Locomotion Dan Snow's History Of The Railways

[Maggie/915]

Bedlington was not even mentioned.

If we were doing our own show what could we include.

Longridge Graves in the Churchyard. The Stephenson's were around.

Wooden waggonways to metal rails.

First Penny Black sent to the Iron Works.

Queen Victoria trusted Our very own Daniel Gooch to drive her personal train

We have experts on the computer front.

How can we prove Bedlington needs money to develop the site as a World Heritage Site.

[Malcolm Robinson]

Like the way you think Maggie!

[johndawsonjune1955]

Very true indeed Maggie.

You got it spot on.

And the Queen Victoria bit is a classic that not many know.

We should try and get something put together on Bedlington and the railways.

It has always seemed to me that railway historiand have took Bedlington for granted and not recorded enough.

We could proove to them we shpuld really be and get our heritage recognised more. We have so many great pionerrs connected to Bedlington.

Well said again Maggie.

[Maggie/915]

There are World Heritage Sites with less to offer.

Bedlington has it all, with a history going back to the Dark Ages.

In between two rivers, The Blyth and the Wansbeck,not to mention the Sleekburn, we have higher ground to survey the land for invaders.

Who can prove we are not named after Bede, the Cuthbert history was not just escape from the Normans. Any look at the church reveals windows that are Romanesque. Obviously there is the Norman Arch and the lepers window, but any look at the stone work reveals far more.

The Market Cross, Vulcan place, the Nailers all add to a history that is of huge significance.

Morpeth has a folk tale about trying to bring the tide to their town, without success. In Bedlington we did not need to try.

The sea ways were the roads, Cambois which sounds French has a history that goes back to a time long ago.

Obviously history demands argument, but I think Time Team or others could well investigate.

I have to admit to being prejudiced.

[johndawsonjune1955]

interesting points indeed these Maggie.

That abouth the steam engine holding the fence up at the swann, choppington, what malcolm was on about, just gives an example of what lays beneatrh bedlingtonshires earth.

willoughby broke the steam engines up there. i wonder what else is hidden.

talking abouth bedlingtonshire we have had some of the best pioneers in history when it comes to the railways.

you mention a good deal of other valuable points too. all interesting and true.

but if we look more within our shire of the past, choppington had some of the greats too.

Thomas Burt worked at the local colliery.

thomas glassey was the first primeminister of queensland in australia.

we have the oldest pit lodge too in choppington colliery.

barrington had some inventors too.

cambois has a fantastic history, oh, and an invation took part there too.

i feel the need to write something on it too

lets get our area noticed more. i think we can if malcolm could get funding.

and as of the time team or others like that, there is barry mead. btw barry is doing a talk on bedlington ironworks next month.

i will ask mark where and the time as it slips my mind.

very interesting, we never know who will be there, but it could bring interesting people to listen to the talk and what can develop one never knows.

keep the good work up everyone, we are doing well on here with our heritage topic.

[johndawsonjune1955]

oh and another interesting point.

cycles, and the famous millne raleigh

and scotts cycles , i believe, at the rear of the sun inn they were. very famous too.

early transport

[johndawsonjune1955]

a pic for you too.

[johndawsonjune1955]

a pic for you too.

your sights not bad, your seeing double, i uploaded twice

[Malcolm Robinson]

What's the crack with the cycles John? I knew nowt about them.

[Malcolm Robinson]

And the Cambois name...one idea is that it was a French owned Island here but where?

[Maggie/915]

Cambois has a history that goes back before the current name.

I recall an argument that it was the port of call for ships, boats because if its position.

Between the rivers.

Bedlington and the townships are in a unique position.

I just wish someone would provide the money and expertise to investigate.

[Maggie/915]

Just back from Beadnell.

Wonder if we could make an argument for Bedlington and Beadnell being named after The Venerable Bede

[threegee]

Just back from Beadnell.

Wonder if we could make an argument for Bedlington and Beadnell being named after The Venerable Bede

 

My theory too, and I'm still waiting for someone to tell me why not.  Is it just that it's too bleeding obvious to be credible?  Things don't always have to be convoluted or subtle.

[mercuryg]

I thought it was generally accepted that Bedlington is a somewhat convoluted corruption of 'Bede's Land' thanks to the links with the Prince Bishops?

[Malcolm Robinson]

Or even Bedla's Tun?

[bluebarby]

Being a new guy on the block I find this topic very interesting but so much missed out regarding the railway front. 

The area has its share of famous people, Stephensons, Gooch, Birkinshaw, Longridges especially. So why oh why has the new facility at Ashington Tech been called The Brunnel Building? 

After a little half Frenchie who only ever set foot north of the Tyne once in his life and never engineered anything north of Watford? 

Sad, sad, sad..................

 

 

[threegee]

Because - like most of our town's "under-performance" - it became highly political!

Those people were "evil" Tories, so must be erased from history at every opportunity.  The overwhelming left-wing narrative demands no less!  And more left-wing votes are to had from that place to the North, so Bedlington and its proud history doesn't even deserve a mention.

[bluebarby]

1 hour ago, threegee said:

Because - like most of our town's "under-performance" - it became highly political!

Those people were "evil" Tories, so must be erased from history at every opportunity.  The overwhelming left-wing narrative demands no less!  And more left-wing votes are to had from that place to the North, so Bedlington and its proud history doesn't even deserve a mention.

Sorry, but you have totally lost me here!

[threegee]

Quote

In 1865, while out of the country laying the cable, Gooch was elected Conservative MP for Cricklade.[4] He held the seat until 1885.

Research the threats on Longridge's life by left wing extremists, and the subsequent events...

There are many reasons that such great men have been quietly disowned by their birthplace.  I'm not saying the blame was all on one side, but the short-sightedness of local Labour politicos is - and continues to be - staggering.  That short-sightedness has extended to the physical destruction of our heritage.  Even as I child I could see that what was going on was a betrayal of our heritage, but right then I didn't have the facts to back this up.  Was it planned or just sheer ignorance?  Well.. a bit of both I think.

[bluebarby]

Ah, now I see where you are coming from, well I too have had a run in with socialism. 1960/61 I delivered papers for one Raymond Watson from his Glebe bank shop.

Up at 6, Shop at half past, 1st delivery at 7, home at 8.15 then school, Westridge at 9, 5 days a week. A 'lang lie' till 7 on a Saturday and Sunday off. Great, all for the princely sum of 35s a week.  I worked the West Lea, North Ridge and old folks cottages run 'til Christmas 1960 and then the Netherton / Nedderton one after that. Red House Farm wasn't there then.

Just down from the shop at West lea, before the store shifted from the colliery, was a few houses, two with front doors together. One got the Daily Herald - (remember that paper?) And the other got the Daily Worker.

The Daily Worker bloke taught the 'fiddle'- that is if you vote labour or the 'violin' if you vote anything else. 

I used to deliver the Daily Herald then stick my arm through the hedge and push in the Daily Worker next door, sometimes I did it the other way round just for a change. One day, after shoving in the Daily Herald I found the recipient of the Daily Worker had put a bit of pen wire, (chicken wire if you are posh) just far enough so that I could not deliver either paper through the hedge and meant I had two garden paths to walk up.  

That, my friends, finished me with socialism and boy, every time it rained 'he that taught the fiddle' got a very wet Daily Worker and sometimes a wet one when it wasn't raining. 

But I digress, come on Threegee, all was done and dusted before Gooch sailed in 1865 and voting was not the same then as now and neither was the political system. It was a totally different era with totally different values.

Gooch never made a speech in parliament and just could not handle the life style changes of the time. 

It is hard to believe such a guy could vote against 7 year olds working underground - good for him - unless of course the seams were thin!!!!!!!!!

He was as big a rouge as George Hudson, like Hudson he fiddled the odds of he time and got the Great Eastern for a song. 

No, such stupidity as calling the facility at Ashington after 'Brunnel' is totally down to the lack of us - yes US - educating our children as to just who they are and where they come from. I think it is called heritage and it matters not one jot what your political affiliation is, it is simply pride in where you come from.

If it were not for the likes of this website our children would not know the difference between 'Rocket's' boiler and 'Treasure Island' 

Chartists, left wing plots, Gooch's paternalism  and your ranting for heavens sakes have no place in the 21 hundreds

Have a good day............................

 

[threegee]

  Raymond was one of the first people i ever voted for, when i was eventually permitted to vote.  I can't remember exactly what he stood for, but what he didn't stand for was the mindless status quo!

Yes, paternalism was the ticket in those days, but don't knock the totally genuine concern, and place it in historical context (as I'm sure you do)!  Your sentiments that "it matters not one jot what your political affiliation is, it is simply pride in where you come from" are exactly mine.  But, if you think that Bedlington has moved well into the 21st Century you've not read too many of the posts here. There has been a major awakening, but sadly it's still far too easy to buy into the likes of Lavery's mantra of victimhood, state dependency, and that the world owes us all a living.  Because of this most Bedlingtonians with get up and go still do, and everyone is poorer for it!

"Ranting" is what I do best; but I'm steadily working towards making myself a historic curiosity - just like my dear old grandpa!

John's talk about cycles earlier on this thread is interesting, but I'm not sure that he has all the background quite right.

[mercuryg]

Bluebarby, welcome, I have a feeling I'm going to enjoy your posts!

[bluebarby]

Thank you mercuryg I have a feeling I am going to enjoy writing them, and why not?