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Just a heads up that there is a long overdue Gallery update coming in February. The way images are added is staying the same but there will be some fairly big improvements in how the images are presented to members. The main changes are the awful screen overlay is being removed and the overview page will be much better at highlighting images that are being commented on.

Here is what I have spent over the last 4 years out of my Members Local Improvement Scheme. It would seem some members haven’t spent their allowance for local projects and our last Bedlington West Ward councillor left over £20K unspent in his, which then disappeared, so it wasn’t available to me to use for local projects when I started! There are a couple of projects included which are actually just outside my ward area and I’ll explain why I agreed to them. First one is the new accessible footpath behind the War Memorial in the Town Centre. I think that one is self-explanatory, it’s about commemoration and respect! Second one is the bus shelter on Schalksmuhle Road. I think some of my residents would use that and appreciate it as much as anyone. Third one is the BMX track in Gallagher Park. Again I think the cycling kids in this ward will use that outdoor facility as much as anyone so no problem supporting that. I would just point out that in every case these were shared costs and resulted in improvements way and above what a single contribution would mean and brought benefits to the Town as a whole.

2nd load went off yesterday from the Community Centre.

I know it's earlier than normal but I keep thinking my PC might catch an omicron variant, 'Desktop Lock Out'. Stay safe. Eggy

Merry Christmas from the cold NE i wish everyone a healthy 2022

Wilf's here! It's officially Christmas! A very merry Christmas to you all. Stay safe and avoid Covid and we'll see each other in the new year. Meanwhile, I've said this before and it's worth repeating:

Have a good one Alan, Merry Christmas to every one and a Happy New Year

A snap shot of what's been happening in the Bedlington West Ward over the last 4 years. This one!.mp4 536174421_Thisone!.mp4

This is the best I can come up with. The yearly winner gets their membership tag added onto the disc for the year.

Billy Mcglen was my Grandad. I often (on what would have been his birthday) Google his name. This year I came across your post. It's nice to think he is so well remembered.

Wow!

Merry Christmas to everyone and Happy New Year

Merry Christmas to all.

Merry Christmas to everyone in this group from Bygone Bedlington:-

Happy to pay the necessary earlier this year to turn the old dilapidated building at West Lea Cemetery into a suitable base for the Friends of West Lea Cemetery. Instead of making their Xmas wreaths in their respective kitchens and having pine needles and holly all over their houses to pick up they can now use this. It took well over a year to sort out with the legals themselves taking for ever, but it been worth all the time and effort put into it. Anyone visiting the cemetery and the lasses are there just say “Hi”, I’m sure they will be pleased to chat and I know anyone wanting to join them in their quest to make this cemetery the very best it can be will be very warmly welcomed. And a big round of thanks for all the help off NCC cemetery staff!

Happy Christmas to you all Maggie

Following a long absence on this site I have just become aware of Derek's passing today, sad news indeed. A true gentleman respected by all who were fortunate enough to have the pleasure of his company.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY! Hope it's a better one than thi last one was! Cheers Bill.

@ShaunL Hi Shaun. Like you, I've come across this site by accident. I was a seafarer, and studied at South Shields. In 1974 I was parachuting at Usworth (before Nissan goth there) and managed to break my leg. After surgery at Sunderland Orthopaedic Hospital, part of my recovery programme was a spell at Hartford Hall. At the time I lived in Cramlington New Town, but was still admitted as a residential patient. I think it was your Dad at the time who had a VW Beetle, and was having trouble with his carburettor. One or two of us fancied ourselves as amateur mechanics, and spent a happy afternoon diagnosing and fixing the problem for him. I remember Joyce Miller very well: I was once invited round to her house for dinner, and gave her a Bohemia cut crystal fruit bowl and water jug in return (cheap as chips in Poland, and I had a house full). Very down to earth, and loved a good chat. She was a bit of a match-maker, though. One of the other residents was in for treatment for a broken neck, and somehow he managed to slip on a walk down to the river, and broke his wrist. He had a yellow Triumph Sprite, which he asked me to look after, since he couldn't drive. One of the junior physios was a lovely Canadian girl. I was 27 and single, so Joyce tried to fix me up with her by telling me to take her home one evening. Being naive, I assumed she only wanted the lift home for a chance ride in the sports car, so dropped her off like the gallant gentleman I was, and drove back to the hall. The next day Joyce gave me a right going over for not asking her out. Those were the days! For my sins, I ended up doing a second spell at the hall in 1975, after a further operation, and this time it all worked out OK, so I have some happy memories of that place.

Have a merry Christmas and happy new year to all.

https://www.northumberlandline.uk/post/bedlington-works

Merry Christmas to all my gud friends on wor great channel!...Nice ti see ye back Brian..mind aav been idle an aal...but aam chinkaplonka,it's looking after Cath full on noo,that limits time for me..nivvor mind,one thing a wud like ti remind ye aal...if ye get tipsy,keep ya phones switched off!!...aam a teetotaller,so aam fully aware constantly......aav had aboot a dozen scam texts and calls owa the last few months,more so this last few weeks..from Lloyds Bank..[supposedly!],Royal Mail wanting 2 quid for a parcel ti be redelivered..[nonsense!]Hermes,[same thing],and just last week and today,a text saying "I think you are in this Video"..beware that one,my marras have fallen for it,thinking it was from old Pit Marras,but it scans all your contacts....I dont know if this has been covered already,apologies if it has,better be safe than scammed! Cheers and all the best folks! Bill and Cath xx

Thank you kind sirs! I am delighted, honoured and humbled to receive this prestigious award. I coudn’t have done it without your help - and the help of Covid which gave me, and you, loads of spare time. There are a couple of others I’d like to mention and thank for their help along the way: My parents, who provided the raw material. The people of Bedlington and Netherton who moulded that material. Friends and colleagues around the world who made adjustments and amendments to the design. The many educational establishments who nurtured my thirst for knowledge. Esther at the corner shop. Tommy the milkman. The colliery pollis at Netherton. The next door neighbours, here and elsewhere. Santa Clause. The Witch of Wookey Hole. Moscardini’s coffee shop. Lidl’s. The staff of Keenleyside’s. The Swedish Government, for letting me in. The British Government, for letting me out. Bedlington YMCA. The Metropolitan Police Force. The Canadian Royal Mounties. The Toon Moor. Newcastle United FC. Morrison’s. SAAB motors. … and not forgetting: Robson’s the printers. Jack, the ice-cream man. Netherton Socail Club. Prestos, Market Place, Bedlington. Jimmy Millne. The French Onion Sellers. The Beano. The nr 48 United Bus. St Cuthbert’s Church. Doncaster Royal Infirmary. … and, last but not least, Old Uncle Tom Cobley (and all). Thank you once again kind people of Bedders.

Greetings and best wishes from Oz. (35 degrees here in Adelaide today). May you all have a wonderful and safe Christmas .

Merry Christmas,and a happy new year to all,if we get that far!! Hope to be seeing you all a bit more next year,past two years have been disastrous ,healthwise,with my Wife. The NHS have been absoloutely MAGNIFICENT ,between Wansbeck,The RVI,The Freeman,and The Mount at Morpeth,all the Consultants and Staff,all the way down the ranks,deserve medals,solid gold ones the size of dustbin lids! My Wife and me hope the NHS gets the Appreciation,and funding that it deserves Nationally. ALL THE BEST! Bill.

Merry Christmas Alan and to all of our friends, followers and families, and a safe and happy New Year.

Just to keep our friends overseas in the loop........

If the project comes off, and I should know better after next week, trees will be supplied.

Update on West Lea Cemetery. Work on the new drainage system started today. Good start more to do! video-1623851069.mp4

.. not enough roughage in their diet, obviously!

Between Christmas and New Year I was contacted by a resident of Heritage Gardens regarding a letter that had been received from Northumberland County Council (NCC) on the subject of removing trees from Gallagher Park that bordered certain streets, namely Newby Close, Cragside Gardens and Stirling Drive. The concern was that the trees are a useful habitat for the endangered red squirrel and encourage the squirrels to come into the garden which this particular resident enjoyed. The letter was dated 24 December 2020 and was asking for responses by 8 January 2021 as work was due to start the following Monday 11 January 2021. I felt that this wasn’t giving residents enough time to be consulted on their opinions so I wrote to NCC to get this work delayed until a proper consultation had been carried out. Following this, I then wrote and hand delivered letters to all the properties that would be affected in the streets that were mentioned in the letter asking them to contact me with their views. The Friends of Gallagher Park, of which I am chair, have been trying to help increase the red squirrel population in the park and so this was quite a concern to me also. I am pleased to say that a considerable number of residents took the time to write to or telephone me with their views and I’d like to thank all those who did so. As with everything there were differing opinions, some wanting the trees removed and those happy to retain them as it encourages the wildlife to visit on a regular basis, and I have passed all of these comments on to NCC. As a result of highlighting this on social media, I was also contacted by residents of streets in Bedlington Central Ward who had received similar letters from NCC and also had opinions to share; my colleague, Russ Wallace, has similarly taken the matter up with NCC. All this has culminated in a response from NCC to the effect that the work will not go ahead as had been planned and that a more thorough consultation will be undertaken with a view to listening to residents concerns. I understand that some work will need to be done as the park does require some form of tree management, but hopefully a compromise can be reached and avoid this “one size fits all “ approach.

Thanks for that -pauls, interesting read and a refreshing one. This is exactly the type of 'conversation' we need in Bedlington so we get the investment, type of development which will focus the Town, help all the existing retailers and add to their ranks. It encapsulates the reasons why I don't think putting in a facsimile of what's available around us will change the fortunes of our Town. We need to be bold, innovative and imaginative if we are ever to see Bedlington become a 'destination' Town.

Was walking the dog in the woods behind the hazlemere estate in bedlington and found a mountain bike thrown in the bushes way off the path. I left it just in case the owner was about but it was still there next day so I dragged it out and brought it home. It is an apollo mountain bike. If you think it is yours you need to describe it to me in detail. I have found the frame serial number so if you give me that good. It also has a unique kind of lock wrapped around the frame so if you have the key for it that would prove ownership to me. I want the bike to go back to its owner so dont 'try it on' please. Reply to this forum and we will go from there.

When Canadians Get Bored...

He was looking for his face mask - Amazon just turned up with a fresh pack

😂 I added a poll (nominations still open). My vote goes to Eggy for maintaining a fantastic gallery and Canny Lass for the quiz.

I am delighted to be supporting Contract Gym and Fitness in Bedlington Station who again are delivering a Christmas Gift Give Away. Gym owner, Lindsey Jordan, is behind the scheme which is now in it’s third year. Lindsey and her team have been collecting donations of nearly new toys and clothes, as well as unwanted gifts since October. Over thirty less well off families have been supported in each of the last two years and even more are expected to benefit this year with the gym overflowing with donations. They include bikes, games, dolls houses, scalextrics, and much more for children and adults. The Give Away takes place on Sunday 6th December at 4pm and is open to any family in Northumberland that need extra help at Christmas. Track and trace details must be provided and the numbers entering the gym at any one time will be limited in line with Tier 3 restrictions. It is also requested that people “Only take what you need to allow others to do the same.” This is a brilliant scheme from a local business that despite having a difficult year of trading is still giving something back to the local community. Lindsey has done an amazing job and I would to thank her for all the smiles that she will put on children’s faces on Christmas morning.

As some will know all NCC elected members received an email which I read last Monday about being able to access some of their member’s local improvement scheme funding for local Covid relief. This was put in place by the Leader and the CeO of NCC. I was initially highly critical and sent an email to all members and some officers saying my main concern was the time lag because accessing this funding usually takes weeks even months! Given the dire straits we found ourselves in that couldn’t be allowed to happen and I wanted that funding available to use ASAP! I was assured this wouldn’t be the case with this initiative. Last Monday afternoon I visited a local charity and discussed putting together two projects with them so they could access this funding. The costed plans were submitted last Tuesday and almost immediately agreed. On Wednesday after work I started asking where the schemes where and how long would they take to expedite the funding? I was told they were going through as we spoke. Thursday morning and I again spoke to the charity and asked them to let me know when they received my funding. I took that call on Thursday afternoon! So for something that usually takes week upon weeks to get through, these were advanced extremely quickly and I again had to write to all members telling them my experience and thanking the Leader and the CeO of NCC. The recipients of the funding is the Salvation Army food bank in Bedlington and we have managed to put in funding for the next 10 weeks. The other initiative is to do a meals on wheels service to our seniors at Xmas because the usual seniors Xmas lunches will not be able to be held in the Salvation Army building. This funding means we can double the provision! More about that closer to the time. So once again a huge shout out to the Bedlington Salvation Army because whenever I have asked them for help their reply has always been…..how many, when, we will be ready! No doubt others have the same attitude; it just leaves me in awe of their values and commitment to our local communities and that’s why we won’t be beaten and we won’t leave anyone behind!

Is that Wilf i can see loitering by the traffic lights? Hopefully it is, cos that means it's officially Christmas! Whoopee!!! A very merry Christmas to everybody. I hope to be a bit more active next year as two eye operations have meant I've had to rely on someone else to read and write for me for a couple of months. Reading has been a little bit easier but only if I lift the laptop to within an inch of my face. However, I'm on the mend now but can't get new specs until the beginning of February when everything is healed. Have a great Christmas and knock hell out of what's left of the year!

not at all. I have even got a paper hat which was worn by one of my uncles at the celebration

Miners picnic 1957

I've just come across this interesting site created by Derek Johnstone about those local lads who died fighting in the Great War (I don't know if this has been posted on this forum before). https://docplayer.net/152715054-Bedlington-soldiers-who-died-in-the-great-war.html

Enjoy the festive season .

The poll is now closed and this years Piper Award goes to @Canny lass who throughout this pandemic has kept us occupied with her weekly quiz and has done a load or family and historic research to help many members of the group.

It's disappeared!!!! My fig leaf has blown away and taken all the silly badges with it! Thank you to whoever was responsible. normal service can now be resumed.

Thanks Canny lass. The reason for the videos is that I’m usually accused of being too verbose and you can imagine the reams I would have to write to get all that lot down. One of the accusations levelled at me is that I don’t tell people what’s going on???? Course that probably comes from the politicos who struggle to leap from one paragraph to another and who for decades have never engaged with their communities and it suits their narrative to foster the idea that nothing goes on because Independent councillors can’t get anything done. Well I’m thinking that lot is certainly north of £500K and in all probability something approaching £1M because while I know a lot of the costs I don’t know the costs of the likes of the road improvements and considering most things council wise cost about 2-3 times the usual rate I have no doubt the latter figure is not unrealistic! And BTW, that doesn’t include the £500K I managed to get in last year’s NCC budget for a sports facility at West Lea! A facility I worked on for 2 years had meetings with planners, green space officers, funders, user groups and fabricators. I had all the boxes ticked and even a set of drawings, I then had to hand it all over to NCC who basically pulled it! I just don’t understand why our Town is starved of investment while others, some less populated, get new and refurbished facilities costing tens of millions of pounds? I won the arguments, got the funding yet still we haven’t seen anything built? And it wasn’t the Administration who pulled it, they actually supported it! Another in a long line of sorry tales and something that has to BE changed!

Police are warning: all men who frequent clubs, party goers and unsuspecting bar regulars to be alert and stay cautious when offered a drink by any woman. A date rape drug on the market called “beer” is used by many females to target unsuspecting men. The drug is generally found in liquid form and is now available almost everywhere. It comes in bottles, cans, from taps and even large kegs. “Beer” is used by female sexual predators at parties and in bars to persuade their male victims to go home and have sex with them. Typically, a woman needs only to persuade a guy to consume a few units of “beer” and then simply ask him home for no-strings-attached sex. Men are rendered helpless against this approach. After several “beers” men will often succumb to her overtures and perform sexual acts on horrific looking women to whom they would never normally be attracted. After drinking “beer” men often wake up with only hazy memories of exactly what happened to them the night before, often with just a vague feeling that something bad occurred. At other times these unfortunate men are swindled out of their life savings in a familiar scam known as a “relationship”. It has been reported that in extreme cases, the female may even be shrewd enough to entrap the unsuspecting male into a longer form of servitude and punishment referred to as “marriage”. Apparently, men are much more susceptible to this scam after “beer” has been administered and sex has been offered by the predatory female over a period of time. PLEASE! Forward this warning to every male you know. However, if you do fall victim to this insidious “beer” and the predatory women administering it, there are male support groups with venues in many towns where you can discuss the details of your shocking encounter in an open and frank manner with similarly affected, like-minded men. For the support group nearest you, just look up “Golf Courses” in the yellow pages.

As you know, I'm a part of the 95% who don't live in Bedlington and that's just one good reason why I appreciate so very much the input of people like Malcolm Robinson and Russ Wallace who do their best to ensure transparency in local politics by keeping us informed. Once a Bedlingtonian, always a Bedlingtonian!