Old Bedlington Shops

[keith lockey]

My wife also thinks that is Jeff.

Hi Vic, is your wife on the photo? If so can we have a name please. Cheers.

[Keith Scantlebury]

That lassie sitting in front of Bob Lee and the skinny lass on the same row in the green dress are doing my head in. Their names just wont come.

Edited July 12, 2012 by keith

[charlie]

My hubby thinks the girl (seated row) 3rd from left is his cousin Christine Riddell (now Taylor) and the girl 3rd from right is Alison Short (now Coull)

[Vic Patterson]

Hi Vic, is your wife on the photo? If so can we have a name please. Cheers.

Hi Keith L, My wife was 2-3 younger but is still very good friends with his sister, I worked along side him at Blyth Power Station in the mid sixties.

[Keith Scantlebury]

My hubby thinks the girl (seated row) 3rd from left is his cousin Christine Riddell (now Taylor) and the girl 3rd from right is Alison Short (now Coull)

Knew them both when I was there Charlie. I was in the year above this though, ( all photo's would have been destroyed to protect the innocent ). Alison Short lived on Allgood terrace did'nt she ? I would never recognise them now ?

[Keith Scantlebury]

Hi Keith L, My wife was 2-3 younger but is still very good friends with his sister, I worked along side him at Blyth Power Station in the mid sixties.

His sister, Sandra Oliver was in my class and his brother Keith Oliver was a year or two older. That was a big family, lived on Cornwell Crescent (I think) something like 16 kids. Remember a story that their dad was babysitting one night and a couple of kids whent missing in the street and people were out looking for them, obviously very worried. It turned out that Mr. Oliver had put the kids to bed, including a couple of extra ones by mistake. Dunno if thats true, but it should be, ha ha.

[Keith Scantlebury]

Hi Keith L, My wife was 2-3 younger but is still very good friends with his sister, I worked along side him at Blyth Power Station in the mid sixties.

Vic, you may be on about a different Oliver, as I said there were loads of them, That photo was taken about '67 / '68, so he couldn't been at the power station then. ( Times were hard I suppose, he could have done a night shift then school through the day, !!!! )

[Vic Patterson]

Correct! "Whey aye†wor lass says! ah remember them, doon threw the park doon where Eddie Clooson used to live...... Being from Bly*# I wouldn't know any better!

That must have been quite the experience being brought up in a large family, I was the last of five and thought that was big, being the bairn I loved ever minute of it!

[keith lockey]

My hubby thinks the girl (seated row) 3rd from left is his cousin Christine Riddell (now Taylor) and the girl 3rd from right is Alison Short (now Coull)

Yeah, Alison Short was in my class now that you mention her. Cheers.

[keith lockey]

HEADS UP EVERYONE.

Me and my bro - who is on this Community site and is well known to be a penker short of a bag of muggies - are having an argument about PROUDLOCKS. I can remember a men & womens clothes shop where the florists is next to the Northumberland Arms. (Actually it might be the next shop along!!!) Anyway there were two doors - you took the left to the womens part - lingerie, hankies & doillies!!! - to the right was the gents department. But bro can't remember PROUDLOCKS as such, but he insists there was a clothes shop where WHOLLY GOODINGS used to be. Come on everybody, help us solve this location. Cheers.

Edited July 14, 2012 by keith lockey

[John Fox (foxy)]

How about Feasters for the Ladies and Percy Molden for the Men? Symp or Vic should remember them.

Edited July 14, 2012 by foxy

[keith lockey]

How about Feasters for the Ladies and Percy Molden for the Men? Symp or Vic should remember them.

Now that you mention those names they do ring a bell. (So where have I got Proudlocks from???) But were Feasters & Moldens connected? I vaguely remember going to the back of one shop and into the other. I may be wrong on that. But am I right in saying they stood where the florists is now?

[Keith Scantlebury]

P.M keith, I left you a message

[Pete]

Now that you mention those names they do ring a bell. (So where have I got Proudlocks from???) But were Feasters & Moldens connected? I vaguely remember going to the back of one shop and into the other. I may be wrong on that. But am I right in saying they stood where the florists is now?

Proudlocks, was that not a bakers shop at the station, dont quote me on that as I could be way of track

[keith lockey]

Proudlocks, was that not a bakers shop at the station, dont quote me on that as I could be way of track

You might be right, Pete. The little gray cells aren't working as good as they used to. But I do remember the clothes shop where the florists is now. (Beside the Northumberland Arms) If I'm not mistaken my mam used to buy our school trousers there.

[Canny lass]

You might be right, Pete. The little gray cells aren't working as good as they used to. But I do remember the clothes shop where the florists is now. (Beside the Northumberland Arms) If I'm not mistaken my mam used to buy our school trousers there.

They used to be the official suppliers of the Westridge school uniform.

[keith lockey]

They used to be the official suppliers of the Westridge school uniform.

So was that Molden's? Please give me more!!!! I'm happy someone else remembers the shop!

[John Fox (foxy)]

Now that you mention those names they do ring a bell. (So where have I got Proudlocks from???) But were Feasters & Moldens connected? I vaguely remember going to the back of one shop and into the other. I may be wrong on that. But am I right in saying they stood where the florists is now?

It's the solicitors now.

[John Fox (foxy)]

Proudlocks, was that not a bakers shop at the station, dont quote me on that as I could be way of track

Gelsons.

[Canny lass]

Now that you mention those names they do ring a bell. (So where have I got Proudlocks from???) But were Feasters & Moldens connected? I vaguely remember going to the back of one shop and into the other. I may be wrong on that. But am I right in saying they stood where the florists is now?

Feasters and Moldens were sort of connected. They were next door to each other. They had only a very small window facing the street. Between the two shops and running at right angles to the road, was a sort of 'arcade' where they had their main display windows opposite each other. At the end of the 'arcade' the doors to the two shops stood at an angle of 45 degrees to each other. I don't remember any connecting door in the shops. You had to come out of one to go into the other though you were still under one roof. They were the mainstay of Bedlington, as far as school clothes were concerned. They were the authorised suppliers of westridge school uniforms. They were also the last shop in Bedlington selling cross-over pinnies (aprons, to the uninitiated).

[Canny lass]

Forgot to mention, Proudlocks was definitely a bakery but I'm not sure just where it was. I think it was in Bedlington though, rather than at the station. There was one at Ashington as well so maybe they had a few other branches. Might have been one at the station as well.

[keith lockey]

Forgot to mention, Proudlocks was definitely a bakery but I'm not sure just where it was. I think it was in Bedlington though, rather than at the station. There was one at Ashington as well so maybe they had a few other branches. Might have been one at the station as well.

Feasters and Moldens were sort of connected. They were next door to each other. They had only a very small window facing the street. Between the two shops and running at right angles to the road, was a sort of 'arcade' where they had their main display windows opposite each other. At the end of the 'arcade' the doors to the two shops stood at an angle of 45 degrees to each other. I don't remember any connecting door in the shops. You had to come out of one to go into the other though you were still under one roof. They were the mainstay of Bedlington, as far as school clothes were concerned. They were the authorised suppliers of westridge school uniforms. They were also the last shop in Bedlington selling cross-over pinnies (aprons, to the uninitiated).

Yeah, I remember the layout of the shops and I recall Feasters having glass counters. But I got the name of the shop wrong. They were very Olde fashioned. The men wore suits and ties and the women, if I recall, wore aprons! Am I right?

[Canny lass]

Yeah, I remember the layout of the shops and I recall Feasters having glass counters. But I got the name of the shop wrong. They were very Olde fashioned. The men wore suits and ties and the women, if I recall, wore aprons! Am I right?

Spot on! Aprons were the order of the day but I can't remember suits. Shirt, tie and maroon coloured v-neck pullovers is how I remember the man in Moldens.The counters were display cases, with lots of small draws full of everything imagineable.

[Alan Lockey]

I know weve discussed this on the phone bro, but im STILL convinced the shop / shops we are on about was just BEFORE you got to the Northumberland arms....ie, just after the Monkey. Thanks to the rest of the people here, the names of Feasters and Moldens do ring a big bell. I just cant remember them being around the corner from the Northumberland which is what you are saying. I KNOW the florists shop WAS something else before it became established as a florist, but what it was i cant remember. Another thing to think of bro. Why would we go there for our school trousers ? As so rightly pointed out by Canny Lass, they were the suppliers of Westridge's uniforms. It's a time machine we need :-)))

[Vic Patterson]

Nancy Molden and her brother owned the Molden shop, Nancy was also a teacher at The Whitley Memorial School.

Proudlock's was a bakery in Ashington and I think they took over Newman's bakery across the road from Blyth bus station.