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Was there once a first school located in Bebside? A family member of mine says there was. I have never seen any photos or information about this? Normally when there is/was aschool, past photos often appear i have never seen any.

I know I'm a bit early but I've guests arriving in a half hour. Ladies and gentlemen! This is the chief stewardess speaking! All passengers travelling on flight number 2023 should now prepare for exit through gate number 2022. On behalf of the captain and his crew I welcome you on board. The journey will take 12 months, our ETA is midnight 2023 and your captain, Andy, and his crew do not expect any delays that cannot be overcome by twiddling the right knobs, pulling the right levers and possibly recruiting the help of a higher power – 3g. No grief, disappointment or negativity will be allowed on this flight! This should be left in the waste-bin provided to the right of the exit at gate 2022! We may meet a little turbulence during the flight but this usually lasts for a short while only. However, it is advisable to keep your seat belt fastened and at least one hand over your drink throughout the journey. On board this flight we will be serving a simple meal comprising: friendship, Bedlington history, a bit of good old-fashioned banter, a modicum of common sense and (if the cook hasn’t been at the sherry) a lot of laughs. Our journey towards the future goes by way of Good Health, Good friends, and Happiness. I wish you all a pleasant journey through 2023. Enjoy the flight and please press the button over your head to call my attention if you need my assistance but woe betide anyone who disturbs my snacking /drinking in the galley kitchen situated to the rear of this aircraft. Have a good one! P.S. I’m not making resolutions this year. No one likes a skinny, sober bitch anyway.

Enjoy your flight everyone, have a safe and happy journey through 2023, Safe landings and a happy new year.

Well spotted! I believe the Infant school and junior scchool were in the same building, therefore I'm suggesting the larger of the two schools (Bebside was well populated at that time and families were large). Speaking of time, I see I wrote 1909. That should have been 1906. Sorry. The school records show my father admitted to the school May 1906. He was then 5½ years old. Two years later he was "transferred to Boy's Dept". The same seems to apply to all pupils - 'moved to boys dept or to girls dept'. The head teacher was the same and the word 'dept' suggests the same building.

I worked with both Bob Shadforth and Jim Fish. Bob Shadforth worked at the Doctor Pit till it closed in 1968 and was (and still is) known as ‘Shafty’. His father also worked at the Doctor Pit. There was a loading machine called a Sky – Hi Loader that was used on one of the longwall faces in the Plessey seam and Shafty was the operator of this machine. During my period of ‘face training’ I worked under Shafty, who instructed me in the use of the loader. We have met a few times over the years and he has often reminded me of the time when we worked together and he was my ‘supervising officer’ Jim Fish was a drilling operator in the Plessey Seam and this was one of the most physically demanding jobs imaginable in a 36 inch seam. I was in the Doctor Pit rescue team with Jim and the other member of the team was Sid Cole. We all completed a training course at the Ashington Mine Rescue Station. As mentioned, Jim was killed in a blasting accident in the 70’s. Sid Cole was transferred to Bedlington ‘A’ colliery (the ‘auld pit’) after the Doctor Pit closed and was sadly killed in a shaft incident 1970. The report at the Beamish mining museum states - “He was killed while transporting girders from one level to another, the girders slipped and trapped him also getting the cage fast, a rescue attempt by his mate who climbed down the shaft using the guides and buntings was unsuccessful, and Mr. Jimmy Foster was awarded a medal for his attempt.”

There certainly was in 1924 (see map) and many years prior to that as my father was taught there in 1909. Just checked, it's on the 1898 map as well but I doubt if school photos were around then. It was still there in 1948 so there might just be a chance of photos from that time.