Andy Millne

The year long miners strike began.

In May, Bedlington's Mechanics Institute began a new life as Bedlington Community Centre. Opened by Councillor Jim Haig.

Bedlington's Ex-Servicemen's Club was destroyed by a gas blast. Windows from around the area were completely blown out.

The Doctor Pit site was finally cleared.

The new round-a-bout and Glebe Road alterations have been completed.

Known as the "Auld Pit".

Bedlington had its first nightspot when the Club Domino at Sleekburn opened its doors in March.

March saw the Doctor Pit cease production.

The Knox brothers decided to use the stone from the demolished Millhouse Farm to repare the foundations of the road and houses. Because some of the houses stood on the quarry site it means that the stone had been returned to its original place after 160 years. During the demolishing of the farm there were some interesting finds. It was the custom in days gone by for the builders to place new coins in the walls and roofs of their constructions. In the old farm, six George III pennies dating 1799 to 1803, were found.

Ken Russell filmed the Miners Picnic

Millhouse Farm sold to the Knox brothers.

It was late in the year when the Old Hall & Pele Tower were demolished in Bedlington. The Pele tower was Norman.

North Terrace, Bedlington gets tarmac road.

Joe Steel, Bedlington's champion eater was at it again. The then 42 year old munched his way through a 4 1/2 Ib steak and kidney pie about 1 foot in diameter and 3 1/2 inches deep in 17 1/2 minutes to break another record and gain another championship by beating 24 year old Ted Stoddard of Ashington. The event was held in the Howard Arms, Bedlington on Monday August 6th.

In January Mr Carr, Newsagents celebrated 100 years as a newsagent in Bedlington.

Queen Elizabeth II is crowned. Many people out & about in Bedlington watched it through the window of the Rediffusion Shop while a significant number watched it courtesy of J.H.Millne on a Pye TV and *they* didn't have to stand outside.

Bill Brewis, was the lightweight pitman of Bedlington "A" Pit, in June. He beat the record set by Joe Craddock, Minister of Fuel propaganda films, by hand filling one ton of coal every six minutes in one shift.

Bedlington had a population of 27210.

Also recorded by the Registrar-General that Bedlington was a healthy place to live. Forty-one persons died there during the same period, compared with Ashington's 76, Blyth's 79 and Seaton Valley's 42..,

More babies were born in Bedlington than in any other part of the North-East. During the quarter which ended June, births numbered 117, a bigger figure than those for Ashington, Blyth and Seaton Valley.

May 5th, was a historical occasion in the miners life. It was a battle in which union officials had long fought for, and finally won the introduction of the five-day week.

All coal mines were Nationalised on January 1st.

Britain's best kept secrets, were training guerrilla "Auxiliary Units" in a coastal strip thirty miles deep in readiness to harass the Nazi war machine when it landed on our beaches. Many men from Bedlington were secretly enlisted. Their captain was actor Anthony Quayle. Their hideout, an underground chamber with six months rations and ammunition, was in Hartford Woods near Bedlington, Northumberland and they met in secret at an empty house in Shankhouse, Cramlington, Northumberland. Secrecy was all important and each cell was not known by name to any other cell just in case of interrogation or collaboration.

A new drift to develop the main coal from around the shaft at the Doctor Pit was completed.

The Doctor Pit opened its canteen for the workers.