johndawsonjune1955

Barrington again for you all. Come on lets get the missing names for my personal collection of photographs. it would be nice if it got completed. Mrs. Gorman's Class c 1959. Left to right. Back row: Stephen Bushby. Derek Williamson. Brian Woolett. Alan Cowell. Henry Hall. Leslie Tiffin. Ian Bryson. Geoffrey Douglas. Ian Collis. Middle Row: Unknown. Glenda Main. Sandra Welsh. Lynne Turnbull. Ian Carnaby. Harry Dixon. Unknown. Lorraine Cuthbertson. Yvonne Black. Sandra Taylor. Front row: Jennifer Dobson. Clara Lee. Norma Dickinson. Marlene Leightley. Mrs. Doreen Gorman. Unknown. Joan White. Elizabeth Butcher. Unknown.

Well your on about Barnton School teachers i hope this brings your memories flooding back. Do you remember them ? lets have your stories on them please. Barrington Village Primary School c 1959. Above is the staff. Left to right: Lillie Scott. Ann Milburn. Doreen Gorman. Margaret Topham [Head.] Milne Hunt. Ina Straker. June Rowling. Betty Blair.

I remember when we did not have a bleezer to pick the fire up. Using newspaper instead. Bloody thing caught fire didn't it. I bet a few of you did the same ?

I see someone was talking about Barrington Pit. I just thought i would pen in a story for him and give him an insight into how dangerous it was working underground. It was during a Thursday morning of February 1915, when it became known that a deputy-overman named John Stafford was missing in Barrington Colliery. John had descended at 2. am for the purpose of examining the working places of the hewers to make sure it was safe for them to begin. When the hewers reached the station, Stafford, whose duty it was to meet the men was missing. Fearing that something was wrong, the alarm was given and a search party organised to find him. A search party made several attempts to enter some old workings, but were driven out by the smell of foul air. Mr. Edward Carr, the under-manager, arrived, and attempted to penetrate the old workings in which Stafford was believed to be, but he was unable to do so due to the condition of the ventilation. Mr. Carr then had an emergency ventilation system fixed up and put into operation to enable him to enter the old workings and penetrate further in. The under-manager, as he entered, shouted several times on Mr. Stafford and finally heard a faint response followed by a shuffling noise. Proceeding, he came across Mr. Stafford lying on the ground in a semi conscious state. Stafford was then removed from the old workings and sent to bank [above ground] where he made a speedily recovery. He afterwards explained that he was examining an old air-way, and found the ventilation defective. He turned to return to the flat, when he was overcome and stumbled and fell, extinguishing his lamp. He attempted to scramble out in the dark, but was overcome again by foul air. Altogether Mr. Stafford had been missing four hours. During this time the manager Mr. Clough, wired for Ashington and Elswick Rescue Brigades, but their services were not needed when Mr. Stafford was found. Do you want anymore stories on Barrington ? Or am i Boring you ?

I hope this pic and the names will bring memories flooding back for you lot from Barnton Its Barrington County Primary School 1957 Hope you all like it. Get your memories online or questions and see what we can all do A photograph taken during 1957, of Barrington County Primary School. Back Row, Left to Right: Tom Dixon, George Trench, Roy Batchelor, Derick Edgar, Billy Montgomery, Wally Jackson, Andy Fairbairn, Ernie McGeorge, Laurence Napier, Billy Cochrane, George Frazer, Josey Robson. Third Row: Susan Barrat, Wendy Scott, Yvonne Harrison, Joan Clark, Linda Short, Margaret Dixon, Sheila Craddock, Joyce Fuller, Beryl Cassforth, Lesley Anderson, Margaret Gregg, Eileen Hutton, Liz Lee. Second Row: Cathy Swan, Ann Jenkinson, Vivian Johnson, Diane Dixon, Sandra Henderson, Carol Barron, Lynn Jarvis, Margaret Neil, Carol Slater, Ada Fuller, Margaret Jenkins, Mary Baker. Front Row: Charlie Spratt, Austin Anderton, David Adey, Melvin Rutter, Russell Perry, George Chapman, Jimmy Rutter. The teacher is Mr. Hunt.

As promised some history on Barrington or Barnton to others. Hope stories like these are of interest for you all. Will post more soon. The weekend of October, 28th and 29th, 1900, in Barrington would be the one that went into the history books. It was a wet and stormy weekend and one that caused a great flood. The culvert under the colliery railway sidings became blocked with debris. Over eighty houses were affected as the water rose up to eight feet. The buildings affected were Blacksmith, School, Middle, Old Wood, Railway, and Chapel Rows. People were woke up around 2 am, to find over twelve inches of water in their homes. For safety most the residents then moved to the upstairs of their homes, with some being prepared to wade onto the railway embankment and higher ground. The men then went to help the colliery agent to try and free the culvert from the debris. The colliery agent was so shocked by the flooding that he ordered a boat be brought in from the River Blyth. While waiting the engineers went to the colliery workshops and constructed a raft to assist in the rescue operation. The colliery workshops was then named "The Raft Yard.†With the boat and raft now operational, the men went out to rescue people from their houses, and place livestock safely away from the flooded area. For two or three days the turmoil went on, with the men attempting to no avail to free the debris that blocked the culvert. So a decision was taken by the agent and engineers to use high explosives to free the culvert. Seven and a half pounds of the high explosives were then placed on top of the culvert and the obstruction was blasted away. The most damage was done to Blacksmith and School Rows as the water invaded them while in bed. As the hovels had only two bedrooms and a bedroom in the living room, it was about impossible to carry belongings up the ladder to safety as the water rose to four feet downstairs. The houses in Chapel and Middle Rows were flooded to about the same depths as Blacksmiths Row, but as these houses had a more commodious and accessible upstairs they managed to save a great deal of their belonging. The cleaning up procedure was tiring for the people. Everyone rallied round to help one another with the cleaning and drying out. The homeless were accommodated by neighbors, friends and relatives. The management at the colliery were very caring in their approach to assist the miners during the mopping up period. Miners were excused for a few days so they could work on their homes. Joiners and masons moved into the homes to make any repairs that were needed, and the colliery supplied extra coals for to heat the homes and dry them out quicker. A local diarist recorded the following. "A sever loss of furniture and other goods and many pigs and hens drowned. A truly pitiful sight which will live in the memory of all.â€

It is for sure Bedlington High School. Did you know that we had an auxiliary army. ? Well they were actually the "Secret Army" Now there is a lot of history connected to them and the Home Guard. We actually did a book on the secret army, not available now, but i can get it in its computer format and you could print it off yourself on ya printer. For the Secret Army, The bank manager of Martins Bank in Bedlington was an officer and the commanding officer was Anthony Quale the actor, don't know if his name is spelt right. You know the bank manager lived in a big house on the left on ya way to the golf course and had enough explosives in his shed to blow Bedlington to bits. Will sort out some topics i have promised to complete for members and if i get some more time i will post on the Home Guard in and around Bedlington. BTW. Me grandad was in Choppington Home Guard. He was in the Battle of the Somme and was gassed by the Germans and sent home. It effected him the remainder of his life, God Bless him, and a lovely man he was. So when WW2 broke out he enlisted in the LDV which was later changed to the Home Guard.

My wife is a Charlton, but what side are we looking at here ? Her dad id Denis and late mother Maureen. Her brothers are Trevor, Gary, sisters, Denise and Lyn. are we talking about the same side ?

Hopefully me pic of the proposed Stakeford Bridge is on now

This engraving of the proposed bridge at Stakeford is from 1904. However, a cheaper version was decided instead of this. Now as my previous post on this a, Joe Mason, the master mason, was involved in the building of this. With the pic of the Queens Head, Guide Post, and the horse and trap, Joe is holding the horses head. I hope this helps in the history topic. me pic aint showing.

well thank you very much indeed. get some pics up now. Keep the topics coming its very interesting site and will contribute regular on here from now on. thanks again

Theres a lot of history connected to Barrington and the pit. Michael Longridge was a co-owner who had the Bedlington Ironworks. He wanted coal for the ironworks at a keen price and got involved in it. The first pit at Barrington was a landsale one and owned by Thomas Mason. It was Longridge that approached him for coal. When Barrington Colliery was due for improvements it was all carried out, but for some strange reason it never reopened. I will get the history of Barrington on here very soon. Even got an old map of the village and pit. All the info. But i just dont know how to upload an attachment off my computer. If someone lets me know i wil get it up for you and history. Oh, there was also a toll here too and you had to pay to pass the barrier. It was set up by the Coal Company.

Is that painting of the school done by McKenzie the painter and decorator at Stakeford ? What an interesting chap he was. Don't know if he is alive today. Used to see him with his dog out for a walk. He was originally one of the Pitmen Painters. He did did a lot of paintings and i got a lot of them in 6x4 duplicated off him. He was also a keen cyclist and he passed his memories on to the Sixtownships. Makes interesting reading. But what a painter.

Cracking topic here. Yes the pit heap was brilliant. We moved from Scotland Gate to West Avenue in Guidepost in 1961. There was, still is today, a lonnen at Patterson's Farm and i and my friends as kids walked down there to the pit heap regularly. One day on the pit heap i found, what i know now, as a fillers shovel, the handle broken off. I went to the top and some of my friends had old conveyor belting to slide down, but me, my new shovel slide. I sat on it and away i went, it was like out that Chevy Chase film the National Lampoons Vacation when he used one to slide. I was doing some speed and was heading for the burn at the bottom. I had to roll off the shovel it was going too fast. When i rolled off i still landed in the burn. Never forget that. All the lads were having a laugh, but when me mother seen the colour of me when i got in, i got a clippin on the ears and sent in the bath. The colliery pollis never caught us but should have if he knew that we had a camp in the Choppington pit stockyard made from wood chocks. Great days indeed. Crisps brings to mind "Chipmunk Crisps" do you remember them ? Tudor tho was my favorite. What with all these take-overs you can't get a decent crisp. i think there all bland. Tettee picking was hard work too. We picked them for Patterson. Jack was a canny fella, and sadly his son, Neil, a couple years older than me, died of a heart attack at a young age. Oh, do you know there's an Anglo Saxon burial site on that land ? Can't say where tho, but one is there and would love to see the right people do a dig. I took Barry Mead down to it and he was buzzing. That sort of thing is his forte, but nothing has happened as of yet. I remember when living at Scotland Gate me dad telling me not to go in the farmers field as the farmer had a jelly gun. Never went in and me dad was pleased i listened. Mind you it wasn't the jelly gun that frightened me off, it was that huge bull that the farmer had in there. Never told him that tho Yes some memories posted here. Keep them coming.

Use the site in a correct manner m8. if you got nothing better to say just don't bother with silly remarks.

Need to follow up the Stakeford Bridge with the proposed bridge drawing for it and more info. But how do i upload a photo of it off my computer. Im a historian, not a computer genius. Lets know please asap

Mention of place names brings to mind that few people are aware how Scotland Gate came by it's name. It is dimly supposed that it came from a battle between the Scots who had come over the Border on one of their marauding cattle stealing expeditions, and the inhabitants of that district. That is not so, however. Nearly everybody is aware that all the fields on a farm have distinctive names, and it happened that a field behind the plantation was called Scotland. A roadway from the main road was made through among the trees which had been cut down, and this was enclosed by a large iron gate. One house after another was built near it, (but on the opposite side) so they naturally became known as those at Scotland Gate, hence the present name. from an original and rare document dated 1901. more on our new website : www.sixtmedia.org.uk get some topics going on our heritage and see what we can dig up of interest.

Thank you for your comment. Go to: www.sixtmedia.org.uk and there is more of the early history of Choppington & other townships in our area.

yes it was the place to be if you were interested in bedlington terriers. will post some history on it soon.

its from a story i did for them in the extra. "a life lost for a penny" www.sixtownships.org.uk more stories of interest.

Another point of interest now that you mention Taits Shop. Taits was once a public house too. The Pig & Whistle" it was. When they began making their own superb ice cream, the old cellar was an ideal storage for it. Nice and cool. Opposite Taits was once another pub, the Choppington Inn. Long gone and they used to bottle their own ale too.

I have one but my collection is being listed for easier acess and just can't put my hands on it. As soon as i come to it i will post it. Why not let us post some old pics of Choppington and Guide Post on here for all. I got some rare ones too and very interesting they are. Lets see what we can do