c1949

No. 25, not 24, is Grace Fitzgibon, says Grace & No. 3 Brian Morton, says Frances Morton.

No 5 Bill McGlen - No 12 Terry Doherty - No 15 Mick Sweeney - No 30 Anne Gordon.  

Alan Maguire says No 24 definitely Peter Smith

Update from No 36, via her son Edmund Murphy

@Rigger - No 5  = Bill McGlen c1949. 

1949..??!!...I went to the Bedlington Village infants School in 1949..aged 5yrs..Paddy o Malley,and Terry Bradley..[deceased at a very young age R.I.P. Terry],became friends of mine in later years because of  my close friend and Neighbour,Jimmy Bower..who went to school with all these pupils,a got ti knaa a lot of them through gaan wi Jimmy ti the school youth club on Sunday neets,when we were aboot 16/17 yrs aad.[we were aal the same age,Jim was only a couple of months older than me..]

Strikes me that these are big 5/6 year old kids!!

Normal rules forbade Protestant Schoolkids from attending the youth club,but because the Bower family were well known and respected in Bedlington,Father Mark allowed Jim Bower to bring his "Protestant"[!!] friend,[which was me!!],there were a lot of luvly lasses and lads went there,aal a canny crew who welcomed me,a stranger ,into their club.

People I well remember were Paddy o' Malley,Terry Bradley,Catherine and Mary Tait,Frances Weightman,Terry.["Tot"] o'Neil,Anne Brewis,Terry..["Tot"],Docherty,Billy McGlenn,and a canny ,bonny wee Italian lass caaled Rhoda Black,she lived in the"Huts/Caravans" in the Grey's Farm field,next ti the 20 acres Showfield,around 1961/2.

The day after a got ti know her to speak to her as a friend,her Parents sent her back to Italy to live with her Grandma..aged 16 yrs..pure cruelty taking her away from her schoolfriends and mates,after being brought up here from infanthood..she was absoloutely devastated,I remember her friends ,Catherine and Mary Tait,and Frances Weightman,all being in tears for days after she got the plane back to Italy.

They wrote to her several times,and never received a reply,my guess was,old fashioned Italian Granny didn't want her to correspond with English..anywheh....!

On 10/05/2022 at 01:00, HIGH PIT WILMA said:

1949..??!!...I went to the Bedlington Village infants School in 1949..aged 5yrs..Paddy o Malley,and Terry Bradley.......

 

@HIGH PIT WILMA - my fault Bill. It was initially thought to be c1949 but back in 2019 No 25, grace Fizgibon, and a few others, reckoned about 1953. I forgot to add an updated photo with the year on.  

Heh heh!..dae ye forget things as weel Alan..aad age is hitting us hard doon heor in the backwoods!

A think 1953 -ish luks aboot reet ..aa wudda been aboot 9 years aad then..as wud these kids.

Cheers Alan,hope ye keeping not too bad.

Aam wondering hoo me friend Jim Bower wasn't on these pics..mebbe he was  away on Holiday or playing footbaal or summick.

Thanks anyway Alan for the update,ya still daeing a grand job,aam full time lukking after Cath noo.

Don't forget to look after yourself as well, HPW!