Help Needed To Identify Some Photographs

[Vic Patterson]

That's the year before my Model T Touring!

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

James - see the image attached. We have managed six of them and there names are embedded in the photo, including Derek. Any ideas on the other 5? 

Definately the old Whitley,and a think the player to the right of Derek..["Deg.."] Wilkinson,was called "Hopey"...[nickname]....John Hope,I'm pretty sure of the surname,but a bit unsure of his first name....if you know what I mean.

Deg Wilkinson's younger Brother,Alan,followed  him onto the school team,and is posted on the Six Township's site,they are the spit of each other!

Alan and me sat at the same desk all our school days from infant school,Whitley,and the early days at Westridge,until I did the mistake of going into the Upper Remove class.

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

For those of you saving old Whitley Memorial junior football team photos - managed to obtain this one from 1961-62 season.

Ken Pearson holding the ball.

[Symptoms]

The lad second left back row looks very much like Micky Henderson and the lad on the right back row I'm sure is Martin Henderson:  I'm not sure if they were related.  Both played for Westridge teams ... I remember Micky being a brilliant footballer.  Ken went to the Grammar School and played for them ... I remember him being a little bit 'tubby' in the 6th Form but still a really good player.

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

The lad second left back row looks very much like Micky Henderson and the lad on the right back row I'm sure is Martin Henderson:  I'm not sure if they were related.  Both played for Westridge teams ... I remember Micky being a brilliant footballer.  Ken went to the Grammar School and played for them ... I remember him being a little bit 'tubby' in the 6th Form but still a really good player.

 

Your right Symptons on the Martin Henderson. It just happened, as normal in a pub, that his sister was showing some old photos and this was the only one I borrowed for posting on this site. He is not related to Mickey.

Ken Pearson is the only other one I put a name to. I never went to Whitley. Knew Ken through the senior school and his parents as I went to their flat every Sunday morning in the early 1960s to collect the newspapers for delivery around the Station, Steadlane and Terrier.  

[Symptoms]

Eggs ... I didn't go to Whitley either;  I attended the Bedlington First School* on Ridge Terrace.  I knew Micky and Martin from Westridge and Ken from when I went to the Grammar Sixth Form to do A Levels.

 

*I'm sure that's officially what it was called but we called it 'West End Junior'.

[threegee]

I think this guy used to cycle from Pegswood to Bedlington each day.

The film Ken Russell made in the 60s features him and then he is in the follow up film that was made in the oo's.

If I am correct, he was in a brass band, and talks to Ken Russell in the bottom club.

 

If anyone wants to see this TV program then please PM me, and I will arrange "a private viewing".  I'm sure the Beeb would be unhappy about it being made available as a public download.

 

The short Shiney Row bicycle sequence is certainly in that film. Though, as Maggie says, it was taken from Ken's 1960 Monitor program.  Why - of course - it's in B&W.

 

John Gibson, one of the miners who plays in one of the brass bands, introduces the film and gives the commentary.

[Malcolm Robinson]

If anyone goes to the web site GGG you can watch it online. I did post the hyperlink on here somewhere......

[Millbank]

Your right Symptons on the Martin Henderson. It just happened, as normal in a pub, that his sister was showing some old photos and this was the only one I borrowed for posting on this site. He is not related to Mickey.

Ken Pearson is the only other one I put a name to. I never went to Whitley. Knew Ken through the senior school and his parents as I went to their flat every Sunday morning in the early 1960s to collect the newspapers for delivery around the Station, Steadlane and Terrier.

I went to the Whitley until 1962 so should recognise all of these lads but I'm only certain of the ones that have already been identified. Perhaps Graham Calvert is right of Michael Henderson and Roy Goldsmith to his left in the rear. Front row, possibly Michael Stafford right of Kenneth Pearson and John Simpson on Mr Hostler's right - but I could be wrong!

[Ovalteeny]

Eggy, I'm pretty sure the name of the Raa was Shiney Row, it's the only one where the Pit Head is directly up the Raa, with the coal houses & netties across the road from the houses. 

Check out the photo on this Community Web-Site/Gallery, via this link : Historic Bedlington

The photo would have been shot from the Glebe Road end of the Raa.

Edited August 15, 2015 by Ovalteeny

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

This postcard has just been sold on ebay :-

River Blyth, Bedlington, real photo postcard, posted 1924  See original listing

 

"Some edge wear but generally good conditionâ€

 

 

Winning Bid £0.99

[ 1 bid ]

 

£0.75 Standard Delivery

 

 

Initial thought was the photo was taken from west side of the Bedlington bank from the outskirts of what is know the Millfield estate. Being an Oval lad that very rarely ventured through the woods along the river bank up to Atlee Park I can't recall any twist and turns in the river, down our end, until just before the Bedlington Bank bridge. So although it would appear it's looking East from the Millfield area the road in the top, approx middle, of the photo would therefore be the Furnace Bank - Bank Top. However the buildings in the photo at the top of the bank don't fit in (in my mind) with other photos of Puddlers row- River View - Bank Top Hotel etc. I remember there was a  cottage/house that was in the woods as you walked along the path from the Free side bandstand area up to Beatty Road but the one in this photo, again to me, doesn't fit. It could just be the perspective of the photo and there is nothing showing at the top of the bank and the buildings are closer to what are now Know Road-Dene View West & East.

 

 

Anyone any thoughts on this photo and could positively identify something that would prove it was Bedlingto Free & Hapenny woods from Atlee Park - Millfield area?   

Edited October 5, 2015 by Eggy1948

[Newbedders]

It looks as if the photo was taken, looking north, from the small field at the bottom of Bedlington bank where they used to have whippet racing, and which was crossed by the trellis bridge and access road during the opencast years.

[Newbedders]

I also think that the house on the top is Millbank, as shown on the OS maps of the period (Northumberland Communities, Bedlington )

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

It looks as if the photo was taken, looking north, from the small field at the bottom of Bedlington bank where they used to have whippet racing, and which was crossed by the trellis bridge and access road during the opencast years.

Bayardm - I am now thinking that if this is Bedlington, and The Bedlington Bank in the top right, then the photo would have to be taken from somewhere down Church lane, on the way to Humford. Had another look at the river Blyth, via Google maps and there is another turn in the river that could fit in with the photo. That would also put your theory of the house at the top as part of the Bedlington Mill buildings. However when you look at the OS maps in the communities.northumberland.gov.uk site they all show a Bank Cottage, on the right side of the bank as you would drive up it, and I can't make out a building, on the right, in the original photo.

My current thoughts using the images available are:- 

[Newbedders]

Eggy, I think your original theory was nearer the mark, but one of your localisations may be a bit off beam, ie the house on the top. I still think that it was Millbank (House) and in the photo there is an inclined path/track, which remains, leading to another smaller house, hence the name Millbank. In your later posting you suggest a viewpoint down Humford Woods and I know the exact place you have in mind. However, if you could see Bank Top cottage from there, without the current level of vegetation, it would be almost level to the viewer, whereas it appears higher up in the photo.

[Ovalteeny]

bedlington.pdf

 

Eggy and Bayardm, in my opinion the photo was taken half-way down Bedlington Bank (roughly where the old Outcast Bridge used to be), looking down river.

The house on the top of the hill in full view ahead would have been Milbank House and then the building below it, which is on the road/pathway that leads down to the woods from the back of Beattie Road was a small holding that I remember had fields sloping down to the river-bank. If you look on Google Earth at the Satellite image then you can see a browner/darker bit of vegetation which used to have crops in the late 1950's / early 1960's.

I'll try and do a screen shot to highlight what I'm struggling to explain.

Edited October 6, 2015 by Ovalteeny

[Ovalteeny]

Screen shot

 

The red circle is where I think the photo was taken from, the other 2 red shapes are the 2 houses in the shot.

Edited October 6, 2015 by Ovalteeny

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

Screen shot

 

The red circle is where I think the photo was taken from, the other 2 red shapes are the 2 houses in the shot.

Cheers Ovalteeny & Bayardm - my eyes were focused on the Bedlington Bank, Millfield, Mill Farm & Bank Cottage. So focused I had forgot about the Millbank estate!

Ovalteeny - I'll update the Cambois lot. 

Edited October 6, 2015 by Eggy1948

[Newbedders]

Ovalteeny, I agree with your explanation regarding the buildings. However I still think the photo was taken from the field behind the 2 houses at the bottom of the bank, although there would only have been 1 there then. On the photo, to the right of the title, you can see that part of the river bank has been built up with stone or brickwork, so the photographer must have been fairly close to the existing path alongside the river. I've only lived in Bedlington for 38 years but I recall that the field did extend almost to the base of the road bank, and that section has gradually succumbed to overgrowth of vegetation.

[Reedy]

Could it be the furnace bank with the Bank Top Hotel in the background. Dad has a very similar picture. I'll see if I can upload it onto here later.

[Newbedders]

Could it be the furnace bank with the Bank Top Hotel in the background. Dad has a very similar picture. I'll see if I can upload it onto here later.

The river at furnace bank/bridge is a relatively straight section

[Maggie/915]

I keep looking at the picture and thinking top of the road near Humford.

Basically where the new road meets the old road that went past Broadway House Farm.

There may well have been some building there

Basically then the photo would be taken from the Bebside road side.

The river bends there I hhonk and the track would be the one that still exists

[Maggie/915]

Gone to soon

Tried to edit but interesting word association.

[Wilky73]

It is Definitely Derek (Deg) Wilkinson my uncle, at the front with the Ball. The later photograph 1968ish is his son Derek Wilkinson. Both decent footballers in their day apparently. I do recall my dad (Allan) telling me about uncle Deg falling at the old mill at the top of the bank and ripping open his chin. However I cant remember my dad ever mentioning inpailing himself on any railings. Hes never let the cat out the bag if it ever happened anyway. He is still around and 72 now. My uncle Deg died around 24 years ago. There was also Colin (the eldest) and Sylvia both now sadly no longer with us. I have many happy memories though. 

[James]

If you open my attached photo, the photographer would of been standing just above the farm house, before the point where the road bends to the right, with his camera pointing "downstream" with Free Woods on the left and the ha'penny woods on the right.

In the original photo, the people in the "clearing" would have had to pay a ha'penny at the toll gate to get there (unless they "plodged" over the river.

Farther downstream,  on the ha'penny woods side, directly below the cottage in the photo, were "The Flaggies". There is a natural pool at this part of the river deep enough to swim and during the summer, kids, mainly from Beatty Road and Haig Road would get together, light a fire, and enjoy themselves, creating there own entertainment. The swimming costumes were often home made, many with sagging gussets, revealing all!. Quite often, if it was getting late, someone's mother would walk down to the other side of the river and shout out that it was time to go home!

 

There is another post on this forum that refers to Deg Wilkinson's accident in the Old Mill. This occurred in the early 50's. It took place in the building shown on the top left of my photo, to the left of the chimney.