Dance Hall At Bedlington Station

[bediesathome]

i have just read in bedlington history about a dance hall at bedlington station . the address was stated at the cooperative hall on station road .can any one tell me if there had been a one there i can remember the clayton dance hall but not the other one . thanking you .

[John Fox (foxy)]

i have just read in bedlington history about a dance hall at bedlington station . the address was stated at the cooperative hall on station road .can any one tell me if there had been a one there i can remember the clayton dance hall but not the other one . thanking you .

That would be the Reay Hall bedies, but there was'nt any grass in there except maybe the lasses skirts.

[Canny lass]

That would be the Reay Hall bedies, but there was'nt any grass in there except maybe the lasses skirts.

Know it well. That's where my tap-dancing days started. Monday nights there were classes for tap and ballet with June Taylor as teacher.

[bediesathome]

thank you for the imformation regarding the dance hall at bedlington station it has brought back happy memories

[johndawsonjune1955]

Was this the Princess Ballroom ?

I know that was there at onetime.

I also remember a Fat Mo's disco there, is that right, maybe the early 1970's

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Above Station store John,it was called "krazy-cuts" in the seventies,but it was the co-op since time began!

I used to play Saturday nights in a pop group in the mid-sixties,The Avengers did also,Graham Bell recently passed away,he was the Avengers vocalist,

and he was great! There was the Locke Hallabove Bedlington co-op,and the Reay Hall above the Bedlington station co-op.

Noo......wat was the name of the hall above Keenleysides?

When aa left school in 1959,we aal had ti queue up the stairs ti sign on cos it was the Labour Exchange...[posh name for the dole office!]

[Maggie/915]

I remember dance classes at Bedlington Station.

Mother chatting while one or two of us were sciving.there was a dance display about 1959. Got the outfits but broke my arm. Phew

[tonyg]

i used to tap dance but kept falling off into the sink

[Maggie/915]

I hope the sink and you survived intact.

I cannot blame the sink for my broken arm.

A Scooter and a pavement, with a touch of more haste less speed.

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

On 1/16/2013 at 01:05, HIGH PIT WILMA said:

Above Station store John,it was called "krazy-cuts" in the seventies,but it was the co-op since time began!

I used to play Saturday nights in a pop group in the mid-sixties,The Avengers did also,Graham Bell recently passed away,he was the Avengers vocalist,

and he was great! There was the Locke Hallabove Bedlington co-op,and the Reay Hall above the Bedlington station co-op.

Noo......wat was the name of the hall above Keenleysides?

When aa left school in 1959,we aal had ti queue up the stairs ti sign on cos it was the Labour Exchange...[posh name for the dole office!]

I don't have the exact year HPW - The Avengers with their new gear.

Edited November 10, 2016 by Eggy1948

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Heh heh!

I have the original press cutting from the Evening Chronicle,which I carried in my wallet for about 30 -0dd years until I realised it was gonna get dog-eared,so I keep it in my archives now.

Before Graham Bell's Dad passed away,and upon hearing of Graham's passing,I rang the Editor of the News Post Leader,to see if Graham had any Family member's

who might appreciate this Photo.

The Editor passed my enquiry to a family friend,and through this connection,I was able to get a copy of this pic to Graham's Dad,who was a resident in a nursing home in Blyth.

I went personally to meet Mr Bell, and ,being a complete stranger,he welcomed me into his room,sat me beside his bed,and told me to open a drawer in his cabinet,asking me to take an album out and bring it over to him.

He was absoloutely delighted to  see this pic,which he didn't know existed,and asked me to place it in the album,[which his Daughter had compiled with all the family pics they had],saying his Daughter would mount it  properly in the album.

I stayed with him for a couple of hours,and he related some of his experiences with his involvement in the Blyth Operatic Society,and stories about young Graham,pictured here,who went on to tour with the 1960's Rock Opera "Tommy",which was led by "The Who"...[Kieth Moon and friends].

He was a fascinating, really friendly,affectionate fella,was Graham's Dad,and I felt it was a priviledge to have met him and made him a happy Man,before he passed away,it seemed not long after that meeting.

This pic was taken not long before the group won the "Northern Echo" newspaper competition,as the best group in the north-east.["Group"!....not "Band",as they are referred to nooadays!]....approximately 1964.

Graham,lead vocalist,did the Rolling Stones songs,complete with "Moothie"..[Harmonica...or "Blues Harp"],as gud as Mick Jagger,at the time,and he was only aboot 16 years old then.

Aal thi lads in the rival groups,used ti say he was destined for stardom,he was that gud,but there is one point that I would like to make.

When they first started up,as aal thi other groups did,in the early 60's,they were gud,but just as gud overall,as any of the other groups.,cos,like the rest of us,they cudn't afford professional gear,and so used small amps,relatively budget guitars etc,and no P.A.system.

When Alan McKay,took them on,to manage them,he signed for £1200 of gear,as shown in this pic,[Robin proudly holding his new Burns "Marvin" guitar,designed by

Hank Marvin and Burn's London owner..Jim Burns..],and overnight they were transformed into a Pro-quality group,with an excellent P.A.system and echo-effects units.[ £1200 was like a quarter-million pounds nooadays!!...]

Just proof that the purists at the time,who  used ti have this idea that ye didn't need expensive gear ti soond gud,were not completely educated in the musical instrument field!!

I defy anybody ti cum ti my hoose and mek my 1959 Rossetti Lucky 7 guitar,[£7-10 shillings !!....6 months ti pay for at 5-shillings a week!!],soond like a Fender Stratocaster!![or the Marvin wat Robin has!]

When they were just trying ti form a group,Phil Bryant [Bass player] and some of the others came ti my hoose ti ask if a wud join them,cos Phil and me were marra's at the training gallery for the pit in 1959,and he knew a cud play aal the Shadows and aal thi other instrumental groups' numbers,which were chart hits.[Ventures,Tornadoes,Duane Eddy,Bert Weedon.....etc]...in later years of course,cos this would have been aboot 1962-3....ish.

When a said a was staying loyal ti my group,That's when Robin came alang,and he was gud also.

Funny hoo things cum aroond,cos in 1985-ish,My oldest Son,who was 17 yrs old at the time,got into a "Band"...,[as they were noo caaled!],and WHO was the

Lead Guitarist and Keyboard-player?...!...Robin  Hadaway! .....AGAIN!

In the 60's,The Avengers and my group used ti play 50-50 at the Clayton Ballroom,on Saturday nights,occasionally,they were great times!

Noo!,Eggy,only for curiosity,aam wondering hoo ye came across this 52 years old pic from the Chronicle,cos a didn't think many folk would have cut it oot thi paper llke aa did and kept it for posterity?[aa was aalwis thi historian and archivist in my group,a used ti ask every club Secretary or doorman,it a cud tek the posters oot

of the glass cabinet at thi club entrance,and if nae bugga was there ti ask,a just tuk thi buggaa's oot anywheh,and aav still got aal them yet,and noo there'll not be a quarter of them clubs left in existence....aa bet!!]

Aye,the Reay Hall,and Locke Hall,and the Clayton,not forgetting Jimmy Milne's cafe on a Sunday afternoon,when a gud group used ti play,they were fantastic times!!

Edited November 12, 2016 by HIGH PIT WILMA
Spelling mistake

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

Just now, HIGH PIT WILMA said:

 

Noo!,Eggy,only for curiosity,aam wondering hoo ye came across this 52 years old pic from the Chronicle,cos a didn't think many folk would have cut it oot thi paper llke aa did and kept it for posterity?[aa was aalwis thi historian and archivist in my group,a used ti ask every club Secretary or doorman,it a cud tek the posters oot

 

Pure chance HPW - I was searching this site for some old stuff, noticed your posting on the group and remembered I had seen something on Facebook. On the Bygone Bedlington Facebook group the guy that runs it, John Krzyzanowski, often posts newspaper cuttings and this was one of them, along with one of The Statesmen. I remember The Statesman, and Robin Haddaway, from Bedlington YMCA. I was the kid conned into being 'The Lighting Engineer' at the first gig the Statesmen did - think it was a youth club at the Top End. 

That involved sitting on the stage, under a table draped with an old curtain, and flicking the one switch, in harmony with the beat of course, operating the four coloured light bulbs, fixed to one plank of wood, that was the extent of their lighting system!  

By peeping under the curtain II did manage to get myself a female lighting engineer groupie from the vast 20+ audience (20+ might be an exaggeration!)

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Heh heh! Like a sed.....fantastic times,mind,a kind of think that the lighting plank was a bit after we were gannin,cos a did almost every club,Village hall,and small venues like YMCA-type of places,owa three and a haaf years,and naebody had thought of lighting then,not even proper P.A.systems in the working mens clubs,they used ti have a Phillips or Linear type amplifier in a metal-grilled chassis,showing heavy mains transformers,valves glowing etc,on a shelf high up,alang wi one speaker cabinet also up in a corner of the room,wi nae regard ti the accoustics of the place ,as lang as ivry bugga cud hear "two little ducks.. 22"....etc![or the "Star-torn o' thi neet" ....on thi "Go as you please" neets!]

When we started,we had little eight-watt amplifiers,[ aboot 12-inches high x 10 inches wide!]....and the old-timer pitmen audience who were used to Dickie Valentine type music,used ti shout "Ya aal reet but a bit too loud"!

Gotta go.....be back later!

 

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

Checked on the Facebook sixtownships site and John Dawson, courtesy of Gordon Smith (historian and author from Blyth), had been given what looks like the photo used in the newspaper cutting :-

The Statesmen that changed their name to the Olympics I am estimating would be early 60s when I operated the coloured bulbs. Can't remember where it was but could have been their first ever gig, at a youth club, and for some reason Netherton keeps jumping out. If I ever see John Cavaghan, lead singer, again I will ask him - think he was an electrician at the pit and he wired up the bulbs, & switch to the plank. I lived next door to John, Coquetdale Place and Peter Dean lived across from us in Fontburn Road. 

This Olympics photo, posted in Bygone Bedlington, by Nicola Cook with the date 63-64./    

Edited November 13, 2016 by Eggy1948

[Canny lass]

I recognise a few faces and names in the second picture! YMCA members.

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Brilliant Eggy!!

Clears summik wats puzzled me for owa 50 years!...wat model of P.A. they were using!!....at last!

It's a Burns London "Orbital Stage One" P.A.....a just cudn't remember from back then![cos my pic is fuzzy also!]

Your pic is from the same photoshoot,but they printed the one I have,[the first one above],probably cos all the lads are giving a big smile !

The Olympics would choose the name of the drumkit they were using,[a Premier Olympic kit],cos my marra on drums had the same kit,as did thousands of other young hard-up  group drummers,it being the bottom budget line of kits made by Premier drum company,at the time.

It was common to name your group after an amplifier company or other instrument manufacturer.[we did that with a german made amplifier..the first one we had ever seen,cos it was brought from Germany by wor bass-player's Brother,and naebody we ever knew or played alongside,had ever seen or heard of this company!!]

Micky Powers' name rings a bell,a think my older Brother knew a lad wi that name...definately Powers,but not so sure of the first name,did Micky work at the Auld pit

at Bedlington Station,in the mid-late 'fifties?

The pics bring back loads of happy memories!

Thanks Eggy!

P.S. Notice hoo Phil is holding a bass pattern on the top pic,and cuddling the neck on the bottom pic.it would have been interesting ti knaa hoo many pics were taken,mebbe showing more of the gear,as well as the lads!!

P.P.S...Phil has the horse-brasses on his guitar strap,following a trend started,as far as we knew,at the time,by Joe Brown and he's Bruvvers.

Later on,Robin used the same type of broad leather strap wi brasses on,and aa still have mine tucked away in me studio...nivvor seen it for a year or two!!

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Eh,Canny Lass!.....YMCA! My Wife and me...[a knaa!...."I" ...!],held wor wedding reception there in 1967!....ganna be a haaf-century next yeor!![duzzint time fly?!.......

...."Tempus Fugit" !!]

A canna help wondering hoo many youngin's will stand the test of time nooadays!....digressin' again!

[Dawn]

I've recently joined and found this old post, just incase you're still interested I took a photo of a dance card belonging to MIL Mother. This was above the Co-op, is this the mystery hall?

 

[Canny lass]

Welcome to the forum Dawn. What a lovely souvenir of times gone by! "A Full and Fancy Confetti Carnival". I wonder what that was? I'm amazed to see that it didn't finish until 3am!

I wonder why the gents admission was more expensive than the ladies?

The venue was the "Locke Hall". I think that was above the Coop on Front Street East in Bedlington.

Edited August 7, 2017 by Canny lass

[Vic Patterson]

My wife said she performed in a concert there (Eileen Snowden's Dance school) lots of steps just to get in the hall! 

Welcome Dawn.

[Dawn]

Wonderful isn't it! I was amazed at the time as well, dirty stop outs? This was kept from when they were courting.

Jimmy worked in the Co-op Butchers below, from age 13, and remained with the Co-op at Annitsford and Cramlington.

Other side of card

 

[Canny lass]

It was certainly a full packed programme! There's not many dances I recognise. What on earth is a "one step"?  "The Toddle" sounds  a bit odd as well. I wonder if it was anything like 'The Hustle'. Probably not!

Edited August 7, 2017 by Canny lass

[Dawn]

Thank you Vic

Sorry this is off topic but...

I noticed your location, Canada, and weirdly I have just emailed there in connection with family tree. A Great Uncle died in a place called Beloeil in an explosion, which is really as much information I have apart from a rough date. I haven't found any thing as yet but only recently started researching, so if you have any pointers I would be very grateful.

 

[Vic Patterson]

Beloeil, Quebec,

Dawn, thats way over the other side! it does have chemical and explosives industries so I'm sure there will be plenty records etc, you may have a problem with as they will probably be in French, Wikipedia has a lot of information that would be the best starting point. Approximately how long ago would it be your researching ?

 

[Dawn]

Thanks for replying, yes it was a tenuous link but shy bairns get nowt!?

Robert Thompson Dobson the date is 21st Jan according to newspaper clipping but no year although we reckon from his age it was 1930-2. It also mentions an explosion but no further details. 

Thank you for the Wikipedia reminder I was getting a bit blinkered.