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.. not enough roughage in their diet, obviously!

There is a History Society in Bedlington, that I know of. A chap called David Cowans is the Chairman. I no longer live in Bedlington but take a great interest from a distant.

Herea re two OS maps. The first, from 1866, shows Sunnyside but it seems to be an area name. There are no rows of buildings but maybe a small farm. The second map is from 1898 and there , for the first time, I can see both Station Terrace and Sunnyside. However, the name Sunnyside has moved to the new row of houses. It can be that locally the area is still referred to as Sunnyside, so you may well have heard the name used. Have a look at a bus timetable for the area. I've found in my research that many bus-stops tend to keep their old names.

All my maps are digital, except for the prints I make from them but you'll need to invest in a computer or even a small tablet to view them. Brains, or what's left of them can always be picked here.

... can't help you there I'm afraid. I've never heard of Cathy Sekker/Secker. I haven't lived in England for almost 34 years.

I've just had alook on Google Earth. Sunniside doesn't exist - only the five house row adjacent to the station house, Station Terrace so that must be what's seen in the photo. Could the name Sunnyside refer to the general area?

Thanks Eggy! I was thinking that it could be Station Row (the short terrace you mention) but the other buildings had me confused. I thought it was a farm. Just out of curiosity I had a look at the Choppington Area today, trying to determine where Sunnyside is. I've always thought of Sunnyside as the name of an area rather than the name of a street but it is in fact the name of a street: This OS map is from 1947 so Sunnyside must have been there when I was a child, yet I have no memory of it. I know the address I visited was Station Row, as my sister called it, but it is in fact Station Terrace according to the map. @lilbill15 you may be right, the houses in the picture may well be Sunnyside. I've no idea how the area looks today. However, looking at Alan's recent Google earth picture I can't seem to detect that row of houses. The Equestrian Centre seems to occupy the site - If I'm looking at the right area.

Hi Moe! [Whistle test fan eh?!! great!] The tyre shop's a blast from the more recent past,but which I totally forgot aboot! In my hard-up days,I bought two "Colway" tyres from the guy, [a really pleasant bloke],and they were wobbling and "wowwing" ,so I went back and told him,within ten minutes he had changed both tyres and shook me hand and thanked me for just gaanin back,and not slagging him off ti anybody. A canna mind hoo lang he lasted on the bank wi his shop. The surgery was there since the world began a think!! Aad Doctor Hickey,Robertson,and Ivory were there for donkey's years!

Heh heh! Thanks folks for your kind comments! Regarding the tablecloths,a knaa when a was a kid,it didn't matter if ye were eating Roasted rabbit pie,or roast beef......the oilcloth on the tyble stunk wi a characteristic odour,not dirty,cos Mother was spick and span,and used ti tell us kids there's nea excuse for being dorty,cos soap's cheap and wetta cost nowt!! The tarry-toot on the flair was great fo' mekking flaming skimmers!! Ye tore bits off the floor oilcloth,aboot six inches aroond,lit it on a bonfire,and "skimmed"it inti thi air!! The melted bits used ti flea off in aal directions,like sparklers,still hoying little flames off!!...a think that's wat the red Indians musta used ti set the wagon trains on fire wi tha burning arrows!![they obviously had been owa heor fo' a holiday and seen HPW and friends acting thasel's!] Ye knaa,wi did aal these laddie-like things,fires,sheath-knives,catapults,and a nivvor knew of anybody ivvor gettin' born't,stabbed, or eyes put oot! Aa got born't under me armpit,and me wooly jarsey aal singed wi a hole in it,wen a was aboot nine ya' aad , but it wasn't wi playin' wi fire,it was a bloody duff "Aeroplane" type of firework,which was placed on the garden waal,[Hollymoont Square cooncil low waal..],by a friend's Dad,who was the adult supervisor of his Son's fireworks display in thi street. Insteed o' the firework tekkin' off and flee'ing up in thi air,the bugga tuk off for aboot six feet,horizontally,and like a maddened Bee,torned on a thruppeny bit,and headed stryght inti my body,as a sed,lodging itsel under me armpit,and flames rushing oot like a rocket gone mad!! Still didn't frighten me from clarting on wi fires mind!! .......digress.......!!

Agreed; love reading this stuff, it really does provide a rare insight.

You paint a wonderful picture HPW, as good as any of the Pitmen Painters.

Hi Merc!Just walk up the bank from the bridge,heading towards the rail crossing.aboot three-quarters of the way up on ya left side,just walk over the wide green bit till you come to the edge where the field starts. Look among the large bushes at the rear,and you will find the remains of the old chapel wall....nowt exciting....not exactly a castle,but a few courses of old handmade bricks from [probably] Choppington brickworks,and with a little bit of history. I was chuffed ti see them cos I used ti play on that wall at age three years,in aboot 1947,and had to be lifted up by my older Sisters. in reality,the wall might have only been aboot three feet high for aal I knaa!! Alan Dickson lived in Storey's Buildings in the latter years [1970's I think],and he has already posted info about the street and shops etc somewhere else on the site,maybe if you go back a canny few pages you will find the info. Pilgrim,you may well be right about Embroidery,but the only sewing I ever knew among aal the marra's I had when I was underground,was stitching wa breeks wi thin detonator wire[capwire],whenever they got ripped,which was every other day! That,and also,stitching the "Airbags"....when the blast from the shots being fired tore them to ribbons....and they were our lifeline.....no airbags....no air!! Airbags were flexible ducting in lengths of about 25 yards,which we had to couple together as the roadways advanced inbye..,and were fed by Auxiliary fans which were stationed outbye in a fresh air stream. You can see our airbags on my Bates Pit Photographs on Flickr. Pilgrim,I can picture,and smell,the oilcloth tablecloths yet...red tartan,sometimes yellow,and sometimes wi fruit and vegetables aal owa them for a kitchen tyeble...heh heh!!