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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.

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

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

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!

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.

Miners picnic 1957

Didn't one of those on the left used to be Wemyss (sp?), the wholesale confectioner, back in the mid 1950s? I can remember carting an unstable load of empty crisp tins there on my bogey as an infant. Yes, those packets of crisps with the little blue bag of salt used to come in oversized biscuit tins to keep them fresh. My motive was purely economic - to pocket the deposit on them. Mr Wemyss, however - god rest his soul - wasn't prepared to cough up the going rate, likely embossed on the tins, and all I got was a pittance (or maybe a few sweets) for my trouble. The sweets are long forgotten, but the bitterness lingers on - such is life! 🤣

You should just be able to drag and drop the video into your post or upload to the gallery. If it's not a playable format inline it will embed as an attachment for download. You can also upload to Youtube/Vimeo and paste the link from there and it will embed inline here. e.g.

Hope everybody has a better 2024 than this year!! Aal thi best Folks!!

Had a bit play and I have come up with this template for this year and future years And for 2023 I added the info + our group logo Still need to look at the dimensions of the certificate to match the dimesions of popular frame sizes.

LOL definitely not. My wife is the baker. We can't be too disappointed. If anybody had said last year that we would be where we are now we wouldn't have believed them.

Congratulations Eggy! That hat doesn't half suit you! Does this mean that you are now my 'other ' other half? Thank you kind sirs! I am again honoured and humbled to receive this prestigious award. Looking back over the last year and thinking of people people who have impacted my life in a positive way, you, my dear friends, are some of those people. Therefore, I would like to share this prize not only with Eggy but with all of you and thank for your contributions to the site. Naturally, a thank-you speech wouldn’t be a ’proper’ speech if it didn’t also convey a sense of gratitude to others who have helped along the way. To that end, I would now like to thank, in no particular order of importance: My tap-dancing teacher, June. My OH who listens patiently to my ramblings about all things Bedlington. My next door neighbour (I use the expression ”next door” in its vaguest meaning as it’s 2km away). The people of Ashington, Cramlington, Blyth and Morpeth who nurtured my love of leisure and physical activity. Postman Pat. My father and his fellow leek-growing enthusiasts who taught me that asking two questions was always better than asking only one. My mother, for teaching me to understand that the real honour lies not in winning but in taking part. I’m still grateful to Esther at the corner shop and equally grateful to Geordie Collis the colliery ’poliss’ for something or other. A special mention goes to: My hairdresser, for all her efforts to achieve the impossible. B.U.D.C Billy the butcher. King Charles III The walruss and the egg man. The Encyclopedia Britannica. Tommy Cooper … … and last but by no means least, my cats, Tickle and Pint-Pot. Thank you all once again!

Happy Christmas and lets hope 2023 brings good things to all!

You lot and your sooty chimneys! It takes me ages to get the washing dried when my man's been to your place! But he assures me he'll manage to squeeze himself in again this year - and he's promised me a tumble dryer for Christmas! We wish you all a very merry Christmas, loads of turkey, heaps of mince pies, many chunks of Christmas cake, lashings of brandy butter and rum sauce, mulled wine in abundance, two alka-seltzer and a couple of Rennies. Have a nice one!

Thank you Malcolm, and the same to everyone in the grouo

We will remember them.

Well that was a heck of a meeting yesterday! Extraordinary meeting of full council to hear the findings of the Max Caller report into governance at NCC and the chief financial officer’s report into the International business NCC has. Some of us have been asking for quite some time about this International business NCC has and even why the heck we were involved in a healthcare operation in China when there is so much to do much much closer to home! Anyway here is the meeting. With only about 30 mins to read through the report we were allowed one question at each presentation; mine were asking if it was a systems failure or a personnel failure or both and secondly if we have hundreds of thousands of pounds sitting in a unused business bank account, that should be put to better use! It was really disturbing to hear the extent of both but I have to say I think we have seen two female officers who have shown remarkable professionalism and stoicism to get the second item before full council and I would like to thank them for that! The first shows just what some of us have been faced with when trying to get our jobs done! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUVNDwajSBY

Just so. And I wouldnt disafgree with rosco's last bit of his take!!!!!

Bedlington share world record with Washington. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/60688397

Hi Have had a quick check and find the following: Note. the Soldiers in the Bedlington Soldiers who died in WW1 are based on the Record of Enlistment document held at St Cuthbert's Church. This is not a complete list of Bedlington Soldiers who died in WW1. 1. Robert Bestford, # 38597. died 1/12/1917. he was with the Durham light Infantry. Military records show and address at 42, Snowball Terrace Gateshead. His detailed war records are available. Robert is remembered at the Memorial for the North East Railway at York. Robert was a Station Porter before WW1. The Memorial Roll of Honour & Case at the 1914-1918 Library honours his name. 2. William Thomas Bestford, #1242, died 21st July 1916. he was with the Royal Engineers 1st/2nd Northumbrian Field Coy. his details are available on the CWGC site and easy to find. 3. George Bestford survived the conflict but had wounds and shell shock. He is shown to be associated with 5th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, Oxford and Bucks. Regiment and possibly the the Tyneside Scottish (record in the Tyneside Scottish book (Stewart & Sheen). In the Record of Enlistment he is shown to be living at Bedlington. Note the photo shows a possible Sergeant Tyneside Scottish. George has links with Egypt and being promoted to an Officer. 4. Thomas Bestford it appears was a 2nd Lieutenant with the 41 Sanitary Section serving in India. No further details available.

Hello to all my friends on the forum yes this is Brian Cross and I’m still alive I’ve been fairly ill for the last couple of years but hopefully I am over the worst of it now I just wanted to say Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to all my mates on the forum I have not forgotten you guys that was my eyes Not been real good I haven’t been able to post

Did you know that Yul Brynner was a life long Liverpool FC supporter, and despite his shaved head and clean shaven look he never wore after-shave - "Yul never wore cologne".

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.

Ellie, In answer to your questions: There is a definite mix of residents in the Town these days. It’s seen as an attractive option for people who, like yourself, work in the Newcastle environs. The shops are here and should soon be added to! The nightlife does centre around just a few pubs etc. though. However even these provide for differing client bases so most tastes catered for. As Andy says there are groups to suit a wide variety of choice and some new ones being established. For me the Town still feels a bit ‘villagey’ which adds to its charm. There is a great Country Park stretching from almost the Cambois riverside right up to Plessey Woods. Also Gallagher Park almost right in the middle. We will soon see a train station so access to the east coast mainline, and onwards, will be easy. It’s like everywhere if you want to get involved I’m sure you can, if you just want to kick back then fine too.

Yoohoo everyone! I’m having a little holiday near Haltwhistle 😁x I saw this and thought of you:-R🌈xxxxxxx

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlnoWDHUrAQ&t=6834s

Yes, those are clearly spammers. There are a number of things we do behind the scenes to prevent spammers being able to register but occasionally some get through. There's nothing to worry about however, all new members have their content and actions moderated until they are shown to be genuine members. If any spam content is posted it can also be reported. There are some automated actions so that if a number of people report the same content it is automatically hidden to be dealt with by a moderator.

Feeding the porkers pig swill was banned in the EU following that Food and Mouth outbreak in 2001. I'm not sure how many 'peelings' would be available at the gate these days, what with all the prepacked food folks consume now. Perhaps, we should all go back to preparing good, wholesome meals and leaving the scraps out for the pigs; it would also have the added benefit of reducing the number of fat folks waddling about (have I gone too far ... is that 'fat shaming'?). Way back I posted about the pig swill lorry collecting from Westridge School in the 60s and how the 1st year pupils would get dunked in the stuff by the big lads.

Greetings @Canny lass!x Short account indeed. Approximately 30 people gathered, majority members and about 10 newbies. David addressed the group from his position on the steps, suggested we all crowd close to him to hear him: some people were reluctant given long-standing advice about keeping safe distance while COVID is still prevalent. The history of the surrounding buildings was described giving particular reference to “the Sun Inn murders “ and David’s forebears involvement. Just as the group were moving on towards the Market Place a lady became unwell and lost consciousness, needing assistance. The group carried on regardless while the retired nurse and friend StJohn’s member attended to the lady, until she was recovered enough to be collected by her husband and taken home. Nurse and StJohn person caught up with the group as they crossed over to the Market square to be informed about the buildings present and previously. Then on to the Grapes, can’t remember the next bit. The noise from passing traffic made it difficult to hear a lot of what was being said, I did hear that David thought the TSB building was sympathetic to the previous building. Moved on again to the Trotter memorial, adjacent to the site of the old Poorhouse, replaced by the buildings of the undertakers business. David began recounting an issue with a schoolteacher when he was 6/7 years old and his father’s response. Sadly I had to leave at that point to catch a bus home; passing the few people left by the memorial it looked that the tour had concluded and a few were just chatting before moving off. @Josimarsz

Howw Man,wa Geordie folks on this site,[whey...my Son keeps correcting me...wa not Geordies at aal...wa Northumbrians!! ...wat thi hell!!]...wat does toot de sweetie mean in punds shullin's ind pence?!!....n wa not Frogs eetha!!Heh heh...nea disrespect..ignorance is bliss we used ti say!! When aa was 15 yrs aad,in 1959,a used ti waak from Hollymoont Square,in the deep snaa,when the Buses were laid off,and waak up the Railway [Tanky]line from the Low Pit,at Scotland Gate,reet up ti the High Pit,a stryght mile,mind that WAS hard work,trudging through Snaa two feet deep and deeper wheor the snaa had drifted![ a total of Fower Miles,afore wi even clocked on!!] The point of aal this is,we wad nivvor hae thowt that one day,ye wadn't see the line,for a lovely wood waak,the Friends of Choppingtin Woods have worked a miracle in creating that haven!! But a canna help but think,when a used ti gaan up the entrance road from Guide Post road,[the PIT ROAD!!]wi LBJ,a used ti stop where the Pit Baths were,and reminisce,get me bearings reet,the Winder Hoose was owa theor,[a gud aad Steam Winder..100 yrs aad!],the Timber Yard doon heor,and the Lamp Cabin and Tally Cabins owa thoer....!! A detested that pit,but noo that a haven't got wee LBJ,ti get me oot,a have luvly memories of gaan doon thon woods in the orly mornin sunleet..Magic!! Aye,Alan's the BUGGER ti see if ye waant ti knaa owt aboot Barn'tin!! Cheers Folks!! HPW.[absent a lot,but still kicking aboot!]