1959cNethertonBand.jpg

I suppose there could be other Bandstands of he same design but I would say the location for this photo is Bedlington Free Woods

I only remember the rectangular one at Atlee Park. The Picnic field. But that would seem logical.

Definitely the free woods at the bottom of the Furnace Bank. The 'seven sisters'  to the left of the band stand give it away.

I remember the Hell of doing the "cross country" run from BHS 79-82. Mr Cunningham was an evil *basket*. From the black bridge to the bank top, down Furnace bank, over the bridge then cut along the river bank to the Spine Road and back over the river, down to a scrapyard(?) and return to the Black bridge, 2 whole loops and if you were spotted cutting any corners you got to go down the bank and back up again.
I don't remember ever seeing that bandstand.

Might have been demolished before your time, Bandsman. I remember it from the fifties.

11 hours ago, Eggy1948 said:

I suppose there could be other Bandstands of he same design but I would say the location for this photo is Bedlington Free Woods

My wording may have confused this a bit. I should have said :- ......... but I wold say the location for the photo, with the band members, is the Bandstand in the Free Woods.

I just posted the other pictures of the bandstand to prove my deduction, eat your heart out Poirot & Sherlock.

Although we have never been able to find out the exact year the Free woods bandstand was demolished it was definitely before 1979 and thought to be around 69-70.

Well, that's another 'mystery' cleared up. I have vague memories of the bandstand possibly as late as 62-63. I think I remember some sort of walk arranged by the YMCA that went to the freewoods. Pete might know.

Living in the Oval area of Bedlington the Free woods, and the bandstand, was our playground throughout the late 50s & early 60s. We used to camp close to the Bandstand and play in the river not far from the bandstand. The bandstand was used to pile up our belongings whilst we were built a dam across the river. The water was deeper on the Ha'penny wood side but with a dam making it deeper we could dive bomb in off the large flat rock surface on the Ha'penny side.

That's the area, where we were camping one Friday, or Saturday night, and we (also YMCA people) encountered our first early morning Hello, Hello what you lot doing here then', from the police.

My Nana and Grandad lived at Hirst Terrace North, I spent a lot of time in Dr. Pit park in the 70's and, when old enough to be trusted, explored the river from Furnace Bank to Hartford so our paths probably never crossed on those timelines.

Living in the Oval area of Bedlington the Free woods, and the bandstand, was our playground throughout the late 50s & early 60s. We used to camp close to the Bandstand and play in the river not far from the bandstand. The bandstand was used to pile up our belongings whilst we were built a dam across the river. The water was deeper on the Ha'penny wood side but with a dam making it deeper we could dive bomb in off the large flat rock surface on the Ha'penny side.

That's the area, where we were camping one Friday, or Saturday night, and we (also YMCA people) encountered our first early morning Hello, Hello what you lot doing here then', from the police, please accompany us to the Top End police station. Naturally we were totally innocent (it was not us that had stole the car and left it not far from where we were camping) and released, after questioning, after about 3-4 hours. 

Added the names to the photo :- 

Nr. 1 is ELSIE Grant.

Nr. 2 is JIMMY Simmons

Nr. 6 is JOHN Bell

Nr. 12 is RUBY Stewart

Nr. 15 is AURTHUR Brodie

CLs updates added

Some more christian names added from the Bedlington Facebook members :- 

Christian names for No's 4,7 & 14 named by Bygone Bedlington members