Vic Patterson

I also got bronze on my first try but then the questions were all U.S. I took too long zooming and looking.

Addictive!

I believe in Gosforth they would pronounce it as one word, hotel, and Tonyp is saying in Bedlington it is pronounced as two words Hoe tel.

(same dialect but with a different accent,I think!)

I used to go to Blyth Library to look up old Blyth news! (not sure if there still is even a library now!)

My wife is not on these photo's but can identify quite a lot of the girls.

FWIW I never saw any milk going down the drain! But did see a Q for any spares. Btw we're they 1 gill bottles?

The market area, in almost any direction as long as it includes the nail, towards St Cuthbert's, The Sun Inn, Top end, the shops, I have more pictures of the nail than anywhere else in Bedlington!

The railway crossing at the station is also very recognisable but the iron works must be more significant. In its state today would it be recognised!

Because of its location and available space I think an information / visitors centre at the Market place would be a great asset to the town. A photographic history of the town (and a narrative by HPW!) with maps and direction. What a fantastic community project!

Joe Rooney, Sw@lnalla, (Alan Swan) goes back a while! what a big miss they are! 

Can yor lass remember hearing me playing the guitar in my bedroom,every neet,when I was only 15 years on....it wasn't like Hank exactly,in them days,

Yes! why do you think she moved to Canada!!!

Happy birthday Adam, hope you have a great day.

Walla, howfing, radgie, twock, scratcha, doylem, and wazzok are some of the words I believe are "modern†Geordie. Slang words that have just recently evolved, I have about a dozen "Larn yesel' Geordie†type books and cannot find any reference to any of those words.

Really depends on the situation and environment! done both responses.

We used to use the accumulator (leclanche') or a car battery to make a "floodlight†using those carbon rods (after wiping off the gooey zinc) I was telt that that's how the wartime searchlights worked! we didn't spot any Messerschmitt as we weren't that bright! neither was our light!

The whisker for the "Foxhole receiver†(they must have used them in the trenches!) was a lead pencil! you could have got plenty of pyrite (crystal) doon the pit!

Great information GGG and Malcolm, I have down loaded "Reflect†but not yet used it, it will be about three weeks before my next shopping trip to the city (we only have a small computer outlet in town) so plenty of time for some research.

I don't have lots of software, (too cheep!) I letter write, e-mail, read newspapers, spread sheets, Family Tree, photo's,(lots of photos) a few Model T forum's, old car part vendors etc and keep in contact with the family, nothing too big. Photoshop is quite big (I like cleaning up old scratched and stained family photos) We watch streaming curling games that are not televised, but connecting to the TV was very poor!

Scramchuns as I remember!

What to buy? my Dell desktop is about 12 years old, runs O.K. but freezes often, (especially checking the mail) and is running XP!

My laptop a Toshiba Satellite 7 years old using Vista and just had a serious problem which I have resolved (for now) but need to get a replacement. What is recommended? All in one such as Apple iMac? a regular desktop? a Laptop? a combination using an iPad? is it worth looking at SSD? I do do have an external hard drive to save files but never used it to create a back up!

A used ti listen in on a huge pre-war wireless set,in me bedroom,ti thi short-wave bands,and mind,in 1956-on [for me i.e.],there was sum queer stuff on there,like the German and Russian numbers stations...cold-war clandestine activity,where naebody,and a mean NAEBODY!...,not the Yanks,nor us,nor naebugga else,cud find oot where they were being transmitted from..!

Just a week or two ago they were on aboot these stations,on a radio programme,and it was interesting ti hear that they STILL divvent knaa where they originated from,although one codebreaker gave his thoughts on the possibilities!

Aa was 12 years aad,[in 1956], when a forst hord.."Acht Noil Noil Seiben Seiben"....."Seiben Acht Noil Funf Seiben..",usually groups of five numbers,then a German female making a short announcement in between,then on it went,sumtimes for an hour or more.

My two Sons are also Shortwave listeners,and after aal thi years gone by,it was strange for me ti be still tuning in ti these stations,with me Sons also listening in!

Anybody else ever hear them..?...what about you...Threegee?

Aye,Keith,aav been a Shadows,[Hank Marvin] fan since the very first single they released,and well before that,when they were with Cliff Richard,as The Drifters,and a used ti want ti throttle the DJ's when they played a disc,and taaked aal owa it,then faded it oot before it ended....like they still dae noo,only it's different noo,cos a divvent need ti listen ti the radio ti hear me favourite music....aav got every track that the Shads ever played,and a also just play thi bugga's mesel,on me aan guitar,if a waant ti!!

...same wi aal otha music...DJ yakkin for ten minutes,loud and clear....then a gud track....then ...fade oot!!!

"H.Samuel watches presents Michael Miles on .......[dramatic build-up of music..]..."Take your pick..."...!!

Aye,them wor thi days of gud entertainment on wireless!

My Parents moved to Hollymount Square in 1947-8..ish,and I grew up wi Smaily's shop aroond the corner.

Noo!,what curiosity dae yi think was aroused in a kid,of aboot four years and upwards,ti see folk waakin' aroond ti Smaily's shop,carrying a lang,square,funny-lukkin' glass "jar",wi a carrying handle,and full of black-lukkin' liquid,wi brass "terminals" on thi top?,[one in each hand!]

This was ,it seemed,every time we were ootside playing,that sumbody wud waak by,on their way ti Smaily's.

ACCUMULATOR'S!........the earliest form of re-chargeable batteries,wat powered the new-fangled wireless sets!

Mrs Smails played the organ at Saint Cuthbert's Church,for centuries!,but the organ bellows were so inadequate,that the attack rate,being slow,meant that the congregation used to leave the organ accompaniment,struggling ti keep in time![We kids always thought Mrs Smails was playing too slowly!...ignorance is bliss!]

I used to go in for me Mutha's shopping......."Two oonces o' tea,please,and two oonces o' sugar..."..[scooped oot o' tea-chests made o' plywood,and put in little strong broon paper bags.]

While a was waiting,in a queue,a wud stare up on the top shelf,which ran right aroond the shop...weird-looking big tin containers,wi lids on,aal different shapes and sizes,aal bonny painted wi oriental artwork,sum were really dark colours,and creepy-lukkin,ti a little bairn!

They were antiques then,aroond 1950-ish,and a often wonder wat happened ti them,they were obviously from other parts of the world,and hoo did they get there?

Old Mr Smails,was aboot ninety years old,when aa was a kid,and a can remember him taking these Accumulator's off a weird lookin' bench,wi loads of wires leading to loads of these things,aal bubbling away,creating a queer smell,as ye stood near them.[they were all being charged for customers!]

Butter was in the barrel,and yi had a chunk carved oot expertly,by Mrs Smails,hoo,like other places,[the store for instance..],cud guess the weight as near as a knat's whisker!!

We kids used ti ask for the empty tea-chests,ti mek rabbit hutches,cos yi only had ti cut a door oot,and clag a bit o' chicken-wire owa thi front,and ye had a posh hoose for Bunty!

The whole of the shop interior was fitted oot wi dark oak,panelling,counter-tops,shelves,etc,and was again,a bit daunting for kids,like way back in the hill-billy days!!

Smails at Morpeth is the same stamp,and also the hardware shop at Rothbury,[modern-day Matty Robinson's!!!] [yi cud ask for a pink elephant,and if they didn't hae one,they wud get yi one!!]

The nearest aav seen ti a shop like Smaily's,is the hardware shop at Beamish museum,[for the antiquity that is,not necessary aal the stock..]

Mrs Smails was a lovely natured old lady,well thought of in Bedlington,and aam thinking noo,that there shud have been some sort of recognition for the service to the community,which she provided,aav got a clear picture of her in my mind,after aal the years since a last saw her.

Vic,ask your Lass if she can remember these tins aam on aboot!

Oh,and a hope she is keeping weel!

Aye, wor lass can mind them tins HPW! and she's coming alang canny, not 100% yet, but on the mend. says ta for the card! 

Happy birthday! have a great day!

Happy birthday Micky, I hope your having a great day!