Bedlington........Dying On Its A..e

[moe19]

7 minutes ago, mercuryg said:

Oh, I stand corrected! I didn't know that every single person who was out on Sunday afternoon was drunk, vomiting, urinating and fighting! 

Bonny lad, can ya point oot wheera a said every single poorson, cos a didint hinny, am telling ya from the gallowas gob what a seen hinny , now am pleased  ya marrows wa behaving tha sells its only right an propa like, and a accept ya apology hinny.

A grand day oot, aye for drunks mingers fighters and  spewers, mevies next year  the should get sum of them portable lavies, mind a divint kna if they would use em          

[mercuryg]

You didn't say every one of them my good man, Moe; you did not, however, mention anything BUT the poor behaviour you witnessed, which led me to believe that was entirely everything you saw! Of course, I know it was not, as I know you will also have seen many people enjoying themselves in a perfectly acceptable manner, as did my friends. Yet, you see fit not to talk about them (and, to be frank, there's little doubt they make up the majority). So, why not say 'well how lovely it was to see so many people out enjoying themselves; such a pity there were a few who made idiots of themselves etc'? As that would clearly be a truer picture of the scene, would it not? Instead, you see fit to paint only the blacker picture. A pity, really, when the general consensus is that it was a good day had by all but the few who can't take their drink. 

[John Fox (foxy)]

It's a canny night out there tonight, 

[Ovalteeny]

It is indeed Foxy. Although it's a canny night most nights if you are a "Glass Half Full" type of person.

[Canny lass]

Police and/or ambulances every where

People vomiting

Ugly, unpleasant people (mingers – I had to look it up)

Excessively drunk girls

Mid-afternoon drunkenness

Fist-fighting females

Fighting everywhere

People urinating everywhere 

That’s a bleak description of the town and its inhabitants (assuming that they weren’t visitors) during the bank holiday festivities. It makes very disturbing reading - not least because it’s being blazoned out for the entire world and it’s granny to read. It is, however, only one person’s account of events and one person cannot possibly be everywhere all of the time – despite reports of things happening “all owa the place”. Further, the events are described in terms that are somewhat vague, making it rather difficult to get a grasp of the magnitude of the problem.  

It would be nice to get the reported bad behavior put into some kind of perspective, if for no other reason than to give prospective business investors, house-buyers and visitors to Bedlington a fair and unbiased picture not only of the town but even of the Bedlington people who are their prospective customers, neighbours and perhaps colleagues. 

Can we add some facts and figures to the account please? Moe, it would be nice if you could share some details related to the size of the problem you describe. It would also be useful to know how many others witnessed any of the events described.

 

How many people were in Bedlington for the event? An estimate will do if you don’t have access to official figures.

Did you see any blue light vehicles?  How many?

Did you see anybody vomiting? How many?

Did you see any ugly, unpleasant people? How many?

Did you see any girls who were excessively drunk? How many?

Did you see any excessively drunk girls, mid-afternoon? How many?

Did you see anyone fighting? How many?

Did you see any girls engaged in fist-fighting? How many?

Did you see anybody urinating while standing? How many?

Did you see anybody urinating while squatting? How many? 

(Children under school age should not be included when answering the last two questions).

Edited May 29, 2018 by Canny lass

[John Fox (foxy)]

2 hours ago, Ovalteeny said:

It is indeed Foxy. Although it's a canny night most nights if you are a "Glass Half Full" type of person.

I would move away if I was a "Glass Half Empty"type @Ovalteeny😉 

[Ovalteeny]

Facts and analysis would provide some sort of perspective Canny Lass, but maybe wild and negative aspersions will be what most folks read (certainly on this site). How many people were arrested for all this drunken debauchery would be an interesting question. From memory, I know that many "Miners Picnics" included much of the same alcoholic shenanigans. To a certain majority, culturally, it's called having a good time.      

[Canny lass]

Perspective is all I'm seeking, Ovalteeny. I am in no way suggesting that the events described by Moe are untrue. I'd be very surprised if they were. They are, I believe, part and parcel of such events in many places. I do believe that he has seen some, if not all, of the behaviours he describes. What is not clear from the account rendered by Moe is the scale of the problem which he alone seems to have witnessed. 

There are no specifics stated. Phrases such as "some lasses" , "all owa the place" and "botha" (bother) being an "understatement" leave the reader free to assess the proportions. This is typically a tabloid style of reporting and the typical tabloid reader would have no difficulty in proportioning larger than life dimensions.

However, this is not a tabloid newspaper. This is a discussion forum, a serious discussion forum which is open to the general public all over the world. In this case, I have to add 'unfortunately' for who knows what opportunities Bedlington may miss out on because of the picture being painted?

I don't expect  Moe or anyone else to have counted the incidents he reports but it would be nice to know if they amount to 10s, 20s, 100s or 1000s and just what percentage of the crowd we are discussing.

 

Edited May 30, 2018 by Canny lass

[moe19]

16 hours ago, mercuryg said:

You didn't say every one of them my good man, Moe; you did not, however, mention anything BUT the poor behaviour you witnessed, which led me to believe that was entirely everything you saw! Of course, I know it was not, as I know you will also have seen many people enjoying themselves in a perfectly acceptable manner, as did my friends. Yet, you see fit not to talk about them (and, to be frank, there's little doubt they make up the majority). So, why not say 'well how lovely it was to see so many people out enjoying themselves; such a pity there were a few who made idiots of themselves etc'? As that would clearly be a truer picture of the scene, would it not? Instead, you see fit to paint only the blacker picture. A pity, really, when the general consensus is that it was a good day had by all but the few who can't take their drink. 

Then  hinny its a shame ya said that a had said that every single person was minging and spewinn,  I divint like liars but as a say a accept ya apology

Now a naa that me and wore Goorty me sista  wornt minging like coss a divint drink like, (mind wore Goorty is minging but not wi the pop like if ya naa what a mean hinny ) I knew sum of the lasses that wor laying on mind ya, a used to supply them wi razor blades and work boots, an wore Gorty had trained a couple  of em ta carry t Hod when sha worked ont buildings like, aye nice lasses hinny.

But a canit say owt positive aboot  breakin the law hinny as much as thee would like ta think it all rite,  the hole street boozin thing was illegal like an am ganna write ta the chief constable ta find oot why it was allowed ta happen and get it all stopped a say stopped ! , 

  http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/NorthumberlandCountyCouncil/media/Public-Protection/Notice-of-DPPOs-to-PSPOs.pdf

I think as a business man a should set an example like ya naa, did a tell ya a was a business man hinny, did a ,did a tell ya  

Its a shame folk cannit gan oot and listin ta music an enjoy them sells withoot getting absolutely minging  ,

as a said ta wore Goorty sum folk divvint half show em sells up hinny

Aye

       

Edited May 30, 2018 by moe19

[Andy Millne]

It may be slightly exaggerated but I think Moe does have a point about bank holidays in Bedlington. During the day and evening I don't see much of an issue ( I still think it's worse than some other areas on Bank holidays) as it's policed quite well. Yes, there are fights, people throwing up and people generally being idiots but I'd say the majority are just out for a good day/night. The issues I see happen after closing time when the police presence seems to disappear. It's at this time up until around 3am you get the smashed shop windows, bus shelters, bins thrown about the place and flower beds ripped up. There should be more of an effort to disperse people from the town centre after closing time in my opinion.

[moe19]

You are spot on Andy, an as we live just ta the back of front street we get all this anti social behaviour outside our house, and sometimes actually in our garden, we have had cars damaged plants uprooted and gardens used as toilets , it ok for some folk who don't live in Bedlington or indeed in the UK to tell me its a good thing , maybe if they had the damage and disruption that we have they would not be so keen, we still had folk knocking around in the early hours last weekend shouting arguing and screaming ouside our house (in fact that's the case on most weekends ) 

Edited May 30, 2018 by moe19

[Canny lass]

2 hours ago, moe19 said:

the hole street boozin thing was illegal like an am ganna write ta the chief constable ta find oot why it was allowed ta happen and get it all stopped a say stopped ! , 

Before you go bothering the chief constable, nip into the council offices and make sure that permission hadn't been obtained to drink in the street.

Certainly, the town centre of Bedlington is a designated public space with a relevant DPPO in force regulating the consumption of alcohol within its boundaries. The restrictions are quite clear: “no person shall consume alcohol at any time in any part of the restricted area” (Schedule 2.2.1).

However, reading on we can see that the restriction does not apply to licensed premises (Schedule 2.2.2a and 2b) or “places within the curtilage of” said premises (Schedule 2.2.2c). There are plenty of places with curtilage on Front Street.

And perhaps most important, in relation to the events of the week-end, we can read that the restriction does not apply in:

“a place where facilities or activities relating to the sale or consumption of alcohol are at the relevant time permitted by virtue of a permission granted under section 115E of the Highways Act 1980” (Schedule 2.2.2e (known as a walkway consent).

Such consent may be obtained – it may also be refused – by applying to the council who have the right to grant permission “to do on, in or over a highway to which this Part of the Act applies anything which the council could do on, in or over such a highway under section 115B (1) to (3) or 115C” (Highways Act 1980, section 115Ea). Note, however, that the council “may not grant a person permission to do anything […] unless they have first obtained the permission of the frontagers with an interest” (Highways Act 1980, 115E:3). Plenty of those on Front Street as well.

Neither may they grant permission “to provide, maintain or operate facilities for recreation or refreshment or both on a walkway unless they have first obtained a walkway consent” (Highways Act 1980, 115E:4c)

I find it hard to believe that the organizers of this recurring event are unaware of this requirement and/or have neglected to make the necessary application. The police would have had a field day!

[moe19]

Never ye mind whats gannin off ootside my hoose hinny ,its got nowt ta dee wi yee

[Canny lass]

3 hours ago, Andy Millne said:

It may be slightly exaggerated but I think Moe does have a point about bank holidays in Bedlington. During the day and evening I don't see much of an issue ( I still think it's worse than some other areas on Bank holidays) as it's policed quite well. Yes, there are fights, people throwing up and people generally being idiots but I'd say the majority are just out for a good day/night. The issues I see happen after closing time when the police presence seems to disappear. It's at this time up until around 3am you get the smashed shop windows, bus shelters, bins thrown about the place and flower beds ripped up. There should be more of an effort to disperse people from the town centre after closing time in my opinion.

I believe also that Moe has a point to make. Just how much exaggeration’ or otherwise Moe is using to make that point we do not know as he hasn't answered any questions related to the magnitude or otherwise of the problems he describes.. Maybe he, who witnessed all these events, just found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe he just has an affinity for that kind of thing and such people are drawn to him. Maybe he deliberately went looking for such behaviours. What do we readers know? As he himself says, we don’t live there. Some of us, however, do have family there while others own property there. So our interest and concern is well warranted.

All I know is that Moe paints a very black picture. It does not describe any place that I would like to live, own property, or run a business and, having read Moe’s description, I certainly wouldn’t want to bring up a child there given that it’s a place where you can have a good day out if you are a drunk, minger, fighter or a spewer and is, ironically speaking, just the place to take the children!

Opinions are divided. You think it’s OK during the day but Moe’s accounts of daytime events say otherwise and it’s hardly between the hours of 11pm and 3am that people take their children to Bedlington.

I agree with you about removing people from the town centre after closing. What have they to do there? There’s nothing open and apparently nothing to occupy them except mindless vandalism.

8 minutes ago, moe19 said:

Never ye mind whats gannin off ootside my hoose hinny ,its got nowt ta dee wi yee

If that remark was adressed to me then what's going 'off' outside your house may have everything to do with me. Things that are 'going off' have a tendency to smell.

... and Yes Moe, you did tell us that you are a businessman - several times.

Edited May 30, 2018 by Canny lass

[moe19]

1 hour ago, Canny lass said:

If that remark was adressed to me then what's going 'off' outside your house may have everything to do with me. Things that are 'going off' have a tendency to smell.

Whey ya good at powkin ya snoot in hinny , if owts hummin an sure ye will be the forst  ta niff it,  ya knaa what the say though hinny, the one  that smelt it dealt it.   

[Canny lass]

6 minutes ago, moe19 said:

Whey ya good at powkin ya snoot in hinny

Point out one instance and then get on with answering the questions you've been asked. We are all waiting. I've got twenty quid on that an answer never comes.

Why are you being so rude and childish?

Edited May 30, 2018 by Canny lass

[moe19]

I will not be answerable ta  ye hinny, an if ya divint like it then tough luck a winnit be jumpin through naa hoops ta keep ye sweet

By the way hinny did a tell ya that a ran me own business  an  that a was  a businessman, did a, did a tell ya

Is that steam cuming oot ya lugs hinny is it, is it steam

Edited May 30, 2018 by moe19

[Canny lass]

You are not answerable to me and I don't mind that at all. But you do owe the people of Bedlington, who you so readily slag off, a few answers.

Why are you being so rude and childish?

[moe19]

I owe nabody nowt hinny , an its drunks and spewers a slag off your anotharin saying things that a havint said,   noo divint get ya sell all rilled up hinny, its not good fo ya blood pressa  ya naa

Edited May 30, 2018 by moe19

[Vic Patterson]

8 hours ago, moe19 said:

You are spot on Andy, an as we live just ta the back of front street we get all this anti social behaviour outside our house, and sometimes actually in our garden, we have had cars damaged plants uprooted and gardens used as toilets , it ok for some folk who don't live in Bedlington or indeed in the UK to tell me its a good thing , maybe if they had the damage and disruption that we have they would not be so keen, we still had folk knocking around in the early hours last weekend shouting arguing and screaming ouside our house (in fact that's the case on most weekends ) 

Moe, I didn't recognize you without the accent! I was just wondering, you keep saying your a business man, are you still in business? in Bedlington? would you consider your business successful? 

[moe19]

No Vic, I cover Northumberland and Durham with the service I provide, sorry if  you also think I am knocking the residents of Bedlington because that's not what I have said or done  here in this thread,  But  I  do most certainly condemn most strongly the disgraceful  antisocial  drunken behaviour me and my family have to endure most weekends and bank holidays from what can only be described as louts and yobs. Some who post here know absolutely  nothing of what happens on the front street late at night and early morning, and are blinkered and biased attacking me if I dare to complain about  what they seem to think is paradise or heaven on earth. 

 

 

[Vic Patterson]

No Moe I don't have a problem with what you are saying other than it may just be a little bit exaggerated ! but not being there (and still no web cam!) I wouldn't comment. Yes Saturday night yobs are a very big problem and could be discussed at length but I think discussion is about Bedlington dying, I don't live there and I haven't been able to visit for many years, I don't think it's dying but it is changing and it in a perfect world it should be up to the residents how the changes are made.   How do the businessmen see what the changes should be? 

[moe19]

On 30/05/2018 at 23:47, Vic Patterson said:

No Moe I don't have a problem with what you are saying other than it may just be a little bit exaggerated ! but not being there (and still no web cam!) I wouldn't comment. 

We always have fish and chips on a Friday  and the hot topic of discussion in the  queue  today was the trouble  last weekend with most folk having a story to tell, I heard one person saying that a young police woman had been knocked out in one incident , i cant say of course if this was true, but why would they lie about it, The event known as Bedrock takes place in some of the pubs Vic, I think its about three pubs that put on live music, but the  majority of trouble comes from the crowds  who drink on the streets, there is no music or any form of entertainment on the street for them but for some reason crowds of people buy alcohol from off licences and bars and illegally consume it on the street and it always seems to end up with trouble, alas this year seems to have been one of the worst.  

As for folk using terms such as Glass half full or glass half empty, my guess would be no glasses  bottles mugs pots or tankards, flagons or yards of ale will be the case for the public areas  in future events such as this            

Edited June 1, 2018 by moe19

[Canny lass]

On 30/05/2018 at 23:25, moe19 said:

sorry if  you also think I am knocking the residents of Bedlington because that's not what I have said or done  here in this thread,  

So you think you are not knocking the residents of Bedlington, Moe?

 If I’m first allowed to don my linguist’s hat for just a minute, I’d like to point out that statements about people or places – or anything else for that matter – do not need to be made directly.  In the trade, we call it ‘inference’, that’s to say, something which the reader/listener is able to deduce from the written/spoken word using only a bit of simple reasoning.

Example 1:

Mary had a little white fluffy lamb with three legs. It was last seen at the school bus- stop.

That statement tells us directly what the lamb looks like, who its owner is and that somebody has seen it a school bus-stop (presumably having followed its owner). Indirectly, however, and without mentioning the fact, it also tells us that the creature is now missing.

Should that sentence have appeared in a local newspaper headed’ Bedlington parents are worried’, then we could also have deduced that the lamb had disappeared locally. The clue is in ‘the school bus-stop’. The writer expects everybody to know just which school bus-stop he is referring to. It’s impossible to use the word ‘the’ otherwise.

So, Moe, You don’t have to put something into words in order to make a statement.

I am quite happy to stand up and be counted as one of those who think that you are knocking Bedligton and its residents. You do this in several ways: direct statement, inference and allowing others to make wrongful derogatory statements. The thread is about Bedlington (the clue is in the title) so it seems reasonable to assume that people are talking about Bedlington in their posts, does it not? Let’s just have a look at some of the things being said about about the town and its residents.

20/05 “It will take more than a few pots of pansies to tidy this place up” – Inferred, Bedlington residents make their town untidy.

21/05 “Its a doorty owld pit village” – Inferred, Bedlington residents do not keep their town clean.

21/05 “apart from St Cuthberts church it has really nowt else worth looking at” – Inferred, Bedlington residents do nothing to make their town attractive.

21/05 “Its plagued with drink and drugs problems” - Inferred, Bedlington residents are unable to control themselves.

21/05 “Its plagued with vandalism” – Inferred, Bedlington residents  have no pride in their town

21/05 “Its plagued with burglaries” – Inferred, Bedlington residents are criminals.

Note: To be plagued by - to be a widespread or continuous problem or defect in something – as in the sentence ‘his incorrect use of thee, thy and thou plagues the entire topic, thus causing confusion and misunderstanding’.

23/05 One horse town (i.e. having no attractions).

23/05 Webtrekker called the residents of Bedlington “a bunch of tight wads”. I didn’t see you springing to their defence – even though you and yours were included in the insult. That was left to a non resident. I draw the conclusion that while you did not say it, you certainly agree with it thereby inferring that Bedlington residents are indeed “a bunch of tight wads”.

23/05 “zombies in some sort of trance”

23/05 “if ya asked anyone what tha were supposed ta be they would not have a clue” – Inferred, ALL Bedlington residents are ignorant.

The list goes on, and on, and on, and on

Edited June 1, 2018 by Canny lass

[Canny lass]

On 30/05/2018 at 23:25, moe19 said:

Some who post here know absolutely  nothing of what happens on the front street late at night and early morning, and are blinkered and biased attacking me if I dare to complain about  what they seem to think is paradise or heaven on earth. 

Moe,

Why do you think it’s so strange that former residents still have an interest in a town that has helped form their lives? I think it shows a great misunderstanding on your part to say that we “know absolutely nothing about what happens on the front street late at night and early mornings”.

Firstly, it’s hard to imagine that Bedlington alone has managed to escape the wave of antisocial behavior that appears to be sweeping the nation, or indeed the whole continent of Europe. We all read the newspapers. It is also hard to believe that Bedlington alone has somehow managed to avoid employment problems, decreased spending on public services etc. Those problems appear to be widespread. You yourself said “its “just the same as most places these days” (21 May) so why should people from other places not know how things are?

Secondly, we use sites like this one, where members share experiences, to keep ourselves up to date with developments. One of the reasons that many of us are here is to keep ourselves informed about the town, whether that be its progress or its decay. In order to do that we are grateful for all information that other members supply, whether that be photos, newspaper articles, memories, minutes of meetings or personal experiences – such as, for example, your personal experience of Bedrock. They all help to paint a picture of the town as it was, is, and may someday be.

We show our interest, get involved in discussions and we ask questions, which most members – but unfortunately not all,  take the time and trouble to answer.  The result of all this is that some of us, at times, are more informed than some of the residents – I give you the example of paying council tax to Northumberland County Council as just one example, which not everyone in Bedlington seems to be aware of would you believe.

So, Moe, even if we don’t reside in Bedlington, we do not live in total ignorance of what is happening there – at least, no more than some of the residents.