Old Bedlington Photographs & Stories

[johndawsonjune1955]

How about we begin with some old pics and stories of the area.

There are a huge ammount , but lets get some not much seen of the area.

Add some text or story.

I will get it started as i have so many and we can see how it will go.

[johndawsonjune1955]

Pic from 1954

How many recall this image.

The above photo shows the Alma Inn, which was on the corner of Glebe Road and Oliver's Buildings. Oliver's Buildings, erected around 1850, was a row of stone houses, erected by a builder named Oliver. These houses were later leased to the Bedlington Coal Company.

What was it like in the Alma Inn ?

Anyone recall who had it in those days ?

Any other pics of it ?

Edited January 5, 2013 by johndawsonjune1955

[Symptoms]

Wow! I've just had a look at Glebe Road on Google Maps Street View ... what have they done to dear old Bedders!!! Everything gone on the righthand side, duel carriageway - it all seems just 'empty', almost as if the tumbleweed is about to blow across. It's all a bit of a shock when you've been away for almost a lifetime.

Anyway, - the Alma Inn. I was friendly with the son of the publican (I can't recall the son's name at the moment). I remember all the timberwork was painted dark blue, both inside and outside; the front bar had a lot of timber cladding and was quite a small room and very dark. I was too young to be drinking then - this was the early 60s - but have an impression that it might have been a Vaux house. My pal's dad then took over the Railway Tavern at Bedlington Station - another Vaux house (hence my hunch that the Alma was Vaux).

I'm glad to see the old picture house is still there (as the Paramount Fitness Club) but I can't remember what it was called. We used to go to the Saturday morning shows ... they screened all those old pre-war serials, like Tarzan and lots of cowboy stuff. We could only get in the stalls ... the 'dress circle' was a fenced-in area at the back. Now this is where my memory could be playing tricks on me but I'm sure the entrance fee was an orange.

[keith lockey]

Symptoms - with regards to the entrance fee being an orange.

My granny, and I think my mother as well, said they could get into the Wallaw at Bedlington Station using bottles or jam jars!!!

I know that sounds weird but I do recall them saying that and so does my bro.

[tonyg]

John Eckston had the Tankerville arms in glebe road then the railway tavern at the station his son was called francis and his daughter florence i worked for john from 1968 to 1972

[Keith Scantlebury]

Wow! I've just had a look at Glebe Road on Google Maps Street View ... what have they done to dear old Bedders!!! Everything gone on the righthand side, duel carriageway - it all seems just 'empty', almost as if the tumbleweed is about to blow across. It's all a bit of a shock when you've been away for almost a lifetime.

Anyway, - the Alma Inn. I was friendly with the son of the publican (I can't recall the son's name at the moment). I remember all the timberwork was painted dark blue, both inside and outside; the front bar had a lot of timber cladding and was quite a small room and very dark. I was too young to be drinking then - this was the early 60s - but have an impression that it might have been a Vaux house. My pal's dad then took over the Railway Tavern at Bedlington Station - another Vaux house (hence my hunch that the Alma was Vaux).

I'm glad to see the old picture house is still there (as the Paramount Fitness Club) but I can't remember what it was called. We used to go to the Saturday morning shows ... they screened all those old pre-war serials, like Tarzan and lots of cowboy stuff. We could only get in the stalls ... the 'dress circle' was a fenced-in area at the back. Now this is where my memory could be playing tricks on me but I'm sure the entrance fee was an orange.

The picture house was the Prince of Wales

[johndawsonjune1955]

Heres another pic of Glebe Road. Love the horse and cart.

Where have all those great days gone.

Its good to see pics that don't keep popping-up all the time.

What you think of this one tho ?

Edited January 6, 2013 by johndawsonjune1955

[Symptoms]

John - I stand corrected about the pub's name ... it was the Tankerville and not the Alma however my description above now transfers to the Tank.

[johndawsonjune1955]

this pub m8 ?

Nice pic i think

Thats not your bike is it ?

Edited January 6, 2013 by johndawsonjune1955

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Keith,about the bottles and jars...considering we used to go around the doors asking folk if they had any pop bottles,in the mid 1950's,so we return them

to the shops for a small return fee,i think we got threepence a bottle,it would seem logical for hard-up people to use them as an entrance fee,cos the cinema owner would take them in bulk and get a canny penny,so to speak...they were hard times!

[johndawsonjune1955]

Wilma it was the same with us.

I would go for food for the old neighbour and got her pop bottles to take back and that was my payment.

We also used to put the coals in for many people down our street, West Avenue, on the Morpeth Road.

Straight in from school and changed and away we went to make a few bob.

Blackberry picking was another for a few bob. We used to go up the Morpeth Road and in the firlds and pick them for the women to make their pies.

I forget what we used to get.

Oh, this has just come to me. The old pop in them days there was many different names to buy. Me fav was Tizer.

Can you remember all the old named crisps too we used to get in those days.

My fav will always be Chipmonk crisps. What a lovely bag of crisps. Mind you, we never had as many flavours as we do these days.

Can you remember the old games we played in the street ?

Cricket, with a bin lid for wickets or wickets chalked on a wall.

Our old bogies that we made ourselves?

Many games we had, and you know what ? Cracking days indeed. Not much money, but we made the best of it.

What about Tetty pickin. Hard work wasn't it.

We used to go to Pattersons on the Morpeth Road.

[johndawsonjune1955]

Heres some painting of Barrington for you to look back on.

Can anyone remember these days ?

These were paintyed by pitman painter Jim Mckenzie.

Got lots of Choppington and Bedlington too.

I will get them up some time in the near future. Its a pain to do as got to take a pic of it then scan it to get it for the site. But i will get around to it.

Hope you enjoy these, there as rare as hens teeth. Do hens have teeth ? nahhh But a good saying aint it ?

[keith lockey]

We used to fill in coals as well for the old folk. The games we used to play were weird and wonderful - British Bulldog, Let the rabbits out, Moont the cuddy, potsies (with muggies & penkas) - canon - with a can and stick and a tennis ball!!!! And yes, I too remember Chipmunk crisps - oxo flavour, yummy.

[johndawsonjune1955]

We used to fill in coals as well for the old folk. The games we used to play were weird and wonderful - British Bulldog, Let the rabbits out, Moont the cuddy, potsies (with muggies & penkas) - canon - with a can and stick and a tennis ball!!!! And yes, I too remember Chipmunk crisps - oxo flavour, yummy.

i will get a little footage of moont the cuddy, brilliant games we had Keith.

[johndawsonjune1955]

Well heres a rare old pic from my collection.

Do you know where itis members ?

Its Bedlington if it helps.

[keith lockey]

There was another game but I can't remember the name. The smallest one used to get on the back of someone bigger - like a knight on a horse! - and attack a similar mounted opponent. The idea was to drag your 'enemy' off the other kid. Many jumpers and shirts got ripped in these jousts.

[keith lockey]

Well heres a rare old pic from my collection.

Do you know where itis members ?

Its Bedlington if it helps.

Is that the Wharton?

[Keith Scantlebury]

Surely thats got to be the Wharton, I do know that is Malcolm with his first car !!

[Malcolm Robinson]

:lol:

I would say the Wharton too, you can still see where the the old doorway in the gable end was. When was that left-hand side bit built on with the false roof line?

[johndawsonjune1955]

Yeh it is the Wharton. From 1935. I think its a really good pic.

Well done, and Malcolm, the photographer confirmed Keith's suspicions. He has your name on the back of the pic saying you were driving

Edited January 14, 2013 by johndawsonjune1955

[Malcolm Robinson]

Is it pick on me or just any mod?

[mercuryg]

That's an excellent picture. What's the car then......

[Keith Scantlebury]

Is it pick on me or just any mod?

Yup, just you Malcolm. You attention seeker, you

[paul mann]

The old picture house at the top end was The Prince Of Wales. Upstairs was barely a step up but cost a couple of pennies more than the stalls. When The Blue Lamp was shown there in the mid-1950's my dad, a local polis, was one of the presenters of crime exhibits on display in the foyer. The picture house at Bedlington Station was bigger with a real upstairs and was called The Wallaw.

- Paul Mann.

Edited January 15, 2013 by paul mann

[johndawsonjune1955]

Is it pick on me or just any mod?

I wouldn't pick on you Malcolm. Just stating a fact. You were driving that car

Hope you had your road tax mate

Edited January 16, 2013 by johndawsonjune1955