The Barrington was called the Monkey because it used to have a live Monkey behind the bar. There was also a shop down the road called Hovels which also had a live Monkey inside which was dressed in a hat and coat. The shop was on Park Road just off Beech Grove next to the Terriers football ground.

The Barrington was called the Monkey because it used to have a live Monkey behind the bar. There was also a shop down the road called Hovels which also had a live Monkey inside which was dressed in a hat and coat. The shop was on Park Road just off Beech Grove next to the Terriers football ground.

Now that info about Hovel's is interesting, Reedy, because here is a photo of me defending my packet of crisps from a simian. No one in my family can remember where it was taken.

Edited November 2, 201312 yr by keith lockey

Thank you to everyone for all the contributions to this post, and all the wonderfull pics.Although i am not from Bedlington myself the infomation on this forum has been invaluable to me and has helped me gain a understanding of the place my mam was born and lived untill her mid thirtys. Although she lived in London for forty years she never lost her accent and her heart was always in Bedlington.

Thank you to everyone.

Does anyone have any info on a local factory/company called Town Taylors i am sure they were located on the Cowpen rd not far from Cowpen Cemetry i know my mam worked there untill 1967 and think thats where she had met my Dad.

Many Thanks.

Now that info about Hovel's is interesting, Reedy, because here is a photo of me defending my packet of crisps from a simian. No one in my family can remember where it was taken.

I would have guessed you where a right little monkey when you were little Keith L.

Goodness ... that giant blond-haired monkey is a brute!

Goodness ... that giant blond-haired monkey is a brute!

Actually, I normally get "Which one is the monkey?"

What is really annoying is the fact that he's dressed better than me!!! And if you look at the safety features on my pram you'll see the state of the art finger grabber; guaranteed to turn you into a three-fingered sloth by the time you reach five years old. Then there is the Formula one, Dunlop tyres, balder than Yul Brynner. Of course one can't help admiring the marsupial-like pouch that I am sitting in with the convertible hood. Yes, when us Lockeys went out for a jolly we always rode in the Rolls Royce style. Giz a bag of crisps.

The guy that ran Hovels shop had an early state of the art security system inside which consisted of numerous strategically placed mirrors which allowed him to observe the whole area without getting out of his chair behind the counter.

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.

Foxy - do you still have the photo(s) of the 'A' pit heap been cleared away?

I've been looking through the sixtownships site under the 'Bedlington remembered' leg and when anyone has asked a question and I know there are references on this site I have referred them to this site for the full info, and to try and boost the access and members. In this case I can't find a specific topic about the clearing of the pit heaps just this reference. 

Are your photos available for sharing on the sixtownships site?

Eggy,

         In reply to your above post I've sent you a PM.

Eggy,

         In reply to your above post I've sent you a PM.

Thank you. Response already on it's way. 

Hi Ivan,welcome to the site!

                                            Ronnie Helmsley was in my class at school,right through from starting the infant school,Whitley school,and finally Westridge.

He will be turned 70 yrs old if he is still with us. A reet canny gud-natured lad.

His older Brother Dennis,[73 yrs old],was in my older Brother's class,and left school from the Whitley.

They lived somewhere,very near,to a family called Oliver,again they all went to the Whitley school.[we were all school friends in those days,Haig,Beatty,Millfield,and Hollymount Square......there were loads of us!!!

If you went down the woods,you were bound to meet a gang of lads from one of these places!!