Your probably right Maggie but at the moment there are lots of people who aren't using the car parks, I've never known a town with so many individuals who prefer to park on restricted areas of the front street and cause mayhem.

2 hours ago, Maggie/915 said:

If houses are to be built on our car parks, what happens to all the people parking for the Courthouse and associated businesses .

Regeneration will bring many more people to our town.

It would be a shame if the parking becomes critical and people then do not come along to support the planned buisnesses.

Is the car park suitable for development? Why has it never been built on before? Is it possible that this area of land was subject to   relatively shallow mining activity related to the drift mine, part of the Doctor Pit?

On 1/23/2016 at 20:16, Bayardm said:

Is the car park suitable for development? Why has it never been built on before? Is it possible that this area of land was subject to   relatively shallow mining activity related to the drift mine, part of the Doctor Pit?

It was where Bedlington Mechanics had their football ground. Sure I had seen a posting about the owner (possibly Jimmy Milne!) and it was given to the people of Bedlington and can't be built on. With my memory, apart from Bedlington Mechanics playing there, that could be a load of bo******! 

We dont want any more houses built. we need shops in Bedlington.

Thank you Eggy, your response seems quite likely however, in the photo the plot seems less than flat enough for footie, unless that was a later development.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Tescos car park was the Bedlington Mechanics. football field.

5 hours ago, Bayardm said:

Thank you Eggy, your response seems quite likely however, in the photo the plot seems less than flat enough for footie, unless that was a later development.

The date I have seen with that photo is c1930 and I would agree that looks more like a farmers field with furrows ready for planting the tattie crop. Just remembered Ovalteeny's post in 'History Hollow/Whitley Memorial' topic :- "Hi Reedy, yes my Dad's Dad was Christopher Septimus Kidd (known to one and all as Sepp) and as well as being Chairman of Bedlington Mechanics (when they played their home games at Milne Park), I believe he was something like "The Colliery Engineer" for the Dr. Pit. He and the family lived in No. 1 Dr. Pit Cottages, right on the Pit Head so that he could be called upon at short notice, should there be any engineering issues to be solved."

 

There is a topic, dated 3rd August 2013, - 'History Hollow/Three Generations of Miners - where 'Reedy' writes about his dad (aged 84 in 2013) playing in goal for the Mechanics but can't see anything about where they played. Assuming his dad was at least 16 when he played it would be 1939-40 or later. 

I've seen some other entries on History Hollow where people have described passing Milne Park going towards the Doctor Pit when taking short cuts across the rail tracks. Milne Park has also been cited as the home of Bedlington Mechanics at some point in their existence.