Bedlington in a few years

[Andy Brown]

http://itsmylist.co/what-this-hiker-found-hiding-deep-in-the-woods-is-unreal-and-he-took-these-photos-1

 

Edited March 12, 2015 by Andy Brown

[tomtom]

Only the strong survive

[Tonyp]

Front street Bedlington if UKIP get in

[Maggie/915]

The picture looks a little like Oradour sur Glane Tonyp.

A very sad story.

Hopefully never repeated.

[Tonyp]

Maggie what happened at the massacre was deplorable & pure evil hope you didn't get offended by that as you can see by the photo

I just put the car & buildings in it hope it didn't offend if so sorry....

[Maggie/915]

I personally am not offended Tonyp.

The story is a lesson in History

Evil exists everywhere.

UKIP are a political party that we need to take seriously.

Whatever our political views everyone has a right to a viewpoint.

[Tonyp]

I agree with you on that one that's why I put that photo up as that's my view

[Vic Patterson]

I saw the picture in the context you posted it Tony an old deserted town, (but with a car just waiting to be restored! )

I think you need to look at the history of Bedlington and see how it evolved and changed due to needs of the town and area, it will always keep evolving, I think the best approach is where possible to be involved in the changes and help steer it in the right direction!

I see Bedlington becoming a bedroom community, I'd divert the passing traffic and enjoy the peace and quiet, let the other towns have the headaches!

[Tonyp]

Vic Bedlington prospered with heavy industry,that's what Bedlington was built on mines ship breakers nationalisation not anti union privatisation zero contracts

[Vic Patterson]

Realistically Tony, how would you like to see Bedlington developed? considering its location and the global market, foreign markets and their cheap labour, and foreign countries controlling the energy market. What industry is not reliant on outside influences and is sustainable?

 

In years gone by, If the Governments and Unions had the country at heart and worked together to manage our car, aircraft, technology and shipbuilding industries etc, we could still be a productive export country.

 

Too many self serving greedy politicians and union leaders with their own agendas. (I have been a strong active union member all my life) Just my humble opinion.....

[threegee]

Vic Bedlington prospered with heavy industry,that's what Bedlington was built on mines ship breakers nationalisation not anti union privatisation zero contracts

 

You really should start thinking for yourself Tony, and not have it all pre-digested for you by your union bosses.  The Labour party as you think it still is died 20 years ago (Easter 1995 to be precise). That was Labour's "Clause Four Moment" when all that you still believe in was rejected in a raw bid for power.

 

'THE CLASS WAR is over', declared Tony Blair at New Labour's conference last year. 'The 21st century will not be about the battle between capitalism and socialism, but between the forces of progress and the forces of conservatism'. For Blair an independent party of labour, forged out of class struggle, was an historic mistake. His 'Third Way' represents an attempt at turning back the clock to before the Labour Party was formed.

 

Blair's aim is to recreate a 19th century-style Liberal or 'progressive' party which can convince the working class that their interests and those of the capitalist class coincide and that they can be represented within a single pro-market party.

 

Yes, I'm quoting from that font of all wisdom Socalism Today!   Go read the article - I don't agree with the conclusions or the mad Marxism, but much of it is gospel truth.

 

The problem is, in selling out completely to international capital (much of it in the form of the EU) Teflon Tony has sold out his own country and all traditional Labour supporters to boot.  Labour has gone from the frying pan right into the fire - another epic blunder!  Miliband isn't a return to traditional values, he's a shill that will be ditched by Blairite Labour at the first opportunity. He's the fairy on the international (Euro) capitalist Christmas tree.  Labour has nothing to offer working people but competing with ever grateful immigrants for the lowest paid jobs - and, once again, the North East will be taken for granted and totally ignored whilst they pander to the new cosmopolitan metropolitan class they've set out to create.

 

Paradoxically the party that you mindlessly pan is the only remaining party which holds many of your core beliefs.  It's certainly the only one which is at all genuinely interested in the problems of our town and our area.  Ukip is interested in what worked well in the past, and blending it with what will work in the future without all the doctrinaire rubbish.  Even renationalising the railways is being seriously considered and, if the best option in that case, will be adopted as core policy.  Can you imagine Labour even permitting discussion on that matter?

 

Yes, the majority of Ukip members believe in capitalist principals, but in domestic controllable and readily taxable capitalism, not in tax dodging international mega-corporations. Those who switch their industry to the source of the lowest labour cost, and abandon them at the drop of a hat.

 

How can you believe that Labour is any different today from the Labour party you elected in 1997?  If anything it's going to take us further down the international capitalist route and trash any traditional values we still hold in common!

[mercuryg]

Rather than focyusing on the fact Bedlington prospered in heavy industry (which is, however we look at it, the past) why not consider that, in fact, the industry prospered on innovation (Birkinshaw and his malleable rails, for example). There is no way forward for this town as an industrial might, nor is there the through traffic for major retail, so where do we go?

[Andy Millne]

Rather than focyusing on the fact Bedlington prospered in heavy industry (which is, however we look at it, the past) why not consider that, in fact, the industry prospered on innovation (Birkinshaw and his malleable rails, for example). There is no way forward for this town as an industrial might, nor is there the through traffic for major retail, so where do we go?

 

This is a great way of looking at it. Everything in the past was once an innovation. It doesn't have to be heavy industry or major retail and speaking as a resident I wouldn't want them anyway. All it needs is a solid foundation of light industry and independent retail. We're not talking about Major shopping centres or huge industrial estates, what is needed are the facilities to serve the town without people having to travel great distances to them. The reason this is not possible in my opinion is due to the one size fits all town and city policies in place that discourage the innovation you alluded to. Things like setting business rates at a national level based on floor area is crazy. It is telling when even a local newsagent providing essential services and with no immediate competition is thinking of selling up because these costs are no longer in touch with reality. Instead of addressing these concerns however, we decide it is OK to subsidise other areas not even within our own borders.

[threegee]

Rather than focyusing on the fact Bedlington prospered in heavy industry (which is, however we look at it, the past) why not consider that, in fact, the industry prospered on innovation (Birkinshaw and his malleable rails, for example). There is no way forward for this town as an industrial might, nor is there the through traffic for major retail, so where do we go?

 

Actually the through traffic is pretty heavy, but there's never been any vision to do anything other than get rid of it at the earliest possible second.  Spend a short while watching the webcam of the Market Place, and then mentally add in the top of the town traffic, and also that skirting round past the police HQ.  Specialist retail should have been our aim, but individuals that have attempted it simply haven't had the support or encouragement at the civic level.

 

There has never been any vision to capitalise on our past either.  We are the actual birthplace of BOTH the railways that span and transformed the entire world, and the guy that kicked off international communications.  We also have a world famous name.  None of this you'd know because the politics of those historic people didn't suit a socialist mindset.  And, many of the people we still mindlessly elect have other towns they consider more politically expedient to favour..

 

This is a great way of looking at it. Everything in the past was once an innovation. It doesn't have to be heavy industry or major retail and speaking as a resident I wouldn't want them anyway. All it needs is a solid foundation of light industry and independent retail. We're not talking about Major shopping centres or huge industrial estates, what is needed are the facilities to serve the town without people having to travel great distances to them. The reason this is not possible in my opinion is due to the one size fits all town and city policies in place that discourage the innovation you alluded to. Things like setting business rates at a national level based on floor area is crazy. It is telling when even a local newsagent providing essential services and with no immediate competition is thinking of selling up because these costs are no longer in touch with reality. Instead of addressing these concerns however, we decide it is OK to subsidise other areas not even within our own borders.

 

Yes, the political mindset has always been to encourage larger enterprises.  Hence we have the empty acres at Cramlington, which were supposed to encourage intermediate industry.  It sometimes comes and gives the politicos a photo op; generally it doesn't find the cheap labour it is looking for and turns the place into a warehousing or - after the grants run out - closes down completely. The public money is spent and the expected sustainable jobs don't materialise.

 

Attempts at smaller industrial units generally fall well short of the mark, and are awkwardly zoned and overpriced.  I've known a number of people who take these on and spend most of their productive time travelling because the support services they need are so spread out over the region.  There's a basic lack of understanding of the needs of small enterprise - how tiny job-creating enterprises used to thrive in the town, and still do in other countries.

 

What we are now about is transferring a welfare dependency culture in the region to one of EU grant dependency. Here the parallels with the Melanesian cargo cult are telling.  Big shiny EU plane no come folks - you have to start to think for yourselves!

[mercuryg]

The through traffic is non existent. The only people who come through the town live here. That's it.

the railways thing you're right on, but gooch was long gone from here by the time he got involved in the cables, and was merely one of many in that enterprise.

What im getting at is that for people to come here, there has to be something to come for, it's not shopping or tesco et al would stay.

[threegee]

The through traffic is non existent. The only people who come through the town live here. That's it.

...

 

Well, I'd ask third parties to watch the webcam and decide who they agree with here. 

 

Hey, the play write Shakespeare didn't even exist, but that never stopped Stratford for one minute!  And, it's one building we haven't completely vandalised - yet.

 

I said specialist shopping; there's been brave individual attempts but no synergy has been encouraged.  Tesco was trying to compete with like out of Town.

[Malcolm Robinson]

You might want to pick over this………..the great NCC redevelopment of the County………………………

Guess what for Bedlington…. knock the council offices down and build more houses!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=6270&article=3789

[mercuryg]

"....the play write Shakespeare didn't even exist....."

 

I'm quite sure he did!

 

"I said specialist shopping; there's been brave individual attempts but no synergy has been encouraged.  Tesco was trying to compete with like out of Town."

 

But Tesco must have believed they could compete; they couldn't.

 

The thing about specialist shops, and I'm all for it as believe it makes a much better idea than trying to make a massive supermarket work, is that you have to ask why there has been no encouragement, and why there are few takers. It costs money to open a shop (a lot of it) and I don't know if there are as many funding options as there were a few years ago. The craft shop, at the top of the street, seems to be a success. But for how long can it sustain itself with the business it garners?

 

"Well, I'd ask third parties to watch the webcam and decide who they agree with here."

 

I'd like to see the results, to be honest. Ask yourself this: cars coming through Bedlington - where are they going, where have they come from? Bedlington is not a short cut to or from anywhere, it's entitely stand-alone. People do not come here for anything specific, apart from perhaps to eat, as there is nothing here. This is what has to be looked at - give them something to come for.

[Adam Hogg]

aj

 

You might want to pick over this………..the great NCC redevelopment of the County……………………… Guess what for Bedlington…. knock the council offices down and build more houses!!!!!!!!!! http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=6270&article=3789

One of the best sites for extra shops and they decide "o houses, houses and more houses."

 

I want to know who made this as a recommendation.

[Maggie/915]

If on this Forum we say there is NO through traffic in Bedlington, then it could become a fact..

I personally do not think it is true.

Planners can use arguments to prove they need to take a particular course of action.

We want investment in Bedlington but someone reads this thread and justifies no action

What we need is a retail centre and people will come along.

There are so very many people who would shop locally.

The issue for me personally, is that for all too long Bedlington has not provided the basics never mind the luxury items.

I truly believe things will change.

[John Fox (foxy)]

You might want to pick over this………..the great NCC redevelopment of the County……………………… Guess what for Bedlington…. knock the council offices down and build more houses!!!!!!!!!! http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=6270&article=3789

My main concern would be what could the planners allow next for the conservation area. We're already stuck with a Care Home, (part built after ten years) that nobody other than the developer wants and we're going to get apartments (eventually after ten years) that nobody other than the developer wants. NCC don't listen to the Bedlington people and looking at their past record we could end up with anything from a  t*****s out  Massage Parlour to Garden Allotments, the only thing we can be sure of is, if any money is realized from the sale  of the Council Offices Site it  Will end up in Ashington. 

[tonyg]

you are quite right foxy. everything goes to ashington we  get nothing.

[mercuryg]

If on this Forum we say there is NO through traffic in Bedlington, then it could become a fact..

I personally do not think it is true.

Planners can use arguments to prove they need to take a particular course of action.

We want investment in Bedlington but someone reads this thread and justifies no action

What we need is a retail centre and people will come along.

There are so very many people who would shop locally.

The issue for me personally, is that for all too long Bedlington has not provided the basics never mind the luxury items.

I truly believe things will change.

 

Maggie, I can see you may find some of my responses in the negative, and I agree they come across that way, but thst is not what I'm trying to do. I simply can't see the town as a retail centre, although can certainly see the need for more shops. The (perhaps sad) fact is that out-of-town shopping centres will always get the vote from most people; it's simpy the way things are going. The major supermarkets are realising this, and their smaller in-town stores are feeling the pinch. Hence they are closing them down. Of course, there are those people who would shop locally, but they didn't do enough to keep Tesco in the town.

 

Furthermore, the major retailers are also realising that the way we shop, for groceries in particular, is changing; I live in a terrace of, I think, eight houses, and three of them have their weekly groceries delivered (I'm not one of them, I don't buy enough to justify it). Going even further, my sister has a fridge that can order for her! Of course, not everyone is going down this route, and not every product is fit for it, but over time more and more people will do so, because it is convenient and saves time.

 

I am, however, dismayed that the council office site is not being considered for some form of leisure or specialist retail centre; that would have been a sensible move by all.

[mercuryg]

"....a  t*****s out  Massage Parlour...."

 

mmm, interesting business idea......

[John Fox (foxy)]

"....a  t*****s out  Massage Parlour...."

 

mmm, interesting business idea......

Not a good idea Merc, I've already tried it and I went  "Bust"