Contributor Leaderboard

Wow!

Merry Christmas to everyone and Happy New Year

Merry Christmas to all.

Merry Christmas to everyone in this group from Bygone Bedlington:-

I had it confirmed this week that West Lea in Bedlington will get its new Playzone. This is something I've been fighting for since they were first considered for Northumberland! Originally 12 were projected, none for Bedlington but I managed to get that decision changed! It represents a substantial investment not just in terms of finance but in leisure activities as well! So for anyone who doesn't know what a PlayZone is, and they are not just for football, here is a taster...........

Seasonal Greetings to all here and wishing you all a happy New Year.

Is that Wilf i can see loitering by the traffic lights? Hopefully it is, cos that means it's officially Christmas! Whoopee!!! A very merry Christmas to everybody. I hope to be a bit more active next year as two eye operations have meant I've had to rely on someone else to read and write for me for a couple of months. Reading has been a little bit easier but only if I lift the laptop to within an inch of my face. However, I'm on the mend now but can't get new specs until the beginning of February when everything is healed. Have a great Christmas and knock hell out of what's left of the year!

I have attached photos of the only ironworks building remaining. The first one was probably taken in the 1950’s and the second one taken about 5 years ago. The building is now completely covered with ivy. I asked an East Bedlington councillor on site a few years ago why they were allowing ivy to cover this important historical building. He replied that once it was covered with ivy, no one will know it is there so the building will not be vandalized. An unusual way to protect historical buildings! I have attached a copy of Chris Bergen’s book on the Ironworks that may be of interest. Old ordinance maps should show the layout of the ironworks. History of Bedlington Ironworks.pdf

An honour and a great privilege to lay a wreath today at the Bedlington Cenotaph on this, Remembrance Sunday, on behalf of all residents in my Bedlington West Ward.

not at all. I have even got a paper hat which was worn by one of my uncles at the celebration

That's difficult to read even when you zoom in! Try these:

CL,I live next to the main road,and when the Bedlington Station High School is coming out,after 3-30pm,the "kids"...aged anywhere from 13-18 yrs old come past my front garden each day walking along in small groups,or some are on cycles.While it's wrong to generalise..I have seen a massive change in their attitudes over the last 24 yrs I have lived here..I have noticed how Boys aged 15-16 yrs ,a lot of them,act like wee bairns..in fact my two wee bairns didn't gaan on like some of these dae..and a think..when aa was 15 yrs aad..straight from my school desk...[yawn...roll eyes!!]..I was working and training underground at Seaton Burn Colliery..six miles away from home..I went down Choppington High Pit after my 16th birthday ,working with two older men,for twenty days "close personal supervision",then I was on my own..still working with the two John's,who were by now,my good Marra's..by the time I reached 17 yrs,my two older marra's left me to go to another pit to do their coalface training.After a few days.Ned Cushing,our old Training Officer,brought a lad inbye,same age as me ,and gave me a Certificate to say I was in charge of this lad for twenty days,then he would be my new Marra..next day, Ned brought this Lad's older Brother in and gave me another Certificate putting me in charge of him also.My point is,at 17 yrs old I was down a mine,in atrocious wet,dangerous conditions,in charge of two strangers..who were to become great Marra's IN and OUT of the pit..Now!..when I see these "Children"[by definition"]..aged 15-17 yrs,acting like idiots..and showing off in front of the lasses..I think...by hell..a wadn't waant them buggers working wi me a thoosand feet doon and ten miles oot under the North Sea filling 24 tons of coal onto a conveyor belt..driving an old fashioned coalcutter,drilling hard coal and stone by hand..carrying heavy arched girders which weighed aboot the same as two bags of cement..on their shoulders...for a quarter of a mile at a time...if we ever get back to mining coal..we will have to bring the German Contractors in..as we did in the past sometimes when the NCB wouldn't invest in specialist tunneling techniques which were way above what we had at our disposal..like at the Bewick Drift at Lynemouth..so much Water pouring in and flooding the workings..they brought Thyssens in..who had specialist refrigeration and freezing techniques ...they drilled holes all around the tunnel roadway,pumped a refrigerant into all the holes under high pressure..and this froze the water..allowing concreting of the roadway to take place..which sealed the roadway from water ingress..and I think these Specialist mining companies from Germany..even China!! will mine our coal in the future..if at all..seems I am back again....sorry for digressing!! Cheers!!

Hello. I posted on this forum a few years ago and exchanged some info with member @Rigger. Is he/she still around? He posted a photo of the Anvil Inn, Guide Post, which is useful in my researchers. I'm updating my website and the website designer is checking I have copyright to use the photo he posted. I just want to check it's ok to use it, and I will credit him/her as owner of the pic. I think it's good etiquette to credit - it's not right to go lifting stuff off the web. I don't make any money from this, so this is really a courtesy Thanks, all.

my Father was coal minor at isabella pit Jonty jobson as kids the joppa's would steak in and nick the pit props and cut them up for firewood we were chased by the caretaker one night as it happens we got a good hiding good old days the gala every year my first taste of caramac 1950's

Hi Canny Lass,we are now talking about conditions under the National Coal Board which was invested [is that the right word?!]..in 1947,in which Widows were allowed to live in their family home.Remember my Mother was evicted by the coal owners thugs ["Bailiffs"...THUGS]...BECAUSE MY fATHER WAS IN hOSPITAL DYING..AND NOT WORKING DOWN THE PIT WHERE THE OWNERS THOUGHT HE SHOULD BE..THEY HAD NO CONSCIENCE..NO CONCERN ABOUT THE WORKERS AT ALL..BUT IF A PONY WAS INJURED OR KILLED..THERE WAS AN INQUIREY AND THE PONY HANDLER WOULD LOSE HIS JOB AND POOSSIBLY BE JAILED ON TRUMPED UP NEGLIGENCE CHARGES....sorry about caps lock being on..glaucoma now..difficult trying to type and watch the screen..didn't realise it was on!!..I live at West Terrace in Stakeford for thirty years..the first 14 yrs were under NCB ownership,and I paid rent weekly from my pay.Down the street there were several Miner's Widows living with families in those houses.But NOT in the days before 1947!!...The pony's were "hung" onto the tubs or trams with either tracing chains from their collar each side and onto the tub handles,or Limbers..["Limma's"]..Shafts either side attached to a steel yoke and coupled to the tub middle "CockHole"..[I explained a few years ago about that term!...not indecent!!"]..with a Sheckle and Sheckle pin.So they PULLED the tubs along behind them.

Hi Folks!.Canny Lass,ye knaa me,not a nitpicker,only for correctness,for the education of the uneducated!!...but miner's coaal was never FREE!!..NOR WERE THE "FREE" houses they lived in!!..They were part of a miner's wage in lieu..and speaking personally,Linton Colliery gave the Miners coal which otherwise would be tipped on the pit heap..more stone bands than coal,also full of "Brass"[!!]..Iron Pyrites..which used to spit out onto the clippy mat and us if we sat too close!!..So!!Putters!!..the pic in my gallery on here,of my Father aged 14 yrs old,with his pony,in 1929,is when he was coal putting to his Marra,the older fella who was a Hewer.My Father putted the tubs out to a landing,where the other putters did the same thing..when there was a set of six tubs or more..the Drivers used to drive the set of tubs to the shaft bottom to be taken to bank.Every pit had it's own terms,but putters was generally the term used either for hand putting,or Pony putting.Hope that clarifies the subject.Never heard the term Cartman anywhere in any of the pits I worked at..[5 in total].

Sunak will lose over 150 Tory seats on July 4th. Tony Blair will resurface in some capacity (Starmer owes him, and he owns Starmer). We will get a one-term Labour government that will be in total disarray within 3 years. (maybe less) The Reform Party will win some seat(s) despite the huge FPTP disadvantage. Sunak and his wife will decamp to the USA, tempted by some plumb position. Donald Trump will practically sweep the board in the USA elections. By year-end, Nigel Farage will be appointed US special ambassador to the UK, and Starmer will be forced to go through him. Five out of seven is a win, and 7/7 would cement my pure genius! Feel free to add your own predictions. Go on, you know you want to! BTW Trump does support Starmer already, and I think I can probably see why.

1961: The delight of the MINERS' BRASS BAND PICNIC | Monitor 54 | Weird and Wonderful | BBC Archive John Gibson introduces us to the brass band carnival and the colliery band contest at Bedlington, Northumberland which occurs each year - as a grand occasion for the family - mixing politics, beauty queens and, of course, music. John was representing Pegswood Colliery in Morpeth, Northumberland, which as he predicted was to soon close, doing so in 1969, some 101 years after it first opened. This short film was directed by Ken Russell. Clip taken from Monitor 54, originally broadcast on BBC Television on Sunday 3 July 1960.

Wasn't "The Shirt Factory" in the council (BUDC) yard? I can remember the outpouring of girls from there at the end of their shift. It was always a place anyone industrious could get employment. The phrase "she works (worked) at the shirt factory" did have a tiny bit of social stigma in those days, though. It implied that the person might have done better at school. Having said that, it probably paid a lot better than shopworker or clerical jobs. The Rag Trade on TV epitomised this type of work. Work which was steadily eroded by the waves of imports from overseas "sweat shops", but don't get me started on so-called "globalism"! I recall they had a problem with asbestos roofing in the BUDC yard, and some poor worker being killed when the roof didn't support their weight. This might jog someone's memory on the place. I can also remember going into the Barrington establishment to deliver or attend to something, or maybe to seek someone out. At this point in time, I can't remember why I was there, though I have a brief mental image of the offices but not the work floor. It was, I think, a conversion and not a purpose-built factory. Update: Ah, yes, that's it above. Should have scrolled up! Just pointing out the social attitudes (snobbery) of the era, and no downers on the industrious salt-of-the earth people that worked there. A lot of that lingers on in the present day, when the thoroughly brainwashed ex-uni types regard themselves as socially superior and have a right to do everyone's thinking for them!

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.

I know its a few years since the last post on this thread, but I'm doing some family history stuff and searched 2 gate house... it would appear my ancestors lived there between yours! Mine were there in the 1921 census, and moved on by 1939! Thanks so much for that map canny lass!

Well we have finally got the upgrades to the Garden of Remembrance at West Lea Cemetery done and the new QE11 Memorial Path. It’s taken some time but finally we have something we can all be proud of. It’s about tackling a problem by bringing in the right team, trusting them and letting them do what they do best! This new QE11 Memorial Arch has some underlying significance to Bedlington. Firstly I make all my ‘stuff’ in metal as homage to the world famous Bedlington Iron Works 1736-1867. Secondly if you look you will see the arch is outlined by two tubular bars or rails across its length. These pay tribute to John Birkenshaw who invented the malleable steel rails the world came to use for rail tracks. Previously they were made from wrought iron which was too small and too fragile for that use being only 3 feet long Birkenshaw’s were 19 feet long by comparison and incidentally the first rail lines laid in Russia! Next we come to the steam train. Not just any steam train but a scaled version of the De Arned which was the first steam train exported to Holland built in Bedlington. It’s the one I used for the gateway feature at Attlee Park, after getting permission from the national Dutch railway museum to use their full sized replica as a template . We also built the Bayard steam train which went to Italy as well as a host of other steam trains. Interestingly a Bedlington steam train boiler is reputedly in the Smithsonian in America. Of course we couldn’t miss out the world famous Bedlington Terrier which originated here. Originally bred to hunt badgers and game. Again that’s what I used to develop the seats we make which are scattered around the Town and the large one which is the southern gateway feature coming into the Town. When I did that one it caused a bit of consternation amongst some locals but I said people will come from all over to have their picture taken next to it and they have, as far away as Australia and Canada! Lastly we see a rose and it’s not just attributed to Queen Elizabeth as the quintessential English rose. This also represents the Bedlington Rose, a variety specifically developed for Wansbeck District Council but which has now all but disappeared. In fact the last bed I know of is in Bedlington so I’m calling it the Bedlington Rose! The pathway itself which we can walk on to see the rest of the installation was actually quite overgrown with weeds and vegetation along both sides. You couldn’t even see the stone wall for large stretches and the single track was just what walkers had flattened down. It was scraped back, treated, hard-core laid and then fine gravel so we now have a much wider usable path. All in all a fitting tribute to our late Queen. The Garden of Remembrance was somewhere I have wanted to sort out for some time. Previously it was encompassed with overgrown hedging, broken paving, burnt out litter bin and a broken seat. A dark and dingy place which was really just used for nefarious activities. We now have an open aspect, new hooped metal fencing, new entrance arch (which by the way transforms at certain times of the day from the black arch we see into a shining golden arch!), new bespoke seats, new tarmacked surface, new retaining walls, a bust of Queen Elizabeth mounted on a sandstone memorial plinth and fantastic new planting at the back end. Thanks go to: Firstly thanks have to go to the Leader of NCC who must have become that sick of my constant arguing for a QE11 Memorial scheme for Bedlington that he told me to go away and come up with a scheme and he would consider it. So I did just that! After coming up with some designs and ideas I went and saw Chris and Mike at Barrington Metal Works because they turn my very rough drafts and ideas into workable and deliverable products. Not only that they also took on the installation works for much of it. Next I had to get permission off the cemetery management officers. Tony and Stephen agreed and Stephen even suggested expanding on my initial ideas for the Garden of Remembrance so we might get the back path done at the same time. He also sorted out the planting and the main preparation works so huge thanks to him and the lads who did the work. Also thanks to the Friends of West Lea Cemetery group who made a significant contribution to the planting scheme. Of course things don’t go smoothly but with a sustained effort and everyone pulling together we managed to pull the whole project off. https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/restoration-bedlingtons-garden-remembrance-hailed-30705914?fbclid=IwY2xjawHl3MRleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHZ81xblU3F1xe3CqBHdvb2mB3-pLqjYk-MffOsMbtONDKW9x3z4MAL8SrA_aem_chW2-l6eCHTfTri_-CTn3w

Well done to all involved in this brilliant transformation!! It looks really nice.I put my feelings on the subject somewhere else on the forum..earlier tonight..but don't know where!! Cheers and a Happy New Year to all!! HPW.

1. In which year were the chimes of Big Ben first broadcast at New Year? = 1923 2. Of which African country is Banjul the capital? = The Gambia 3. On which river does Washington DC stand? = Potomac 4. Who was the first British magician to become a TV star? = David Nixon 5. If you were served aloo in an Indian restaurant what vegetable you get? = Potato 6. Which very common Chinese surname means ‘old’ in English? = Chen 7. Which king of England married Isabella of France? = Edward II 8. On British coins, does King Charles III face left or right? = Left (Lizzy II right) 9. In the celestial hierarchy what is the highest order of angels?= Arch, or Eggy , angel 10. Which car manufacturer produced the Panda?= Fiat 11. Favourite, Figaro and Autumn King are varieties of which vegetable?= Carrot 12. Who married the Earl of Bothwell in 1567?= Mary Queen of Scots 13. Who was Harry Corbett’s furry friend? =Sooty – Sweep & Sue 14. What is the name of the college attended by British Army Officers?= Sandhurst 15. How many gold medals did Jesse Owens win at the 1936 Olympics?= 4 16. What is the surname of Romeo in Romeo and Juliet?= wherefore art thou OR Montecchi ) 17. In which country is the River Glomma the longest river?= Norway 18. Which gas is represented by the symbol He? = Helium 19. How were the Poor Knights of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon better known?= Knights Templar 20. What is another name for the Snow Leopard? = ounce I’ll bet you didn’t know …. Racing greyhounds have their nose-prints, which are as individual as fingerprints, registered to prevent fraud. = No - I have never owned one

Hope everyone has enjoyed the festivities . Happy New Year 2025. Keep up the good work Mal .

1. Football legend David Beckham suffers from ataxophobia. What is he afraid of? 2. What was the colour of Santa’s clothes before Coca-Cola dressed him in red? 3. What is the longest quiz ever? 4. How many letters are there in the Angelic alphabet? 5. Who started the custom of Wassailing? 6. How many of Rudolph’s companions have names starting with D? 7. How did Good King Wenceslas like his pizza? 8. In which Christmas song can you hear “Fa la la la la, la la la la? 9. During WW1, a famous ‘Christmas Truce’ took place, when soldiers agreed to a cease-fire to celebrate the occasion and play football. Which year did this take place? 10. How do you say Merry Christmas in Hawaiian? 11. Who wrote, “Christmas doesn’t come from a store, maybe Christmas is a little bit more?” 12. Visions of which food danced in the heads of children as they slept in the poem “Twas the night before Christmas”? 13. Who claimed that he could “drive away the devil with a fart”? 14. What was banned in Indonesia for “stimulating passion”? 15. What do you call a group of unicorns? 16. What is the longest English word with only one vowel? 17. Which Christmas decoration do the royal family NOT have on their trees? 18. What is glühwein? 19. What is a female turkey called? 20. How many states in USA have a town called ‘Santa Claus’? I'll bet you didn't know: There are no turkeys in Turkey! -Answer = NO

I have always believed we need to allow our youngsters to have a voice and we should listen to what they have to say. That means they need to be aware of what’s going on so they can make informed decisions. Back in the 90’s I asked the ones hanging around the market place what they wanted and they told me just somewhere safe, warm and somewhere they could call their own. Didn’t sound unreasonable to me so I took that message to the District Council through the then Town Forum meetings. Like so many other Bedlington orientated requests it fell on deaf ears! When I became a town councillor and eventually chair of the Town Council I wanted to include our youngsters and even tried to set up a youth council as part of the Town Council so their voice could be heard. I also did sessions with some of youngsters trying to explain how the various councils work and which one did which service delivery. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hKIe2Z19V8 When I became a County Councillor I took some up to County Hall as part of Democracy week so they could have first-hand experience of what went on up there. I have always tried to include our youngsters and get something for them. Now they, as well as others, have had a huge toll taken during Covid so it’s even more essential to do right by them! The first battle on that front I won and we will soon see the new PlayZone soon at West Lea. Lots more needed in that particular war of course!

That’s a few of the ‘big ticket’ items I have personal experience of, even back then just as a member of the public. Really shocked, saddened and disgusted in equal measures by a lot of it so I decided to stand myself for election. Given what I had seen there was no way I was going to join any of the political parties so I stood as an independent candidate for both the Town Council and NCC. I was successfully elected to the Town Council but the Labour candidate took the NCC seat I contested. The first year on the Town council was a real eye opener because I saw how the political parties really operated. The Town council was then made up of 5 labour members and 4 independents. Important decisions which should have been raised and debated at Town Council meetings in full view of the public were actually being made days before behind closed doors at political party meetings! I would watch 5 members vote before the proposal had been fully explained, never mind debated. Also in this first year the chair was ‘given’, by 5 votes to 4, to someone in recognition of his unwavering political support? I asked is this really the best we can come up with? So the council more or less drifted in the first year, I was given a project to shut me up after proposing it, probably thinking I would never be able to pull it off. That’s how we got the parking bays on Glebe Road to solve the problem of parking on both sides blocking access up and down that street. The next year we had a political protégée installed as chair and this time there wasn’t even the remotest disguise of democracy! Even the clerk resigned! Again to shut me up bleating on about what I saw as the crazy situation we had at the top of Attlee Bank for pedestrians, where they had to step out into the road to get back onto the footpath and then cross the road on the tight corner at the bottom of the bank, I was challenged to sort that out. I negotiated with NCC for permission to put a new path down to the Park but this time not going down the main road, going through the woods. I also priced the job up and found the NCC quote to be almost 3 times dearer than another quote I had. Took quite a bit of arguing but finally we got the job done for the reasonable amount and they made a decent job of it. During the monthly meetings some of the stuff that came up was absolutely ridiculous and 4 of us were constantly trying to get it changed. I had several official complaints about my behaviour lodged with the NCC Solicitor at the time and as far as I could see they were for having the audacity to vote and speak against certain proposals. So they always got their own way but for the life of me I can’t think of any really serious other improvements done that year. Members of the public were saying the same sort of things so in his wisdom the chair sent a letter to the press calling Bedlington residents nothing but whingers. At the very next meeting he had the police, out of sight in the council office, because about 200 people had turned up to have a go about his comments. This was a special meeting anyway because we picked a new chair for the next year. One of the Labour group on the Town Council had resigned and someone else had taken their place. We wondered how she was going to vote but we needed have worried she had seen for herself the behaviours on display at these meetings. The chair proposed himself, to thunderous disapproval from members of the public in the room, and other members proposed me. He even repeated some of the stuff he had said in the press article? At the vote one Labour councillor was seen to raise his hand to vote for me and another Labour councillor leaned over and pulled his hand down. This was called out by the newest member of the council and I believe videoed by a member of the public. So I was voted in as chair and immediately had to calm everyone down. I then spent months going through every line of expenditure so at the budget setting meetings I could ask councillors to justify each and every line! Some of the stuff in there was unbelievable, even down to excessive expenses claims! This produced something which no other ‘parish’ council had done; bring in a reduction to the tax charge every household pays. Not only that over the course of the two years I was in charge we put in two new play parks for our kids, one at West Lea and another at Meadowdale, put in new bus shelters throughout, painted the handrails around the Town, also the hardware such as litter bins, fitted larger and more litter bins…..the list goes on. One other thing we brought back was the Bedlington Fair day. I used the money that generated to pay for an enhanced Xmas light switch on show. We had calls from councils all over asking how on earth we had managed to do everything while still doing a reduction in the precept. Not hard when you have some good people around you! I think I also have the dubious award for the most complaints lodged against a sitting Chair, all off one political group, even a NCC councillor got in on the action! All dismissed as vexatious and time wasting. I even had a councillor knocking on my neighbour’s doors asking if they knew anything bad I had done???????? I must have really been a pain in their backside, so doing my ‘job’ properly then! This is what you are up against politically when you stand as an independent; everyone has a go at you. I had pretty juvenile comments and attacks against me on social media platforms and even had my social media account hacked. Never mind faint heart never won fair maiden!

Piper 2024 award to @Malcolm Robinson for his work in the Bedlington community and keeping the members of this group, and Bedlington, of what's going on. Malcolm, and Foxy, helping out with the refurbishment of the the Friends of Westlea Cemetary building in September 2023 :- Malcolm, along with others, helping out in the gardens around the Friends of Westlea Cemetary building in July 2024 :-

EVs are a brilliant idea ... until (as others here have said) you look at the vehicle charging infrastructure; I'd buy an plugin EV if I could be sure of decent range and loads of FAST charging stations. My observations when out and about is how scarce they are and when you see one that works there's usually a queue of cars waiting to get a connection. I currently drive a 'mild hybrid' - 3 litre diesel engine with a big battery under the floor for the leccy motors so don't plugin. They talk about fast home charging but most of the UK housing stock has limited electrical capacity - if you're lucky it'll be 100amps but more usually 80amps so good luck with getting a fast charger with that sort of 'crippled' supply even if you're lucky enough to have a driveway to park the motor; ditto the street lamp idea ... limited electrical capacity. So what about the hydrogen route ... makes sense for HGVs until you look at our old friend the infrastucture issue. There's an article in The Engineer magazine discussing the issue in the USA and the ENORMOUS cost of building it. https://www.theengineer.co.uk/content/news/project-launched-to-advance-heavy-duty-hydrogen-refuelling-infrastructure So, SYM says, burn the diesel and to hell with polar bears.

Hello to everyone out there that went to Westridge in the 60’s. My name is Ken Straw some of you may remember some not. My siblings all attended Westridge, Pamela, Peter and Pauline Straw. We lived in Westlea, we are now scattered around the globe (well almost). I moved to the USA, lived there for 43 years and retired in Southeast Spain. My sister Pamela still lives in Calgary, Canada and Peter lives in Bedlington and Pauline lives in Whitley Bay. Love to hear from anyone we went to school with!!!!

I can think of a couple of possible reasons for a coal-miner's child being born at the granary. Coal-mining was playing a big part in Bedlington’s industry and miners were ‘imported from many parts of Britain. If you look at the population in 1851 there were almost as many miners from other parts of the country as there were native Bedlingtonians. Housing was at a premium and miners lodged wherever they could get a roof over their head until colliery housing became available. Another explanation for a birth at the granary may be that your relative wasn’t born at home. It wasn’t uncommon that prima gravidas (first-time mothers) went to the home of a female relative, often their mother, when the birth was imminent.

Heh heh Thanks for your kind comment CL!..you remember a few years ago,I mentioned on here I had started writing my life story,from as young as I can vividly remember..approx aged 2 years old..[cos I can still see my leather reins with white felt fabric star shaped decorative buttons kept in place by chrome studs..]well,I started writing that book in 2009,and for a yr or two I hadn't even looked at it..until a few weeks ago..my Wife wanted to read it,all 600 pages ,so far,and still not complete.!!...So she read a wee bit every night,which spurred me on to start where I left off,writing a few pages each night...Trouble is,it's hand written in pen and ink on A4 pads.If only I had had computer knowledge,in 2009,I would have typed it..and stood a chance of it being published. I went back a few pages to recap where I had finished the last writing session,a year or two ago,and found myself absorbed in it!!..then I thought..it's interesting..and it's ME that aam writing aboot!!...hoo crazy is that?!! Cheers to all!

Pity they aren't interested in establishing themselves here! Northvolt premises should be available soon! They promised the earth but despite having thousands employed they haven't been able to produce more than 5% of what they promised. BMW, one of their biggest investors has withdrawn an order for billions because Northvolt simply isn't meeting the promised production and Scania have done likewise. Plans for a further three factories has been placed on hold. Soon there won't be any need for batteries here as sales of EVs has plummeted because of the uncertainty. Having said that, it hasn't helped that Northvolt has had a spate of 'mysterious deaths 'at their factory this year or that petrol prices have reached an all-time low.

My great grandfather worked underground 1861 when he was 9 years old at the Bella pit. his mom would carry him home.

@Margaret Daley Hi again, Margaret, I think there has been some misunderstanding. Usually when we talk about ”Shiney Row” and ”Railway cottages” in this forum we are referring to the street shown in the above photo and the two cottages at its eastern end. I’ve had a look at your question about the Warnes family in Shiney Row and if your grandmother was Bertha Warnes and your mother Margaret Audrey Ivison then I’m afraid you’re in the wrong Shiney Row. They had their roots not in the street Shiney Row, in Bedlington, but in the village of Shiney Row located about 30 miles south of Bedlington in Penshaw, County Durham . Your great great grandfather William Warnes, born in Norfolk, lived there from about 1881 until his death in 1925 manning the railway signal box at Penshaw junction and occupying one of four cottages reserved for the job – Railway cottages (marked blue on the map below). Shiney Row is today included in the greater area of Houghton - le - Spring. It’s an easy mistake to make. However, your grandmother, Bertha did have some connection with the Bedlington area as your mother’s birth is registered in Ashington (Morpeth registration district) in 1926. There have been several families of Warnes in the Bedlingtonshire area – though not in the town of Bedlington. They lived predominantly in Cambois, which is located in Bedlingtonshire, but seem to have spread themselves over the years to Ashington and Pegswood. The earliest Warnes I’ve found arrived about the same time as William (Late 1800s) and were, like him, also from Norfolk so they may all be related and there may well be Warnes even today. If you would like any of the documentation related to this you can message me an e-mail address and I'll send the files on to you.

That sounds like something Mr Trump would say.

Thank you Mal, I'll just take the bus then!

Miss Cambois 1960. 14.58. Got to love the "happy dancer" Zoom and freeze brings all the families back, slower simpler times, times were much harder then but you wouldn't think so looking at the faces, especially the kids. Most of these people have left us now but with the magic of cinematography we can enjoy their company again.

The Gibson's were an interesting family well worthy of a it of research. Here's the start of a few posts that may help you get acquainted with them and their business. August 28 1753 a wedding, which will eventually lead to a blue plaque being placed on the house currently known as 34 and 36 Front Street East, Bedlington, takes place at St Cuthbert’s Church in the town. The house is the former home of the Gibson family – the last of the Bedlington nailers. The groom is 23 year old Humphrey Gibson, and his 21 year old bride is a Bedlington girl, Ann Stephenson. In March the following year, 1754, the couple’s are once again in St Cuthbert’s Church, this time to celebrate the baptism of their firstborn – twins William and Henry Gibson. Very little else is known of Humphrey and Ann, though it’s possible to assume that Ann dies young as Humphrey remarries in 1766 when the twins are just 12 years old. His bride on this occasion is Isabel Moss. Of the twin William I can find no information but Henry is raised in Bedlington. He later meets his wife, Stannington-born Hannah Jameson and they also marry at St Cuthbert’s in November 1784 when both are 30 years old. Together the couple have five known children: William born 1785, Philip born 1788, Henry born 1790, Ann born 1792 and Hannah born 1794. November 19th 1808 their oldest son William, then aged 23 years, is lost on a passage from Corunna, Spain, where he is a mate on board the Providence, an army transport returning from the Peninsular War – part of the wider Napoleonic wars. Almost home, the ship and all hands are lost in a storm at Bolt Head near Salcombe, Devon and the master, Robert Denton, is the only survivor. (Source: McDonald, K., 1992, The Bolt-Whole, 84 (Article in Serial). SDV147889). William’s body is recovered but is not returned to Bedlington for burial. Instead, he is interred at Malborough, Devon. He is, however, remembered on his father’s gravestone in St Cuthbert’s churchyard. It is left to Henry and Hannah’s second son, Philip, to carry the Gibson name forward and in doing so he leaves a lasting footprint on Bedlington. In 1812 at the age of about 24 years, Philip marries 20 year-old Ann Rutherford in her parish church at Stannington and just two years later, in 1814, he lays the foundations for a company that will become the last chain and nail manufacturer in Bedlington. Fourteen years after the company’s founding Pigot and Co, in their county directory of 1828, describe Bedlington in the following manner: ”With the exception of the iron works here, which are supposed to be the largest in the north of England, this place contains nothing worthy of notice either to the inquisitive tourist or the man of business.” This ”nothing of interest” included Philip Gibson who’s name is listed in two categories of traders: ”nail makers” and ”shopkeepers & dealers in sundries”. Philip, along with 5 further shopkeepers, 1 further nail maker, 4 blacksmiths, 5 boot & shoe-makers, 4 butchers, 3 cartwrights & joiners, 2 coal owners & merchants, 2 corn millers, 2 dressmakers, 5 grocers & drapers, 9 inn-, tavern- & public house keepers, 1 iron founder, 1 joiner, 6 stone masons, 2 tailors, 1 baker, 1 veterinary surgeon, 1 saddler and 1 ’clogger’, is part of Bedlington’s ’business sector’ at that time. Of Pigot’s description to judge, none of them appear to have made any noteworthy impression during his inspection in 1828 yet the company founded by Philip Gibson had already survived into it's fourteenth year and would become a household name in Bedlingtonshire for well over a hundred years. The Gibson’s appear to have been a family with a head for business and subsequent generations of Gibson’s would play an important role in developing and diversifying the business from the house on Front Street East. Over the next few weeks I’ll try to relate what my research has discovered. Have patience though, the gardening season is in full swing here and I have to make outdoor use of any fine day that comes my way.

Hi We are moving to bedlington as we have just bought a property on front street. The property in question has a blue plaque on the wall outside (Gibsons who i believe were a family who made nails) and I've been told used to be a wholesalers and such over the years prior to becoming a home in the early 2000's, id be really interested if anyone has any old photographs of 36 front street (opposite the Black Bull) prior to it becoming a home. thanks

Coming soon! This is an interesting family and I've been researching them this week. I'll post soon, probably on John Dawson's thread The Last of the Nailers. It will probably be long so it may need a few posts.

Hi Folks,Wemyssies was a confectionery wholesaler when aa was a bairn livin doon Hollymount Square from 1947..as a got ti aboot five yrs aad,me aader Brother,who would be eight yrs aad,[taakin aboot 1949 noo!],used ti tek me aroond and up Bell's Place,and aroond the corner..and we used to gaze in the windae of Wemyss shop,at the piles and piles of big sweet jars of sweets of aal description..we kids had nowt..me mutha cudnt gie us a jam sammidge in the afternoon when we hungry between meals..so we used ti drool owa the sight of aal these big sweet jars..we used ti watch vans coming and gaanin,loading and unloading whacks of these jars at a time and wondered what was gaan on..we didn't knaa wat the words "Confectionery Wholesaler" meant!..we were pitmans kids..a still wasn't at school yit..[a started in the Autumn term at the Bedlington Village Infants school in 1949].In later years,some of the Millfielders broke in and stole jars of sweets,the same ones broke into the Clayton Ballroom..they got caught and fined..it was a big crime scene in them days..hearing of local lads being taken to court..Bedlington was a quiet peaceful little village!!..It seems that building hasn't changed much owa the yeors...but Bedlington sure has!! Cheers!