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I remember the shop in market place very well. Jimmy Milne's. As mentioned you had so much choice. I used to visit the cafe on the right hand side and have tea and soup. The young lass I went out with at the time worked in the office there. Really nice lass and She eventually went and joined the police force. I imagine She would have done very well as an intelligent lass and could write in short hand which would have been helpful. It is rather sad all these places closed but it is the same all over. Time stands still for no one. Thanks for the memories. Regards. Jim

Coach Road is shown in blue on the attached 1897 map of Bedlington East End. The road is still there leading to Spring view and the last houses were demolished in the early 1950’s. The East End Church of England school was only about 250 yards from Coach Road so is fair to assume that this is the school in the photo. The school (shown in yellow on the map) was closed in the early 1900’s and the site is now part of Hollymount Square.

Kings Coronation 2023

Taken today 13/6/2021:

Humford baths. There were no trees at the A pit.

Definitely Bedlington east end, just a few doors along from Millne. Feasters were the first outlet for Westridge School uniforms. I'm afraid I can't confirm Bonzo's origins.

April 2025

16th March 2025

You aren't too far off the mark, as both building's roofs could well have been constructed by the same contractor (maybe Bill Scott Engineering?), and they are pretty close to one another. It's the Millne Bike Factory behind the former Turk's Head Hotel in the Market Place (later to become Coop - Millne House, before recent demolition). Looks like the snow collapsed the roof. Date some winter in the 1930s I'd guess, but it could be the early 1940s as they were still making bikes for the Army, as well as Bailey Bridge parts up until around 1945. The roof would have been demolished by the Coop when they rebuilt the rear of the Millne department store. After WWII, the building became The Terrier Plate Works, thought there was still some remaining evidence of bike manufacture there in the early 1950s.

Hi Canny Lass!..many thanks for your kind reassurance and good advice..it is much appreciated!..aye,my Sister is ten years younger than me,and she has had Glaucoma since she was a lot younger..and has had Cataracts removed,and she is still enjoying reasonably good vision,but she has never driven..with me ,and others like me,having to stop driving is like cutting my legs off!!..but I'll get by!! The medical team at the RVI are magnificent!..aye,aam on two sets of eyedrops morning and night..have to see the team in eight weeks time..I do 't drink coffee,and not much tea ....and I aam a teetotaller ,so hopefully things will stay stable!! I thought my laptop screen was fading,cos my pit pics are ,or appear ti be,fading..but's it's me gaan bliind ye bugga!!.. Cheers folks,luvly ti hear from ye's again!! Bill.xx

@HIGH PIT WILMA Glaucoma is a serious illness, HPW, but it doesn’t necessarily have to lead to complete sight loss. You’ll probably need eye drops for the rest of your life and while they can’t cure the Glaucoma or restore what sight you’ve already lost they can prevent further loss of vision so keep using your drops and doing what the doctor tells you! We also have glaucoma in the family and were recommended to avoid caffeine which can increase the pressure in the eye. Avoid, or at least decrease, your intake of: coffee, tea and chocolate. (Tea has only half the amount of caffeine compared to coffee). Take real good care of yourself!

Laura Fawcett, my grandma, the small girl in the front row, was born at the house in April 1900. She would be approx 3-1/2 yrs old in this photo. "... altho' my mother said Laura was born at the waterworks house, it doesn't match with the census (1901 census has them at Pioneer Terrace and Thompson still working at the Bedlington pit as a Colliery Engineerman)"

My great grandpa, Bedlington native, Thompson Fawcett (1873-1953) was the Engineer at Humford Mill for many years. He always wore a trilby and had a bushy white moustache (he may the suited gentleman on the right in the photo above). They lived at the mill in the house on the left with the bay window (the 1911 census lists Thompson, his wife Margaret and daughter Laura. Thompson is listed as Stationary Engineerman). Earlier (1901 census) he worked at the pit until he was injured in a pit incident. By 1904 he was working at the Waterworks as he hosted the wedding reception for Sam Mortimer and Isabella Swann at the house at the waterworks 26 Sept, 1904. (I will post a picture if I can find it.) When the waterworks shut (or possibly earlier) he and his wife moved to Hepscott where he tended some pit ponds.

My Gt Grandmother and Gt Grandfather had a building business. His name was James Johnson Mole and he married Catherine Easton. I often wondered if the cottages were any connection to her.. They lived in Gibson house in I think Rothesay Terrace. Their son Robert who was my Grandfather built a lot of houses in Stead Lane and you will still find manhole covers saying JJMole on the pavement in Bedlington. I was born at 9 Stead Lane, which my grandfather built and the house Pearmans next door as well and I remember very clearly the shop which I was sent to get messages for my Grandmother Alice Mole nee Green. In 1944 my Dad came home from the war and being a cockney we had to come doon sooth which broke my heart as I loved Bedlington. Alas, there is nobody I know now, either they moved away or died but my heart is still a Geordie and I can still speak the language fluently. We played with David and Arthur Fenwick, Olive Tipple, Tony Savilly who was called by us Tony is a billy because we could pronounce his surname, his Mum married an Italian and lived in the house right next to the shop. We played lots of games on Stead Lane, no traffic then, went to pledge doon the river Blyth, a children’s paradise The memories come flooding back. KATHLEEN NOTT - Maidstone Kent

Don't panic! Keep on clarting!

Unfortunately CL I am at the stage where I don't want to start learning, and paying a monthly charge for, some new 'photshop' software . I enjoy the world moving forward and advancements in all fields progressing and making the working day easier for the professionals but I'm in my little world using the Microsoft Digital Image Pro 10 (MDI) software that I clarted with for many months finding out what I could achieve. When I first bought a new Desktop with Windows 7 I did export the MDI software from the vista PC and import it on the Windows 7 PC but the software wouldn't load so I have kept the old PC going for the last 5 years. I have, three weeks ago, replaced my Windows 11 Desktop PC (that one daughter said wasn't 'fit for purpose' ) for a new PC with i5 16GB processor and if I was into gaming I would have gone for the i7 with 32GB RAM but I am not into gaming, just clarting

It's a man thing. Trust me, I'm a woman!

Thanks for that little gem, @James! I thought that I'd researched my old school (Nedderton village) well but I never knew that it was once a church school.

I have just joined your page, after being directed here, by a kind soul on FB Ancestry page. My Father was baptised in the Netherton Church Mission, in 1919, according to his baptism certificate. I have just ordered his birth certificate, so hoping it contains an address. His Father was a miner at the time. The family name was Harrod. I am going to be in Blyth in June and am hoping to visit some of the places I have come across, whilst researching my ancestors. This page is great!

This gathering was more likely to have been for those officers based in the wider 'local area' attending a centralised training session at the Grammar School. Most of the villages/towns in the area of south Northumberland (and Nationwide) would have had Home Guard troupes under the command of an officer so I reckon they could be from Morpeth, Ashington, Blyth, and assorted villages.

It has been converted into a house now.

Number 6 is Bill Moore. My brother!

Thats Clifton Row in the picture .brings back memories of young harry saddler sitting on the fence between their house and ours telling me he was eating worms when it was spaghetti i lived in no26 i was only 4 or 5 at the time

Wahey! Exactly as a remembered it! Costain Mining laid this temporary road and built the two bailey bridges, this one and the river crossing one, to take coal from the opencast mine at Acorn Bank, overland to Bebside Colliery, after public complaints about coal laden lorries speeding down Bedlington, otherwise quiet, main street, one of which knocked my faithful little dog down and killed him, having nearly hit me as we crossed the road. Tulip owned the fleet of old banger lorries, and they used ti belch out black smoke screens all the way up the road, after having climbed Bedlington Bank, empty, on the way back to the Opencast site, where the Golf Course is now, but this was around 1956. The 30-ton Euclids trucks, and also 42-ton Coal Haulers, used to make the bridges bounce e up and down as if they were made of elastic! Thanks for posting Alan! Made me happy ti see it again! Cheers Bill.

"Mr Todd!" He was deputy head of house (Hadrian)miss Ramshaw was head they were quite a good team I left in 1977 anyway a funny story about Mr Todd. I remember standing at the wall he came up to me I was wearing red & White Dr Martens, he looked me up & down & said are you a clown 🤡 boy basically he sent me home to change my shoes. Looking back on it now he was 100% right super photo that's made me smile with affection 👍🏻

If this is 1948 then nr. 5 (Maud Bower) would be about 14 and that would be about right (born 1934). However, the closure of Netherton Colliery school couldn't have been the reason for the move to West End Council School. It was open long after 1948. I was a pupil there myself for a large part of the fifties.

George Campbell is No 33 on this photo. Recently, I sent George, who now lives in Scotland, a copy of this photo. Needless to say he was very happy to get a copy after all these years. George responded with some comments about the photo. George comments that most of the boys in the photo would be aged 13/14 years old and are still wearing short trousers. George provided following information: # 26 is Sylvia Golding (Maureen Curry was a year younger) # 34 is Herbert Nicholson The following pupils are missing from the photo for some reason: Mary Snaith (Netherton) Ella McLean Mary Wilton (may have gone to musical college) Peter Leithard (Netherton) The pupils which came from Netherton Colliery School when it closed are numbers 5, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, 34, 29, 30 in the photo.

Definitely bot Netherton. The only windows in Netherton were the four-paned sash type.

@Canny lass- some of Alan Dickson's paintings that he posts on the Bygone Bedlington, Cambois and Barrington groups. This photo I would say was 50+ years ago - could be Netherton Colliery - see text. Alan did join this group in 2014 but was only active for just under 5 months. Alan often posts a poem abut each of his paintings. This is a typical Alan Dickson poem :- Mind I had a funny dream , I was tossing and turning, Guess I had too much to dream, Just couldn't fall properly asleep, I remember I was aboot halfway counting the sheep. The cortins kinda fluttered and an old wummin came in from oot of the mist,came forward and sat on the side of the bed and gave me a kiss, I knaa I noticed the silver strands in her auburn hair, And the sparkly things dancing aboot in her eyes, Bugger this old lad was very surprised, To see his Mother putting a hand forward and stroking his head,, I reckon she must have thowt I was worried aboot this or that, But to tell the truth I didn't know what, She just spoke the once!! Son am nivvor very far away, I watch you every day!! I know your getting old, and the hairs whiter than grey, So your Mother thought she'd better call in and tell you, In her eyes, your still her little lad at the end of the day, She gave a little smile and drifted back oot in the mist, Now I wasn't sure if I had been dreaming or not. But I felt my hand ganning up to touch the spot where I thowt she had kissed, I must have fell back into deep sleep, Cos I couldn't see any more sheep.

Here's one the right way up, but I still don't know who it is?

Andy's photos, and Jojo's,, definitely the stepping stones next to Humford Baths.

Must be an early one @Andy Millne - that's the only one Iv'e seen where the chimney from the Water Works still exists when the place was converted to the swimming baths.

@Andy MillneDoes your family have any connections with USA? One of the magazines on the stand is The Delineator. This was an American woman’s “Journal of Fashion, Culture and Fine Arts” which was published in New York 1873 – 1930 before merging with Pictorial Review. This may help to date and place the photo. Also, we can read on the window: “ Victor, [FRENCH C]USTARD, [ICE] CREAM” (Text in square brackets is my suggestion). Victor French Custard Ice Cream was, according to Wiki, from a Californian company and anything to do with the company seems now to be very collectable (E-Bay). I don’t think this is Bedlington. Although 1930 is a bit before my time and things may have changed before I became familiar with the streets, I don’t remember ant pavements with diagonally laid paving stones. Neither do I remember anywhere with high bar stools – which I think I detect just inside the door. Could this be an American ‘ice-cream parlour’?

Formerly The Turk's Head public house now abandoned.

This may or may not be Bedlington but there is a suspicion that the dog may be the original "Bonzo"

Then & Now (Google Street View 2020)

The photo is taken from No 4 Old Colliery Row looking up towards the Black Bull. The gable end behind Mr Hemsted is No 6 Bell’s Place and this can also be seen in the google maps photo looking at the same view about 100 years later. The section of Bell’s Place that was demolished in the late 1940’s ran parallel and behind Old Colliery Row. To the right of the row were the toilets, and gardens. There was gas lighting and a couple of outside taps - no electricity.

Andy is "Putting" or taking the tub outbye to a landing,where several full tubs would be coupled up,usually a set of six,where a "Driver" with a bigger horse would pull the set outbye from the landing to the shaft bottom,to be sent to Bank in the cages.Andy is going downhill when the pic was taken,as he has a wooden "Dreg" in the rear wheels to help slow the tub from over running the horse,even though the Limbers,["Limma's"] used to control the tub ,also the "Backstrap" on the Horse's Gears,around his rear end and fastened to his Bellyband...that pushed up against the Horse's rear flanks,and when he felt the pressure,he automatically pushed back against it and set his legs ..another great pic!

Note their pants!!.."Fustons"...indestructible thick warm material,most Miners wore Fustons,it was like ...what else wud ye wear doon a black hole?...not ya Wedding Suit! See the Steel corrugated Straps,[or "Planks"] holding the roof up? They were 6' long and canny heavy! Aboot three or four years ago,me and LBJ [me wee Lab x Dog],were waaking back from owa the Bomar fields ahent wor hoose,and a got me eye on summick familiar,sticking oot the thick bushes,next ti the Farmer's fence.A howked on and pulled it oot,it was one of these steel straps,bent at right angles,wi the weight of the roof underground,and it came from the Bomar pit heaps when they levelled it oot..noo hoo it ended up where it was owa the field a divvent knaa,but a fetched it yem on me shoulder,and mind,a was knackered when a got back yem!A hae it at the bottom of me garden as a feature,next ti me fence!! Just a little reminder of when a was strong enough ti lift them with one hand up ti the roof,and put a Lazy-Man prop in ti haad it there,so ye cud knock a prop in at each end to support the roof.[When a was in me Twenties - Forties...!] The Dr Pit was a "Naked Lamp Mine",under the M n Q Act 1954, so Willie Ward was ok using a Flashgun doon the pit,but wadn't hae been allowed doon any other "Flame Safety Regs " Pit.

Aye,James,the metal canister held 5 lbs of Explosive Cartridges,what we ,[the miners] referred to as "Sticks o' Pooda"..[Powder]. That was the Legal limit that a miner was allowed to carry,under the "Mines and Quarries Act 1954"..of course,like any other Industry,rules were made to be broken! Down the Three-Quarter seam,at Bates,in the early 1970's,I used to be hurrying inbye to fire the Solid Drivage Maingate or Tailgate,or Back Drift,[1-in-4 gradient!],carrying a 50 lb Box of Polar Ajax,[33% Nitro-Glycerine..],under one arm,another 50lb Box on the other shoulder,and TWO - 10LB Packs ,one each side inside of my Overalls!! So I was carrying 120 lbs of High Explosives,with my Glennie on my belt,my Self-rescuer,also on my belt,my Caplamp and Battery,which weighed 9lbs...Heh heh...I was only in my Thirties,and strong as an Ox!! Noo,aam nearly 77 yrs aad,and a canna lift me aan shadow! Four feet of lovely clean coal here,maybe 4' -6" ,and great dry conditions,gud hard laminated Sandy Post Stone..with a wee bit of Blue on top of the Seam. A great pic of times gone by! Thanks for posting it! Bill.

The following is an extract from the book “Leisure and Recreation in a Victorian Mining Community” by Alan Metcalfe ……….. …….”this, is illustrated vividly by the history of the Bedlington hoppings which were held for three days every Whitsuntide from sometime in the seventeenth century.72 The focal point of the three days of festivities was the Front Street and the adjacent side streets. The Hoppings attracted commercial attractions from outside Bedlington. The streets were filled with "numerous swing boats, galloping horses, shooting galleries, cocoa nut stalls, ice creamers, hokeypokeyites, Jaffa orange vendors, ginger bread stalls'.73 Over the years menageries, circuses, theatres, boxing booths and a variety of other entertainments visited the hoppings. However, changes began to appear in the 1860s and it was in the athletic events that changes were to be observed, In the I850s the programme consisted of a variety of footraces, three-legged races, old men's races, tilting the bucket and climbing the greasy pole for a leg of mutton, Over the next 5O years they became more "athletic' with the 120 yard handicap becoming the premier event. However, there were some things that did not change: the central role of the innkeepers and tradesmen in organizing and sponsoring the events. They were, from the outset, commercial enterprises. However what is most significant is that real lack of change in the location, Despite efforts from the police in the 1890s to remove racing from the Front Street and the various attempts to introduce alternative sports, the basic form of the hoppings remained unchanged, They provide a salutary lesson on the power of tradition in the mining communities” …………

The Old Colliery Row, better known as “The Aad Pit Raa” was built in 1840, 15 years before the Dr Pit was opened. According to Stephen Martin’s book it was built by a farming family, The Swann Brothers to rent to miners who were moving into Bedlington to work on collieries that were opening up in the vicinity. The Colliery Row was initially leased then sold in 1892 to the Bedlington Coal Company. The row was demolished along with Bell’s Place in 1950. Hollymount Square was built on this area immediately after the demolition of the rows.

I got to know Fred Todd at Bedlington High School in the early 80's. He was teaching Technical Drawimg, metalwork and Motor Vehicle Studies. I am friends with him now. He is now 86 and still going strong. Really nice guy.

No, I'm someone elses.

My info in the other photo is second hand from threegee based on his comments here. we're in a loop.

All of the institute, including the library was situated on the top floor of the building. It was in a small alcove at the end of the institute; not where the arrow is pointing which was a private house. It was not a public library but for members of the institute, i.e. employees of the Doctor pit. The arrow should point to the area on the top floor of the building mid- way between the window to the right of the war memorial and the end of the building adjoining the house.

Dr Pit in 1912 with the surface workers posing for the photo. Note the guy on top of the headgear next to the “pulley wheels”. This old winder house was for the steam driven winder and was replaced with the electric winder in 1921. So there was loss in production, the new winder house was built behind the old one and the electric winder commissioned. The pulley ropes from the old winder were then passed through to the new winder to the electric winder and the old winder house with its chimney was demolished. (Information taken from James Tuck’s book “The Collieries of Northumberland”) We know that any photo of the Dr Pit showing the white brick built winder house was taken after 1921.

BigLoada :- Night Fly...dont get WIlma started on pit stories, I have had over 30 years of his tales....lol! Nah, they are great really! If you want to know anything about working down the pit, ask him morrisoxford61 :- Wilma you should write down all the stories about your life working in the mines or even record them on video or dvd I reckon if you visited schools and sat them down and told them about it the children would listen and learn, its their history after all be nice for the great grandchildren to open and album adn see pictures and read about it. My father did a book with lots of pictures about his working life and gave it to my then small daughter, she now has a daughter of here own, one day when he is not around she can openit and read about some one she has heard about and met but was not old enough to know high pit wilma :- Yes Morris,that's why Big Loada,and his brother,have nothing between their ears but coaldust.....!! I used to tell them stories from them being just old enough to talk, drawing pictures of coalcutters,etc,before they even knew what a windy-driller was...! Seriously,i do believe in keeping that part of our heritage alive,cos kids nowadays have no idea about the hardships or dangers of mining. Try to tell them about the miner who fell out with his wife,and weren't speaking to each other....so she would write on the "bleezer",to tell him his dinner was in the oven,and she was away to her Mother's! "Bleezer"?......!! Chek out my responses to your comments on other pics in my set. Cheers,and thanks for taking an interest! morrisoxford61 :- no problems, its wonderful to find out about the heritage and history of mining being a city boy its all alien to me I am going to take my grandson down the big pit and Bleanavon later this year, he is only 5 but I am sure it will leave a mark on him my father worked as a civil engineer and had a keen interest in industrial archeology so from an early age I was able to appreciate and respect the work done by these men Slippy Cundy @:- Wilma they did that to us at Ashington!!!! First time down, in The Duke Shaft inside a cramped small cage. I thoroughly enjoyed it but there were a few who didn't want to go back in it...... I'll never forget what it looked like down there - perfect brick arch roadways with a strange breeze blowing along. An unusual smell combined with the distant sound of machines. Hundreds of machines. Our instructor told us to enter a doorway off from the main roadway - it led us into a fully equiped classroom!! Imagine a classroom with no windows and you get the idea. We were then led around on a short wander through the old workings where the mine began. 6 foot high seams (with some lower) and narrow railway tracks. We were shown conveyor systems, why bolts in a mine face one way, explosion suppression systems - balanced planks of wood with lime dust on them etc. That tally needs looking after mind - watch that hole doesn't spread. high pit wilma :- Heh heh!! Stone dust barriers eh?!! Yeah,you should have been a deputy in a district,when an awkward H.M.Government Mines Inspector was doing one of his frequent visits......[went by the nickname of "Split-pin"...because of his rather lean physical stature....!] There were many other inspectors,like "Split-pin"..,who,instead of taking notice of the atrocious working conditions that men and ponies had to endure,and bollocking the management,to get something done about it,[ponies trailing heavy girders and machinery over bare rough ground,because there were no rails laid,in mothergates,for instance..],they would come in and fine you for throwing your bait papers down at the bait-hole,[no bins down there..you know!]. But some would ask the deputy technical questions such as... "what is the minimum quantity of dust required,and how many barrier shelves would you erect in a 12 x 8 ft arched roadway,where there are at least 30 men in the district,with an air quantity of at least 12 cubic yards a second,flowing at 50 ft per second............" and......."how far from the caunch would you erect the barriers...?" ...I'm not kidding you,there were a lot of what we used to refer to ,[politely...]..,as "idiots.."!! You might have been in a coalface,with sea water teeming in through breaks in the strata,the roof breaking up severely,falls of roof threatening the men's lives,a severe shortage of timber planks and props etc,and these so-called "law-enforcers",would come in,with the "bible" of regulations,under their hats,and absolutely no idea about mining at all!! When i came back into the N.U.M.["onto the tools"],after seven years of Deputy-work,i was sitting one day,getting my bait,against an air-receiver,[a big one],getting my wet clothes dried,with the heat from the tank,[illegally,but everyone did the same..!],when the colliery Manager,and the Inspector,came in and sat down beside me,for a short rest. We cracked on a bit,[the Manager was a nice bloke,very well liked..], when i suddenly noticed something glowing around the Inspectors wrist,out of the corner of my eye,in the darkness... Yep..!! A RED L.E.D. DIGITAL WRISTWATCH!...[when they were first invented,back in the late 1970's/early 1980's.] AN ILLEGAL ELECTRICAL DEVICE,WHICH DIDN'T COMPLY WITH THE MINES AND QUARRIES ACT,ON FLAMEPROOF EQUIPMENT!!..ON AN INSPECTOR'S WRIST..! 'NUFF SED..!! high pit wilma :- You always put girder fish-plate bolts in facing outbye. "Why? " So the salvage men had easy,and safe access to the nuts,when it came to removing them,during salvage operations,it mean't they didn't have to lean into exposed roof,to put the spanner onto the nuts,and also,of course,WE didn't have the same risks either!! There were lots of little common-sensicle things a miner had to consider,and do,in the name of safety! Good point you made there Paul!! Kevnorth :-Lol Paul & Wilma you have both brought back my school leaving days to life, I too followed my dad down the pit after a short training session at Darnley Road school and a couple visits to the underground training centre at Ashington and one underground visit to Shilbottle I went on to work in the stores at first then as an electricians mate at Lynemouth working with a maintenance team, it was a grand job for learning about mines we would go into faces that had been shut down for maintenance and we had the run of the face. Of course Lynemouth was a dream to work at with it's high roadways and seams and I can still remember the feeling of seeing the massive machines used to hew the coal and transport it from the face. Lynemouth was two collieries in one or thee counting Ellington I always prefered working at the drift side with it's long manriding conveyor belts and sets to the old side where you had to decend in the cage! Oh those were the days! high pit wilma :- Thanks Kev! I met a canny fella at North Shields,a few weeks ago,works at the opencast at Ashington,over from where the workshops were,and guess what he told me...!!! They are down to the first shallow seams,pulling pit tubs and rails,and cables, [and god knows what else by now],by the dozen!! Wait till they reach the abandoned coal-faces,and start pulling shearers and armoured face conveyor pans out...!!![like i've said all the time,millions of pounds were left down there to rot..] steve chaplin :- can any of you lads help me with getting some brass tallies i collect, cheers charlie ex newdigate/ keresley pits 02476366732 / 07591155419 cc.2463@yahoo.com Slippy Cundy :- steve chaplin Ebay? There's usually loads on there. steve chaplin :- Hi, I look on their, but im mainly after warwickshire collieries ie; binley, arley, griff clara & others cheers m8 steve (how do i get a picture on instead of the grey face, ive uploaded but can't move it on here) Slippy Cundy :- steve chaplin You have a picture on now. I don't think any of the users on here actually collect tokens and tallys as such (the one above has huge importance to the family ) and really can't help as such. steve chaplin :- k paul, ive about exhausted other avenues, thought maybe some of the people might have'em cheers m8 high pit wilma :- Hi Millie! Thanks for your visit. Lots of tallies would have been chucked away with disgust for thatcher and british coal. Some lads i worked with kept them for thier kids,with foresight,as i did also,only mine isn't traditional,as i have already explained. I'm now pleased i had the foresight to get some pics for posterity,but seriously regret not taking any of Choppington "High" pit,where i started from school at 15 years of age. Blythboy :- My dad, Tommy (Tucker) Henderson worked at Bates from the war's end till he died in 1979. Fantastic pictures and many memories. What pisses me of is the Google maps picture of the old Bolckows wharf, where a ship is unloading coal. most probably from Russia. Underneath that heap of coal are almost limitless reserves of UK coal. The UK still uses circa 50 million tonnes of coal per annum the vast majority of which is imported; yet the coal is piled above a viable coal reserve. As you will recall, Bates employed about 2,000 men and Ashington over 5,000 in their heyday. Thus, if the UK mined coal seriously again the circa 30 million tonnes imported would equate to circa 12 Bates and 12 Ashington collieries. Alan Slippy Cundy :- Blythboy I couldn't agree more! Yes coal is a dirty fuel but there are many ways around that! high pit wilma :- Hi both you lads,and thanks for your comments! Whey, it's what aav sed aal alang,tha's mair than 60 million tons of virgin 5' high clean low sulphur content clean coal lying under the north sea around Bates colliery alone! We would have been mining it for the last 25 years[since 1986],if thatcher -the hatcheter hadn't killed our industry and communities. I'm convinced there was some personal clandestine financial gains to be had from somewhere by thatcher,for her to carry out such a murderous deed to our country. Years ago,maybe 40-odd years,i saw a book in a local shop window,with the title ........ ...."The Lynemouth colliery scandal", and it referred to a period in the colliery's history whereby an official at the pit had agreed contracts with mining machinery companies in return for gifts,holidays,cars etc. The Manager of Bates colliery told me and my two marra's that he was of the opinion that Mr Archbold [the then area Director for the NCB IN Northumberland],had a "personal vendetta against Bates Colliery,and wanted it shut down as quick as possible"[and i quote!] Noo,ever since then,i've been convinced that Archbold was involved in a similar position,seeing as HE ALONE ordered complete sets of Face supports,which were quite safe in other pits and locations where conditions were good,but were proved to be absolutely useless in the Three-Quarter Seam at Bates Pit. There were times that the Chock-fitters had to change as many as 70 chock legs in a week,on one face alone,due to them actually bursting open like a peeled banana. Often the severe roof pressure at the goaf end of the chocks,pushed the whole chock-line forward,into the face-line,flattening as many as 80 chocks,fully onto the floor,like crushing a beetle underfoot....which took months to blast out and replace all the damaged chocks........it was proved in time,that it was quicker to just abandon the whole face,advance the roads,and win a new face out and install it with new chocks. Only thing was,they used the same chock-types again,which was a disaster! Finally,i was on the development team who won out a new face called 50B's and we installed "Revlem" chocks on,which had "grasshopper- leg" side braces on,and these chocks held the roof amazingly,which then made the face very profitable,with very little if any damage to contend with. When i asked the manager why we couldn't get these chocks for the other new faces we were winning out,he replied,and i quote word for word...."You know they're good,and i know they are good,but Mr Archbold is my Paymaster,and if he says we put the ordinary 6-leg chocks on.......we put them on!" I pressed the safety issue with him,and he shrugged his shoulders and said to try telling Archbold about that. Now it makes you wonder why,for a few years,we were installing face chocks,which were known to be dangerously unfit for the job they had to do in those conditions,when all the time we could have had very safe chocks installed....not forgetting that every shear that was taken off,it took sometimes a week or more,to advance the whole chock-line,ready for the next shear..........no wonder Archbold wanted it closed down,i bet somebody was on his tail from higher up,i just wish i could meet him and put my feelings to him personally! bewildebeeste :- high pit wilma Many interesting tales and bits of information on this thread. I'm not surprised about the issue over the chocks....any excuse to get the government what it wanted. As someone who wasn't old enough to realise what was happening regarding the murder of our industry at the time, It's Maggie's regime that I hold responsible for everything being owned by foreigners these days. Now more than 40% of the UK's listed firms are foreign owned - so essentially we're all working for foreign shareholders who have no compunction in rising prices by 8% or so when they see fit (am thinking primarily of utilities - legalised thievery is what I call it).... I also blame the same administration for a large part in the breakdown of society ("there is no society" remember?) into a bunch of self interested, unthinking arse lickers who divorce themselves mentally from the consequences of their workplace actions in order to please their immediate superiors. It starts with teaching kids that simply passing an exam is enough to suceed - never mind instilling a sound work ethic or passing on the joy of learning - and I'm sure you've all seen how cynical and ultimately destructive subsequent governments' target driven education policies have been. I despair at the path my own generation has been led down and what it will lead to for future ones. Ok...rant over high pit wilma :- Thanks a million Bewilderbeeste! I'm 70 yrs old next year,and i've never ever wished i was just a young lad again,as i have been really content with my life,hard as it was. BUT.........i sort of would have been happy to be around,when the time comes....and they DO go back down to get the coal we left....AND find all the machines etc that i have ranted about,JUST to prove that i have told no lies.!! Mind,all the old pitmen who know these facts to be true,hopefully,will tell stories to thier children's children,and hopefully,keep our heritage alive. I have spoken to miners from Wales,Scotland,the Midlands,Derbyshire,and lots of other places,since our industry,and our communities,were destroyed by thatcher-the-hatcheter,and each time we have compared stories,the end result was the same....i.e......tales of millions of pounds worth of mining machinery abandoned to rot underground. This is Nationwide...and is a very serious situation,and the government has virtually just ignored,nay,covered up on the matter. But a fella i spoke to recently,said,"Just wait till next year!" When asked what he meant,he replied that the thirty-year rule was up,and all the archived files will be available to the press and the public.........now THAT might just put the cat among the pidgeons!!! I can't wait!! Cheers and thanks Beeste,for your kind comments.