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Hi again, i don’t recognise any of the names in your previous post even though my dad lived at no15 which I should think was next door. Two families living next door to each other with the same name would sort of suggest that they may have been related. As I said before my dad was really secretive about his upbringing and his family. It’s almost as if he wanted to forget about where he came from. He went down south when he joined the RAF in the Second World War. His brother ,my uncle Basil also went south, he joined the navy and was in the Special Boat Service. Uncle Baz and their sister Hazel never really lost their accents but my dad lost most of his. Thanks for all your information,it’s really appreciated

Hello everyone My name is Allan and I currently live in Normandy,France. I am going to visit Netherton in March next year as my Father was born at 15, Second Street in 1920. Sadly Dad is no longer with us, he passed away in 2017 aged 96. I don’t know much about my dads childhood so thought I would come and have a look around. I understand that the collery houses are long since gone though. If anyone can suggest places to visit,it would be much appreciated.Thanks

Allan, if you view the video above you will see Plessey Street, formerly called 2nd Second Street. It looks a bit the worse for wear in the video but in 1920, when your father was born there it would be almost "state of the art" as those rows were built between 1907 and 1915 and brought such "mod-cons" as outdoor, flushing toilets, electric lighting and a fresh water tap, in the street - one tap for every 8 houses! You'll find many more details on the photos in the gallery recommended above by Alan Edgar. If you've any questions feel free to ask.

Hi Allan welcome to the forum I remember a year or 2 ago there was a video showing images of the village think from 60s or early 70s I’m sure canny lass or Alan Edgar can point you in the right direction it showed people getting of a bus which ran from grange park bedlington station to netherton colliery every hour if I can remember right the firm was called Raisbecks I believe

Hi Allan, welcome to the forum! You are right in saying that the colliery houses are now gone but there are a couple of remnants of the place left. Howard House, the former pit manager's house, and the adjoining former Office Row, still exists but is now a school. Just a few hundred yards away is Blue House farm which was also there in the 1920s. Moving on towards Morpeth, you come to Nedderton Village where the old junior school exists, though no longer in use as such. However, I'm not sure if it was in use for the colliery children as early as the 1930s when your dad would be a 'junior'. Second Street, Netherton Colliery consisted of 2 rows of houses: 1st Second Street and 2nd Second street, as far as 1911 at least. "nd Second street later became Plessey Street. I'd have to wade through my research for an exact date. Hower there was a Mills family living at number 13 2nd Second Street. Head of the household was Ralph Mills, born Sunderland then aged 29 and married to Rachel, also 29 . They had three children: maria, William and Thomas aged 2 months to 2 years. Only the baby was born in Netherton Colliery indicating that they recently moved to Netherton. Also living in the house was Ralph's brother William, aged 20, also born in Sunderland, Albert Gibbon, a lodger aged 21 and Barbara Scott, a 19 year old servant with roots in Netherton. Quite a crowd for 3 small rooms! Do any of those names ring any bells?