I now know work started back in 2015 but although I have past the old coop building many times in the past couple of years, and noticed there was work going on for the East Bedlington Community Centre, I never knew what they were planning Platform 1. Having noticed @Les Dixon's post about the gig last Friday I had a search to see exactly where the gig was taking place in Bedlington Station and that's when I found out it was the old Coop building on Station Street.
My first real memory of the coop building is that's the place, The Dole Office (Department of Employment), we went upstairs in the building to sign on when we left school in 1965 and I have no idea what use it has been put to over the last 52 years.
Some info I have found on line about the project are :-
http://www.eastbedlingtonpc.org.uk/hall.php?id=126
East Bedlington Community Centre
The Trustees of East Bedlington Community Centre are excited to announce that they have been awarded £845,715 from Big Lottery Reaching Communities (Buildings). It is the 3rd largest award to be made in England and the largest single amount for Northumberland. The award is the final piece of the capital fund jigsaw, with funding already confirmed from East Bedlington Parish Council (£450,000) and CISWO (£48,500). To read the full press realease click here.
Work started on the refurbishment early in 2016 and is estimated to take around 28 weeks to complete.
The Centre is managed by a committee of local people, supported by East Bedlington Parish Council who act as Custodian Trustees.
Hire charges start from £10 per hour for use of the main hall. We are now taking bookings from 1st April 2017. To arrange a booking please contact Ron Thornton or Jenny Tindale on 01670 828808
Press Release 9th November 2015 - full pdf docment at :- http://www.eastbedlingtonpc.org.uk/userfiles/files/Document Archive/Public/Miscellaneous/Community Centre/press release Big Lottery.pdf
Extract from the document :-