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Seems another, albeit less important, election has been forecast for June 8th.

The green waste bin has now been removed from in front of the train, but not re-sited . Naturally it hasn't taken those that would use a public waste bin long to notice that now there is no where for the public to deposit their rubbish. Facebook - Bygone Bedlington post :- Eleanor Mclean Well done to to council for finally taking away the bins in front if the train but not soooo good to the people responsible for not finding another bin to put their litter in ????

Hi Britbob,and welcome to the site! I first met Phil Bryant at the preliminary training centre [mining]at Seaton Burn colliery,in 1959,where I started aged 15 yrs. He was the most gentlest giant you ever met,I say giant,cos when we were 15 years old,he towered above the rest of our little group of marra's,who included Tom Pearson,who's Parents ran the Hartford Hotel,[we used to sing Elvis' Heartbreak Hotel but subsitute Hartford for heartbreak!] Billy McGlen,Willy Wake,Jim Hardy,[are ye in there Jim?!be nice ti hear from ye!]. In those days,most of the lads who were learning guitar or bass,or drums,had to make do with budget instruments,and like me,were self-taught,by playing records at slow speed,learning the riffs or tunes,like me......Hank was my Hero,along with Duane Eddy and all the other masses of instrumental groups...[NOT bands!!!],that hit the charts every week,in the 50's and 60's. So,when time went by,and our training ended,Phil and me lost touch as we went to different pits. It so happened that I had started practising with an old friend and two other lads,when one night there was a knock on my Mother's door,and when I opened it,there was Phil Bryant standing,along with some members of a group he had formed. He came ,upon recommendations from people who had heard me playing,to ask if I would join his group. Well,I have always been a loyal sort of lad,and couldn't even think of deserting my own marra's,to go with Phil and his Marra's. This was around 1962-ish,I was about 18 yrs aad by then,and knew Robin Hadaway only in passing,cos he played guitar as weel,starting,like me,with a Rossetti "Lucky Seven" guitar,made out of plywood,and was virtually a guitar-shaped orange box!![mind,aav still got mine,but it's in a sad state noo!] Next thing aa knew,Phil was playing bass guitar in the Avengers,with Robin on lead guitar. They were about as average as my group,seeing as we had 8-watt Hohner amps,no echo units,cheap guitars,no mikes,had to use the club's mike's which were atrocious......but we passed,until we did get better gear as time went by. I used to play 50-50 sometimes,at the Clayton Ballroom,with the Avengers,where I met my Wife,in 1962,at the skating rink,one Wednesday night in February. This was before The Avengers were taken on by Alan McKay,[who was a manager at Bedlingon CO-OP],and who signed for 1200 pounds worth of the top quality instruments,"Burns Marvin" for Robin,"Hofner Verithin" bass for Phil,etc.[THAT....was a LOT of pound notes!!] Suddenly,with a top-notch P.A and Echo/reverb unit,and several gud mikes,they would be entering for the "Northern Echo" Group competition...and they were bloody fantastic! Sadly,Graham Bell passed away, a few years ago,and when he was in his prime,he could match any of the rhythm and blues singers of the day. His rendering of Stones' early tracks were great,and his Harmonica playing made your hair stand on end! Last I heard of Phil,was that he had joined the Merchant Navy after the group split,don't know exactly when. I wud luv ti hook up with Phil again,if he is still knocking aroond!! He was a great bass-player,and a smashing lad!

Hi It is open as from today! All welcome ?

It's champion!

If you ever have a few hours to spare and want to check out Blyth's past then have a walk down down memory lane, via hundreds of images, on Bob Simmons blog :- http://aboutblyth.co.uk/

Google aerial image, 2016, with David Hayes aerial photo of Bates Pit c1982