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Nice piece, Malcolm, as always. In my view the last thing Bedlington needs - or needed - was Tesco. I cannot for the life of me see even an expanded store attracting people from elsewhere. Bedlington has very little passing trade, while Asda at Cowpen is perfectly placed. Nobody is going to drive past it, from Blyth, to come to Bedlington Tesco; likewise, why travel from Ashington/Cramlington/Morpeth/Insert town here when you have your own shops on your doorstep? It would be welcoming to see the Front Street promoted as a prime place for smaller, specialist, local shops and such, rarther than having them all close their doors thanks to rising costs and the bulldozer effect of Tesco.

On this note, just picked up mail from my Sister's house on Glebe Terrace, among which is the planning notice for the two blots on the landscape proposed.....

They were all 'just like that one'! Horrible things.

Yeah, but he's right about wind turbines.....

Any links to further information Malcom?

Strange; that has to be the lowest point in the region.......

I believe, miss PennyLane, I know who you are, and it was you I was offering to contact for Chris...........(yes, you do know me; think grey hair, glasses, etc.....)

Hi Diane, I, too, came to this town as an 'outsider' (albeit one with strong family connections....) and can only say it is a very friendly place to be!

Chris, The Bull used to have a weekly buskers night. I can contact the original organiser for you and see if they would like to take it up again....

My favourite topic! The first one is a Talbot Lago - not sure of the model but I think it's T150 - with, I think, a Saoutchik body, and the second is a Volvo P1800, I believe (and no, Google was not utilised........)

Do non or low alcohol beers still exist? I seem to recall them being a massive commercial failure. It's a bit like something that was requested at the Lion the other day; a lady was heard to say 'are you doing a vegetarian haggis?'

While I agree it is macabre it is also a famous part of Bedlington history. History cannot be airbrushed, and the murders have become part of local legend. I did think the police had them on display at one time - perhaps John can shed some light on that?

Why don't we see if we can get a collection together and perhaps have them displayed in the Sun itself?

Frank.

No surprise; I wasn't around then.......

. Radon discovered by whom……..not sure; priestley? 2. Chicago Ship Canal opens connecting the Mississippi with what. Atlantic? 3. Name 1900 uprising against foreigners in China. Boxer. 4. Puccini premiers which of his operas in Rome. Madame Butterfly? 5. Box Brownie launched by which company. Kodak? 6. Manufacture begins of which famous gun. not sure; Colt 45? 7. F.L. Baum published what famous book. Wizard of Oz, I think.... 8. Who is released from exile in Siberia. No idea. A very cold bloke. 9. In which USA city is there an outbreak of bubonic plague. No idea, guess at new york 10. What aeroplane is tested in Germany. This is a good question; some form of monoplane? 11. Which city hosts 2nd modern Olympic Games. Not sure, I'll go for London Which physicist reveals Quantum Theory. Not sure, Planck?

Good God Malcolm, you are a glutton for punishment! Here are my answers to the ones I think I know.....and some I've guessed at! 1. Name the one sport in which neither the spectators nor the participants know the score or the leader until the contest ends. Must be something with a handicap....haven't a clue! 2. What famous North American landmark is constantly moving backward? Great question! Is it the Hollywood sign for some strange reason? 3 Of all vegetables, only two can live to produce on their own for several growing seasons. All other vegetables must be replanted every year. What are the only two perennial vegetables? No idea! It can't be a root vegetable, so I'll guess at sprouts and cauliflower.... 4. What fruit has its seeds on the outside? Strawberry? 5. In many liquor stores, you can buy pear brandy, with a real pear inside the bottle. The pear is whole and ripe, and the bottle is genuine; it hasn't been cut in any way. How did the pear get inside the bottle? It grew on a bottle tree! 6. Only three words in standard English begin with the letters ' dw' and they are all common words. Name two of them Contentious question: dwarf, dwell, dwindle, are three, and all have variants, so I would state that there are many more than three (dwindling, dwindled, dwarfed, dwelling, dweller......etc) 7. There are 14 punctuation marks in English grammar. Can you name at least half of them? full stop, comma, colon, semicolon, exclamation mark, question mark, er.......are speech marks, parenthesis and so on included? (embarrasingly I'm a professional writer.....) 8. Name the only vegetable or fruit that is never sold frozen, canned, processed, cooked, or in any other form except fresh. lettuce? It would be pretty pointless other than fresh, after all... 9. Name 6 or more things that you can wear on your feet beginning with the letter 'S.' Shoes, socks, sandals, slippers, snow-shoes and skis! Do I win £5?

You witnessed something very rare indeed! As for the Cramlington experience, the location suggests it was most likely a plane en-route to the airport. Sometimes speed can be misconceived.

'Wrong Kind of Cat on Line Halts Train.....'

I can only apologise! Motor racing, and it's history, is my pet subject!

The danger is in oval racing in the USA, and largely thanks to the colossal average speeds. North America has many excellent road courses - Road America (Elkhart Lake) is a superb facility, Laguna Seca one of the best driver's circuits in the world - but none that come up to F1 'standards'. Dan Wheldon, who was killed two weeks back in Las Vegas, was a friend thanks to continued involvement in my website (www.updatef1.com) and will be missed. So have I and, more importantly, so has Mr Ecclestone. When I last interviewed him - a rare opportunity that - he professed to me that he had three locations he wanted to see street races on: New York, London and Paris. There are, however, clear problems, especially that of shutting down a major city - no matter how small a part - for three days. Singapore, the greatest of the 'modern' street circuits and an instant classic - manages it by running at night; Abu Dhabi, a hit and miss affair, by being able to afford to shift all the camels into compounds. There is another problem with any US F1 race, and without wanting to alienate those who do enjoy the sport in the USA, it's that the country as a whole is not interested in it. This has been a major thorn in the side of the car manufacturers who see the US - naturally - as a major market; Honda and Toyota, both having made a recent exodus from the sport, were partly influenced by the demise of the US GP; I have no doubt Honda will be back when the new engine regulations kick in, have it on good authority that VW is also developing an engine, and there are talks of Hyundai - believe it or not - and a couple of others being interested. Securing not one, but two, races in the USA is something that will sway them to the positive. The lack of a US F1 driver also adds to the problem The best have plenty of opportunity to make a living in Indy, Nascar and so on, and do so without having to fly around the world every other weekend. The US has its own single seater legends, and they tent to be patriotic. The last 'major' US import to F1 - I am, apologies again, ignoring the Canadian Jaques Villeneuve and the many South Americans- was Michael Andretti who, in the early 90's, chose to dovetail his McLaren job with racing an Indycar back home. His schedule didn't lend itself to results, and a serious talent was squandered. Scott Speed doesn't count. If F1 can find a serious footing anywhere in the USA it's with this project, and I welcome it with open arms. The Birmingham project was interesting, but picked the wrong series. It's a little known fact that the organisers, when presenting the project, were offered the chance of a 'No Championship' F1 race with guaranteed entries, to be run back to back as a budget event with th British Grand Prix. Instead, they plumped for F3000, and lost a fortune. Lovely idea; I'll dig it out for you when I can, but we actually came close to an international touring car race around the streets of Stockton...... As always, for all your F1 latest, it's updatef1.......

Understatement Brian - you came a long way for it, too! I would write and ask them for your travelk expenses refunded.......

You might like this link (back to the subject of Big Cats, although beer is a favourite of mine....) http://britishbigcats.blogspot.com/2010/09/latest-sighting-northumberland-england.html Scroll down to 'latest sighting'.

I would go to this.

Malcolm, Very nicely done, proof read it (as I am wont to do) and it reads beautifully. Enjoyable and worthwhile, great info.