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Uk doesn’t have free speech unless it depends on what side of the fence you sit on I’m afraid politically correct ok not politically correct no chance

Way back in 1992/3, I moved back to Bedlington briefly, and rented a flat (16a) in that building, for a year. It was when it had just been renovated and converted into flats. I then moved away again 🤣

Thanks for photo!

Many thanks Alan,now l know.👍

Hi Muriel (now Gordon) yes it would be nice to see you at the Red Lion on Sunday Sept the 14th if you can contact anyone else Muriel please do Thank You. Malcolm.

Hi. I've found out that my grandma's uncle was John Maddison Hanson who ran Oddfellows Arms in Bedlington. She lived with him till she married.

@pat nee McIntyre The only Robinson shop I can recall was the newsagent on Front Street East in the 1960's but no idea if that shop went back to the c1920s. There was an advert published in a 1947 St Cuthbert's Parish Magazine with Robinson's in :-

Hi when I was young living in Bedlington 1950s/60s Bedlington Council was rated as one of the best run Councils in the country, it seems since the amalgamation of Bedlington with Wansbeck that amount of capital investment towards Bedlington did not meet the requirements of improving the town a great deal. Bedlington used to have an open air swimming pool at Humford in the good care of Wilf Marley this acted as a social hub and a place to keep fit even though the water could be a bit cold sometimes and yet still Bedlington waits for a swimming pool maybe a Community right to build could be put forward to Northumberland County Council for the benefit of all ages of the Bedlington population. Yours in the Spirit of Co-operation. Malcolm G Allan.

Malcolm, I like the outside the box thinking. If nothing else it usually results in the people I deal with not being able to give a reply or adequate reason why not to do something. The Terriers is a difficult case given they had been stuck off by Companies House for not filing accounts and County Council had to step in to safeguard the ground for community use! There is a lot of work being done and the only reason for my cooperation is to make sure the end result is in community use! It will probably go to litigation so there are tight lips so as not to prejudice any case!

Thanks Alan, I think this is the guy that I have read on some of the posts of what the Council is doing are not doing, I have attended a lot of Glastonbury Town Council meetings even put ideas towards them never got a reply or thank you from them as it seems across the length and breadth of this country (England) that the majority of the populace have no great faith in the actions of our so called elected local Councillors, I wonder why. Do you just love Democracy? Malcolm.

Hi Alan Community Asset Transfer. It specifically refers to the transfer of assets (Land &Buildings) from a public body to a Community organisation often less than market value, with the aim of promoting COMMUNITY WELL-BEING just like Humford Baths all those years ago Alan just to finish a good legal structure for any Community is a Community Benefit Society (BENCOM) That's it. Thanks. Malcolm.

Hi Alan I am a bit rusty with my definitions as I am now retired but had some experience in Workers Co-operative sector. Have found out some interesting things. From the Community Right to Buy introduced as part of the Localism Act 2011. There are 4 categories as follows. Community Right to Buy. Community Buy Out Community Asset Transfer. Community Right to bid. That allows community groups to nominate land or buildings as "Assets of Community Value" that does not guarantee the community the right to buy but it does trigger a process where the Community gets first opportunity to bid when an asset is put up for sale I have been reading about Bedlington Terriers and the problems they have as a Community Interest Company (CIC) with a company that wants the Bedlington Terriers to vacate the ground that has been part of the local football fabric for a very long time. If the Bedlington Terriers could look at those 4 categories that I have displayed and they got some legal advice from a Co-operative Development Body in the region this could be of some assistance in their case of keeping Bedlington Terriers at their home ground for years to come. I don't know if this would be helpful in anyway as there is a very pro-active councillor Malcolm I am not familiar with his surname so apologies for that but he might be interested in this Localism Act 2011 and the categories that could benefit the Bedlington Community in the future as a form of building up Community Assets. I hope this is helpful information. Yours in the Spirit of Co-operation. Malcolm.

Hello I live in Australia and have started my family tree. Have found my English families came from Bedlington and they were miners. The Chapmans who came here also were miners in Wollongong NSW. These are all things I am learning now as I have no relatives alive. I want to put as much together as I can for my children to see how their ancestors lived and worked. I found this site. Thought I would join in, but I have to admit not to being very apt at forums. Just wanted to say hello and look forward to checking out the site.

Hello ajeanes I found your 2014 post by doing a Chapman Bedlington internet search. We will be related as my great-grandmother is Jane Hunter nee Chapman born Bedlington 1866/1867, the youngest child of James and Mary Ann Chapman (nee Barber) originally of Norfolk. James and Mary Ann, youngest son William, and Jane immigrated to Sydney on the Samuel Plimsoll, arriving 12/6/1879. Jane married Peter Scott Hunter, a baker, born c.1861 in Edinburgh at her parents' home in Campbelltown on 1/11/1884. My maternal grandmother, Elizabeth Barbara, was their first born of 12 children. She was born 13/7/1885. Elizabeth married Albert Edward Latter (b Plymouth) at St Michael's Wollongong on 27/12/1904. Albert was also a miner at Mt Keira, but the family moved to Balmain in 1919 so their sons would not go down the mines. My mother Joyce is the youngest of their 9 children. She was born in Balmain in 1920 and is still living. Beware the public family trees on Ancestry: there is only one that is correct for our Mary Ann Barber. The clue to the correct genealogy is the note on the shipping record for Mary Ann Chapman: that Mary Ann has a relative, Bryant Ricks [i.e., Rix] in the Colony. Bryant Rix lived in Warwick, Qld. He was the son of James Bryant and Martha Rix (not married) so was Mary Ann Chapman's half-brother. I have only recently discovered that Jane's other two brothers, John Thomas (also Thomas John!) and Samuel also immigrated to Sydney (c1883?). As you say, they were miners in Wollongong. Jane's 2 sisters, Mary Ann Tubby and Sarah Gaskin, remained in Bedlington. Just last month I went to the Woronora Cemetery open day (Mum's parents Elizabeth and Albert Latter are there). I found the plaques for Samuel Chapman (d 26/3/1942 at 55 Bligh St, Wollongong), his wife Lydia, and their son Samuel. Mary Ann is buried at the Congregational and Methodist Cemetery in Wollongong (d 19/5/1886 of bronchitis at Hardwick St, Campbelltown), James is buried in the Methodist section at Rookwood (unconfirmed), Jane (d 1944) and husband Peter are buried in the Anglican section at Rookwood (no headstone). John Thomas Chapman d 17/4/1919 and is buried in the Wesleyan section of Wollongong Cemetery. I do not have any information on what happened to William. It is a common name with no definite matches on NSW deaths register. Hope this information helps.I need to do more work on James Chapman's line.