Contributor Leaderboard

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.

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

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

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.

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?

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 :-

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

Thanks 😊 they work quick on there!

@loopylou names for 7,8 & 9 from the Bygone Bedlington group :-

@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 🤞

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

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, 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

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

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

From Crewroom D. 1983-1988 British Caledonian Sales Manager. From 1988-2000, freelance to United Airlines, then job in Scotway Independent Travel Agents, then private consultant in Communication skills in a company/business. In 2000, Mansel retired and he and Margaret moved to Selby, Yorks. Keith

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

@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

I think 13 is John Simpson.