Contributor Leaderboard

Hi alanc! The big building was the original pump house, in my day it had a small shop where you could buy pop and crisps and get a cup of tea. It was also used as a meeting place for the lads and lasses. Did you ever try what we used to do diving off the lasses cubicles into the shallow end, it realy used to get Wilf hopping mad. When I was at Westridge School my form master was George Marley, his father had the butchers shop near Hayes the chemist.

10. Rock the town with an (accidental) explosion whilst launching an "experimental" rocket from a secret site in Plessey Woods. It was going on for 50 years ago now, and at last the truth can be told. Well... almost!

I remember the baths with fond memories, many happy summers spent there, I also remember we used to go with the school, no transport so we walked from the Whitley Mem. Wilf Marley was the man in charge, he was married to Joan Reed, who was a great friend of my sister Joan, My sister used to often tell us of her and Joanie swimming at the baths during the war and refusing to get out of the water when the sirens sounded. I also remember the annual swimming gala which was a great family day out. Admision to the baths was 3 pence, old money, and the baths were open from 8 am to 8 pm.

I remember the sludge pool well, I ended up in it a couple of times, if you thought that was cold , and it was , then why the heck would we run straight from the hot house and jump into the pool at 3d a day or 2s / 6d for the summer the best value for money I can ever remember, are the Marley's still in Bedlington , I left In 68 (I was 11 then) for the smoke and now reside in Matawan, NJ USA. I posted a class pic , from the Whitley , curious how many are still around? Frank Dott