets, they were something. Not a sweet hand these days, but can you still get them ?

What was that sweet factory called in Blyth in Wright Street at the car park to the old Prestos ? its now Morrison ? The smell from there was lovely when they made their sweets.

[johndawsonjune1955]

This photo reminds me when I was very young chap, dashing across the railway foot bridge at the Station to miss the engine smoke. I am sure the engine fireman through some extra coal on, just make the smoke as black as possible.

I also seem to recall that every Friday there was a racing pigeon special train. The platform was often seen with many pigeon baskets ready to be loaded on the special pigeon train. I have never being involved with pigeon racing, hence I have no idea where the final destination was ?

Your right there. i remember the bridge crossing well and you could see the black smoke on it from the trains from either side of the lines. Happy days of our youth

[johndawsonjune1955]

The Shane Fenton show was an all ticket. I seem to recall it was Monday night, the Friday night was the hop and nothing clashed with the hop. I arrived at the Clayton at about 10pm after a few drinks at Craiges. Only to discover that the Bedlington boys had been throwing pennies onto the stage and Fenton had packed up and gone home. I was not happy, but maybe it was a lucky escape. Does anyone else remember that incident ?

I also seem to remember in those days the pubs closed at 10.00pm and the dance hall close at 10.30. Times have certainly changed.

i think there weas a Fat Mos Disco at the Station ?

[johndawsonjune1955]

I left hirst terrace in 1969 for newbiggin, I,m thinking they knocked hirst terrace down around 1974=5 so maybe 72-73??

Hi. im in Newbiggin now. God its changed, and for the better, its a pleasure to live there.

[johndawsonjune1955]

Rhoda`s chip shop in Guide Post.

Having a "sittie down" as a special treat during the school hols, when she would open the side room on a Friday afternoon.

Pie, chips & peas. Oh & as an extra treat; a slice bread & butter! Cut in triangles of course. Bliss!

Kids would laugh at you these days if you offered that up as a something special.

Bring back the simple life.

BH! I genuinly think I regressed there for a minute.

I`m fine now thanks.

yes had to be one of the best chippies along with tini rices at the gate. When ya went in RHodas the seating was next to the window. Remember her hubbie "Tommy" nice fella too. You know when they sold out and the Chinese took it over, she put it in the contract that they had to sell fish and chips for six months, as RHoda knew us folk loved her Chippy. When the six months was up they stopped it. Mind you, it was never as good as Rhodas fish and chips.

[johndawsonjune1955]

yes had to be one of the best chippies along with tini rices at the gate. When ya went in RHodas the seating was next to the window. Remember her hubbie "Tommy" nice fella too. You know when they sold out and the Chinese took it over, she put it in the contract that they had to sell fish and chips for six months, as RHoda knew us folk loved her Chippy. When the six months was up they stopped it. Mind you, it was never as good as Rhodas fish and chips.

Me minds gone blank. Shame on me, as im Scotland Gate born and bred. What was the name of the bakers at the Gate. I remember on cold days putting my hands on the outer wall and the heat would warm me as it was that hot.

[bediesathome]

the bakers shop that you are on about i am sure that it was called taylors me and my friends used to stand against it in winter to keep warm.

[Keith Scantlebury]

What about school dinners ?

Not many happy memories from Guide Post Secondary Modern.

We had long tables and over your time at school worked ya way up to either a server or head of table.

Remember when first went there, didn't like it at all.

But as SPLINK says Waggon Wheels, the originals. bought them at break time at school, not the mini wheels we see now.

Funny mentioning this as just talked about it tother day to my wife.

Oh, and Dobsons Sweets, they were something. Not a sweet hand these days, but can you still get them ?

What was that sweet factory called in Blyth in Wright Street at the car park to the old Prestos ? its now Morrison ? The smell from there was lovely when they made their sweets.

Redheads sweet factory

[John Fox (foxy)]

Redheads sweet factory

Keith,

keep out of this your starting to show your age, I'm having a night out in Newcastle tonight will your lass let you go?

[Keith Scantlebury]

Keith,

keep out of this your starting to show your age, I'm having a night out in Newcastle tonight will your lass let you go?

not allowed out, :-( anyway been on the sick so long luxuries like that are beyond me at the moment, enjoy yourself at the Toon Edited January 27, 2012 by keith

[Barton Lad]

The photograph of Bedlington Station A pit, which I guess was the main employer around the station. Not to sure what the group of men were waiting for?

[bediesathome]

answer to what do you miss . since i moved from the station i have missed the frendly people of bedlington they are more frendly than the blyth people

[tonyg]

did you know raisbeck buses ran from october 1926 till april 1996

[keith lockey]

did you know raisbeck buses ran from october 1926 till april 1996

And with the same driver - Joe.

Edited January 10, 2013 by keith lockey

[tonyg]

eric raisbeck joe austen and alan burke and his father were the drivers

[Keith Scantlebury]

eric raisbeck joe austen and alan burke and his father were the drivers

And Alan Davison

[keith lockey]

Thank you Tony and Keith for those surnames. I have just been on the phone to my bro trying to remember the names and you two post them. I bumped into Alan Burk in Asherton last year, had a good natter with him. Once again, thanks lads. PS was there a driver called Billy as well?

Edited January 10, 2013 by keith lockey

[tonyg]

i will ask alan next time i see him