Puddler's Raa[Row]

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

On 30/05/2013 at 19:34, Reedy said:

Families living in Stead Lane around 1940s -

1 - Rankin

3 - Patterson (3a Miss Young)

5 - Creigh (Doyles Shop)

7 - Pearman

9 - Mole

11 - Dott (11a Warren)

13 - Wilson

15 - Tighe

17 - Ellis

19 -

21 - Birch

23 - Powers

25 -

27 - Jones

29 - Mole

31 - Richardson

33 -

35 -

37 - Carey

39 - Hall

41 -

43 - Thompson

45 - Shadforth

47 - Pallister

49 - Robinson Chapman

51 - Simpson

53 - Robson

55 - Jennings

57 - Cramer

59 - Murphy

61 - Brown

63 - Green

65 - Dixon

67 - Jackson

69 - Green

71 - Gallon

2 - Price

4 - Mood

6 - Arries

8 - Hebron

10 - Thompson

12 - Mole

14 - Grand

16 - Reed

18 - Napier

20 - Wilson

22 - Hewitson

24 - Adamson

26 - Dunsmore

28 - Bainbridge

30 - Smith

32 - Walker

34 - Bainbridge Temple

36 - Cairns

38 - Miller

If anyone can fill in any of the gaps for Stead Lane or the previous streets it would be appreciated.

@Vic Baldry - this is the list of Stead Lane tenants, from the 40's, that Reedy's dad could remember from back then. I see he was just one house out with your grandparents but still amazing all the names he has remembered from the Bank Top & Stead Lane area.  

[Vic Baldry]

Thats a great list. Just my Grandma and Grandad with my Dad, Edward (Ted) carey and his sister Mary Carey lived at 35 Stead Lane not 37. We lived there between 1946 and? 1948 (my Mum Betty Carey and me and my sister Angela) while Dad was doing his teacher training after the war and we often stayed/visited when we lived in Hartlands. We remember the big garden, pigs and chickens, and sitting on Grandad's knee shelling peas. We used to swing on the gate at the front where you could see across to Blyth. I have a feeling you could get down to the river from the back of the garden? to Hartford Woods. I could be wrong as its getting on for 70 years ago! I'll  dig some photos out and put them on. Grandad worked at the pit near the station I think but injured his back in an accident underground. The photo of the ice cream cart and horse bought back memories! My sister thinks there was a small catholic church on the way to the station anyone remember? 

Cath Baldry 

 

 

[Ovalteeny]

The name Baldry has just triggered off a memory. Was there an Alf Baldry, who had something like a small holding somewhere near Bedlington Station / Bank Top / Grange Park area. I recall he had a horse and cart and would deliver to our house, a load of horse manure for the garden and sometimes even a load of coal, which probably would have been bartered with a pitman friend or neighbour who had not used their allocation (as my Dad was a Slaughterman / Butcher, then swapping some meat for coals seemed like a good idea at the time). 

Edited June 27, 2018 by Ovalteeny

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

4 hours ago, Vic Baldry said:

............... We used to swing on the gate at the front where you could see across to Blyth. I have a feeling you could get down to the river from the back of the garden? to Hartford Woods. .............. My sister thinks there was a small catholic church on the way to the station anyone remember? 

Cath Baldry 

 

 

Google street view showing 35 Stead Lane, 2018. 

This 1938 map (published 1947) shows there were no houses between Stead Lane and the woods looking across to Bebside ( Blyth).

•  

 

I have only ever known the on Catholic Church in Bedlington and that is St. Bedes thta is still along catholic Row at the Red Lion that is at the top of the bank as you go from the Hartlands estate to the Red Lion :- 

Edited June 27, 2018 by Eggy1948

[Canny lass]

Only church I can remember between Bedlington and Bedlington Station is the "Coffin Chapel" (nick-named so because of its shape) but it wasn't a catholic church. I think it's still there but not used a church any more.

Edited June 27, 2018 by Canny lass

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

10 minutes ago, Canny lass said:

Only church I can remember between Bedlington and Bedlington Station is the "Coffin Chapel" (nick-named so because of its shape) but it wasn't a catholic church. I think it's still there but not used a church any more.

Then & Now (2009) and the sign on the side has it as an Evangalist Chapel :-

Edited June 27, 2018 by Eggy1948

[Sierra Delta]

On 27/06/2018 at 15:40, Vic Baldry said:

Thats a great list. Just my Grandma and Grandad with my Dad, Edward (Ted) carey and his sister Mary Carey lived at 35 Stead Lane not 37. We lived there between 1946 and? 1948 (my Mum Betty Carey and me and my sister Angela) while Dad was doing his teacher training after the war and we often stayed/visited when we lived in Hartlands. We remember the big garden, pigs and chickens, and sitting on Grandad's knee shelling peas. We used to swing on the gate at the front where you could see across to Blyth. I have a feeling you could get down to the river from the back of the garden? to Hartford Woods. I could be wrong as its getting on for 70 years ago! I'll  dig some photos out and put them on. Grandad worked at the pit near the station I think but injured his back in an accident underground. The photo of the ice cream cart and horse bought back memories! My sister thinks there was a small catholic church on the way to the station anyone remember? 

Cath Baldry 

 

 

 

[Alex]

On 07/08/2017 at 14:01, Canny lass said:

Thanks Eggy. I must have got it wrong. Those pictures are definitely the Jack Antonio I remember. His cart was very colourful. 

 

On 07/08/2017 at 14:01, Canny lass said:

Thanks Eggy. I must have got it wrong. Those pictures are definitely the Jack Antonio I remember. His cart was very colourful. 

Hi, i have just stumbled across this forum online, we are the family of Jack Antonino he is the man in the white coat and his grandson david is the little boy in the horse and cart with him, to this day we have carried on Jack’s legacy in fhe ice cream trade with our ice cream vans that have covered Bedlington and Blyth for decades as well as our very own ice cream parlour in the heart of Blyth in memory of Jacks arrival in the UK back in 1906 making it 110 years when we opend the shop. 

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

8 hours ago, Alex said:

 

Hi, i have just stumbled across this forum online, we are the family of Jack Antonino he is the man in the white coat and his grandson David is the little boy in the horse and cart with him, to this day we have carried on Jack’s legacy in the ice cream trade with our ice cream vans that have covered Bedlington and Blyth for decades as well as our very own ice cream parlour in the heart of Blyth in memory of Jacks arrival in the UK back in 1906 making it 110 years when we opened the shop. 

 

Thanks for the info @Alex. We believe the photos were taken in Doctor Terrace, bedlington - here are a couple of slightly clearer images of Jack, and grandson David, have been posted on a couple of the  Bedlington Facebook groups :- 

 

Edited October 8, 2018 by Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)

[Canny lass]

Thanks for that info Alex! All these years I've been calling him Jack 'Antonio' - just as my parents and, I suspect, the rest of Netherton did way back in the fifties. I see now that we were all wrong as it should have been Jack 'Antonino'. Lovely to see that the firm is still going after all these years.

[Jammy]

On 19/10/2017 at 21:15, HIGH PIT WILMA said:

Hi Elaine! Welcome to the site!

My Wife is the Sister of the fella who kindly shared these very rare pics with us,and she was nine years old when they moved out of the Puddler's Raa,to the new Grange Park Estate.

That would have been in 1955..I have always assumed the Raa was pulled doon then....not in the 1960's?

When WERE they pulled doon exactly?....anybody knaa?!!

Hi all,

    I moved into the last house built in Tomlea Avenue at the age of 2.75yrs in May 1952. Puddlers row was there then and I played in the ruins up to the age of 5yrs. Then they were gone, probably gradually removed when I was at school. They were built of a very dark grey clinker that may have come from the brickworks. It wasn't slag from the Iron Works even though there were Iron Works employees living there originally. I don't know if the iron producing process produced anything else that could be used to build the houses. Prior to moving to Tomlea I lived in Moorland Ave with my grand parents. I remember going to see one of the first houses built in Grange park. It was a viewing house on the right at the start of the estate. That would have been late 1951 or early 1952. I also remember when living with my grand parents, looking through the bottom garden fence to see the sheep in the field so the estate wasn't built then. That would be early 1951. 

 The Ariey(?) house parts were mainly made in factories and erected on site. There was a huge shortage of housing after WW2 so providing houses this way was quick and could be erected even when it was raining. There was a shortage of all building materials in Britain so that's why the house walls were reinforced cast cement panels. Another reason to build them like that was, with a shortage of skilled labour because so many tradesmen were killed in the war, they were like a meccano set to put together.

  I think Eggy mentioned about the schooling situation in the 50's. When I started school,  Burnside, Kings and Queens road area and Grange Park were producing kids at a rapid rate. Even though Grange Park estate was still being built as soon as a pair of semi's were completed families moved in with their kids, or made some. The rules then were anybody living above the railway gates(west) could not go to the station infants because the places were taken by kids east of the gates. I couldn't go to the Whitley because of the kids coming out of the Haig and Beatty road, Millfield and the other estates in that area filled the seats so went I to the West End school, know as the Coonsil school to us and many then. 

 Can anyone remember the gas lights running down Stead Lane? The was one which stood near Raisbecks down bus stop in front of Puddlers. I think they were on a clockwork timer but us, being kids, would kick the cast pole and the light would come on!

 If I think of anything else about Puddlers row I'll post it.

Jammy

 

 

 

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

10 hours ago, Jammy said:

 The Ariey(?) house parts were mainly made in factories and erected on site. There was a huge shortage of housing after WW2 so providing houses this way was quick and could be erected even when it was raining. There was a shortage of all building materials in Britain so that's why the house walls were reinforced cast cement panels. Another reason to build them like that was, with a shortage of skilled labour because so many tradesmen were killed in the war, they were like a meccano set to put together.

 

The airey houses were top half of Waverley Avenue (Nos 43 to 78), Tosson Close, half of Steadlands Square (Nos 1 to 14, I think) and Coquetdale Place (where I lived - No 5 from 1949)

You can still see the airey houses, and some of the new builds (Waverley Avenue & Steadlands Square) on Google Street view as it is still showing  2009.

Where Nos 21 & 22 Coquetdale Place and  Nos 1 to 6 Tosson Close were there is a Puddlers Drive sign :-

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

11 hours ago, Jammy said:

. Puddlers row was there then and I played in the ruins up to the age of 5yrs. Then they were gone, probably gradually removed when I was at school. They were built of a very dark grey clinker that may have come from the brickworks. It wasn't slag from the Iron Works even though there were Iron Works employees living there originally. I don't know if the iron producing process produced anything else that could be used to build the houses. Prior to moving to Tomlea I lived in Moorland Ave with my grand parents. I remember going to see one of the first houses built in Grange park. It was a viewing house on the right at the start of the estate. That would have been late 1951 or early 1952. I also remember when living with my grand parents, looking through the bottom garden fence to see the sheep in the field so the estate wasn't built then. That would be early 1951. 

 Can anyone remember the gas lights running down Stead Lane? The was one which stood near Raisbecks down bus stop in front of Puddlers. I think they were on a clockwork timer but us, being kids, would kick the cast pole and the light would come on!

 If I think of anything else about Puddlers row I'll post it.

Jammy

 

@Jammy - did you see the photos of Puddlers Row on page 4 of this topic?

Can't remember ever seeing any photos of the gas lamps down Stead Lane. There are still a few (listed buildings) of the old gas lamps in the Seaton Sluice through to Whitley bay area :-

 

[Jammy]

  The gas light heads in Stead Lane were 4 sided with a taper and were about 14" high. They were not ornate, just functional. The mantle was about twice the size of a Tilley lamp mantle. None of the ones you posted are like the Stead Lane type. The cast iron poles are similar though I'm fairly sure the bottom was square. I'll try a google for gas lights or lamps and see if I can find a similar one.

 The only sewer gas light I know of is on the footbridge over the river from Castle Square at Morpeth. I was told it only ran off the methane from the sewer pipes and no coal gas and later natural gas was involved. Eggy, your photo shows a sewer gas light using piped gas as well as methane. This may be the case at Morpeth because should there be a shortage of methane the light would go out. The Morpeth one burned 24hrs a day as you would expect to burn off the sewer gases. I'm sure the original light is still there but don't know if it is converted to electricity.

Jammy

[Jammy]

I found this photo of the railway station at the Station which does have a gas lamp on the platform that was the type, if not exactly, as those in Stead Lane.

 

[Canny lass]

You're never too old to learn, they say. That's the first time  I've heard of sewer gas lamps! What a brilliant idea!

[Vic Patterson]

Just keep that light burning.....

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Hi Folks,Jammy , us kids in Hollymount Square were the opposite to you's,we had the same Gas lamp as ye wi thi four tapered sides,and it was built into the wall doon Bell's Place,so ye cud only see half of the standard.

I suspect that the lamp standard was there first,and the owner of the walled land which ran at the top of the gardens doon ti Walkers Apple Orchard,built the wall up and aroond it!

 Noo why were we the opposite?.....cos us little buggers used ti climb up on top of the waal,and pull the wee lever which closed the valve and put the leet oot,so we cud play hidey in the shrubbery's next ti it,in the darkness!!

That lamp,as well as the ones that went doon thi cut ti Cornwall Crescent,and Beattie/Haig roads,aal ran of the Coal Gas produced at the Dr Pit Gasworks.

Canny Lass,the Coffin Chapel is very much alive and kicking today!

The Folk who provide the Evangelical services,are very good friends of ours,and some have tried in the past to convert my Wife and me,but have given up on us as lost souls!!

They,in all seriousness,dedicate their time all through thi year,preparing and filling shoeboxes for the third world and underpriviledged children,in war torn zones etc.

They also raise funds constantly,to support the MAFF Appeal fund,which funds Light Aircraft Flying Doctors to take Medical supplies,and their experience,into  Villages in Jungle areas,or where there are no proper landing strips.

These people are among the Unsung Heroes of the world,and I think it is justified that I go off-topic ..[like...is that unusual for me?!!],for five minutes to give praise ,and a huge clap for them and their Organisation all over,for the gud work they do..and it is even harder work noo,in this global crisis.

....an aam still a lost soul....heh heh!!

Back ti thi gas lamps,aal kids wudda read Wor Wullie Byeuks in thi aad days afore two-thumb generations evolved,and even Wor Wullie swung on thi arms of the four-sided gas lamps!!

 

Wat aboot Bob Dylan's song..."Gates of Eden"...."The Lamp-post stands with folded arms..it's Iron Claws Attached...."

They musta had the syem lamps owa thi pond in the aad days.....haad on..."Ya nivvor alone wi a Strand"!!...filmed under the syem lamps...heh heh!

Howw ,ye cud gaa on n on aboot these leets!

Nea Catholic Church ivvor at the Station,Wor Lass wadn't o had ti get thi Raisbecks bus from the Station ti thi top-end Catholic School if tha had been!...not that she wanted ti...she was Made ti....!!

Lets keep the entertainment leet...

Hope ye'aal are keeping safe,staying at yem as much as possible,and saving lives..as well as protecting the NHS.

Tha will be a leet,[not a gas leet,]!..at thi end of this lang tunnel,but aa canna see thi bugger!!

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

51 minutes ago, HIGH PIT WILMA said:

Hope ye'aal are keeping safe,staying at yem as much as possible,and saving lives..as well as protecting the NHS.

 

Good to hear from you Bill - @HIGH PIT WILMA 

[Jammy]

39 minutes ago, HIGH PIT WILMA said:

Hi Folks,Jammy , us kids in Hollymount Square were the opposite to you's,we had the same Gas lamp as ye wi thi four tapered sides,and it was built into the wall doon Bell's Place,so ye cud only see half of the standard.

I suspect that the lamp standard was there first,and the owner of the walled land which ran at the top of the gardens doon ti Walkers Apple Orchard,built the wall up and aroond it!

 Noo why were we the opposite?.....cos us little buggers used ti climb up on top of the waal,and pull the wee lever which closed the valve and put the leet oot,so we cud play hidey in the shrubbery's next ti it,in the darkness!!

That lamp,as well as the ones that went doon thi cut ti Cornwall Crescent,and Beattie/Haig roads,aal ran of the Coal Gas produced at the Dr Pit Gasworks.

Hi High Pit Wilma,

                                I'm sure we would have done something similar to you with our local lamp but getting up the standard was a problem, we were not very tall at the time.

I only remember the lamps going up and down Stead Lane and down the woods(furnace bank), no others. None were very bright but we could see the pavement close to them. I'm sure we could have hidden in the dark areas between them.

Jammy

 

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Aye Jammy,it was exciting for us kids,simple pleasures of life,it's true wat the aad folk used ti say....[ahem...Aad Folk!!]...

"Wi had nowt ...but we were happy.."!,and fowty yeors ago a a used ti say,"Hoo thi hell can ye be happy wen ye've  got nowt?"!!

But noo that aam one of thi aad folks,a can say thi syem thing,we WERE happy..cos we knew nowt else but heving nowt...played doon the woods..my patch was from the picnic field up owa,ti the Humford Baths,then carrying on reet up past the dam and the pipes owa the waata.

Oot aal day on weekends and holidays from schyuul...either the woods or thi Opencast,wat we kids caaled .."thi ootcrop"...

Did ye gaan doon ti the Furnace Bridge ti play in the waata there..?

Depending on your age,ye mighta knaan my Wife's family,they lived in the Puddler's Raa..then they were among the forst families ti move inti the new hooses at Grange Park,when they were still building the Estate.

The aad lamps were better than nae lamps at aal,but by hell they were eerie,a aalwis thowt,as a a bairn,but a think wat med that feeling was aal thi aad black n white pictures at the Top-end picture haal,murders,gangsters...Dracula...Frankenstein...James Cagney..Lon Chaney,Christopher Lee....aal filmed under eerie dark gas lamps of cobbled London streets!

 

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

A think a mighta med a blunder wi me comment aboot MAFF..[above]...while a dae knae that it's the UK Ministry of Food and Fisheries,aam sure,[but noo not 100%...!!],that that is also the name of the African Flying Doctor service..or one of them...aal check oot wi me old friend who supports the Chapel,as a member of the Christian Fellowship,at the Chapel.

Aal eat grass if aav med a stupid blunder,and mek the excuse i'ts me aad grey matter failing me!

[Canny lass]

18 hours ago, HIGH PIT WILMA said:

Canny Lass,the Coffin Chapel is very much alive and kicking today!

I knew it was still in use HPW, because Maggie has mentioned that the History Society meets there, but i didn't know that it still had a religious purpose.  Good to see you're safe and well!

[Jammy]

23 hours ago, HIGH PIT WILMA said:

Aye Jammy,it was exciting for us kids,simple pleasures of life,it's true wat the aad folk used ti say....[ahem...Aad Folk!!]...

"Wi had nowt ...but we were happy.."!,and fowty yeors ago a a used ti say,"Hoo thi hell can ye be happy wen ye've  got nowt?"!!

But noo that aam one of thi aad folks,a can say thi syem thing,we WERE happy..cos we knew nowt else but heving nowt...played doon the woods..my patch was from the picnic field up owa,ti the Humford Baths,then carrying on reet up past the dam and the pipes owa the waata.

Oot aal day on weekends and holidays from schyuul...either the woods or thi Opencast,wat we kids caaled .."thi ootcrop"...

Did ye gaan doon ti the Furnace Bridge ti play in the waata there..?

Depending on your age,ye mighta knaan my Wife's family,they lived in the Puddler's Raa..then they were among the forst families ti move inti the new hooses at Grange Park,when they were still building the Estate.

The aad lamps were better than nae lamps at aal,but by hell they were eerie,a aalwis thowt,as a a bairn,but a think wat med that feeling was aal thi aad black n white pictures at the Top-end picture haal,murders,gangsters...Dracula...Frankenstein...James Cagney..Lon Chaney,Christopher Lee....aal filmed under eerie dark gas lamps of cobbled London streets!

 

 Yes we did play down the woods a lot and swim in the river from the flat rock that we called the diver. We removed stones from the river bed in front of the diver to create a bit more depth and tried to form a dam with the stones. We did have some success with the dam so ended up with enough depth to dive in. Often we would find the dam was gone and couldn't understand why because it was quite well built and there hadn't been any floods to wash it a way. I found out in my 20's that the fishermen knocked it down because it prevented the sea trout from getting further up the river. We rebuilt the dam many, many times, gave us something to do cause we had no money. We also walked to Humford baths and back. There always seemed to be a lot of wasps there.

 Another thing we did was stab eels and flatties with a cutlery fork fastened to a stick. We all wore old shoes or sandshoes when plodging. One year the only xmas present I wanted was a pair of wellies so I could plodge when the water was cold!

 There was a swing or rather 2 up the ha'penny woods. We would often pedal there on our bikes whereas the lads and lasses from the south end of Bedlington would walk and wade across the river to get there. The rope swings were hung from a tree then pulled up the bank to the rock face where we would jump on and swing out into the space, One day when I was 13 I was on one of the swings and it snapped when out so I fell about 30'. This resulted in a broken wrist. It's still out of shape after Ashington hospital had 2 goes at fixing it. Fortunately it hasn't bothered me and I was not a pen pusher when I worked. Just turned 15yrs to 67yrs without a break except for holidays. 

 Happy days and no fears of being abducted or molested. I don't remember anyone who experienced these things. At weekends and holidays we had to be home before dark. Often we were back sooner cause we were starving. Sea fishing from North Blyth staithes, the West Gears and the pier from 11 years old and only with my pals. We used to walk to Granary Point to dig worms for the fishing. We were like running dogs but very fit. No adults but we didn't need them, we had common sense because we were allowed to be out learning about the outside goings on when we were younger. The kids nowadays haven't got a clue of how outside things work. The big majority of them don't know what a starling is. We knew nearly every bird or animal we saw. I think we were born at the best time.

 I'm 71yrs soon so was young when I played at the back of Puddlers Row. I didn't know anyone who lived there.

 I remember the black and white films at both Bedlington and the Station Wallaw. Saturday matinees were when we went. Pearl and Dean were always on with the occasional cartoon before the main film. I remember the start of The Third Man had the hero(?) standing under a street lamp that I think was a lit gas lamp. They must have taken that opening sequence before you and your mates got there and pushed the lever!!!

 Take care,

                    Jammy

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

10 hours ago, Jammy said:

 Yes we did play down the woods a lot and swim in the river from the flat rock that we called the diver. We removed stones from the river bed in front of the diver to create a bit more depth and tried to form a dam with the stones. We did have some success with the dam so ended up with enough depth to dive in. Often we would find the dam was gone and couldn't understand why because it was quite well built and there hadn't been any floods to wash it a way. I found out in my 20's that the fishermen knocked it down because it prevented the sea trout from getting further up the river. We rebuilt the dam many, many times, gave us something to do cause we had no money. We also walked to Humford baths and back. There always seemed to be a lot of wasps there.

 

                    Jammy

Snap - we did exactly the same but I always assumed the dam we build had been knocked down by other groups of lads; never knew about the fishermen and the sea trout.👍

I turned 71 last year - wouldn't be surprised if we built the dam up together on occasions😊

Eggy

Edited April 30, 2020 by Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)