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You are a star Sir. I just wanna find out and what made grandad who he was. I can feel a visit to Bedlington coming off in the near future, thank you very much, I love the photo.

WARNING! May contain boring facts and figures. Where were we (life has a nasty habit of getting in the way at times)? Ah yes, the ‘Christian’ tradition of Easter. Now it is upon us once more and approximately 80 million chocolate eggs - with or without the word ‘Easter’ - will have been sold to Britain’s 65.64 million inhabitants (2016). That’s 1.25 eggs per person, whatever their religious belief. To put another way, it’s a massive 61.5 eggs for each and every one of the 1,233,000 persons attending an Easter Church service in one of the Church of England’s (C ofE) 16 000 churches the same year. www.churchofengland.org. However, Christianity in the UK is not the sole domain of the Anglican Church. We must also take into consideration the other major Christian denominations: Catholic, Presbyterian, Orthodox, Pentecostal and Evangelical. I think the question of whether or not the word Easter has been removed from ALL chocolate eggs has been well and truly put to sleep. Eggs are available both with and without the word Easter emblazoned on their packaging (see previous posts). The question remains, however, as to why the word Easter does not appear on ALL eggs. I have previously posited the theory that the word is not necessary – an Easter egg is egg-shaped, seasonally available and easily identifiable to a reasonably well educated Brit. If further proof is needed then it’s to be found in the humble pace egg (you’re not still calling them ‘paste’ eggs, are you?). We recognize a pace egg for what it is and we do that because of its shape and seasonal availability. In my lifetime, at least, there’s never been any hue and cry about the absence of the word ‘pace’ on a pace egg and that despite the fact that ‘pace’ is just another word for Easter (from the Latin ‘Pacha’, meaning Easter). I think it may be only Britain who’s kept the pagan name (see previous posts). I hold fast with my previous theory but would now like to introduce a second theory into the debate. ‘Chocolate manufacturers have long since understood the dwindling religious significance of Easter and adapted their product accordingly’. British society has changed in many ways, not least with regard to religion, and it’s still changing. There’s a plethora of research supporting this change. The UK census started to take up religion in 2001, giving insight into the most recent changes. The British Social Attitudes Surveys (BSAS) 1983-2016 give an even better insight while the publication Church Statistics, with data from 2005-2010 and forecasts up to 2025, is a real eye-opener – for anyone who doesn’t have a closed mind, that is. So, what does all this research tell us? It tells us the following (If you prefer you can read the original long version at https://faithsurvey.co.uk/uk-christianity The Church Statistics report tells us that: · UK church membership is down from 10.6 million (1930) 5.5 million (2010). That’s equivalent to a reduction from 30% to 11.2% of the population. · In England, church membership is forecast to be down to 2.53 million (4.3% of the population) by 2025. · 2005-2010 saw a move away from the major Christian denominations and all noted a reduction in membership. (Pentecostal and some new churches experienced a rise in membership). · Church attendance is down from 11.8% to 5% of the population. The British Social Attitudes Survey (BSAS) demonstrates that 1983-2014: · Anglicism is declining more rapidly than any other denomination. In 2014 only 17% identified as Anglican (a decline of 23% since 1983) · The C of E population has almost halved (16.5million to 8.6 million) · The Catholic population is slightly reduced (4.1 million to 4 million) · People with no religious affiliation have almost doubled (12.8 million to 24.7 million) · Non-Christian religious numbers have increased five-fold (0.8 million to 4 million · 2014, 52% of Anglican Church members, 26% of Catholic Church members and 40% of other Christian church members NEVER attended church for anything other than weddings, funerals and christenings. A WIN Gallup poll in 2014 demonstrates that: · the UK is one of the world’s most IRRELIGIOUS countries of the 65 taking part · 30% of Brits identified as religious · 13% identified as atheists · 53% identified as not religious · Top of the league was Thailand with 84% identifying as religious and bottom was China with only 7% identifying as religious The UK census 2001-2011 shows us that: · Christians born in Britain fell by 5.3 million (10 000 a week!) · Christians born in Britain could, at the present rate, be reduced to zero by 2067 · The 2011 census show a rise in irreligious persons from 7.7 million (2001) to 14.1 million (2011). The C of E has done its very own survey which shows us that: · The usual Sunday attendance at church services in 2016 was 740 000 people · 1.2 million people attended an Easter service in 2016 · Over recent decades church attendance has decreased and continues to decrease · 2006-2016, Easter service attendances have decreased by 17% and Easter communicants by 19% So, maybe the chocolate manufacturers are not ‘removing’ the word ‘Easter’ to sell eggs to the ethnic minorities in Britain. Perhaps they are simply following the trend of Easter’s reduced religious significance within the Christian community. On that note may I wish the 8.6 million strong C of E population, together with the 4.1 million strong Catholic population, a very Happy Easter. Enjoy your Easter eggs. May I also wish the 4 million non-Christians, together with the 24.7 million not religiously affiliated in any way, a very Happy ENFORCED Holiday (I know, I know, I’d rather have that long W/E in the summer as well!). Enjoy your chocolate eggs. To those of you who don’t fall into either category may I simply wish you a very Happy Thing-a-ma-jiggy-me-bob-retail event. Enjoy your eggs any which way.

Hi. Telephone Row is no longer standing, along with all the other rows of colliery houses housing workers from the Dr. Pit colliery, also now long gone. It has been replaced by (I think) woodland along the course of Hassop Way, on the Beaufront Park housing estate. If you check the larger map at the end of this post by Eggy you will see exactly where Telephone Row was located... https://www.bedlington.co.uk/forums/topic/2684-double-row-bedlington/?do=findComment&comment=67005 Hope this helps a bit.

I am trying to find out as much about my grandads family as I can. His name was Thomas Rickatson and he was born in a place called Telephone Row. Can anyone tell me please is it still standing, or if not, what the area is closed now. Grandad is second left at the back and front and centre is my great grandma

Translation (bracketed text for information only): 'Big MOUTH honey (oh, you affectionate thing) the cap fits stick it on your head, no translation needed.' Sorry Moe, while you yourself may understand every word you utter, there are readers who don't understand the geordie dialect and I think they have the right to know what you are saying and thereby be better able to judge your rhetorical skills. The Google translation service may be quite good but as yet it hasn't mastered Geordie.

Sods law - but good in this case, I think. There is a photo taken from the Dr Pit Head Gear, possibly posted by @Rigger on the Facebook sixtownships site, and it is commented that it is Telephone Row in the photo :-

@Airlie Bird - The maps that I look at online, National Library of Scotland, have all the areas divided into segments and the only one that shows all the old pit rows plus the Doctor Pit is the 1896 map. There are a couple of photos, that have been posted on the Bedlington Facebook sites, of Telephone Row residents but they only show the subject outside their own door - never seen a full street view of the row. There are photos, from @John Fox (foxy) that show Doctor Terrace standing in 1989 and a couple of the demolition of Doctor Terrace at a later date - I don't know the year it was demolished and I have always assumed that Telephone Row - Cross Row & New South Row were demolished years before Doctor Terrace & Shiney Row but I have no proof. A 2017 Google aerial shot of the area with 'APPROX' outline for where the pit & rows used to be

If ye find that intarestin hinny ya even more of a borein wazzack than a thought ya wore