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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

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

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

@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.

8 Alex Swan (Best Man at my wedding) 3 David Fenwick (Me) 4 David Veitch 10 Bernard Foster ??

Cheers @Damian Robson I have updated the info on the photo.

Thanks Alan but I've just this minute found her! Westridge 1959 PE class.

The photo is the Doctor pit at Bedlington, not the 'A' pit at Bedlington Station

@loopylou - space for names added to your photo. I'll ppost this one on the FB group Bygone Bedlington and see if any member can identify a relative 🤞

Space added to your photo for info and names as well as numders (squashed in) for the 41 kids + teacher.

@loopylou would you like me to add numbers and sapce for info and names to your photo? At the moment I hve limited access to the software I need but hopefully I will be able to access it over this weekend.

Early 1950s I think

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.

@loopylou - unfortunately still no one in the photo identified by any of the ex employees of the Welyn that are members of the facebook group Bygone Bedlington. Latest comment was :-

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.

@Alan Edgar (Eggy1948) slowly but surely! 😁

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

Yes, I think that's Elaine. But this isn't actually Laird's House front garden. It's the house to the East of Laird's House, the large front room of which was originally the Laird's House (40 Front Street East) kitchen. Elaine's father worked for the BUDC and was I think the first tenant on 40A after it was separated from Laird's House sometime in the late 1950s. The numbering system became a little confused there due to the dividing (and subdividing) of the properties over the years. I think fractions were involved somewhere as well as letters - I used to be able to explain this in detail! The plaque on the wall (above the pram hood) is probably that of Ian Henderson: the dentist who came to Bedlington around that time. That building later became the Post Office. At some far earlier point, this building was given the name Longstone. If you look beyond the hedge, you can see that at this point the two shopfronts hadn't been fitted to the single story building there. The nearest one of those became Rediffusion after it was a dress shop. Beyond that, you can see Todd's wet fish shop (the first taller building), where Mrs Todd still had an open window displaying her fish. Next one down on the other side of the arch was Allsop's (sp?) the barbers. I think you can even spy the windows of the BUDC offices where the Miner's Picknick brass band contest judges used to sit, and onward...!

@John S Smith Some names from Rita Thompson (nee Elliot) on the FB group Bygone Bedlington. I've removed the numbers as just 3 left to name.

Sorry, half of my post disappeared because I took too long editing (I must learn how to add photos throughout the text!) To continue where I left off... He was born in 1862 and seems to have done very well for himself. By the age of 18 he was a "pupil teacher' in West Hartford where the family then lived due to his father's work. Ten years later the family is living in Nedderton Village where William Henry Junior is schoolmaster at the school and his father is again working in one of the Netherton mines. His home is then "School House, Netherton Village". The year is 1891 and that "School House" may well have been within the school itself. By 1901 William Henry is a "Certified Elementary Schoolmaster" and he remains at School House throughout his career. He was certainly still there in 1929 and still working. In 1911 the building in which he lived is described as a "Council School and private house" which is why I think the accommodation may have been in the school building. It is not until 1920 that School House appears on any maps I've seen and that's the brick-built house immediately to the right of the old school building (marked red on the map below). I've also arrowed the previously mentioned Rowanbrae in blue. It's at this address William Henry Sr, lives until at least his retirement. Prior to it's appearance on this map the land to the east of the school was without buildings.

Yes Captain Mainwairing

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

@Canny lass I posted the photo + the info from @carly on the Bygone Bedlington (BB) Facebook group and there have been a load of replies from members who had relatives that had lived in Coach Road and had attended the Vulcan place School = the Whitley Memorial. Normally I would take a scree-shot of the comments and paste the into a picture file to post within this group. However since posting on the BB group I have replaced my aging Desktop PC with a new one and the new keyboard is driving me mad. The new keyboard dosem't have a 'Prt scr' button and although I have found a way to get a screen shot I haven't found a way to get it into a picture file. (The software I add the names and info to the jpg school photos etc I play with is no longer available and I have an even older PC with that software on. The software only runs on Windows Vista and I transfer (via email) the files I clart with from one PC to the other. I can still do that but screen shots and saving and editing them has me beat.) After I posted on the BB group 'carly' joined the group and these are some of the replies (not screen shots just copy and paste of text) that she has recieved :- Kathleen Newcombe Egen Carly, I have a family of Weddles in Coach Road. Spelling does change but could be related. Im in my 70's so obviously a lot older than you. My Granny was Hannah who died of the Spanish flu in 1917. I'll have to search out info I have of the family... lovely to see the pics. Janet Jackson Top contributor This photo is great. My grandmother Mary Isabella Waddell/Waddle was born in 1878 and lived in Coach Road and would have been 14 at the time of this photo. However I know she was away in service in Longhorsley from the age of 8 so the Mary Waddell in the picture may not be her Ann Bower Vulcan school was the old Whitley Memorial School, it burned down around 1970ish. I had only been there a few weeks at the time & think I was 9 but could be wrong on the year. Judith Bosomworth Top contributor I would have said Vulcan school was the whitley school as based in Vulcan Place

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

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

correction:- not Mrs Brown-it was Mrs Burns

They didn't leave a name. The message originated from Guildford if that's any help.

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?

This scan looks like the inside of Tyred and Exhausted's garage going off the steel construction and the glass panels in the roof. Does anyone know different?

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

What about No 40. Should I change it to Christine Rowell?

@Rigger - names updated. @Canny lass - differences in Riggers list to your list = CL Rigger 16. Lorraine Armstrong Margaret Coppin Lorraine Armstrong - No 34 24 Barbara (Stephenson?) Barbara Smith ? 31 Patricia French ? Kathleen Brown

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