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Just to keep everyone updated.......here is my 'application' for County Councillor. So we have a full list of candidates for the NCC Bedlington West Ward seat and it looks like an election has had its starter gate opened with claims, counter claims, spin and misdirection already! As I have said the only promise I give is to continue to do my best for the ward, so more of the same if you like! Like any job applicant a CV would seem an obvious starting option. So here are the main points in mine: As a resident I wasn’t happy with the way our Town’s needs had been ignored for decades so as a private individual I decided to try and do something about that. You don’t really need a position but you do need a commitment and some level of understanding as to how the system works. Set up the Bedlingtonshire Development Trust. Worked with NCC to get the sports pavilion at Gallagher Park. Ran a Fields in Trust campaign after getting Gallagher Park qualified as a QE11 Park and won a national award! Did the training in counselling skills so I could interact confidentially with people on a one to one basis. Completed training in procurement, project management, VCS development, planning training and others which I thought would be beneficial. Got the funding for and ran a Heritage themed event with Leading Link, which we had to go to Manchester and receive a commendation for. I had to go to Blyth Sports Centre and push in to argue with the Olympic Torch Committee for Bedlington to be included in their processional route so our kids could see it pass too. This after NCC said no! With Richard from Salvation Army and Lyn from Leading Link we had over 5000 people lining a very wet Front Street that day! Bedlington Terrier seats……..my design and my project with the money made paying for Xmas lunches for our seniors and support for our food banks. In May 2013 I was elected as a Town Councillor. The chevron parking on Glebe Road, my idea to stop the double parking there so others could pass. My project through the Town Council. New footpath down to Attlee Park, to stop the need for pedestrians having to step out on the main road. Again my project through the Town Council. After lacklustre and aimless two years under Labour control, which was more about claiming the council to be a Labour one instead of actually doing things, I was elected to the chair of the Town Council. What happened in the next two years was more than had happened at any time before! New Bus shelters throughout. Street furniture painted gold and green. Two new play parks at West Lea and Meadowdale. New Town Gateway features, which I designed and oversaw the project. Started on the discussions with a local resident who made sun dials internationally, but who couldn’t get one in their home town. Now in the Market Place! We bought the two new commemorative seats which now sit behind the War Memorial after I did the research and costing. Restarted the Town Fair and held it on the street. First to put on a show for the Xmas Lights switch on. Put in the original three defibrillators onto the street after the existing NCC Councillors refused to back them. Brought in a REDUCTION to the Town Council tax charge, the only one to ever manage that and do everything (plus) listed above. No wonder we got phone calls from all over asking how on earth we had done it. Then in 2017 I was elected to County Council. I said “I’m drawing a line in the sand…….we don’t go backwards from here!” First job get a light controlled crossing next to the COOP because it was gravely needed! All main roads into my ward area resurfaced. I recorded every pot hole in the ward and sent in the lists. I also had to stand up to what had happened at Arch and Active Northumberland to try and bring some resolution after unbelievably bad independent audits. Covid hit and while everyone else hid under the blankets I was running around dropping food parcels off because the government essentially locked up elderly people for 12 weeks! I made sure the ones I knew in my ward had something at least once a week. I got the 100’s of food parcels from the Salvation Army so I raised money for our food banks to make sure I wasn’t taking out more than I put it! West Lea Cemetery needs a special mention: First try and sort out the flooding issues which saw flooding on the children’s graves. Cleaned out the main culvert pipe which runs alongside the western side of the cemetery. Next the road inside the Cemetery needed resurfacing. Helped set up the Friends of West Lea Cemetery group. Did the D Day commemorative plaque at the side of the entrance. Renovated the old derelict hut which stands in there for a base for the Friends of West Lea Cemetery. Flooding reoccurred so I had to fight for new field drains fitted at the lowest bit on the South side. Did the Covid plaque at the other side of the entrance. Garden of Remembrance needed sorting out. The path between the cemetery and St Bennies needed sorting out too so QE11 Memorial Path, again after Bedlington not planned to get one. Now we have the best! New railings along the Front. Worked with Cemeteries management to turn the look of this cemetery around. It’s a popular place to visit these days and the Garden of Remembrance is now filled with flowers on tended plots. Plessey Woods needs a mention too. Went down 8 years ago and spoke to the staff there and saw it was only been used by a few dog walkers. Lobbied for the money to get the new playground done as well as path repairs etc. I got the funding on the proviso that I increased visitor numbers Put on events (children’s and adults) to get people there so they could see what was on offer. Argued for the extra parking area because it was proving that popular now. Had to get double yellow lines outside to stop the indiscriminate parking along Shields Road. Set up a Friends of Plessy Woods group. Continually argued for café and toilets upgrades which are now planned for end of this summer. Came up with the idea of Climbing Boulders as a way of attracting more people down there. Worked on the design, costs and siting with manufacturers and park managers. Should see them soon! More events in the pipeline for this park! Road speeds are an issue in several places, first one to tackle, Hazelmere. The internal roads have now gone to 20 MPH. Also the B1331 as it passes four school entrances……now 20 MPH after being told it wasn’t going to happen! New path opposite Hartford Hall, again after being told it wouldn’t happen. Had to fight to get Bedlington into the mix for a PlayZone but we were eventually. Then loads of fences and hoops to jump to get it actually built. Now being built at West Lea. The first new build leisure facility in Bedlington I can remember! I’ve also had to tackle house builders on behalf of residents and we have residents meetings with them (I’d like to say regularly but………) so problems can be worked out and residents made aware of what’s going to happen. Sensible communications is very often the key! I have documented just about every aspect to this ‘job’ over the last 8 years even to the point of being referred to solicitors when it doesn’t suit one party’s narrative! I’ve told everyone what’s going on, what’s about to happen and the reasons behind the way I’ve voted on most issues. I can’t think of any resident who has been in touch and who I’ve not responded to. We might not get the answer we wanted but all concerns have been forwarded to the right place. In short this is the sort of stuff I’ve been doing for the last 8 years, a lot of which aren’t really the remit of a councillor but hey it’s Bedlington, someone has to do something! This isn’t an exhaustive list by any means, and for more examples in much greater detail take a look at the Historical Factoids I posted on my Facebook page: “Malcolm Robinson Bedlington West Ward.” If you vote for me it’s not difficult to work out what you will get! Trying to inject some common sense into the county council instead of the political spin and gyrations of the Political Party’s! ‘Residents First’ because I don’t have a political party to promote and gain benefit for, so the only people who tell me what to say and do are my residents. We don’t go backwards and we don’t leave anyone behind! It’s that simple really!

Welcome back! You are right when you say that there were lodging houses at the entrance to Mugger’s Neuk in 1861. There were in fact two, but in 1851 these were one larger lodging house. As I mentioned earlier, housing was scarce for the increasing workforce so as well as the lodging house which housed 17 lodgers (and the family of three who ran it), there were a further 60 people lodging in the market place within the homes of various families. However, I don’t think your relatives were lodgers of either sort. In 1851 there were no Dixons living in the lodging house or lodging with private families in the area where the lodging house was ie. the market place. If your relative is who I think he is, Charles Dixon with father of the same name and a mother named Dorothy, then he did live in the Market Place just to the left of the Howard Arms when facing that building. Why do I think this? The enumerator’s route, 1n 1851, went from “the first house in the corner below the Cross to the last house at the east end of the town on the same side”. He then crossed the road and enumerated “the south side of the town from the first house in the Mill Yard at the east end to the last house in the Half Closes on the same side”. There was a general lack of postal addresses in the 1851 census as the postal system hadn’t really developed at that time. However, there were schedule numbers for each household in the census documents and certain locations were identifiable by the occupation of the residents – such as “innkeepers” and “grocers” who usually lived on the premises. Looking at the 1851 census for Bedlington, district 2a (which includes the market place), and following the enumerators route, as he himself describes it above, the first house below the cross has schedule number 1. Successive sch. nrs. are given in sequence to the various households along the route. NB. The sch. nr. applies to a household, NOT a building. There may be several households in one building. Continuing eastwards in the enumerator’s footsteps from Muggers corner towards Leadgate House (on the corner opposite the Northumberland Arms) you will find at sch. nr 29 an innkeeper with the unusual surname Petrie. Unfortunately, there is no name to the inn. However, if we look up Petrie in the following 1861 census, we can see that he is in the same position and that his business is the Howard Arms. That sorted out we leave sch. Nr 29, the Howard Arms, and get back onto the enumerator’s route. We don’t have to go far to find Charles and Dorothy Dixon together with 5-year-old Charles Dixon and his siblings because he is at sch. nr 31, almost next door to the tavern. At sch. nrs. 30, 31 and 32 are three small households which probably, but not certainly, occupy the small row of buildings which I’ve arrowed blue in the map below. What I can say with certainty is that Charles Dixon lived in one of the buildings - or the buildings in the yards behind them -which I’ve marked in red.

Its getting pretty acrimonious this election period. First rebuttal, "It seems the Labour canvassers going around today are saying the schemes and projects I’ve listed in my ‘CV’ post are only what I’m claiming to have been part of or done, in other words a figment of my imagination? Well the lists are there if you want to challenge them, Im quite happy to justify each and every one! In fact if you want some more………. Ill just say this in response, we had a Labour councillor for the four years before I got in and he picked up the nickname……..”The Invisible Man!” Lets not go back to those dark days! We have lost trust in the national government in record time, God forbid the same happens to our county!" Second one, "Just by way of a post script to my last ‘political’ post another claim by the Labour canvassers was that I always vote with the Conservatives. Doesn’t take too much effort to show that’s not true either! As part of the last NCC pre Budget presentations all councillors were given a large number of papers to read through. As I said at the time the financials alone were 467 pages. It would seem I was the only one to pick up on the Advance proposals they contained. You might think with tens of millions of pounds at stake it would be a stand alone item but I could only find three quite curtailed references to it. As usual I asked about it because I didn’t understand completely what was intended. Once I had the explanations my words were……….”That’s a deal breaker for me, if I went along with it I couldn’t look my residents in the eyes ever again!” Now I’ve put that in inverted commas because that’s exactly what I said at the time in the faces of the main political and professional players at County Hall and that why I voted against the conservative proposed budget. Fast forward to the recent vote on the restructure of Advance, only a month or so ago, and we see the whole Labour group vote with the conservatives on this issue with only Independents voting against. These days I only believe half of what I see and nothing of what I hear, that might be good advice for residents in what is fast becoming a pretty acrimonious election period. I’m trying to remain positive and not descend to levels others are crawling around in, but it’s hard!"

https://funeral-notices.co.uk/notice/miller/5241321 Those who remember Joyce Miller (and Biffy the dog), please see the attached. She loved Hartford and telling patients “there’s no such thing as can’t - if you say you can’t you really mean you won’t”.

Make a cup of tea, there's no way of explaining this quickly! This may throw a little light on the mystery! The enumerator for Bedlington, District 9 in the 1911 census, was one J W Gaskin. He appears to have been a man who took his work very seriously. Going above and beyond the call of duty in meticulously recording the statutory requirements: name, age, birthplace etc. of each person he recorded even a brief description of the building in which the residents lived. From these descriptions I think its now possible to identify the buildings at Bank Top – at least in 1911. @loopylou Yesterday you described the census for 1911 in the following manner. (I’ve taken the liberty of colour coding your text so that I can compare them to census records, photos and maps. Unfortunately I can't use coloured text here). You said: “No. 1 Craggs (missing, a shop? Uninhabited?) BLUE No. 2 Craggs Buildings (Weightman) BLUE No. 3 Craggs Buildings (Elliott) BLUE No. 4 Craggs Buildings (Kinghorn) BLUE following these are Old Puddlers Arms (Mawson) GREEN Old Puddlers Arms (Thain) GREEN Old Puddlers Arms (Cole) GREEN Old Puddlers Arms (Burrell) GREEN All of these addresses ”Old Puddlers Arms” have two rooms each, which equates with the eight rooms described in the auction. then confusingly Craggs Buildings (no number) (McMullen) RED No. 2 Craggs Buildings (Thompson) RED No. 3 Craggs Buildings (Hutchinson) RED No. 4 Craggs Buildings (Campbell) RED No. 5 Craggs Buildings (Hadaway) RED Craggs Buildings (no number) (Parker) RED These also had two rooms each. Then after follows River View. It would appear that No. 2/3/4 are duplicated, but I do not think that these are the same properties, rather that the end six properties later become No. 9-14 of Craggs.” Let's ompare that with what the enumerator says. The enumerator describes the buildings these people lived in as follows: P 10: Sch nrs. 217 – 219 “Craigs Buildings, 1 block of 4 cottages” (1 unoccupied therefore only 3 sch. Nrs.) BLUE P 10: Sch nrs. 220 – 223 “Old Puddler’s Arms, 1 block 4 dwelling houses” GREEN P 11: Sch nrs. 224 – 229 “Craigs Buildings 2nd block in flats, 6 dwelling houses” RED There after follows River View starting with “a semi-detached villa, a villa, 6 more semi-detached villas and then 1 block 7 cottages”. If we transfer that information to a map (this one from 1924 as it’s the nearest I have) it looks like this: Following on from the red marking of Craigs Buildings, 2nd block, I’ve marked the enumerator’s description of River View: semi detached villa (pink), villa (yellow) and 7 semi-detached villas (purple), 1 block of 7 cottages (orange). If we then transfer that information to the 1930s photo it looks like this: There are a couple of questions that arise: The unmarked space between the blue marking and the green marking has no immediate explanation from the enumerator. I would suggest that it could be one of the 3 houses, each with four rooms, described in the 1864 advert as these are “adjoined” to the Puddler’s Arms. If this is the case then it should be marked BLUE. Much depends on the location of the outer wall of the Puddler’s Arms – to the right of or to the left of the unmarked space? In total, the three cottages have 12 rooms. The advert dated 1869 includes 6 double cottages of 2 rooms each. This also gives a total 12 rooms, so these could be the 3 roomed cottages mentioned in 1864. An alternative explanation for the space would be that it was occupied by the 2-roomed cottage offered for sale with the Puddler’s Arms in 1869 as part of the same lot for sale in 1869. If this is the case then it should be marked GREEN. To me it seems that, at least in 1911, the large building contained not only the public house (to the right) but also 6 flats (to the left). I’ve said before that housing was at a premium due to the need for a greatly increased workforce in Bedlington. Perhaps the Puddler’s Arms originally occupied the whole of the building but renting out accommodation may have given the opportunity to provide a better income – for infinitely less effort.

My latest offering........... Been told off several residents today they have received their postal voting papers today and they have filled them in, ticking my name, and reposted straightaway. Thanks very much I really do appreciate the trust you have shown! I have tried to steer well clear of the shenanigans going on at the minute with political posts in Bedlington, preferring to illustrate lessons from recent Bedlington history we should all be aware of. Failure to learn from the past is a recipe for continued failure and I think we have had enough of that! As all the main political parties played roles in what I see as snubbing the needs of this Town I cannot understand how anyone can trust them again. Time and time again we have seen decisions based purely on political party benefit and that’s why I think the political parties are part of the problem not the solution! It’s also one of the main reasons I get reprimanded so much by chairs in meetings because I call it out every time I encounter it. There are excellent Independent choices at these elections, people with real experience and knowledge, people who have leant how the system works and where the failures are, so they know what to look out for and how to get around them. That takes years to learn, not 5 minutes! I said at the very beginning of this election this is about trust, I don’t think we can trust any of the political parties given how they have screwed us over every time they have been in power. Even at national level we can see how much political manifestos are worth and if they can get away with it what chance do we have at this level of government? In the last 8 years of being a county Councillor I’d like to think I have never broken the trust and faith people gave me when they elected me, from day one! It’s your choice, please use it wisely.

I think this is how Craggs Buildings may have been numbered. It seems it was named this due to the former license holder of the Puddlers Arms being a J. W. Craggs. He had the pub in 1887 before dying in 1889, aged 43. No. 1 started where the Bank Top is now, and continued down to No. 13/14 next to River View. No. 1 - 4 are the cottages that separated the Puddlers from Bank Top Hotel. The 1881 census lists an address “Clark’s Cottages” inbetween “Liddle’s Cottages” (Liddle’s Yard) and “Puddler’s Arms”. I think it’s likely Clark’s Cottages referred to No. 1-4. A former landlord of the Puddlers was Henry Clark. No. 5 - 8, an auction piece on 22 Oct 1864 (Newcastle Daily Chronicle) lists the Puddler’s Arms as having “eight large rooms”. Possibly that the Puddler’s was split into four two-room flats. No. 9 - 14, the same auction piece lists the Puddlers Arms as having “three houses, with four rooms each, adjoining the above.” I believe these were split into the six two-room apartments of No. 9 - 14, as a later auction piece on 27 Feb 1869 (Newcastle Daily Journal) now describes the attached property to Puddler’s Arms as “six double cottages”. Photo with the door numbers included.

@Alan Edgar (Eggy1948) I think the bungalow you reference as River View in the older picture is actually the second one in, number 2? Maps has a no 1 River View which nearly lines up with a corner house in Tomlea Avenue . But the current end house (2) is a bit further down. I assume a few got demolished over the years.

Then and Now

@loopylou & @Canny lass the only old photo I have seen that includes Craggs Buildings is the 1930s one in one of Evan Martin's books on Bedlington :- And I think Craggs buildings are the ones I have marked with a red star in this copy :-

Not that my memory is brilliant these days but I do recall Joe Rooney mentioning the fire when he posted a comment about his older broter :-

I don’t know if there are photos of Cragg’s Buildings out there, but there were some in the papers in 1943 after it was on fire. (No. 5, 6, 7 and 8).

Topic: Mary (molly) Rooney 1926-2008 It was the same Joe Rooney that posted the above topic in ‘Public Notices & Announcements’, December 8 2008, that I was referring to. He died in 2010. April 2010 @sissinghurst posted 2 topics: 'Joe Rooney poorly' followed by 'Joe Rooney’s Passing'. @loopylou the topic 'Mary (molly) Rooney 1926-2008' posted in ‘Public Notices & Announcements’ might be of interest to you as Molly was born at 6 Craggs Buildings, Bank top which you mentioned in an earlier post.

@Canny lass thank you very much for your research 🙂 @Alan Edgar (Eggy1948) thank you for the maps and image comparison I didn’t think that I would be able to see a photo of Oldgate Row (or that any existed) so this is a great help. My ancestors lived there for a few years 1908-1911 then (John Rooney) died so from there they were scattered around the Bank Top & Furnace area. A lot of the rows (Back, Brick & Stone) and then Craigs/Craggs Blgs. I have info about the other places but Oldgate was always the outlier 😁

Sorry about that! I started to doubt myself but now I can say that my posts were correct. You have got it right Eggy. Doctors Row in the first photo and Old Gate Row in the second photo. The building which "looks as if it is being demolished" is in fact the old gate house from which the street above got its name. There used to be five families living in that at one time.

Here it is, arrowed in red.

@loopylou compilation of images - Google steet view 2023 - Market Place photo c1930 & @Canny lass's map extractb :-

Happy to have been able to help! Pubs, in particular are good markers. The landlords were often there for years so you can go to a later census where more addresses are available and get a better location. Another tip is to always read the enumerator's description of his area.

Hi Alan, I’ve checked that too. I’m trying to find my granda, he got my grandma pregnant and her dad, a Home Guard threatened to shoot him if he came back haha. However the name we have doesn’t seem to fit the DNA ancestry profiles. thank you though

The church did a list of burials / I believe It has been opened for cremated remains . John Grundy did an article on the church yard and graves . I think it was covered in the forum Good luck

I haven't heard of either identity discs or first aid kits for children. However, I do recognise the name Lifebuoy - a soap in common use during my childhood, When the pit-baths opened at Netherton Colliery my father refused to use it. He thought it smelled like 'women's scent'. If I'm totally honest, the words he used were "like a whores handbag". I thought it smelled like carbolic myself. He stuck to the hard, green, Fairy Household soap that was grated (on the cheese grater) to put into the washing machine/poss-tub.

The closure order for burials at St Cuthberts was as late as 1983. There are some very old gravestones so it might be worth investigating further.

Thank you so much for the information Netherton isn’t far from Bedlington perhaps the families knew each other. I believe my grandmother had bedding in the drawers, but China in the top. Now the China it’s still there and the drawers are full of family documents and correspondence from 1906 until 1960 . I am trying to upload it onto my iPad. It is taking me ages as I get so caught up reading stuff that it my progress is dead slow stop. I have all the furniture that belonged to my grandparents apart from their beds. I just love it. And I am sure that your family press was just as beautiful.

That is a PRESS - and a very beautiful one if I may say so. There was one in my childhood home as well, though not quite as elegant as yours. Do you know that they were originally intended to store linen, bed clothes, curtains and such. My mother told me that it was one of her 'jobs' as a youngster (and many other young girls too) to make small pleats in the tapes on pillow cases (used to close them) using the edge of a knife. All of these pillow cases would be placed on the shelves with the pleated tapes hanging outwards. When the family had guests they wanted to impress the doors of the press would be left open. I don't know if this was just something done in Netherton Colliery or if it was a general thing in the north east or even England as a whole.

My uncle Bill of 34 Shiney Row Bedlington was a school child during the First World War and each child at his school was given a first aid kit in case another zeppelin was dropped on Bedlington

This will be long! Make a cuppa and get your feet up! The Gibson family research has had to wait while I've been without specs. The six weeks I was told would be needed before getting new specs after my ops turned into three months. I had the temporary specs only ta few days before I got a bleed inside my eye, another op and an inflammation that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy! However, the Gibson family didn't have i easy either - read on! I left the widowed Henry Gibson in 1881, then aged about 67 years, living in the family home on Front Street east in Bedlington. He is still head of the family and the ironmongery business. Also resident are his two sons Philip Hedley Gibson, aged 34 and as yet unmarried, and William James Gibson, aged 26, who has with him his wife of eight months. She is Sarah (nee Mostyn), born to Edward Mostyn and his wife Anne in Flintshire, Wales, but the family moved to St Helens, Lancashire a few years after her birth and it is in St Helens the marriage took place. Sarah seems to have been a gifted child and was studying to become a teacher at the age of 17. Both brothers, having branched out into the world of banking, give their occupation as “Ironmonger & bank agent” but William James has the addition “nail & chain manufacturer”. The company is now calling itself “Gibson Bros & Co.” The “& Co” bit consists of – or at least includes - the husband of their sister, Jane Elizabeth, whom I mentioned earlier when she married engine wright John Archbold in 1863. Just when the partnership was formed is difficult to say but I can say with certainty that it ended in 1883 when, according to a notice in The Commercial Gazette 24 May 1883, the partnership was dissolved due to debts by William James Gibson and Philip Hedley Gibson to John Archbold. Thereafter, the Gibson family, father Henry and the two brothers, continue to run both businesses and despite being owed money, John Archbold doesn’t seem to have done too badly. On his death in 1897 he leaves to his family £2 871 – worth about a half million today (2025). The dissolution of the partnership is not the only misfortune to be suffered by the Gibsons around that time. William had married in 1880 and now it was the turn of older brother Philip Hedley. Like his brother, Philip Hedley does not marry a local girl but takes his bride, farmer’s daughter Jane Brookes, from Salop (Shropshire). They marry September 27, 1882 in the parish church of High Ercall, Salop. The marriage is, unfortunately, not to be a long one for Jane’s death is registered in the 2nd quarter of the following year. They were married for less than one year and as Jane’s death is registered in the Morpeth registration district it’s fair to assume that she had moved north to Bedlington with her husband. By 1891 we can see big changes in the family. Henry, the father, is now 77 years old and still working but the roles of father and son have now reversed. Philip Hedley, 44 year-old, is now the head of the household and his father, 77 year old Henry, is his assistant in the ironmongery business. Bank House must seem very empty now with only Philip Hedley, widowed, and his father living there together with a live-in general domestic servant. However, as I mentioned earlier, sister Mary Ellen and three of her children return to live at Bank House for a while before her death in 1901. William and his wife Sarah had, prior to 1891, moved to a home of their own, which brings me back to a photograph, posted by @johndawsonjune1955 which appeared in his first post in this topic: John Dawson could date the photo to 1888 and raised the question of where it might have been taken. @Maggie/915 thought it might have been taken at Vulcan Place, in Bedlington. I am now inclined to agree with her as it is in Vulcan Place, a few doors down from the Northumberland Arms, that William James and his family are living in 1891. At that time the couple have five children: Mary 8, Edward Mostyn 7, William Henry 5, Lilian 4 and James 9 months. If the photo is dated 1888 then the child in the photo could be the eldest child, Mary, who would then be about 5 years old, and the woman behind her could be her mother, Sarah. I’d then hazard a guess that one of the two men behind Sarah could be her husband, William James Gibson and the other may be his brother, Philip Hedley Gibson. Just a thought! The clothing of the three persons, 2 male and 1 female, to the right of the group suggests that they are workers and the tell-tale soot above the door behind them suggests to me that this could even be a nailer’s workshop. Could this have been to the rear of the buildings in Vulcan Place? The woman and child look as if they've just stepped out of the house for a minute, rather than being on a visit away from home. The man in the middle is, however, a mystery. Following the death of their 80 year-old father Henry in 1902, the brothers continue to run the business. Philip Hedley continues to live in Bank House on Front Street East and if the following photo is from 1910, as stated by Cympil (Gibson house is first on the left), then it must be Philip who is responsible for the neo-classic details, of which some still remain, on the building, and the new entrance (now blocked up) into the banking agent’s premises. Philip doesn’t marry again and has no children to take on the business after him when he dies shortly after his father, in 1906. Strangely, while Philip Hedley’s death occurs in Bedlington, his address is given as Newcastle on Tyne. He didn’t do too badly either, leaving £1 395 - worth about £216,761 today (2025). William James, on the other hand, has plenty of children and it’s to them I’ll look to see what happens the ironmongery and nailing business. A bit more research to do yet but it’s a fair bit easier now that I’ve finally got my specs! Watch this space!

Just looking through some family stuff and thought I would share it with other members

Thank you. I just tried to message him direct. Can you add this link to the page? https://funeral-notices.co.uk/notice/miller/5241321

Hi David This is Judi, Joyce's eldest daughter. I remember you, the dinner, which I believe I cooked and of course the cut glass, which she cherished. She retired, almost 30 years ago and moved to Gosforth, where she continued to be a regular gym goer and social butterfly. Sadly she passed this week at the age of 91. A celebration of life will be held in April. As for the grey lady she was definitely a thing. I practically grew up at Hartford and have never seen so many tough men so rattled after one of her visits. I 'me't her once in the Dome room. She was sad, not malevolent. She was the rich daughter of the Hall's owner, who fell in love with a stable boy, and threw herself do her death when she was not allowed to marry him.

Hi James, Yes they were my parents. We left at the end of 1950 and the cottage was pulled down to stop others moving in. Tom

Great work @Canny lass 😄 I agree that this is likely what the buildings were laid out as. A good thing that the enumerator was so detailed. Still such a mystery! A quick peek on the 1881 census brings up also detailed addresses of the area. After Liddle’s Cottages (Liddle’s Yard?) there is “Clark’s Cottages” followed by the Puddlers Arms, then “Millfield Cottages”. After “Millfield” follows Puddlers’ Row. I was wondering due to these two addresses surrounding the Puddlers’, the “Clark’s Cottages” may be a reference to BLUE in Craig’s Buildings, and then “Millfield Cottages” refer to the RED part of Craigs. These addresses aren’t brought up again.

@Alan Edgar (Eggy1948) thank you for the advice, very helpful. There’s a lot of stuff on here to look around at 😁

Sorry I don’t think I worded it right. Oh dear 😅. I did mean door numbers, not the schedule in censuses—I meant to infer that at some point in time the Rooneys seem to live at nearly every door number (3, 6, 8 etc) and the numbers are always changing because they switched houses that much. It is quite interesting to see how everyone in such a small space was connected, because there was quite a lot! In 1939, No. 9 (Tweddle) & 10 (Bell) families connected to the Rooneys as the Tweddle’s adopted a grandaughter of Ellen Rooney. I think the Tweddle’s had been at Cragg’s since about 1914 too.

@Canny lass thank you for the thread, I’d not noticed it before. I think the families must’ve swapped around quite often. Each time I see new census’ and records the building is the same but the door number has changed 😁. Rooneys started living at Craig’s Bldgs by Aug 1914 at least, before that they were at Back Row in 1912 (according to school records of the youngest two sons; Joseph C b. 1900 and John Edward b. 1902 — and a death record for the infant son of eldest dau Margaret b.1888). John’s wife Ellen was a next of kin for my relative in his WW1 record. This had her living at number 3.

@Canny lass if I am on the right wave length was Joe Rooney, ex Banktop moved to Australia, a member of this group and he posted lots of info in History Hollow on the area and the families around the Banktop?

John Rooney had some of my relatives as neighbours!

@loopylouusing the info from @Canny lass this is a then and now of the area.

Charlie’s brother Geoff (my step father) did pass away in South Africa but died of a brain haemorrhage not some mysterious African parasite. It’s very true Charlie and Geoff were very much the polar opposites, even more so with the third brother John. Geoff was more a family man with fantastic values and an ambition to live a better life abroad. A great sportsman, running for county with Morpeth Harriers alongside Jimmy Alder whom went on to bigger success in the sport and, almost, playing lawn bowls for England. Geoffs greatest achievement was raising another man’s children as his own. Giving them his name, his all, and his unconditional love. Although born to a different father, I have proudly carried the surname Kyle since immigrating to SA at the age of 9 back in 1982. Geoff left a lasting impression on all he came into contact with. Loved by many and now, missed by a few.

Thanks for the information . I lived in Bedlington as a child, but moved away, when I was twelve. I spent a lot of time visiting my grandparents who lived in Shiney Row and was delighted after spending yet another holiday up north my husband and I moved back to Northumberland .

Seeing as ab n interest was shown in the Bedlington terrier teapot I thought that I would share another of my grandmother’s teapots with you . i

Have you heard of identity discs for children during the Second World War ? These were like dog tags worn by soldiers , which had the child’s name and address and identity number on These discs were worn round the neck by the child, were as adults had identity cards. Sorry if this is of no interest.

Of course you can share the photos. The biro is just to give an idea of how small the first aid kit is as I couldn’t find a ruler to measure it. All is I know that my uncle was a pious in school in Bedlington and shortly after the Zeppelin crashed there (1915) I think. all the children were presented with one of these.

Your Linen Press looks to be made from Satinwood commonly used for this purpose as its natural oils deterred moths and other creepy-crawlies (fleas). When I have a minute I'll upload some photos of my Satinwood bedroom press and dressing table for comparison ... similar carving. When the fashion for presses ended many were converted into wardrobes but they lacked the depth (front to back) to accomodate clothes hangers on a rail like modern wardrobes, so hooks were usually screwed into the carcassing around the inside. I also have a very large Victorian mahogany linen press in another bedroom which has some 'converted hanging space' but also retains internal drawers for folded clothes; again, a photo to follow. It's good that your linen press seems to be unaltered as much 'old' furniture has been repurposed.

Thanks Canny Lass, I will. I'll contact St Cuthbert's and take a look at the burial records for the cemetery to see what I can find. Thanks for your help.

@Miner Granddaughter not something I have ever looked into and i think the only active members that I have noticed posting in connection with St Cuthbert's are @Maggie/915 & @Bedlingtonian

I'm the founder member of that club

Looking at that tea-pot, the terrier seems to have changed shape over the years. Did it not have it's lovely, cuddly, rounded back then! And .... what wouldn't I give to have a tea-pot like that at my 'afternoon teas' - surpassed only by Mrs Bucket's candlelight suppers!

I remember the spitfire too. I think you may have also tried to help fix my Morris Minor at one point

The 1939 census indicates that Adam Gray and his wife, Elizabeth, resided in Toll Cottage. Were they your parents? What year did you move from Toll Cottage?