Hello to all. I have been stalking this great site for a couple of weeks now as a guest. My mam was born in Bedlington in 1938 and left for london in 1967 her maiden name was Norma Hemsley. She was one of nine siblings they lived in Haig rd. Unfortunalty my mam passed away late last month and her final wish was to come home, she had a lovely send off at St Cuthberts on the 17 Oct 13. I was wondering if anyone knew my mam or her Family?

Thanks Ivan

Welcome to the Bedlington Forum Ivan, sorry to hear of your loss. My wife doesn't recall your family though she just lived up the road in Hollymount square.

Hello Ivan. My mothers side of the family lived in Beatty Road. The youngest of that 9 siblings was born in 1937. Expect to meet up in the next couple of weeks so will see what is remembered. Don't hold your breath, the memories are fading!

Thank you Vic Patterson And Eggy 1948. It has been a great comfort looking at all the pics in the Gallery section of the website. And reading all the various posts. I know my mother attended whitley memorial school, does anyone have any old photos of the school?

Thanks Ivan

Ivan - have you searched for the word - Whitley - in the search bar in the top right hand corner of the page? There are a couple of items on the school. The only picture, of the school, I remember seeing, is in the 'Gallery' topic in 'Foxy's Bits and Pieces'.

Thanks Eggy I have found the picture. Many Thanks

Ivan, my Dad who's nearly 85 can remember a family called Hemsley from Bedlington who had loads of children. If they're the right ones then he reckons your Grandad was called Jack Hemsley and he was a plumber at the 'A' Pit at Bedlington Station. My Dad was his apprentice.

One of Jack's sons, also called Jack, ran a fruiterers business from his home next to the 'coffin chapel' down from Vulcan Place and Whitley M

Ivan, my Dad who's nearly 85 can remember a family called Hemsley from Bedlington who had loads of children. If they're the right ones then he reckons your Grandad was called Jack Hemsley and he was a plumber at the 'A' Pit at Bedlington Station. My Dad was his apprentice.

One of Jack's sons, also called Jack, ran a fruiterers business from his home next to the 'coffin chapel' down from Vulcan Place and Whitley Memorial school. The house had a stable at the back for his horse and cart and still stands there today despite all the others around it being pulled down and new homes built.

I went to Bedlington High School with Heather Hemsley who lived there in the late 1970s.

I've attached a picture of Whitley Memorial School too.

Hope they're your Hemsleys I'm referring to.

Looks like the Whitley Memorial picture is the same as the one in Foxy's album so apologies to both Ivan and Foxy.

My Dad has a picture of the area of Front Street taken from possibly the top of St Cuthbert's Church which shows the area behind the Northumberland Arms and might include Whitley Memorial School. It's lent out at the moment but when he gets it back I'll post it on this thread and put it in my album.

Thank you so much for this info Reedy, and what a great memory your dad has got he is spot on.Please pass on my Thanks to him.

It is amazing that your Dad was my grandads apprentice.Sadly I never got the opportunity to meet my Grandad.

I remember visiting my uncle jacks house as a young lad i think he was known as Jackie locally. Heather is my cousin and i met her recently at my mams funeral and she remembers us visiting all them years ago.

Do you ever see heather?

Thank you so very much.

Ivan

Jack, ran a fruiterers business from his home next to the 'coffin chapel' down from Vulcan Place and Whitley Memorial school. The house had a stable at the back for his horse and cart and still stands there today despite all the others around it being pulled down and new homes built.

.

Is this the one Reedy?

Ivan, I haven't seen Heather for years. We were in the same class at school from about 1975 until 1978.

Foxy, spot on with the photo. My Dad was actually born next door to this in Stokers Buildings in 1928.

Foxy, spot on with the photo. My Dad was actually born next door to this in Stokers Buildings in 1928.

Was it here?

I think it was the other direction as you head towards Bedlington Station. I'll show him the photos though. Thanks.

Anybody - where exactly was the Whitley Memorial School? I always thought it was between the Coffin Chapel and the Barrington Arms but the only pictures I can see of Vulcan Place show houses between those two points.

Anybody - where exactly was the Whitley Memorial School? I always thought it was between the Coffin Chapel and the Barrington Arms but the only pictures I can see of Vulcan Place show houses between those two points.

I don't believe this photo is 1978, or anywhere near. I moved to Bedlington in 1976 and I don't remember ever seeing the pit heap in the background like that. Can anyone comment on the age of the cars in the picture. I am pretty sure the houses this side of the coffin chapel weren't there in 1976 either.

I don't believe this photo is 1978, or anywhere near. I moved to Bedlington in 1976 and I don't remember ever seeing the pit heap in the background like that. Can anyone comment on the age of the cars in the picture. I am pretty sure the houses this side of the coffin chapel weren't there in 1976 either.

Ex Bedlingtonian - I thought so to but I just found that picture today on a site http://bedlington-miners-picnic.blogspot.co.uk/ and 1978 was stated on it, so I did not change it. If you view the Gallery you will see in Foxy's album a photo of the pit heap being flattened for the building of the 2nd stage of Bower Grange and Foxy has it dated as 1982.

Welcome to the site.

I seem to remember the name Hemsley in relation to a fruit and veg outlet maybe horse and cart,

My neighbour is 93 I will attempt to investigate.

Sadly both my parents would have known more, we should talk more 'In the living Years'

Thanks everyone for your contributions the pics are brilliant. thank you Reedy if you want i will let Heather know i am in contact with you? but if your old school friends are like mine there are some i would not care to see again LOL.

Thank you Maggie/915 for your warm welcome,and yes i do believe my uncle Jack/Jackie did sell fruit and veg from his horse and cart.

If you get a chance Maggie do speak to your 93 year old neighbour you never know what she might know.And your so right when you say that we should talk more in our living years.

I found out recently that my mam worked for a local company called Town Taylors does anyone have any info about this company? she also enjoyed the occasional tipple in a local watering hole called the Monkey is it still There?

Thank you so much

Ivan

she also enjoyed the occasional tipple in a local watering hole called the Monkey is it still There?

The Monkey

Thanks Foxy great pic,anyone know why it was known by the name the Monkey.

Thanks

Sorry Ivan, I have asked but have drawn a blank.

I do know my father used to talk about your relatives. Quite often people only used the surname, and it was a name I heard often.

Unfortunately I did not pay enough attention.

Now I guess with children and grandchildren I am the person who is not listened to!

Hello Ivan. My mothers side of the family lived in Beatty Road. The youngest of that 9 siblings was born in 1937. Expect to meet up in the next couple of weeks so will see what is remembered. Don't hold your breath, the memories are fading!

Ivan - forgot to take any info with me but the name Hemsley was mentioned by my uncle. Turns out my grandparents actually live in Haig Road (think he said number 2 [or was he just talking that]), before they moved to Beatty Road. I will copy the gist of this topic, email to my cousin fors for them to see what my uncle remembers about your family.

Sorry Ivan, I have asked but have drawn a blank.

I do know my father used to talk about your relatives. Quite often people only used the surname, and it was a name I heard often.

Unfortunately I did not pay enough attention.

Now I guess with children and grandchildren I am the person who is not listened to!

Ivan - this question was asked in 'History Hollow' - Topic = Bedlington Pubs and the suggestions/thoughts etc werecan be found at:-

Posted by mickypotts on 25 July 2012 - 03:48 PM in History Hollow

Posted by keith lockey on 25 July 2012 - 05:05 PM in History Hollow

Posted by mercuryg on 14 August 2012 - 07:46 AM in History Hollow

Keith; a friend of mine claims another story about the Monkey. He reckons - and he says he's researched this - the bell that signalled the end of shift at the nearby pit was known, for reasons yet to be fathomed, as 'The Monkey bell'; the Barrington was the place they would all head to for a pint, so it became known as 'The Monkey'. I'll ask him for his sources for you.

Foxy, after speaking to my Dad he confirms that he was born in 1928 in the upstairs rear flat which was accessed through the archway shown in your photograph. It was known as Stokers Buildings. He says it had windows when he lived there - so did the Clayton.