Ladies Beetle Drive - but where?

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

Photo posted on the Choppington Remembered Facebook group by Kim Duff. She has been attempting to find out some names, as her mam's family, from Bedlington, were involved, and where the photo was taken.

The photo was taken in the 1960's and we know the group used to hold their meetings in the Bank Top, Bedlington but the photo is not in any of the rooms of the Bank Top - the windows don't match the Bank Top. 

I posted the photo on the Bygone Bedlington Facebook group and many members have come up with some names and info. We now know that although the group met in the Bank Top they held their Beetle Drive Nights in another couple of places = the Bedlington terrier and the Bedlington Station Welfare park building.

97% of those that commented thought the photo was taken in the back room of the Bedlington Terrier but the remaining 3% (including me) don't think it's the Terrier. We think it could be the Bedlington Station Welfare Park building.

The names and info ie. Bedlington Terrier, have been added to the photo but I would like to prove the venue one way or the other - Is it the Terrier or the Welfare Park?

From Google street view 2009 map, and 2022 aerial view, you can see the Welfare Park building still exists but I don't know if it is still in use or who owns it. Could it be part the the new High School?

Now I know @Ovalteeny's first though was that the photo was taken in the Terrier but I wonder if he can cast his mind back to his Bedlington Junior's football days when he played for them at the Welfare park and must have used that building at some time in the mid 1960's

[Ovalteeny]

If my memory serves me well, there were 2 Pavilions at the Station Welfare Park. The main one was where your 4 arrows are pointing in your montage of photos. This overlooked the bowling green and tennis courts and was used, I believe by people who played those sports. However, there was another Pavilion used by the football teams with home and away changing rooms which was located at the other side of the tennis courts, just prior to where the proper football pitch was. If Eggy can remember, Sunday afternoons in 1968ish when all the lads from the Station would congregate after being at pubs & clubs for pre Sunday lunch drinks and play a game of football (that ranged from 8-16 -a-side) on the large, rough field (piece of land) that was behind the football pavilion and ran at 90 degrees to the proper football pitch. This field was where the A-Pit annual Gala would be mostly held. This field (piece of land) can be seen in the above photos, the image at the top right of the montage, with the word google printed on it. The actual football pitch was above the light coloured track that runs diagonally, in the very top right of this photo.

Some of the football team photos that are on this web-site were taken in front of the Football Pavilion/Changing Rooms.

Edited October 31, 2022 by Ovalteeny

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

1 hour ago, Ovalteeny said:

If my memory serves me well, there were 2 Pavilions at the Station Welfare Park. The main one was where your 4 arrows are pointing in your montage of photos. This overlooked the bowling green and tennis courts and was used, I believe by people who played those sports. However, there was another Pavilion used by the football teams with home and away changing rooms which was located at the other side of the tennis courts, just prior to where the proper football pitch was. If Eggy can remember, Sunday afternoons in 1968ish when all the lads from the Station would congregate after being at pubs & clubs for pre Sunday lunch drinks and play a game of football (that ranged from 8-16 -a-side) on the large, rough field (piece of land) that was behind the football pavilion and ran at 90 degrees to the proper football pitch. This field was where the A-Pit annual Gala would be mostly held. This field (piece of land) can be seen in the above photos, the image at the top right of the montage, with the word google printed on it. The actual football pitch was above the light coloured track that runs diagonally, in the very top right of this photo.

Some of the football team photos that are on this web-site were taken in front of the Football Pavilion/Changing Rooms.

I remember the Sunday afternoon games after 2pm but I had forgotten about the other pavilion where the football team changing rooms were. I did get changed in there for match - but only one. After they found out how bad I was in goal I never got picked again for the Sunday morning Welfare Park league team