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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

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.

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

@Damian Robson further update as I missed the No8,9 10 that I had added at the top left of the photo and added them along the bottom. It's just me getting dafter as I get older. I haven't attempted to remove any of the duplicated text.

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.

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

it is @James and I should have mentioned that when I first added the DMM site cover photo for the 'A' Pit - but I forgot. There are seperate entries for the two in the Index for the DMM site but when you select either of the two pits it takes you to exactly the same page and the history for both pits is detailed. If you scroll down to the section 'Gallery Images:' the DMM site does label the image as the Doctor Pit.This is the photo + info in the Gallery Images :-

@loopylou - just checked, on the PC I don't have to 'shuffle' to, and these are a couple of comments from the Bygone bedlington group :- and I added the names + the surname you gave for No 6, to your photo :-

Thank you 🙂

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

@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 🤞

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

Alan, Thanks for the update. Yes, Miss Smith and Mr Hedderly were the Deputy Head replacements for Miss Edna Humphrey ( who passed away on the day before her 100th birthday) and Mr Richards who both left BGS in 1964. Miss King/Mrs Penhalluric replaced a Mrs Flanagan who left in December 1962. ( a mere 63 years ago). The only female PE teacher (can't remember her name) that I remember (in 1967) played cricket for England women and thrashed my bowling to the far end of the Hockey pitch). She arranged a hockey match between the senior girls hockey team and the Upper sixth boys. We (the boys) were completely outplayed and had to resort to GBH to sneak a 1-0 win. Keith

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

Hi @Keith Harle I didn't know Mansel Dinnis but I had a quick look through the newspaper archives to see if there could be anything to help you. Unfortunately there wasn't a lot. He did indeed work for Caledonian Airways but only for a short while it seems, 1986 - 1988. Here are the few snippets of information I was able to find: 1971 He seems to have been working for BOAC and is reported on as having represented the company when giving a talk on the company’s organisation to the Elland Round Table. (Huddersfield Weekly Examiner) 1987 Mansel represents British Caledonian Airways (BCA) where he is sales manager, Scotland. He hands out the first prize (two tickets to Dallas USA) on behalf of BCA who donated the prize. (Dumfries and Galloway Standard) 1990 in October he joined the management team of the Westerwood Hotel, golf and country club. He is reported to previously have been British Caledonian’s sales manager in Scotland from 1986 to 1988 before operating his own management consultancy practice. The hotel is due to open early in 1991. (News & Chronicle) 1991 Just 3 months later, in January, he leaves “to pursue other business interests”. The general manager, Stanley Fredman resigns shortly after. The hotel is due to open in a couple of weeks so these two resignations make headlines in the local press. (Cumbernauld News) Of course, he may have returned to BCA at a later date. 2003 - 2005 he is on the electoral roll as resident in Selby, Yorkshire. Hope this is of some help to you.

Finding the information interesting Alan ,thank you

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 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).

@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.

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...!

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.

Welcome to the group Kathleen. I can't really tell you any history behind te East Homes Cottages other than, as @James has written above, that what is in one of Evan Martin's books on Bedlingtonshire. In the book Bedlingtonshire Now and then this is what evan Martin posted :- The name Gibson House in Rothesay Terrace doesn't ring a bell with me but that's nothing unusual these days. I know at each end of Rothesay Terrace there was a large detached house. As far as I remember the one across the road from the Easton Homes used to be lived in by the manager of the Bedlington 'A' pit and it is now Holmside Residential Care home. At the other end of Rothesay Terrace the detached house is now the Willows Nursing Home :- No 9 Stead lane is a cottage that I would assume from the back garden you would be able to see the Furness bank down to the Furness bridge and the river Blyth where you would have been plodging - ioor as we would say - you went plodgin in the clarts I don't recall anu of the names of the lads you played with around Stead Lane. I lived behind the Oval shops, Coquetdale Place, from 1949 onwards and we were regulars in the council estate across from Stead Lane where my mam's aunty lived in Elenbell Avenue and we used to go to a shop, Doyles, in Stead Lane.

!. is I think ? Dodds and 2. I am not sure of. 3 George Grahame 4 Martin ? 6. John S Smith. 6. Brian Richmond, 7. ? Cross, 8. I think it is ? Turner, 9 ? I have forgotten. hope this little helps.

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

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

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?

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?

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

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

Divvent ye dare!