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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

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.

Steve (No 10) and Carol's (No 17) list of names added to the photo.

Now that the memory has been jogged by Steve's list I also recognise 2, 5, 15, 21 and agree with those names.

Alan, The photo could only have been taken in spring/summer of 1966. According to the 1966 BGS Mag, Ron Cave joined BGS in January 1966 and Miss Heywood, Harry Dawson, Kevin Tanney and Mrs Penhallurick( who?) left in the summer of 1966. Miss Heywood retired, Harry Dawson went to Wansbeck School, Ashington, Kevin Tanney to St Mark's School Westerhope. Mrs Penhallurick went to teach PE at Westmoor Grammar School. Mr Shivas taught up Summer 68 but was very ill in his last term and then passed away in November 68. Keith

Mr Wealleans taught history to Class 1A in 1960. I got the spelling of his name from the 1960-61 BGS Magazine. Miss Smith was the editor. I seem to remember Mr Robinson from 1964/5. He was also an excellent teacher. Mr Cook tried ( unsuccessfully) to teach me A level maths in 1966/67. I think that he joined BGS in 1966. Re Mansel Dinnis, there is a blog for ex British Caledonian staff called Crewroom D which seems to indicate that Mansel was still alive in Sept 2024 although his last post to that site was in 2018. If so, he will be 82 and living in Yorkshire. I'm 77 next month. Keith

Finding the information interesting Alan ,thank you

My half brother Colin Jordan. Who died suddenly at home earlier this year. He'd often nip up and drive around the areas he grew up in; North Ridge, Netherton colliery, Steadlands Square, Clement Avenue etc.

Bower was my grandad , I was a kid and lived near the yard

Awarded to Malcolm Robinson for his volunteer work in the West Bedlington community and his online postings on this group and Facebook keeping the community up to date with councill business that was, and wasn't, happening in the area.

Piper Award certificated presented to the volunteers.

Anonymous guest post:

@Alan Edgar (Eggy1948) That would be lovely, thank you!

@loopylou I have a sister in law whoworked there in the lat 1960's I will see if I can get her to have a look at it and possibly identify anyone in the photo. Don't hold your breath

@Alan Edgar (Eggy1948) The Welwyn is well before my time, so I don’t recognise anyone either! I think this was my great-grandmothers photo. 🙂

December 2024 - photo from Simon Williams.

I have this photo, my class is central in this section of what is a very long photo

Sorry, this is in bits and pieces ... As Mr Boll Sr. was schoolmaster at the village school throughout his career then I think it's fair to assume that this is him (standing at the back) in the photo from 1902. He bears a bit of a resemblance to the man standing centre back (with moustache) in the group photo.

No, I don't remember Mr & Mrs Boll from the 1960s but if there was a Mr Boll living to the left of the school in the 60s then it wasn't Mr Boll the schoolmaster because he died in 1950. However, he did die at Rowanbrae which still stands today somewhat to the left of the school building and adjacent to the old hall. There were two 'Mr Boll' - father and son both named William Henry and both School teachers. Mr Boll Sr was actually born in Netherton in Old Colliery Row which was very close to what we know as Nedderton Village. His father was a miner.

@James update to the names and info. Jean McDonnell (nee henderson) has named No 15 as Freda Allen and No 32 as Doris (not Dorothy) Armstrong - Jean says she was on the trip but not in the photo. Joan Davison (nee Muckle of Lilly Avenue) has named her as No 19 and says it was 1956.

I'm Raymond Ball. I'm actually number 16 and my twin brother, Trevor is 17. 5 is Trevor Jones and 13 is Dennis Hall.

On the left John S Smith and on the right George .

Thankyou - photo added to the album.

Of course. I am glad to have found such a gem of a photo to add to your collection.

@carly No 10 switched to No 9👍. I will let you know if we get any feed back from the Bygone Bedlington group.

A family member remembered some names. 22 is Lewis Dixon 23 is Billy Mullen She thinks 5 is Ken Witson and that 10 is Frank Simpson instead.

@carly I have checked all the school photos that we have for the Village school, Church Lane and the Whitley Memorial school, Vulcan Place and I would agree with @Canny lass that our best guess would be your great granda went to the Whitley Memorial. The 1897 map that @James has posted showing the other school closest to Coach road and the info from the St. Cuthbert's church history booklet is backed up by info on the East End of Bedlington in a booklet 'Bedlingtonshire Villages History Series - Bedlington' by Stephen B. Martin. The info in that booklet saying it was a 'Private School' built c1850 ran by a Mr Whittle I would think the info from 'carly' rules out the possibility that her great granda would have attended that school. But there again, at my age (21), my logic, according to the wife, is often wrong

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

@carly - we don't have any school photos from the 'late 1800s' and I can't find a photo with brickwork that completely matches the brickwork in your photo. I have only ever found three schools that were in the area in the 1800's. They are :- 1. The Village school, opened 1874, on Church Lane Bedlington (flats now built on the land) 2. Bedlington station Colliery school. Don't know when it was built but it is identified on on and 1859 OS map. This area used to be named Sleekburn but changed it's name to Bedlington Station after the Bedlington railway station was built in Sleekburn. 3. On an 1896 OS map a school is identified in Bell's Place in Bedlington. Unfortunately no image of this school have ever been posed on any of the local groups. This is a compilation of your photo + Bedlington Village School photo + Bedlington Station Colliery school photo :- This is the only reference, 1896 map, to the school in Bell's Place + a Goole Street view of the area now - Bedlington's East End area :- I would guess you are researching your family. Do you have any info on where they lived in Bedlington?

re-above picture of 1950's Bedlington Station Junior school teachers: as a pupil there at that time(up to 1952)i hope the following info will be of help- Miss Muter taught the infants(along with Mrs Brown) and was affectionately known as 'Little Miss Muter' (top row at the right) Miss Muter taught 1st Year Juniors-affectionately known as 'Big Miss Muter'(bottom row right) NB: they were sisters Top Row: left -is not Miss Pringle(i don't know who she is)...... Miss Pringle is bottom row extreme right.(she would later become Mrs DiCasio)

hi alan got a few names off my bro colin his class 4 ronnie robinson 5 billy pattie 6 mick richardson7colin maguire 9 eddie gales 11 joe mccarthy

@jfk had a go at removing some of the damage from your photo. Ok if I share your photo on the Facebook group - Choppinton Remembered for Brian Jenkinson, who is Admin of the group, to see?

Most of us will be watching the coronation on Saturday at home, but in 1953, when the Queen’s coronation took place very few families in Bedlington had a tv. Lots of people from the “bottom end’ of Bedlington were at least able to watch the coronation through The Rediffusion shop window. This was a company that sold and rented tv’s and radios and is now a dental practice. The photos are from one of Evan Martin’s books and the 3 girls in the front are, left to right Maureen Brown, Joan Gray (dress with white collar) and Brenda Smith. Behind Joan is her brother Bob Gray.

The words ' The Fourteen Club' replaced with 'XIV CLUB' and the year changed from 1958 to 1960- update from @bluebarby

Formerly The Turk's Head public house now abandoned.

I know in the late 1950's we would run along the path from one end of the cottages to the other but can't remember us ever stopping to read the info on the plaque between numbers 6 & 7. I would assume it has Emily Easton's name and the year they were built. I'm surprised @John Fox (foxy) has taken a photo of the plaque