Tommy Easton

[keith lockey]

Can anyone remember Tommy Easton the greengrocer? If my memory serves me right he used to deliver goods to your house. He was always happy and wore a brown 'Awkright' workcoat. I believe he opened a shop down the Station between Wales chip shop and Anderson's Motors, and I'm sure he had something to do with the Spar...did he 'start' it?

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

Certainly remember him Keith, and as you say he was always happy.

I would have said his shop opened sometime in the 60's.  It was the first shop we came to going to school each weekday from Coquetdale Place; Waverley Avenue; up the cut to Pioneer Terrace back lane and out at Station Road at the Pioneer Boot Factory, now Anderson Motors.

I would have the entrance to his shop where the white garage door, with the grey VW infront, is in the attached picture.

Unfortunately, just like you, I can only remember a few things about his appearance - happy and smiling, brown 'Arkwright' coat, similar build but a few inches smaller, don't think he had a moustache.

[keith lockey]

If I'm not mistaken, Eggy, he was arguably the first White Van Man and I'm sure he added a small trailer to it later on. I know he used to deliver to our house and he was always chipper.

[Keith Scantlebury]

Tommy Easton did move over the road Keith. He started over there after Bower Grange was built then became the Spar. As far as I remember he added the post office, the fuel pumps came later. Nothing was too much bother for that fella and he always spoke to everyone like they were all his friends.

[Reedy]

Tom's father and uncle ran Eastons Coaches in Bedlington.

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Keith,I remember Tommy,and his brown coat,and also the fact that the lad who gave me my nickname of Wilma,in 1959-ish,[one Keith Cooney,now deceased..R.I.P.Keith..],used to court Tommy's Daughter,for a while,as a very young lad,way back in the mid-sixties.

I wonder if she is still with us,and if she could remember Keith......actually,I don't think anybody could forget him,he was such a character....was Keith![bloody good worker down the pit,in really bad conditions...]

Tommy started the first Spar shop that I ever knew of,in our area,anyway.

[keith lockey]

Keith,I remember Tommy,and his brown coat,and also the fact that the lad who gave me my nickname of Wilma,in 1959-ish,[one Keith Cooney,now deceased..R.I.P.Keith..],used to court Tommy's Daughter,for a while,as a very young lad,way back in the mid-sixties.

I wonder if she is still with us,and if she could remember Keith......actually,I don't think anybody could forget him,he was such a character....was Keith![bloody good worker down the pit,in really bad conditions...]

Tommy started the first Spar shop that I ever knew of,in our area,anyway.

 

Now that's interesting, HPW, because I thought Tommy never married. Cheers.

[tonyg]

Tommy didnt have a daughter he had a sister called mary '

Edited March 25, 2014 by tonyg

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Funny how some things stick in your mind,lads,did you know Tommy married my next door Neighbour,called Mildred.

I haven't seen Tommy and Mildred for two years,and I heard she had sadly passed away,mind,I said I HEARD! [cos years ago my marra down Bates pit,who was also my neighbour and good friend Bob,took a bad turn and was hospitalised...days later,another marra told me that Bob had died..when I got home he was in his bed at home,laughing and carrying on with another neighbour!!!...chinese whispers!] 

So!....if you Google "Zoe McCullough",you will see Tommy's Step GrandDaughter,Zoe,playing guitar with the worlds great guitarists on u-tube!!,at the N.a.a.m,music festival,in Nashville...!![among other places...]

Digressing a bit,but couldn't let the chance of a plug for my young musician friend,go by,when were talking about her Step-Granda!!!

Aam just thinking,Denise comes into me mind;when a met Keith Cooney,[my pit Marra at high pit..]and Her,at a Labour Party social evening,in Bedlington Market place club, around 1963-ish.[a cud be wholly wrong on the name,but aav got the feeling aam reet!.....unless she was another grocer's  Daughter......]

I never comment on anything unless I know it to be fact,or without adding a note that I stand to be corrected,if I'm not 100 per cent sure.

So,on this one,I am sure,but now wondering if a different owner took over,or had the shop before Tommy,cos My Marra definately sat at the Spar-owner's dinner table and had dinner with the family,among other regular visits to the family home.

Tony,if you know the facts,please keep me right where the lass came from,and remember...it was around 1963-ish[give or take a year..!]

Cheers!

[tonyg]

Tommys first  shop beside the pioneer boot  factory was mrs Barkers as she used  to take me for piano Lessons in the 1950s

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Was the V.G. shop there before the Spar?

Aam sure it was there,when aa was transferred to Bedlington A pit,[opposite],in 1965,from Choppington High Pit.

There was a street of hooses where the garage and post-office is noo.

When the hooses were pulled doon,Lawson's meat lorry used ti come from Scotland,and dae a full change-over of his load,onto another lorry,based here,

[a relay  in other words],and they used ti be parked exactly where the garage is noo.

Aa was courting me Wife,at Grange Park,and used ti waak up every night,ti Hollymoont,and would pass the two lorries parked up,back-to back,and see them trundling trolleys of meat from one to thi other.[maybe three times a week]

It was always aboot 1-0 am,so the general public wouldn't knaa aboot it.

Can anybody mind this?

Lawson's of Dyce was the firm,are they still going?

[tonyg]

yes the VG shop was next to the pioneer boot factory.the spar across the road when first built was just a garage that sold cars. and one of the Drivers for Lawson's lived in Jubilee Terrace. who i knew very well.

[Hazel]

Hi I worked for Tommy for 14 year and he was a great guy. He was married to Milly and she had a son. Tommy did not have a daughter but he did have a sister called Mary she worked for him. His mam was a lovely lady who sadly passed away many years ago at the home next to Spar. Milly has now gone too and Tommy is now in a home.

Him and Milly used to take all the staff out for a Christmas meal.

He did give up the shop to James Hall who own the spar shops and took over the franchise of the post office within the spar. The spar where it is now opened in August 1985.

Tommy lived with Milly at Stakeford. Their granddaughter Heather is married to my cousins son.

We had some great laughs working for Tommy. X

[tonyg]

is mary still around. i remember when margaret grey and nancy carmoody used to work in the VG shop.

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Hi Hazel,pleased to hear from you on this site,I didn't know Heather, was married!!

Her Dad played in my house with my [ten-years-younger -than- me!],Sister,from being born...well....almost!

His Grandma and Granda Wright,lived directly next door to me.

He,[her Dad],was very much influenced by hearing my Shadows records playing constantly,in the 60's,and also hearing.and seeing, me playing all their

tracks,and every other guitarist's tracks also.

So much so,that when Zoe came along,she also became influenced by the same music,due to her Dad playing the Shadows constantly!

Now,when you see Zoe's website,and see just where in the world she has been,and who she has played along with,on stage,it's satisfying to know

that good music has played such a huge part in her life.

They are both lovely girls,as are their parents!

Give everyone in the family my love,when you see them!

I think Her Dad knows who I am!,from what I have said here!

Just show him  my comments!!

Cheers,

Bill.

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

How old would Mary be now?,I'm now willing to accept,there is some confusion in my mind,about Keith Cooney courting the lass from the V.G. shop,in the mid-60's,but she was definitely family,if Tommy didn't have a Daughter,then who was she?

Keith introduced me to her,in the 60's,at the Market-Place Club,at a Labour party social evening,and often talked about her,down the pit,at bait-times,in general conversation.

If it was Mary,that would explain things,but this lass was definitely associated with V.G. shop owner family,cos he

used to talk about having dinner with the family,as we all did,when we young and courting....nowt oot thi ordinary....just conversation

I'm really sorry to hear that Mildred,[Milly-but my family never used that nickname for her..],has passed away.and Tommy being in a home.

I saw them in Rothbury a year or two ago,and had a gud crack,after Mildred had her last operation,and she seemed in a canny fettle.

Trouble is,it's not how well people look,it's how they feel inside,and she was probably going through the mill then.

They were the loviest couple you could ever wish to meet.R.I.P. Mildred.

My thoughts go out to Tommy and his family.

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

On 4/1/2014 at 00:10, Hazel said:

...............................................

Tommy lived with Milly at Stakeford. Their granddaughter Heather is married to my cousins son.

We had some great laughs working for Tommy. X

Posted on Facebook - Bygone Bedlington - today by Tommy's granddaughter :- 

Heather Cotton

3 hrs

Sad day today, my Grandad Tommy Easton passed away at 5.30am after suffering with alzheimers for the past 4 years ?
I am sure alot of people on here will know my Grandad from having the Spar at Bedlington Station 
RIP Grandad

 

 

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Aaaahh! That's Tommy all right....smiling as always,and the gentlest fella as ever walked this planet.

A never knew he had had Alzheimers,sad to hear of his passing away.

Thanks Eggy for the sad news.

R.I.P. Tommy Easton.