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Hi Bedlingtonians Have just posted on events calender if you want to check it out Westridge County Secondary School Reunion if you where in RXY forms likes of Jimmy Watson, Tom Miller, Janet Common, Joe Lees, Alan Coultas any one else of those years I think ! 1967/68 and think it would be a good idea to see what we have done since we left Westridge. Reunion early July 2017, if anyone is interested please contact Malcolm G Allan Glastonbury Somerset through bedligton.co.uk Thanks Yours in the Spirit of Co-operation Malcolm G Allan.

Thats correct George married Kitty and they ran the shop for many years, I can remember the shop well it was very traditional with bottles of Villa pop on display along the shelves at the back of the counter, the range that cooked the fish and chips was coal fired, goodness knows how George controlled the temperature of the fat, I think it was latter replaced by an electric or gas range. It has a little sitting in area to the side and I can remember having chips and a glass of pop, also behind the counter was a door leading to a kind of parlour big open range fire. It was always busy when the Gate club closed and when the last bus came in, Kitty was a lovely woman and George cooked great tasting fish and chips..

Thanks for that link pilgrim, I never knew that Harry had become a headmaster or that he was an Author. I heard he had passed away but did not know it was under such tragic circumstances. He was a lovely man who loved his work and was well liked and respected by the children he taught. May he rest in peace.

I recall that Harry Dobson did indeed pass over a few years back - a great loss http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/north-east-news/former-morpeth-headmaster-harry-dobson-4480568 Was thinking of those times and think that the matriarch of the Rice family of the chip shop at Scotland Gate was known as 'Teeny' and her son was George? There was another teacher at Choppington primary, but can't recall his name - short, balding, quite rotund fellow and I think he may have taken history and English - he was also a lay-preacher and often was at he chapel at Choppington Station.

One or two things to think about when you're sitting around, unable to move, after the Xmas dinner (quotes of Stephen Wright): 1 - I'd kill for a Nobel Peace Prize. 2 - Borrow money from pessimists -- they don't expect it back. 3 - Half the people you know are below average. 4 - 99% of lawyers give the rest a bad name. 5 - 82.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot. 6 - A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel so good. 7 - A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory. 8 - If you want the rainbow, you got to put up with the rain. 9 - All those who believe in psycho kinesis, raise my hand. 10 - The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese. 11 - I almost had a psychic girlfriend, ..... But she left me before we met. 12 - OK, so what's the speed of dark? 13 - How do you tell when you're out of invisible ink? 14 - If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something. 15 - Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm. 16 - When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane. 17 - Ambition is a poor excuse for not having enough sense to be lazy. 18 - Hard work pays off in the future; laziness pays off now. 19 - I intend to live forever ... So far, so good. 20 - If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends? 21 - Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines. 22 - What happens if you get scared half to death twice? 23 - My mechanic told me, "I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder." 24 - Why do psychics have to ask you for your name 25 - If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried. 26 - A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking. 27 - Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it. 28 - The hardness of the butter is proportional to the softness of the bread. 29 - To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research. 30 - The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard. 31 - The sooner you fall behind, the more time you'll have to catch up. 32 - The colder the x-ray table, the more of your body is required to be on it. 33 - Everyone has a photographic memory; some just don't have film. 34 - If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you. 35 - If your car could travel at the speed of light, would your headlights work?

yes MOE - it was Harry Dobson and he was a great teacher - took an interest - he was at king Edwards at Morpeth as a pupil and when I got a place there he took me for extra french and he used to organise trips out. You are right about the surgery being in the front room! and it was opposite the police house. Mr Dawes - a man with a liking to give out a dose of the 'strap' -- pmsl - the days of corporal punishment in schools - now long gone. I recall the chapel it was along from the shop owned by Christopher Million? father? I went to Sunday school there!

seem to recall that the dentist at guidepost was called Norris? 2 doors down was a teacher at the Choppington County Primary Harry Dawes? I knew Dr's Hickey and Ivory and they were true gents of the old school - pity we don't have more of them these days - walked the dogs with Dr. ivory after he retired a few times and what a true gent - my mother was a friend of his and had nothing but praise for him - it wasn't easy for Drs. then without that wonderful thing of hindsight - but they did their best and what they could and will always have my respect. oh and the police house opposite Norris - PC was Tassel -he had two sons - one was called Geoff and I think the older one was Trevor - the father eventually was promoted to Inspector in Newcastle and used to say his name was 'Tassssel' - very French lol.

There is some information and very good pictures on this site http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/c/choppington/ which also gives maps and information about other places locally --- over 115,000 tickets issued at Choppington for the railway in 1911!! and shows the site of the brickworks in what became Barnfather's yard and other buildings along to guidepost etc.

Dr Hickey retired to Ireland and was breeding greyhounds - Dr ivory retired to Cramlington - not many folk know he was a pilot in the RAF.

as an aside - ref the proggy mat - every home I knew had a 'frame' for making mats and it was a whole family thing - its an interesting reflection that then the material was woollen and its possible that with the modern materials 'proggy mats' could not be made now - there is possibly too much differential in fibre strength and thickness due to artificial fibres which wou effect the weave required on the hessian base. what I do recall was that a large number of miners did embroidery in stark contrast to the work they did

The shop at the top of the bank on the east side opposite the Lord Clyde was run by Norman and Peggy Yarrow - they had a daughter Maureen and a son Brian who was the milk man. They moved to the shop in Vulcan Place and Brian was still doing the milk round in recent years. Norman yarrow was heavily involved in one of the churches. (for some reason I cant see the pic?) Jacky wade was indeed a very tall man and after his mother died he married and moved to Spain - not only did he collect lamps but he also had a Dion de Bouton in the shed behind the pub and possibly another vintage car. ref the oilcloth - the Rice family lived at No 5 station terrace at Choppington Station and had the chip shop at Scotland Gate. in those days fish and chips was served in newspaper and the tables were covered in oilcloth!!