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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

@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.

Hello Kathleen, I've just picked up your posting of 23 or 24 May, thank you. You have a good memory and got the Fenwick family right. Sadly, all my brothers have passed away and I'm the remaining one at 88yrs. I too have vivid memories of our childhood and of your sister Ann. I was quite keen on her too, but at aged about 10 or 11 it was a little early for love. I do vividly remember her once taking the initiative and kissing me whilst in the Halfpenny Woods! Happy Memories. As far as I recollect, you moved to the Balham area of London. On a number of occasions I tried to 'find' Ann Kennel by searching online but never succeeded. I'm sorry she has passed on and I hope life was good to her. By chance, do you have a photo of you both in younger days? I also remember your late cousin, Jenny (Crackett?) who I believe lived in the Newcastle area. They were very happy days and I cherish the memories; thank you for your original posting. Olive Tipple was alive up to about 7 years ago and (I think) living in River View. I've not heard of Tony Savilly since childhood. I would welcome any further memories. Very best wishes, David

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

yes Alan, she could. Her best friend was Eileen Brown, who is #32!

@Nicola Riley - could No33 in the above photo we have labelled as 1963 your mam?

That’s the James Appleby that I remember! Nr 7 back row right.

Thanks 😊 they work quick on there!

@loopylou - your list of names you sent me added to your photo.

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

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

Update from Hazel Krzyzanowsk on the Barrington, Barnt' n memories and stuff!! - Hazel Krzyzanowski Alan Edgar girl sixth from the left with white on and dark hair (x marked in photo) is my Aunty Mabel Nicholson xx

Finding the information interesting Alan ,thank you

Piper Award certificated presented to the volunteers.

@loopylou no luck with ant names from from my sister in law. I could post your photo, with space for names, on the Facebook group Bygone Bedlington and see if we can get anyone identified and I will add the name(s).

December 2024 - photo from Simon Williams.

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

William Henry Jr was born in Netherton Village and like his father went into teaching. In 1916, living in School House with his parents, he goes to war. Luckily he survives and in 1921 he is engaged in full-time studies to become a teacher. He marries a Newcastle girl in 1929 and they move away from the area at some point within the following 10 years. Certainly in 1939 he is living in Penrith and employed as a schoolmaster but he and the family seem to move back to Newcastle as he dies there in 1963. I have never been able to find any evidence that either of the two worked in the infant school in the colliery. I've scrutinised the group above and if it is correctly dated to 1912 Mr Boll Sr would be 50 years old. Mr Boll Jr. would be 14 years old. The latter could be one of the older boys but I don't know if there are any 50 year-olds there. It seems like a family group to me.

@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.

Unfortunately my old Microsft Digital Image Pro 10 is no longer available on the Windows 7 to 11 platform. I have tried a few of the new 'photoshopping' products but just couldn't get them to do what I had learned, over a couple of years, to do with my old software.. I'm hoping the old PC lasts out longer than me or I will be stuck with nowt to keep me occupied

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

Of course. However, number 9 is likely to be Mary Waddell rather than number 10.

No 5 Witson not Wilson.

@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

Thank you so much for looking into this for me. The little boy on the bottom row, third from the right is my great, great Grandfather David Waddell. On the 1891 census he was 4 years old and was living on Coach Road in Bedlington. I am not 100% sure, but believe that his older sister Mary is on this photograph too. I think she is the girl on the second row down, second in after the little boy standing next to the teacher with the curled under fringe. In 1891 she would have been 12.

correction:- not Mrs Brown-it was Mrs Burns

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)

I'ts just I like to credit the person(s) who have named anyone in the photos otherwise people might think I knew everyone who ever went to school in Bedlington

@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?

I can't remember it either, as we didn't have a TV then, but I do remember the street party and the coronation mugs we were given in school. The street party was great fun with everybody in their Sunday best. There were egg & spoon races and sack races for both children and adults. Esther and Bob Rochester, from the corner shop, rode around on an adult-sized three wheeled bike dishing out a 2oz sweets to every child. They were dressed for the occasion in red white and blue and so was the bike. There were tongue sandwiches - which I loved, until I found out what it was - strawberry jelly and blancmange and Tizer. What a day!

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

We cracked it, full house. Well done everyone. Its also helped my memory!!