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Thanks for such a considered reply Mr D. Firstly I think you have to admit mods have the same right to express opinions as any other member. That being the case you then have to consider the 'personality' and their particular ways of expression as would be exactly the case if they weren't mods. That would be best case, however you will know there are many times mods have to bite their tongues, that just the nature of the game. I really don't want to get into the recent 'have a go at the mods' scenario which has developed but when things burst into flames someone has to be standing with a bucket of water, when they throw it is up to them, how well they do can only be judged by the audience not the protagonists. If the site is to develop and succeed any and all ideas have to be taken at face value, if a community site starts to make arbitrary decisions without reference to its core clientele there is only one likely outcome. Therefore any ideas should be given consideration; you might have to debate the point to make it mind depending on how controversial it might be. Let's take your 'poker night', not forgetting I have signed up to it! It goes up on, basically, a public platform; hardly surprising people with no intention or interest in it have a go, in a light-hearted way. The fact is you have about 10 people interested, I would have thought that's a result? As for the business advertising, I have already said I think a lot are missing out but let's look at this another way. Tomtom's posting in 'Likes and Loathes' about the White Swan is probably worth more to that business than a professional advert on this site, word of mouth recommendation being what it is. That is probably more down to tomtom of course. As for TOTT and Chat, last time I looked you had to be a member to get into TOTT. Although not a great restriction in access it does designate some affirmative action has to be taken on your own behalf to enter. I would be of the opinion a 'loose cannon section' with strict access criteria might be more useful rather than imposing a set of strict posting rules for TOTT? You could always start the thread Mr D, as a test? At the end of the day the site being a community site reflects the attitudes within that community and the wide variance contained therein. People will follow certain threads they are interested in and not others, that's their choice and long may we continue to have that choice!

Good luck John

Mr D I want to reply to your criticism concerning this web site and as it concerns merc's last sentence it will have to be on the board and not a PM. Local businesses, by and large, have consistently failed to take advantage of what a local site like this can offer, and that was from day one when 125 were asked if they wanted to put up a FREE advert and 3 or 4 responded. That was BEFORE the boards got going, about 13 years ago! I can understand it might not fit with every business model but mainly retailers and service providers turning down free advertising??????? It was always set up as a community site so little wonder the forums became the most popular part. Within that you have to realise there will be a cross section of our community represented with some being far more 'vocal and vociferous' than others and if you add in the use of pseudonyms and people's propensity to be critical and promote their own agendas small wonder some of the threads blow up sometimes. ALL reported threads are treated seriously and there are reasons why the 'delete' button or the 'approve' button is hit. It's a fine line sometimes but I wouldn't want to be part of something where there is a heavy hand of censorship applied. I think the most important difference between Chat and TOTT is the fact that one is open to all and the other for members only and that might flavour some postings and moderation. The site would seem to offer something for most people now with the range of sub forums it has and I would point to a better than 50% increase in membership over the last year as testament to its appeal. Regular posters such as yourself will have played a role in that, but let's not stop there, let's try and replicate that next year too! Mr D I am not trying to be overtly critical of your post or inciting in any way, just putting my point of view out there.

Perhaps in those early days, the others either were not aware of what a force bedlington.co.uk were going to become, or they just wanted to sit back and see how the website developed. Either way, every single suggestion i, and others have made has been in some way "jestered". My opinion (and i know i said i would not say this again, but it seems it needs clarification) is that this site needs 1 area where serious discussion is held. In this area, people should be made to be at the very least constructive. I have no problem with anyone telling me my ideas are pants, but i still expect, at the very least, some sort of encouragement with a reply, especially from a moderator of the site. Merlin wrote once something like "I don't think that would work... but..." and this is exactly the response that should be made. As a point of fact, take the Poker thread. The first suggestion, by a moderator, was to forget Bedlington, and go online. Is this the attitude to have? i think not! If something as simple as adding a poker night to a pub or hall is treated this way, what is a serious advertisement going to fetch? 2 local potential radio stations have shown their face, and one is simply being bullied in my eyes. Again, i have no problem with the questions being asked, they are relevant, and bluntly, need asked. its the way they are being asked, and the insinuations behind the posts that i believe is wrong. The replies from those budding businesses are also out of line, but i see why they got that way. Let me be clear here, i've been a moderator here, and i was not up to the job. However i saw my failings, and asked to step aside for the good of the website. This is because for some reason i actually care about the future of this website. Please, show me one instance apart from Synergy FM where advertising on this forum did the business good, and i'll show you 3 where the members of this board (Including myself at one stage) made it a bad move on the part of the business. As for chat central being open to more than TOTT, when did this happen? the only forum available to a wider audience that i am aware of it Northumberland Chat. In what way is Chat Central different to TOTT? We have a good website here, with a good foundation of members. If those members, (including myself) were to adhere to a more strict set of posting rules in TOTT, or another forum section launched for the purpose, then i believe the credibility of this site will increase ten fold. I'm not saying posts should be removed completely, just advice given on how to get the point across without going too far and being, to be blunt, offensive. I'm a member of several forums where posts in the serious section are moderated completely, and nothing is allowed through without prior approval and moderation. This, i believe, should be the case for this new/old section devoted to this cause. At least for certain members who flout the rules, moderator's or not. In short, lets start getting serious and constructive about Bedlington, at least in one forum!

Mr D as Malcolm says it was a light hearted reply, some times me thinks you take things a little too serious and personal and that's not a dig! You know what Monsta's like and you know what I am like, I think we both knew you were being serious, but you're so easy to wind up, sometimes it's best just to ignore us, I mean, as again Malcolm said, you got a good response to your topic and I hope you all enjoy your night! I'll know when it is because I'll hear the sirens and see the blue lights heading to break up a mass brawl when you can't agree whether aces were high or low! See what I mean I just can't help myself

I second that John, do continue to keep us updated on Synergy. Your hard work and enthusiasm will pay off and the town is behind you.

LHR Many thanks. It`s been a while...

Had a really nice meal in the White Swan at Choppington recently - menu choice superb and reasonably priced. I liked this place very much and would certainly recommend a visit.

Although i agree with the rest of your post, you seem to miss the point i was making about the poker night. I posted it in the Talk of the Town section, as this was meant for serious discussion, yet the first reply was negative: Had i wanted replies like that, i would have posted in Chat Central, where any comment (within reason) goes. Had this been from a regular member, it would have been a little more accepted as humorous, but a moderator should, in my opinion, be setting a standard. This is where holding back on the comments comes with the responsibility. The only reason the thread progressed was because i did not bite as hard as i normally would have, and continued anyway. The outcome of the thread in no way affects the fact the post was in poor taste, especially from a site moderator, and should not have been posted. Anyway, this thread has become majorly off-topic too, and perhaps should be split? just a suggestion.

Malcolm, I think I may have been a touch unfair with that final sentence, as there is more to me not advertising on here than simply the 'tone'. I may be based locally, but my business is not, per se, 'local' so I see it serving little purpose. However, I am in the process of looking at more local business possibilities, so will consider the option. A quick one for TomTom - the North and 'reasonable' are not phrases I would class together (I'm assuming you're talking prices) and I know of no publicans who are unduly worried about the impending opening of Wetherspoons; the reasons are quite simple - people frequent this pub or that because they feel at home there, they meet the people they want to meet there, they like the ambience, music, staff, beer, pool table, bandits. whatever. Those people aren't suddenly going to up-sticks and head to Wetherspoons.

A photo of Barrington Colliery, dated May 1916 if it`s any use to you

Comments moved to HERE!

Tommy Brown (r.i.p) was compere and if i remember right the band was possibly Prism?