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Billy Mcglen was my Grandad. I often (on what would have been his birthday) Google his name. This year I came across your post. It's nice to think he is so well remembered.

Hi Justine, welcome to the forum. I'm pretty certain that I can help you with that. Benjamin Graham never lived at Garton House. That is a spelling mistake or a printing error in the newspaper article. Benjamin lived at GARDEN House in Bedlington Station (often referred to as West Sleekburn). I don't know if you know the area but I'll try to explain its location. The site may well be occupied by a bungalow today but the remainder of the neighbouring houses are certainly still there. Benjamin's father moved into Garden House when it was newly built around 1910-12 and the family were still living there in 1939. Benjamins father, originally a carting contractor, branched out into market gardening and possibly the house got its name from that. The house was situated between the Railway Tavern (which was located on the site of the new car park) and Milburn House which is now number 2 Melrose Villas. Here is a map of the area Railway Tavern marked with black + and the 9 houses of Melrose Villas, marked in red. previously had the address 'Melrose Terrace, plus house name only (no number). These names were (in order from the Railway Tavern to Bank Top): Garden House, Milburn House, Wesley House, Prior House, Rothley Shield, Bernicia, Thurston Villa, Gladstone House and Cresswell House. Milburn House, Bernicia and Cresswell House have retained their names. Milburn House is arrowed in black and Cresswell House is arrowed in yellow. The adjoining terraced row, Melrose Terrace is marked in Green. Here are some pictures. I think Garden House may have been replaced by the bungalow. I myself have no recollection of a bungalow there but perhaps someone else can throw a bit of light on when it was built. However, the other houses, all built within a couple of years can give you an idea of how Garden House was. Melrose Villas looking towards Bank Top. The first of the 2 storey, semi-detached houses is Milburn House: If you zoom in you can see the name above the door. The last of those 2 storey houses is Cresswell House and the name is still above the door:

A woman's work is never done - not even when she's Mother Christmas! Just look at all that washing, it'll never dry in this weather! Merry Christmas everybody and all the very best for 2026.

I hope Christmas has brought you all happiness . Very best wishes for 2026. World peace would be great .

Merry Christmas to everyone, and Happy New Year.

Malcolm Robinson Bedlington West Ward. I’ve been told I need to expand and better explain my post about the proposed project at West Lea. (Well that makes a change from people saying I’m too verbose!) The project I’m promoting, and have been for some years now, is to see a multifunctional facility at West Lea, next to the cemetery. We need a community centre and we need some sporting facilities so why not get them both in one hit, because in all likelihood we will only get one chance at this. That’s why there are questions in the survey about both sports usage and community usage. I’m also keen to see some SEND provision so that’s why that is in too! Also outside I want the full sized pitch restored to level and with drainage, which will help with, or give access for, some drainage for the path. Beyond that two junior pitches installed. With new changing rooms etc. in the new building this will be the best pitch in Bedlington and have decent facilities for our youngsters coming through. I’ve identified a funding route and have a small group of people who are willing to manage it, namely the Bedlingtonshire Development Trust. They have even agreed to do the training necessary so NCC will consider them suitable. Big thanks to each and every one of them for their commitment! I asked a month or two ago for some ‘likes’ to a post I put out about this in an effort to gauge some public support. What came back was about double what NCC get to their consultations and that enabled me to silence the NCC doubters and press through onto the next level. This time it’s a full feasibility study because we have to prove it’s needed, wanted and sustainable. That will be based off the replies to the survey and that’s why I need as many people as possible to fill it in! This isn’t just about the West End of Town or the Top End its for the whole of Bedlington so please fill it in if you would support it wherever you live. Let’s get behind something positive for a change and let’s start to address the lack of facilities investment into the Bedlington for the past few decades! Click the link and fill the survey in......about 2-3 mins! https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx...

You might have to explain that to our nursery age school children who are being offered gender realignment services! The world is going mad!!!!!!!

Just to keep everyone updated.......here is my 'application' for County Councillor. So we have a full list of candidates for the NCC Bedlington West Ward seat and it looks like an election has had its starter gate opened with claims, counter claims, spin and misdirection already! As I have said the only promise I give is to continue to do my best for the ward, so more of the same if you like! Like any job applicant a CV would seem an obvious starting option. So here are the main points in mine: As a resident I wasn’t happy with the way our Town’s needs had been ignored for decades so as a private individual I decided to try and do something about that. You don’t really need a position but you do need a commitment and some level of understanding as to how the system works. Set up the Bedlingtonshire Development Trust. Worked with NCC to get the sports pavilion at Gallagher Park. Ran a Fields in Trust campaign after getting Gallagher Park qualified as a QE11 Park and won a national award! Did the training in counselling skills so I could interact confidentially with people on a one to one basis. Completed training in procurement, project management, VCS development, planning training and others which I thought would be beneficial. Got the funding for and ran a Heritage themed event with Leading Link, which we had to go to Manchester and receive a commendation for. I had to go to Blyth Sports Centre and push in to argue with the Olympic Torch Committee for Bedlington to be included in their processional route so our kids could see it pass too. This after NCC said no! With Richard from Salvation Army and Lyn from Leading Link we had over 5000 people lining a very wet Front Street that day! Bedlington Terrier seats……..my design and my project with the money made paying for Xmas lunches for our seniors and support for our food banks. In May 2013 I was elected as a Town Councillor. The chevron parking on Glebe Road, my idea to stop the double parking there so others could pass. My project through the Town Council. New footpath down to Attlee Park, to stop the need for pedestrians having to step out on the main road. Again my project through the Town Council. After lacklustre and aimless two years under Labour control, which was more about claiming the council to be a Labour one instead of actually doing things, I was elected to the chair of the Town Council. What happened in the next two years was more than had happened at any time before! New Bus shelters throughout. Street furniture painted gold and green. Two new play parks at West Lea and Meadowdale. New Town Gateway features, which I designed and oversaw the project. Started on the discussions with a local resident who made sun dials internationally, but who couldn’t get one in their home town. Now in the Market Place! We bought the two new commemorative seats which now sit behind the War Memorial after I did the research and costing. Restarted the Town Fair and held it on the street. First to put on a show for the Xmas Lights switch on. Put in the original three defibrillators onto the street after the existing NCC Councillors refused to back them. Brought in a REDUCTION to the Town Council tax charge, the only one to ever manage that and do everything (plus) listed above. No wonder we got phone calls from all over asking how on earth we had done it. Then in 2017 I was elected to County Council. I said “I’m drawing a line in the sand…….we don’t go backwards from here!” First job get a light controlled crossing next to the COOP because it was gravely needed! All main roads into my ward area resurfaced. I recorded every pot hole in the ward and sent in the lists. I also had to stand up to what had happened at Arch and Active Northumberland to try and bring some resolution after unbelievably bad independent audits. Covid hit and while everyone else hid under the blankets I was running around dropping food parcels off because the government essentially locked up elderly people for 12 weeks! I made sure the ones I knew in my ward had something at least once a week. I got the 100’s of food parcels from the Salvation Army so I raised money for our food banks to make sure I wasn’t taking out more than I put it! West Lea Cemetery needs a special mention: First try and sort out the flooding issues which saw flooding on the children’s graves. Cleaned out the main culvert pipe which runs alongside the western side of the cemetery. Next the road inside the Cemetery needed resurfacing. Helped set up the Friends of West Lea Cemetery group. Did the D Day commemorative plaque at the side of the entrance. Renovated the old derelict hut which stands in there for a base for the Friends of West Lea Cemetery. Flooding reoccurred so I had to fight for new field drains fitted at the lowest bit on the South side. Did the Covid plaque at the other side of the entrance. Garden of Remembrance needed sorting out. The path between the cemetery and St Bennies needed sorting out too so QE11 Memorial Path, again after Bedlington not planned to get one. Now we have the best! New railings along the Front. Worked with Cemeteries management to turn the look of this cemetery around. It’s a popular place to visit these days and the Garden of Remembrance is now filled with flowers on tended plots. Plessey Woods needs a mention too. Went down 8 years ago and spoke to the staff there and saw it was only been used by a few dog walkers. Lobbied for the money to get the new playground done as well as path repairs etc. I got the funding on the proviso that I increased visitor numbers Put on events (children’s and adults) to get people there so they could see what was on offer. Argued for the extra parking area because it was proving that popular now. Had to get double yellow lines outside to stop the indiscriminate parking along Shields Road. Set up a Friends of Plessy Woods group. Continually argued for café and toilets upgrades which are now planned for end of this summer. Came up with the idea of Climbing Boulders as a way of attracting more people down there. Worked on the design, costs and siting with manufacturers and park managers. Should see them soon! More events in the pipeline for this park! Road speeds are an issue in several places, first one to tackle, Hazelmere. The internal roads have now gone to 20 MPH. Also the B1331 as it passes four school entrances……now 20 MPH after being told it wasn’t going to happen! New path opposite Hartford Hall, again after being told it wouldn’t happen. Had to fight to get Bedlington into the mix for a PlayZone but we were eventually. Then loads of fences and hoops to jump to get it actually built. Now being built at West Lea. The first new build leisure facility in Bedlington I can remember! I’ve also had to tackle house builders on behalf of residents and we have residents meetings with them (I’d like to say regularly but………) so problems can be worked out and residents made aware of what’s going to happen. Sensible communications is very often the key! I have documented just about every aspect to this ‘job’ over the last 8 years even to the point of being referred to solicitors when it doesn’t suit one party’s narrative! I’ve told everyone what’s going on, what’s about to happen and the reasons behind the way I’ve voted on most issues. I can’t think of any resident who has been in touch and who I’ve not responded to. We might not get the answer we wanted but all concerns have been forwarded to the right place. In short this is the sort of stuff I’ve been doing for the last 8 years, a lot of which aren’t really the remit of a councillor but hey it’s Bedlington, someone has to do something! This isn’t an exhaustive list by any means, and for more examples in much greater detail take a look at the Historical Factoids I posted on my Facebook page: “Malcolm Robinson Bedlington West Ward.” If you vote for me it’s not difficult to work out what you will get! Trying to inject some common sense into the county council instead of the political spin and gyrations of the Political Party’s! ‘Residents First’ because I don’t have a political party to promote and gain benefit for, so the only people who tell me what to say and do are my residents. We don’t go backwards and we don’t leave anyone behind! It’s that simple really!

Welcome back! You are right when you say that there were lodging houses at the entrance to Mugger’s Neuk in 1861. There were in fact two, but in 1851 these were one larger lodging house. As I mentioned earlier, housing was scarce for the increasing workforce so as well as the lodging house which housed 17 lodgers (and the family of three who ran it), there were a further 60 people lodging in the market place within the homes of various families. However, I don’t think your relatives were lodgers of either sort. In 1851 there were no Dixons living in the lodging house or lodging with private families in the area where the lodging house was ie. the market place. If your relative is who I think he is, Charles Dixon with father of the same name and a mother named Dorothy, then he did live in the Market Place just to the left of the Howard Arms when facing that building. Why do I think this? The enumerator’s route, 1n 1851, went from “the first house in the corner below the Cross to the last house at the east end of the town on the same side”. He then crossed the road and enumerated “the south side of the town from the first house in the Mill Yard at the east end to the last house in the Half Closes on the same side”. There was a general lack of postal addresses in the 1851 census as the postal system hadn’t really developed at that time. However, there were schedule numbers for each household in the census documents and certain locations were identifiable by the occupation of the residents – such as “innkeepers” and “grocers” who usually lived on the premises. Looking at the 1851 census for Bedlington, district 2a (which includes the market place), and following the enumerators route, as he himself describes it above, the first house below the cross has schedule number 1. Successive sch. nrs. are given in sequence to the various households along the route. NB. The sch. nr. applies to a household, NOT a building. There may be several households in one building. Continuing eastwards in the enumerator’s footsteps from Muggers corner towards Leadgate House (on the corner opposite the Northumberland Arms) you will find at sch. nr 29 an innkeeper with the unusual surname Petrie. Unfortunately, there is no name to the inn. However, if we look up Petrie in the following 1861 census, we can see that he is in the same position and that his business is the Howard Arms. That sorted out we leave sch. Nr 29, the Howard Arms, and get back onto the enumerator’s route. We don’t have to go far to find Charles and Dorothy Dixon together with 5-year-old Charles Dixon and his siblings because he is at sch. nr 31, almost next door to the tavern. At sch. nrs. 30, 31 and 32 are three small households which probably, but not certainly, occupy the small row of buildings which I’ve arrowed blue in the map below. What I can say with certainty is that Charles Dixon lived in one of the buildings - or the buildings in the yards behind them -which I’ve marked in red.

Its getting pretty acrimonious this election period. First rebuttal, "It seems the Labour canvassers going around today are saying the schemes and projects I’ve listed in my ‘CV’ post are only what I’m claiming to have been part of or done, in other words a figment of my imagination? Well the lists are there if you want to challenge them, Im quite happy to justify each and every one! In fact if you want some more………. Ill just say this in response, we had a Labour councillor for the four years before I got in and he picked up the nickname……..”The Invisible Man!” Lets not go back to those dark days! We have lost trust in the national government in record time, God forbid the same happens to our county!" Second one, "Just by way of a post script to my last ‘political’ post another claim by the Labour canvassers was that I always vote with the Conservatives. Doesn’t take too much effort to show that’s not true either! As part of the last NCC pre Budget presentations all councillors were given a large number of papers to read through. As I said at the time the financials alone were 467 pages. It would seem I was the only one to pick up on the Advance proposals they contained. You might think with tens of millions of pounds at stake it would be a stand alone item but I could only find three quite curtailed references to it. As usual I asked about it because I didn’t understand completely what was intended. Once I had the explanations my words were……….”That’s a deal breaker for me, if I went along with it I couldn’t look my residents in the eyes ever again!” Now I’ve put that in inverted commas because that’s exactly what I said at the time in the faces of the main political and professional players at County Hall and that why I voted against the conservative proposed budget. Fast forward to the recent vote on the restructure of Advance, only a month or so ago, and we see the whole Labour group vote with the conservatives on this issue with only Independents voting against. These days I only believe half of what I see and nothing of what I hear, that might be good advice for residents in what is fast becoming a pretty acrimonious election period. I’m trying to remain positive and not descend to levels others are crawling around in, but it’s hard!"

https://funeral-notices.co.uk/notice/miller/5241321 Those who remember Joyce Miller (and Biffy the dog), please see the attached. She loved Hartford and telling patients “there’s no such thing as can’t - if you say you can’t you really mean you won’t”.

Hi Mark! I only ever got into the factory two or three times, and remember the IBM computer doing the wages, and the resistor banding machines on the metox precision resistor line. In fact, I probably still have some of the floor sweepings and production overruns gifted in a large paper bags by Dr Kirby (the head of research) as a thank you for very occasionally helping him with electrical and electronic bits and bobs he required urgently. Latterly, I also knew John Storey, who worked in engineering there, and was an assistant flying instructor at Newcastle airport in his spare time. The Magic Roundabout sounds like an interesting machine. Keen to know more.

@Nicola RileyHi Nicola, welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear about your mam's death. If I'm thinking of the right person then I went to school with Joyce - Westridge Secondary Modern 1959 - 1962. A very nice girl. She wasn't in my class but in the same class as my best friend so we hung about together during our breaks. You'll find a couple of school photos of that Joyce in the Gallery, Westridge album. Might be worth a look. I think you may have found the topic related to Fountain Yard where your nanna's brothers are mentioned. I don't think Fountain Yard comes up in any other topics. Dr Pit is up for discussion frequently. Type "Dr Pit" (inverted commas are important) in the search box, top right and you'll get a list of where it appears.

According to Stephen Martin's booklet about Bedlington, the first Post Office was in the Baptist Yard.

Canny Lass that was brilliant. It was so well laid out I was easily able to follow the story. I cannot imagine how much time you spend putting it all together. Absolutely 10 out of 10.

@Canny lass & @Justine Matchett asked on the FB group Bygone Bedlington and don't know who lives in Garden House now but it is the white house in the images above and this comment from Errol Armstrong confirms it :-

@Canny lass from the info you have posted above I think you could be right🤞 My clouded memory does recall that the white house used to be where a fella had a horse & cart and sold veg in the area but I hve no proof. I will put a post on the FB group Bygone Bedlington with the Google street view photo and a summary of your info and see if anyone comes up with any info thhat migth help

@Alan Edgar (Eggy1948) @Justine MatchettLooking at those two photos, Alan, I think they show exactly the same buildings with Milburn House first on the left. I've had another think about the location and today I've compared OS maps with the enumerators route on the 1901 1911 and 1921 census returns and also the 1939 register. I'm now inclined to think that Garden House maybe still exists and could be the white house (albeit renovated or even rebuilt) immediately behind the bungalow adjacent to Milburn House. Looking at maps I can see that there has been a building on that spot, immediately behind the Railway Tavern (formerly Railway Hotel then Railway Inn) since the 1860s. Here's a map from 1898. I've arrowed the building in red: The map below is from 1924 (simply because it has the best detail). The Railway Inn I've arrowed green. What I believe to be garden House I've arrowed red, and I've arrowed an L-shaped building to its rear, on the same plot of land, which I'll come back to. Note that the present day bungalow isn't there. That corner where it stands appears to be land belonging to the house. The Railway Tavern is now demolished to make way for the new car park but the side street behind it, leading from the main road and giving access to the two buildings is still there. I had a little wander down that side street (with the help of Google) and I could clearly see that the L-shaped building is still there and seems to be very old. If William Graham, Benjamin's father, ran a carting business and later a market gardening business (at his home address, according to the 1921 census) then that would be the ideal place - maybe stables for horses when he was carting. The name Garden House, from 1911 when William was a carter, may well be a topographic name - referring to the fact that it was the only building there with a garden which faced the main street. making it easily identifiable. Look at the old maps and you'll see that all other buildings had a back yard and/or an allotment garden along the length of what is now Melrose Villas and Melrose Terrace. All in all, the census returns show that the Graham family have lived on the same spot between the Railway Tavern and, after its construction, Milburn House. From 1911 it had the address Garden House. On early maps this is the only house adjacent to the Railway Tavern. What do you think? Could this be Garden House? Anybody living in the area today who fancies knocking on the door and asking? I'd love to know.

she did indeed, and remembered a lot of bairns she delivered, she remembered me as easily delivered but my younger brother as a squealing problem😀

Knowledge is never a heavy burden to bear!! Just think how all this new found information can be used to impress friends and relatives!

1. Brazil 2. Italy 3. 4. 5. Russia 6. Columbia 7. Monday 16/02/26 - Fire Horse 8. Phillipined 9. 10. Haiti 11. You can't get married between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur because this period, known as the Days of Awe, is a solemn time for intense spiritual introspection, repentance, and seeking forgiveness, culminating in the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) when God seals one's fate for the year, making it inappropriate for the joy and new beginnings associated with weddings1 12. 13. 14. Italians, Spaniards, and the Chinese share the common goal of warding off bad luck for the New Year, using symbolic acts like clearing out the old, eating specific foods (grapes in Spain/Italy, lentils in Italy), and wearing auspicious colors (red in Italy/China) to welcome fortune, focusing on renewal and positive energy for the year ahead 15. 16. To find L'Home dels Nassos (the Man of Noses) and get a wish, you need to be in Catalonia, Spain, especially Barcelona, on December 31st, searching the streets and public squares for a man with only one nose left (as he loses one daily), often appearing at midday in places like Pla de Palau. 17. 18. 19. 20. I bet you didn't know = I didn't. I had to Google all 20

Answers to the Christmas quiz: 1. Ardennes 2. Nautical mile 1 852 metres (English mile 1 609 metres 3. Miss Moneypenny 4. Smoking bishop is a type of mulled wine especially popular in Victorian England at Christmas time. It is mentioned in Dickens' 1843 story A Christmas Carol. Smoking bishop was made from port, red wine, lemons or Seville oranges, sugar and spices such as cloves. 5. Walker 6. Veterinary Surgeon 7. 1984 8. Anglia 9. A butterfly 10. A grape 11. In a dictionary 12. 8 (No Rudolph!) 13. Czech Republic 14. 6 15. Kevin 16. Ukraine 17. Berlin 18. New York 19. Noddy Holder 20. A life jn spinsterhood

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

An honest assessment of the current legal situation surrounding the Bedlington Terriers from the MP. Bedlington Terriers FC – a deeply disappointing situation For more than two years, my office and I have worked behind the scenes with a multitude of partners to try to resolve the situation facing Bedlington Terriers Football Club. Until now, we’ve resisted making a public statement, hoping that quiet diplomacy and goodwill would prevail. Sadly, the situation is now worse than ever, and I feel it’s time to speak openly. Bedlington Terriers, a club with a proud history and deep roots in our community, has played at Dr Pit Welfare Park for more than half a century. They had secured planning permission and funding to upgrade the pitch to 3G and improve facilities, an exciting step forward. But legal and ownership complications have derailed everything. The land is governed by a charitable trust originally established for the mining community. When the club tried to move forward with improvements, it became clear that the lease they were operating under was legally invalid. This issue, which was first identified in 2012, was never acted upon and only resurfaced a decade later, when progress on re-development was being made. Northumberland County Council (NCC), which holds the land in trust, attempted a land swap to resolve covenant issues raised by the Charity Commission. However, CISWO (Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation), which has an interest in the site, refused to consent, citing concerns about preserving the site’s heritage and the community’s access. In December, I met with NCC and CISWO to try to find a solution. The council was open to compromise, but CISWO would not budge. Their position is that preserving the site means preventing any development, even if that development would allow the club to continue playing and thriving in the community. I strongly disagree. In trying to “preserve the site,” CISWO is ignoring the reality: Bedlington Terriers have played on the western portion of Dr Pit Park for five decades. They’ve maintained the ground throughout that time. The rest of the park, home to bowls, sports, play areas, and a Green Flag-rated green space, remains untouched and well-used. At the end of last season, the club was relegated from Northern League Division 2 having failed ground grading criteria. Then in the summer, the legal entity running BTFC was struck off the register because of an administrative issue, leading NCC to require the club to vacate the ground. Though the entity was later restored, the damage was done. Bedlington Terriers are now playing in the Northern Alliance at a home pitch outside of Bedlington. The ground, once secured, has since become a target for arson and vandalism. I raised CISWO’s role in this mess from the floor of the Commons last week and have further meetings planned in the coming weeks. Let me be clear: This situation helps no one. Not the mining community CISWO claims to represent. Not the park, which is now suffering from neglect and vandalism. Not the people of Bedlington, who’ve lost their senior football team. And certainly not Bedlington Terriers, who are fighting for survival outside their home town. I still believe a solution is possible, if sensible heads prevail. I will continue to urge all parties to find common ground and do what’s right for the club, the community, and the legacy of Bedlington.

Same here! I'm usually up to the knees and swinging a snow shovel every morning by now but, apart from a couple of inches in mid November, there's been nothing. Couldn't agree more about the cause and its source.

Thanks it was me Pegwoman. I just strongly believe that Bedlington deserves its own museum. I am currently hoping to gather a group of like minded people who would support the project. Thanks for your comment from so far away Bedlington never leaves those who lived there. I only lived there until I was twelve, but it is still a place I relate too.

And finally, there was bank manager Edward Mostyn Gibson. What happened to him? He has been extremely difficult to find and here’s the reason why. In September 1936 Edward Mostyn’s wife, Mabel, dies at the age of 51 years. Her address is then given as Middleton Street, Blyth. One can only wonder why. After a great deal of searching I eventually found the first trace of Edward Mostyn’s whereabouts in 1939 – and possibly a reason for his wife being in Blyth. He was at that time a patient in St Georges Hospital, Morpeth. How long he had been there is impossible to say. Mental Health Care wasn’t exactly at it’s best in 1939 and admissions were more frequent than discharges. What I can say with certainty is that Edward Mostyn died in St George’s Hospital though, again, it’s impossible to say how long he had been there. At the time of his death, he did however own a home in Bedlington – 106 Rothesay Terrace – next door to his brother at 105 (106 was vacant in the 1939 register when Edward M was in hospital). Those effects are worth only £14,745 today. A sad end to an enterprising family and a big piece of Bedlington’s history. Hope you’ve enjoyed reading this as much as I’ve enjoyed researching it.

Can Bedlington have its own museum. . . .? Having been involved with Beamish in the 1960s and then Woodhorn museum later on and the Northumberland Fusiliers museum at Alnwick Castle I wonder why the hell Bedlington hasn’t got its own museum. Grants and donations can be obtained I would love to be involved in such a project. My contribution would be financial and advice. Come on we deserve a museum.

Maybe Bedlington history society and you could join forces. BEDLINGTON needs its own museum. Maybe John Hall originally from North seats ,but went to Bedlington grammar school would donate the opportunities are there. It needs a team of volunteers to organise it. I was at school with Claire Mitchell ner mam wasEllen Mitchell. I am sure that her family would be involved. There are just so many people who would support this. Also I have an extensive collection of disaster glasses some that are unknown linked with Bedlington and guidepost, Anyway it’s just a thought

Uk doesn’t have free speech unless it depends on what side of the fence you sit on I’m afraid politically correct ok not politically correct no chance

Hi, Thank you for this suggestion - my Great Grandfather James Scott was born on 1 Dec 1879 and in the 1939 England and Wales Register for Ashington was listed against Coney Moor Farm as Dairy Manager In 1911 Census he was down as a Farmer at age 31 I know there was an Ashington Farm but I am not sure that is the same as Home Farm I have found some information in Northumberland Archives and it mentions several glass plate negatives showing "Home Farm one of the Ashington Coal Company Farms" I will ring them on Wednesday when they are open. Many Thanks for everyone's help any other information would be gratefully received Susan

Make a cup of tea, there's no way of explaining this quickly! This may throw a little light on the mystery! The enumerator for Bedlington, District 9 in the 1911 census, was one J W Gaskin. He appears to have been a man who took his work very seriously. Going above and beyond the call of duty in meticulously recording the statutory requirements: name, age, birthplace etc. of each person he recorded even a brief description of the building in which the residents lived. From these descriptions I think its now possible to identify the buildings at Bank Top – at least in 1911. @loopylou Yesterday you described the census for 1911 in the following manner. (I’ve taken the liberty of colour coding your text so that I can compare them to census records, photos and maps. Unfortunately I can't use coloured text here). You said: “No. 1 Craggs (missing, a shop? Uninhabited?) BLUE No. 2 Craggs Buildings (Weightman) BLUE No. 3 Craggs Buildings (Elliott) BLUE No. 4 Craggs Buildings (Kinghorn) BLUE following these are Old Puddlers Arms (Mawson) GREEN Old Puddlers Arms (Thain) GREEN Old Puddlers Arms (Cole) GREEN Old Puddlers Arms (Burrell) GREEN All of these addresses ”Old Puddlers Arms” have two rooms each, which equates with the eight rooms described in the auction. then confusingly Craggs Buildings (no number) (McMullen) RED No. 2 Craggs Buildings (Thompson) RED No. 3 Craggs Buildings (Hutchinson) RED No. 4 Craggs Buildings (Campbell) RED No. 5 Craggs Buildings (Hadaway) RED Craggs Buildings (no number) (Parker) RED These also had two rooms each. Then after follows River View. It would appear that No. 2/3/4 are duplicated, but I do not think that these are the same properties, rather that the end six properties later become No. 9-14 of Craggs.” Let's ompare that with what the enumerator says. The enumerator describes the buildings these people lived in as follows: P 10: Sch nrs. 217 – 219 “Craigs Buildings, 1 block of 4 cottages” (1 unoccupied therefore only 3 sch. Nrs.) BLUE P 10: Sch nrs. 220 – 223 “Old Puddler’s Arms, 1 block 4 dwelling houses” GREEN P 11: Sch nrs. 224 – 229 “Craigs Buildings 2nd block in flats, 6 dwelling houses” RED There after follows River View starting with “a semi-detached villa, a villa, 6 more semi-detached villas and then 1 block 7 cottages”. If we transfer that information to a map (this one from 1924 as it’s the nearest I have) it looks like this: Following on from the red marking of Craigs Buildings, 2nd block, I’ve marked the enumerator’s description of River View: semi detached villa (pink), villa (yellow) and 7 semi-detached villas (purple), 1 block of 7 cottages (orange). If we then transfer that information to the 1930s photo it looks like this: There are a couple of questions that arise: The unmarked space between the blue marking and the green marking has no immediate explanation from the enumerator. I would suggest that it could be one of the 3 houses, each with four rooms, described in the 1864 advert as these are “adjoined” to the Puddler’s Arms. If this is the case then it should be marked BLUE. Much depends on the location of the outer wall of the Puddler’s Arms – to the right of or to the left of the unmarked space? In total, the three cottages have 12 rooms. The advert dated 1869 includes 6 double cottages of 2 rooms each. This also gives a total 12 rooms, so these could be the 3 roomed cottages mentioned in 1864. An alternative explanation for the space would be that it was occupied by the 2-roomed cottage offered for sale with the Puddler’s Arms in 1869 as part of the same lot for sale in 1869. If this is the case then it should be marked GREEN. To me it seems that, at least in 1911, the large building contained not only the public house (to the right) but also 6 flats (to the left). I’ve said before that housing was at a premium due to the need for a greatly increased workforce in Bedlington. Perhaps the Puddler’s Arms originally occupied the whole of the building but renting out accommodation may have given the opportunity to provide a better income – for infinitely less effort.

My latest offering........... Been told off several residents today they have received their postal voting papers today and they have filled them in, ticking my name, and reposted straightaway. Thanks very much I really do appreciate the trust you have shown! I have tried to steer well clear of the shenanigans going on at the minute with political posts in Bedlington, preferring to illustrate lessons from recent Bedlington history we should all be aware of. Failure to learn from the past is a recipe for continued failure and I think we have had enough of that! As all the main political parties played roles in what I see as snubbing the needs of this Town I cannot understand how anyone can trust them again. Time and time again we have seen decisions based purely on political party benefit and that’s why I think the political parties are part of the problem not the solution! It’s also one of the main reasons I get reprimanded so much by chairs in meetings because I call it out every time I encounter it. There are excellent Independent choices at these elections, people with real experience and knowledge, people who have leant how the system works and where the failures are, so they know what to look out for and how to get around them. That takes years to learn, not 5 minutes! I said at the very beginning of this election this is about trust, I don’t think we can trust any of the political parties given how they have screwed us over every time they have been in power. Even at national level we can see how much political manifestos are worth and if they can get away with it what chance do we have at this level of government? In the last 8 years of being a county Councillor I’d like to think I have never broken the trust and faith people gave me when they elected me, from day one! It’s your choice, please use it wisely.

I think this is how Craggs Buildings may have been numbered. It seems it was named this due to the former license holder of the Puddlers Arms being a J. W. Craggs. He had the pub in 1887 before dying in 1889, aged 43. No. 1 started where the Bank Top is now, and continued down to No. 13/14 next to River View. No. 1 - 4 are the cottages that separated the Puddlers from Bank Top Hotel. The 1881 census lists an address “Clark’s Cottages” inbetween “Liddle’s Cottages” (Liddle’s Yard) and “Puddler’s Arms”. I think it’s likely Clark’s Cottages referred to No. 1-4. A former landlord of the Puddlers was Henry Clark. No. 5 - 8, an auction piece on 22 Oct 1864 (Newcastle Daily Chronicle) lists the Puddler’s Arms as having “eight large rooms”. Possibly that the Puddler’s was split into four two-room flats. No. 9 - 14, the same auction piece lists the Puddlers Arms as having “three houses, with four rooms each, adjoining the above.” I believe these were split into the six two-room apartments of No. 9 - 14, as a later auction piece on 27 Feb 1869 (Newcastle Daily Journal) now describes the attached property to Puddler’s Arms as “six double cottages”. Photo with the door numbers included.

@Alan Edgar (Eggy1948) I think the bungalow you reference as River View in the older picture is actually the second one in, number 2? Maps has a no 1 River View which nearly lines up with a corner house in Tomlea Avenue . But the current end house (2) is a bit further down. I assume a few got demolished over the years.

Then and Now

I don’t know if there are photos of Cragg’s Buildings out there, but there were some in the papers in 1943 after it was on fire. (No. 5, 6, 7 and 8).

Topic: Mary (molly) Rooney 1926-2008 It was the same Joe Rooney that posted the above topic in ‘Public Notices & Announcements’, December 8 2008, that I was referring to. He died in 2010. April 2010 @sissinghurst posted 2 topics: 'Joe Rooney poorly' followed by 'Joe Rooney’s Passing'. @loopylou the topic 'Mary (molly) Rooney 1926-2008' posted in ‘Public Notices & Announcements’ might be of interest to you as Molly was born at 6 Craggs Buildings, Bank top which you mentioned in an earlier post.

Here it is, arrowed in red.

@loopylou compilation of images - Google steet view 2023 - Market Place photo c1930 & @Canny lass's map extractb :-

Hi Alan, I’ve checked that too. I’m trying to find my granda, he got my grandma pregnant and her dad, a Home Guard threatened to shoot him if he came back haha. However the name we have doesn’t seem to fit the DNA ancestry profiles. thank you though

The closure order for burials at St Cuthberts was as late as 1983. There are some very old gravestones so it might be worth investigating further.

My uncle Bill of 34 Shiney Row Bedlington was a school child during the First World War and each child at his school was given a first aid kit in case another zeppelin was dropped on Bedlington

This will be long! Make a cuppa and get your feet up! The Gibson family research has had to wait while I've been without specs. The six weeks I was told would be needed before getting new specs after my ops turned into three months. I had the temporary specs only ta few days before I got a bleed inside my eye, another op and an inflammation that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy! However, the Gibson family didn't have i easy either - read on! I left the widowed Henry Gibson in 1881, then aged about 67 years, living in the family home on Front Street east in Bedlington. He is still head of the family and the ironmongery business. Also resident are his two sons Philip Hedley Gibson, aged 34 and as yet unmarried, and William James Gibson, aged 26, who has with him his wife of eight months. She is Sarah (nee Mostyn), born to Edward Mostyn and his wife Anne in Flintshire, Wales, but the family moved to St Helens, Lancashire a few years after her birth and it is in St Helens the marriage took place. Sarah seems to have been a gifted child and was studying to become a teacher at the age of 17. Both brothers, having branched out into the world of banking, give their occupation as “Ironmonger & bank agent” but William James has the addition “nail & chain manufacturer”. The company is now calling itself “Gibson Bros & Co.” The “& Co” bit consists of – or at least includes - the husband of their sister, Jane Elizabeth, whom I mentioned earlier when she married engine wright John Archbold in 1863. Just when the partnership was formed is difficult to say but I can say with certainty that it ended in 1883 when, according to a notice in The Commercial Gazette 24 May 1883, the partnership was dissolved due to debts by William James Gibson and Philip Hedley Gibson to John Archbold. Thereafter, the Gibson family, father Henry and the two brothers, continue to run both businesses and despite being owed money, John Archbold doesn’t seem to have done too badly. On his death in 1897 he leaves to his family £2 871 – worth about a half million today (2025). The dissolution of the partnership is not the only misfortune to be suffered by the Gibsons around that time. William had married in 1880 and now it was the turn of older brother Philip Hedley. Like his brother, Philip Hedley does not marry a local girl but takes his bride, farmer’s daughter Jane Brookes, from Salop (Shropshire). They marry September 27, 1882 in the parish church of High Ercall, Salop. The marriage is, unfortunately, not to be a long one for Jane’s death is registered in the 2nd quarter of the following year. They were married for less than one year and as Jane’s death is registered in the Morpeth registration district it’s fair to assume that she had moved north to Bedlington with her husband. By 1891 we can see big changes in the family. Henry, the father, is now 77 years old and still working but the roles of father and son have now reversed. Philip Hedley, 44 year-old, is now the head of the household and his father, 77 year old Henry, is his assistant in the ironmongery business. Bank House must seem very empty now with only Philip Hedley, widowed, and his father living there together with a live-in general domestic servant. However, as I mentioned earlier, sister Mary Ellen and three of her children return to live at Bank House for a while before her death in 1901. William and his wife Sarah had, prior to 1891, moved to a home of their own, which brings me back to a photograph, posted by @johndawsonjune1955 which appeared in his first post in this topic: John Dawson could date the photo to 1888 and raised the question of where it might have been taken. @Maggie/915 thought it might have been taken at Vulcan Place, in Bedlington. I am now inclined to agree with her as it is in Vulcan Place, a few doors down from the Northumberland Arms, that William James and his family are living in 1891. At that time the couple have five children: Mary 8, Edward Mostyn 7, William Henry 5, Lilian 4 and James 9 months. If the photo is dated 1888 then the child in the photo could be the eldest child, Mary, who would then be about 5 years old, and the woman behind her could be her mother, Sarah. I’d then hazard a guess that one of the two men behind Sarah could be her husband, William James Gibson and the other may be his brother, Philip Hedley Gibson. Just a thought! The clothing of the three persons, 2 male and 1 female, to the right of the group suggests that they are workers and the tell-tale soot above the door behind them suggests to me that this could even be a nailer’s workshop. Could this have been to the rear of the buildings in Vulcan Place? The woman and child look as if they've just stepped out of the house for a minute, rather than being on a visit away from home. The man in the middle is, however, a mystery. Following the death of their 80 year-old father Henry in 1902, the brothers continue to run the business. Philip Hedley continues to live in Bank House on Front Street East and if the following photo is from 1910, as stated by Cympil (Gibson house is first on the left), then it must be Philip who is responsible for the neo-classic details, of which some still remain, on the building, and the new entrance (now blocked up) into the banking agent’s premises. Philip doesn’t marry again and has no children to take on the business after him when he dies shortly after his father, in 1906. Strangely, while Philip Hedley’s death occurs in Bedlington, his address is given as Newcastle on Tyne. He didn’t do too badly either, leaving £1 395 - worth about £216,761 today (2025). William James, on the other hand, has plenty of children and it’s to them I’ll look to see what happens the ironmongery and nailing business. A bit more research to do yet but it’s a fair bit easier now that I’ve finally got my specs! Watch this space!

Just looking through some family stuff and thought I would share it with other members

Hi David This is Judi, Joyce's eldest daughter. I remember you, the dinner, which I believe I cooked and of course the cut glass, which she cherished. She retired, almost 30 years ago and moved to Gosforth, where she continued to be a regular gym goer and social butterfly. Sadly she passed this week at the age of 91. A celebration of life will be held in April. As for the grey lady she was definitely a thing. I practically grew up at Hartford and have never seen so many tough men so rattled after one of her visits. I 'me't her once in the Dome room. She was sad, not malevolent. She was the rich daughter of the Hall's owner, who fell in love with a stable boy, and threw herself do her death when she was not allowed to marry him.

Hi James, Yes they were my parents. We left at the end of 1950 and the cottage was pulled down to stop others moving in. Tom