Contributor Leaderboard

Thank you for getting in touch, I remember you well, and my sister Ann was madly in love with you! sadly, you were not interested in her and the tears flowed. You all moved to a council house near the Bedlington Terrier pub. We used to play all sorts of games in Stead Lane opposite the Pudlers Row houses. All different now. How I miss all the days spent at Granma’s in the summer. The Fenwick family as far as I remember was Norman, Danny, Arthur and David. Often I would call round the back to sit in your settee and read all the comics. We didn’t get comics. Your mum used to chat to me and I remember she was a very good cook so I hung about in case there was something on offer. Ann I’m sorry to say died 13 years ago but she did marry another David who celebrates his 90th birthday in August, so there is only me, my sister Susan who sadly has dementia, Jenny my cousin has also died. Me, I keep going with arthritis etc. and am now 85 years old and I live near Maidstone in Kent. Thanks for keeping in touch as at my age I live with my memories and it was lovely to get a blast from the past.. KathyX

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

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

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.

@Nicola Riley So pleased that you found her! A little correction: The photo doesn't show a PE class. Miss McLean (Later Mrs McDonald) was a PE teacher but this is a class photo for which Nancy (Miss McLean) was the form mistress. All classes had a form teacher. The class would go to her directly after assembly in the morning and she would fill in the attendance register before the pupils went to their first lesson. As Miss McLean was the only teacher of PE for girls then Joyce would certainly have gone to her PE classes.

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.

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.

it was Coach Road, not Row. I feel like I am getting closer to finding out which school it is. I feel like the brickwork looks similar to the Village School / Vulcan school. If my great great grandfather was 4 in 1891, and I would say he looks between 4 and 6 on this photo, it would suggest it was taken around 1891-1893

Picnic Day,in the mid-late 1950's,possibly very early 1960's,the Bailey Bridge over the road down Bedlington Bank was supported by two sets of pillars constructed from concrete drainage pipe sections filled with re-enforcing rods and solid concrete infills. The pillars were about three or four feet in diameter,and us kids watched the crews building these bridges [the river one also..on Greenheart wood Trestles..]. You can see Hunter's Farm house ,it's actually on the left side of the road,but perspective makes it look like it is on the right!..the field in the foreground,is Hunter's field,taken from the near top of Bedlington Bank. The Rostrum in the picnic field can just be seen over the built-up opencast road,and the white pillar under the bridge is what I have just described. The main road is out of sight ,and is to the right of the pic,and winds down to go under the Bailey bridge and over the river Blyth.

Shiney Row was numbered the other way; No 1 Shiney Row was nearest Glebe Row and No 49 was nearest the Doctor Pit. After making the Bedlington Miners Picnic in 1960, Ken Russell came back to Bedlington to film some scenes at Bedlington A colliery (The Aad pit) for his 1969 movie “Women in Love”.

One of my Neighbours at Hollymount Square,in the early 1950's was a fella called "Aad Singer Dixon" ,and he was one of the Horsekeeper's from the year Dot,they used to say..and this guy looks like him to my mind..I was only three years old when we moved there,but I grew up with the Dixons,until I got Married in 1967,but Singer had sadly Passed away by then. I remember his Grandson Brian visiting every other night,with his Parents,and through the windows at night we used to hear Old Singer shouting ,as he waved his family off for the night ..."Gudneet,see ye thi morn!"..I can hear his voice noo as a type!! The horse's Collar and Yemsicks can just be seen at the right side hanging on the hook. Great Pic! Cheers Bill.

I’m no.14. Christine Ball what a pity I’m torn off

With help from one of the girls from the photo 15. Dorren Anderson, 16. Margaret Coppin, 17. Margaret Morton, 18. Jacqueline Armstrong, 19. Pat French, 20. Pat May?, 24. Barbara Smith?, 25. Anne Tyler, 26. Janice Hindhaugh, 27. Lesley Bainbridge, 31. Kathleen Brown, 32. Eileen Brown, 33. Joyce Butcher, 34. Lorraine Armstrong, 35. ?, 36. Yvonne Williamson, 37. ?, 38. Ann Chapplehow, 39. Ann McClellan, 40. Janice Rowsett, 41. Anna Thain, 42. Margaret Humble?, 43. Lorna Hudson