Latest Update To Sixtownships History Group Site

[johndawsonjune1955]

Hi all.

This is the latest update to the group site at

http://www.sixtownships.org.uk

Interested in Bedlington, go to our stories and see the new updates. See what it was once like.

Doctor Terrace, Bedlington,

The Turks Head, Bedlington, Get to know who drank there and some cracking stories of local characters.

Jack Antoniho the ice cream man is there for you to read about.

The story of the runaway pony is also there for you to read on this underground accident.

Choppington Stories is also updated.

Read about Hunns Buildings, and Taits shop the ice cream manufacturer. Cracking history from the early days. Did you know it was a social Club at one time ?

Ashington is also beginning. Upload your stories for us. We begin with, Not the Village Pump. What a story from Ashington Colliery.

West Sleekburn stories have began, see if you can add to them.

Visitors Stories on Page One and Two. Have a look, and many thanks to local people for this information and its great reading.

Keep our heritage alive.

Today we have been offered a vast amount of old cine film. We are to convert this and hopefully this will be of great interest to the community. It is to cover Mitford, Ashington, Morpeth, Cresswell, and more.

And, just about 3 hours ago, we have been offered more archive cine film on Bedlington. The Doctor Pit, Doctor Terrace, and more.

You got any old cine film you want digitised ? Its free if its local and we can use parts of the footage for future productions. Not many our there will do that for free, but we do.

Help keep this site updated. Its your site, for the community, and we have a forum too.

A little helps, get on and get your memories online, upload them, and we publish them online, or simply use the forum.

Support your local history website and group.

i help this website and hopefully you can return the compliment. Its your memories and your heritage.

We help local schools, and residential homes. We give our products free, upon release to schools to help in the chidrens educatiion and do talks, and they use our website.

Help on it, read our visitors stories and see how it helps to keep our memories alive.

Edited February 18, 2012 by johndawsonjune1955

[Barton Lad]

Interesting story about John Tait, Choppington, who had the ice cream shop.

I also remember someone coming around the Barrington Streets in a horse cart, selling ice cream, similar to the photograph of Jack Antoniho. I seem to recall the guy selling the ice cream had just left the army and was hero to all. He quickly ran out of the ice cream and off he went at the gallop back to the stables,

[tomtom]

Great web site and a much needed insight into local history - long may you continue.

[johndawsonjune1955]

yes pleased you like it.

we have a good group of lads and good skills put to use for the community.

it will get better as we upload our archives.

Our new DVD "Bygone Bedlington" Archive Film Collection should be available Friday.

Its got some superb, rare archive film for anyone interested in Bedlington.

Just been watching it, its fantastic, but no background music has been added yey.

But hopefully a couple days and its ready.

I like looking at the Front Street how it once was with the old Pele Tower, There are some great memories to enjoy.

Keep looking back at the website as it gets majot uploads every week as the archives are ready.

[Barton Lad]

My full apologies if I got any of the facts wrong, but I was told of a wonderful pit story that is worth telling.

I understand that Joe Craddock of the Station hand filled 73 tubs (each 10 cwt) of coal at the Bedlington A pit in 1953? This was a UK record and in recognition Joe was awarded the British Empire Medal.

Camaraderie has always been high in the mining industry, not least between Barrington and the Station, where many of the pitmen were employed. There was a Barrington saying here comes "Craddock Bus", which was in reference to the 73 bus, which ran from Blyth to Morpeth.

[johndawsonjune1955]

Rafie that is so true. What an achievement it was.

cheers for reminding me.

[johndawsonjune1955]

My full apologies if I got any of the facts wrong, but I was told of a wonderful pit story that is worth telling.

I understand that Joe Craddock of the Station hand filled 73 tubs (each 10 cwt) of coal at the Bedlington A pit in 1953? This was a UK record and in recognition Joe was awarded the British Empire Medal.

Camaraderie has always been high in the mining industry, not least between Barrington and the Station, where many of the pitmen were employed. There was a Barrington saying here comes "Craddock Bus", which was in reference to the 73 bus, which ran from Blyth to Morpeth.

here is the pic of joe craddock. its from the news post leader when he got his award.

[Maggie/915]

I have a book on a pit pony that was called Earl of Bedlington.

[the lone ranger]

when i started choppington b colliery 1952 i heard that joe barret from eastgate had the northumberland record for filling the most tubs with coal in one shift a cant remember how many he filled

[johndawsonjune1955]

when i started choppington b colliery 1952 i heard that joe barret from eastgate had the northumberland record for filling the most tubs with coal in one shift a cant remember how many he filled

Was that Franky 's brother married to Joyce Lumsden ?

If i am right Franky was a cutter man at the High Pit and trained my dad on the longwall cutter

[Malcolm Robinson]

here is the pic of joe craddock. its from the news post leader when he got his award.

Well it seems we used to recognise people for what they did or real achievements, pity the tradition hasn't been continued maybe we wouldn't have so many useless celebrities!

[James]

Here is another pic of Joe Craddock.

The caption at the bottom of the photo states- "JOE CRADDOCK IN 1945 HE FILLED 73TUBS OF COAL IN THE 5/4 SEAM 2ft 3ins AT THE "A" PIT, BEDLINGTON IN A 71/4 HR SHIFT (35 TONS)