johndawsonjune1955

Hi all!

On the subject of Storey's Buildings,i'm afraid you are wrong,Mr Dawson....no disrepect intended!

The street ran down the bank,and ended at the Willow bridge,where the the old "Barn'ton burn" flows beneath..this street was on the right side of the road as you head for Ashington.

The street was demolished in the late 60's to create the new junction that takes you along Barrington road.

The top of Storeys buildings was dominated by the pub called "The Railway Tavern",which,in the early 60's,was run by my best mate's brother,Bob Walker.

A good old pit Marra of mine,who Mr Dawson will know,with the initals A.Dix.,lived in the street until the Council served a compulsory purchase order upon him,,to allow the demolishon.

Going down the street,there was a shop that sold sweets among other things,a Chapel witha walled rear garden,outside netties across a clarty back street.

There were no trees in the fields to the left originally,and you could see right up the burn,to the Black railway bridge.

The pit ponies used to be kept in the fields to the rear of the street,on the right side,going down the bank.

Now,

Yeh it is the Wharton. From 1935. I think its a really good pic.

Well done, and Malcolm, the photographer confirmed Keith's suspicions. He has your name on the back of the pic saying you were driving

Well heres a rare old pic from my collection.

Do you know where itis members ?

Its Bedlington if it helps.

We used to fill in coals as well for the old folk. The games we used to play were weird and wonderful - British Bulldog, Let the rabbits out, Moont the cuddy, potsies (with muggies & penkas) - canon - with a can and stick and a tennis ball!!!! And yes, I too remember Chipmunk crisps - oxo flavour, yummy.

Heres some painting of Barrington for you to look back on.

Can anyone remember these days ?

These were paintyed by pitman painter Jim Mckenzie.

Got lots of Choppington and Bedlington too.

I will get them up some time in the near future. Its a pain to do as got to take a pic of it then scan it to get it for the site. But i will get around to it.

Hope you enjoy these, there as rare as hens teeth. Do hens have teeth ? nahhh But a good saying aint it ?

Wilma it was the same with us.

I would go for food for the old neighbour and got her pop bottles to take back and that was my payment.

We also used to put the coals in for many people down our street, West Avenue, on the Morpeth Road.

Straight in from school and changed and away we went to make a few bob.

Blackberry picking was another for a few bob. We used to go up the Morpeth Road and in the firlds and pick them for the women to make their pies.

I forget what we used to get.

Oh, this has just come to me. The old pop in them days there was many different names to buy. Me fav was Tizer.

Can you remember all the old named crisps too we used to get in those days.

My fav will always be Chipmonk crisps. What a lovely bag of crisps. Mind you, we never had as many flavours as we do these days.

Can you remember the old games we played in the street ?

Cricket, with a bin lid for wickets or wickets chalked on a wall.

Our old bogies that we made ourselves?

Many games we had, and you know what ? Cracking days indeed. Not much money, but we made the best of it.

What about Tetty pickin. Hard work wasn't it.

We used to go to Pattersons on the Morpeth Road.

Yeh i knew Ronnie very well. He was a good friend of our family was Ronnie.

For what it matters,and only for correctness,John Arkle wasn't the backoverman,he was mastershifter,that is,the overman in the nightshift.

He kept this shift permanently,starting at 5-0pm till 12-15 am.

He was a lovely bloke,as was Chris,but Chris took some getting used to,with his dry sense of humour,which could be slightly sarcastic,with no ill-intent whatsoever...they were both very fair,well-liked blokes,and that's a well-known fact among anybody who really knew them.

Chris once caught me dozing off at bait-time,at 3-0am,in foreshift,when i was only about 18 years old,and staying up during the day,with the novelty of shift work,dog tired,having had no sleep,and he knocked me on the top of my pit hat with a prop-end,[ a "heed-tree"],shouting .."Wilma..wake up...yi sleepy-heeded c....!!!!!!!!

He should have had me to the managers office to be fined,possibly sacked,as sleeping was a serious offence....but he laughed at my weak excuses

and warned me....next time....yi young bugger.......!!

Mind,i was always under the impression,from hearsay at the pit,that it was John who was left halfway up the shaft in the cage,not trapped,just "rapped clear" by the onsetter....unless he rapped himself away,and he's two raps of three ["men riding"],to the brakesman,and the banksmen,could have been mistaken by the brakesman as a "six"...which meant .."shaft clear"..in which case the procedure was always to take both cages to the middle of the shaft to equalise the strain on the ropes.

It was common knowledge at the pit that he was given the officials job to keep him quiet,but as it was hearsay,i always doubted the validity of the rumour....cause he was in the shaft for fourteen hours,and that shaft had a bend in it when it was sunk.

Consequently,all the water that teemed constantly down the shaft,poured into the cages,as they were made out of perforated steel sheet,with inch-diameter holes throughout,for lightness.....four feet square,only room for four men to squeeze in...pretty claustrophobic,cold and soaking wet...he should never have needed to work again..he should have been financially rewarded.

It really was a TETTY-PIT...!

The other brother was called Ernie,and he was one of the "Fivers men"...a team led by Eddie Halliday,with marra's Harry Undeldorf,[Polish],

and Ernie Clough.

These lads drove all the new roads,and won all the new coalfaces out,plus any other specialist work such as re-modelling roads,etc.....this is what i did

but it was called composite work at other pits.

The reason they were called "fivers" was cos they got paid £5 a shift,when the coalfillers only got £4-and five shillings a shift.[ or 85 bob a shift]

At one time , i knew every man at the pit,when there was only 300 men worked there.

I worked with Pat Purcell in the timber yard,from school,then Ned Cushing,the training officer,took me down once i was 16 yrs,to work with John Wardlow,and John Dickinson..great lads to train under..hard work,on heavy transport.

I worked with Dor Dryer,and he's Father,old Dor,and he's uncles Freddie,and Jackie...it was a proper little family pit..with canny blokes,and stinking conditions!

You must have know me dad, John Dawson. There was Tom (Tucker) and Bart Dawson, Geordie Wharton, sammy neal, and many more. Got some cracking pics too from underground and the lads who lived at the High Pit.

John W SNRG. Hi John, we were at school together, Tony Arkle lived in Francis Villas. As you state, just opposite the old club. The club premises were originally a butchers shop. Mind you John, that was long before were thought of

John. i don't see many of our old school mates these days with living in Newbiggin now. Can you remember Ernie Arkle ? He was 2 years older than us. A lovely lad, just like the Arkles we are talking about on here.

He married John Brown's sister, Heather. They lived at Number 1 Woodhorn Drive, just on the corner as we approached the reaer of the school. It was a council house. There was no private ones built at that time, just the four council ones. 1.2.3.and 4. In number two, Waklter Bridgewater the probation officer moved into it in the early 1990s. He had moved from 46 Ashington Drive to there when his wife died.

Anyway i will hunt some pics out and scan them in and i will find that story about the shaft as it covers the incident well. I got it from the old Blyth News, i think.

Are we talking about the same family as "Billy" Mather, who was, as I remember, a very good joiner?

Yes we are.

There are many stories relating to the Bedlington Furnace and the Iron and Engine works as we know was there too.

However, i thgought this would be of interest in re-writing history.

I got the story confirmed by a relative who is alive in our area.

I think this should have been put right yeares ago, but anyway, here it is.

An old story that the seven poplar trees at the Bedlington Furnace were associated with Michael Longridge, and him planting a tree for everyone of his daughters is far from true. The trees became known locally as the "Seven Sisters.â€

It would have been an honour to have had the trees named after an important person as Longridge, but sadly i have had to rewrite history and the following story will help our readers understand it more.

The cottage in the drawing is of Rose Cottage, and was once the home of Mr. Joseph Forster. The poplar trees, once eight, were planted to represent each of Mr. Forster's sons.

In addition to his sons, Mr. Forster and his wife, Margaret, had five daughters, and the story of this large happy family are in the memoirs of Mrs. J. R. Mather, who lived in Front Street, Bedlington.

It is a story not only of a family, but how, in the "bad old days,†on 30 shillings, a man and his wife were able to give to each of their 13 children the chance of a career. Even in the early days of boarding schools, children with ability and wise parents could become professional people.

Mr. Forster was in charge of an electric pumping machine with the old Bebside Coal Company, but both he and his wife were ambitious for their children. Mrs. Forster was "Chancellor of the Exchequer,†and while she would never allow money to be wasted, it was always forthcoming if any of the children wished to learn music, painting, or study.

Of this gifted family, one son C. E. Forster became minister of South Parish Church, Aberdeen, Scotland, and the other, Cuthbert, became a chemist in London. In-fact the whole family at one time or another, were scholars at Bebside School and three returned as teachers.

Another son, Tom, died in Portland, Oregon, U.S.A. Joseph, another son, died in Perth, West Australia, and a daughter, Hannah died in South Africa. Albert, was lost during World War II, when his ship was torpedoed.

In her memoirs, Mrs Mather said: "I must uphold the past as not all bad. My father was a non smoker and non drinker. He earned only 30 shillings a week, but my mother was a dress maker, and between them they educated every member of my family. We were a very happy family.â€

Mr. Forster died at work at the age of 71 years. His wife attained the age of 89. The great grandchildren of Joseph and Margaret are too numerous to be counted, but the 34 grandchildren included three doctors, several teachers, a dental surgeon, a M.N. captain, a chemist, a music teacher and a lecturer at King's College, Newcastle Upon Tyne.

With such a record, it seems obvious that, before State Aid was thought about, people with ability and initiative did not find it impossible to rise above the circumstances of birth.

Did you see wednesday The Chase

The beast got beat and £60,000 went to the one person whi got through the final chase.

The beast was asked, "What is the Lone Rangers Horse Called" he answered "Tonto"

What a plonka.

Malcolm heres an interesting story for those interested in early Bedlington.

A discovery in Bedlington on Saturday September 15th, 1934, caused excitement within the community. A stone coffin was found while men were road marking at the then new Millfield housing site. Inside the coffin were the bones of a human being. The bones were taken away by the police for forensic examination by the South Northumberland Coroner, to whom the facts had been reported.

Many people were attracted to the site which was for the new council houses. The coffin was approximately eighteen inches below the ground when unearthed and was slightly broken. The vicar of Bedlington, Rev. J. B. Purvis, went to the site and commented on the discovery. "It would be a mistake for anyone not an expert to give a date, but everything points to a very early burial. It was not hurried as the appearance of the coffin shows and was probably not Christian, because of the fact that the church burial ground, which dates from Saxon times, is so near the burial site. A shaft from a Saxon cross was unearthed in the church yard in 1818, and the building is definitely early Norman.â€

The vicar continued to explain that the bones appeared to be those of an adult female, doubled up. He said, " There were comings and goings up the river, and much fighting at times from the river mouth up to Bedlington. It may be that a woman connected with one of these early parties was killed, or died, and was buried were the coffin was found. One of the bones of a leg is broken and it appears was not carefully set again.â€

The examination of the bones was carried out and then placed in the custody of the vicar for burial in the church yard.

The vicar emphasised that the original burial was undoubtedly pre - Christian, and might be as early as a thousand years, B.C.

For the record in Foxy's picture: the shop just this side of the Northumberland Arms is James Millne (Jimmy Millne's) at 110 Front Street East. This was where Radio and later TV was supplied from. It was known as "The Cycle Shop" because it still sold cycle spares, and just about everything else hardware-wise. It also still saw a steady string of miners buying "carbide" (calcium carbide) for their helmet gas lamps about the time this was taken. This was scooped out of large oil drums and sold by the pound in heavy duty paper bags. Maybe the carbide was also used in early cycle lamps, but by this time they were all battery operated by the common 3 Volt Cycle Lamp Batteries.

I also remember a sign saying "Needless to say you'll need needles." yup, not the sewing variety but your actual gramophone needles! Going out of fashion as the electric "pick-up" and amplifiers rendered them relics of the past, but still in some demand in those days of 78's (78 RPM Records). Other things on show, and in demand, would be sets of darts, and harmonicas (Horner?). I remember local darts players weighing darts in their hands and doing practice throws. You wanted high-tech - there were shelves of radio valves with type numbers going back to the year dot! Perhaps the only place you could get those in Bedlington.

A "fashion expert" tells me this picture is 1958 or 1959, and that's about what I'd have guessed, if I'd not guessed a tiny bit earlier. So.. here we are already well into the 405 line TV era, with BBC TV (Channel 5) long established, and Tyne Tees TV (Channel 8) just starting, or getting ready to start.

Jimmy Milne had his cycle premises firstly at the Wharton Arms yard.

Thats fantastic aint it. Memories, brilliant putting names to faces. Makes it all worth while, and there will be more archive footage to come.

Thanks for the info.

The Market Place Club was built on the site of the Old Quarry.

There was also a little further to the east the Quarry Cottages.

Found this in my personal archives.

I knew i had it somewhere.

Just thought i would share it with the members.

Its the Ploughman & Flower, Ghost Story. A good sketch i think.

Enjoy

this pub m8 ?

Nice pic i think

Thats not your bike is it ?

I will see the archives and get the footage not been used and upload Adam.

thanks Malcolm. Did you enjoy it ?

Heres a pic of the Gaff.

You see its got timber supporting the outer wall. This was because of subsidence from the colliery workings.

The pic is from 1956, and i was only one year old then.

How times fly.

Look hard at the poster and someone maybe able to see what it said ?

It would be interesting to know.

The Travellers Rest was extended and built on the Gaffs laocation.

Who remembers going to Wally's as it was refered too then ?

And you could buy your bear from the side window too.

Yes i know of this with bootles and jars. The Gaff was run by Ganny Mather, as they called her. This was the 50s - 60's and Rance Woodmass was the projectionist.

The Gaff (The Star) is actually in the record books as it was the smallest projection booth in the UK.

The projectionist was on his honkers when at work.

Ganny Mather ran the place with a rod of iron.

No noise or you were out and hard work for courting couples i hear.

Me parents told me a lot about it and its good to see the subject brought up.

What do the members think of it ?

If you have old footage and want it digitised contact the group

sixtowns@sixtownships.org.uk

Thats the Email

Or let me know on here.

No holiday footage just historic on our areas. Quality looks good too.

Malcolm could you remove my first feeble video attempt. Got it right in the end.

May get some more up very soon when i go to the groups archives as theres little bits of footage like this there.

Lets try again.

Uploaded it and its all there now.

Hopefully you can get it now. http://youtu.be/f4H13aC2MT8

Could put this on youtube couldnt i ?

Help what to do

I agree with the "tun†Canny Lass but I assume Bedlington gets its name from the chieftain Bedla, who I believe was 7^th century so your Norse influences would certainly apply.

It's an easy assumption that the area was one called Bedla's Tun, the enclosed area belonging to Bedla, and from there Bedl..ing..ton.

If we can get this 'nailed' (sorry couldn't resist given the topic title) I would like to include an explanation of the name in our Heritage project.