norman

Real memory jogging, I was in the same class as the names you mentioned from the infant school and the Whitley, I was mates with Len Thomson. I remember Rosemary Oliver as she had a brother called, Geoff another mate of mine, another name you might recall was Keith Smith, his dad was a butcher/slaughterman. I remember meeting Trevor Hale when me and my late wife lived in Peterborough, I think he was down for a conference though I can't remember exactly it was he did. Further to my own life, served my time as a chef in the County Hotel in Newcastle, travelled around Europe for a few years, then found my true vocation in the fire service I eventually ended up working as a civilian fire officer with the MOD was Deputy Command Fire Officer with the RAF, eventually ended up with the Army as Fire Officer for Military Operations, Exercises an training, which meant that wherever the army deployed in peace or war, I went as well, been to some fabulous places and some right sh*** holes. Cheers Bill, it will be great to meet up for a natter.

I have a photo of the Upper Remove from the first year of Westridge.George Marley form master. Though not a computer person I have no idea how to upload it.

I remember the co-op near Rothesay Terrace, it was the Blyth Co-op and there was the dairy behind it, they were the first ones to have electric milk floats. There was a bus stop right outside the co-op, it cost a half penny from the market place to the Blyth Store stop Barnes the greengrocers was actually their whole sale depot, I remember when I got married in 1967 they supplied all the flowers. I also remember the other shop in that area Fletchers tobaconist and sweet shop. further down past Hardies shop were Metcalfs Stores the cut that ran opposite down to Waverley Ave and Coquetdale Place was also known as Metcalf's cut.

With reference to your query about Coach Lane, although I don't know were it was, I remember my dad telling me when he used to deliver papers there when he was a young lad,

Wilf Marley did indeed manage Humford Mill bath, he married Joan Reed who was a great friend of my sister Joan. The teacher at Westridge when I was there was George Marley, and he was our form master for the Upper Remove, I have the class photo from 1957 with George Marley in the front row, George Marley was the son of the butcher who 's shop was down near Tot Hayes the chemist, my father used to be the messenger boy for the shop.

I have a class photograph of the Upper Remove 1957 which I hopefully will scan in when I get to grips with my new computer and printer. I can recall a lot of the names of both lads and lasses, especially those from the Whitley.

I have very fond memories of Westridge an yes the school did open in 1956 and I remember the first day there beinsg sent home and my worried mam asking what I had done wrong to be sent home. Coming like many of the others from the good old Whitley it was like landing on a different planet. I was selected for the Upper Remove and remember our form master George Marley. George Hemming explained that in other schools the remove classes were where the pupils who had problems and were slow learners, which worried those put in the Remove until he explained that he was reversing the trend and pupils selected for the Remove class were those they considered bright enough to go on for GCE. I never did take Northern Counties or GCE's as I left at Christmas 1958 to start in the pit, however I was lucky enough to get out of the pits in 1960 to pursue what I had always wanted to do and that was to train as a chef. However in 1975 I joined the Army Fire Service a Civilian organisation working for the MOD and served until 2003 when I took early retirement with the rank of Senior Divisional Officer.

The main thing I remember about Miss Pallister was that she always compared you with previous members of the family that had been at the Whitley before you, I was unfortunate in that I had 2 older brothers at the school, also my Dad, Uncles and Aunts and cousins all attended the school, and I don't know how old Miss Pallister was but she could remember teaching my dad and his younger brother and sisters. Another unfortunate thing was that my Uncle and one of my Aunts were up there on the Role of Honour board and I remember being taken by her, using her favourite method of getting hold of the short hair on the side of your head, to stand in front of the boards and told that my name would never appear there, this was for the heinous crime of talking in class.

With reference to Puddlers Lane My family moved into Coquetdale Place when it was first built, there was nothing but fields all around, Stead Lane actually ran from the junction where Muters house was to where the Terrier was then there was fields for about a quarter of a mile then Steadlane ran on until it met Puddlers Lane. When we were lads one of the one of our tests was to be able to ride our bikes up Horsey Hill anat the toponthe other side of the road was Puddlers Lane. Raisebecks buses used to run down Stead Lane to the station and the United used to go down the other road to the station.

I remember going to the Vicarage Garden Party when I was a pupil at St Cuthberts junior school we used to do dancing and I remember one year all the boys were dressed as elves, we used to have such a great time.

I remember the Barn't'n tip well, a lot of the stuff tipped there came for Hugh Bollcos' ship breakers yard at Blyth we used to collect rope to make swings in the free and hapny woods, we also used to build rafts to sail on the many ponds at the tip. I remember collecting enough parts to build most of my first bike.

Welcome to the site Tullybrone, I worked in the A pit from 1958 to 1961 on the surface until I was 16 then underground, there is a web site that may be helpful, it helped me find out when some of my relations worked there. It is as follows, www.aditnow.co.uk/BedlingtonACoal-mine/- or a good source would be the Mining Museum at Woodhall Colliery. Good Luck in your search.

I remember the Whitley well was there during the time WILLIAM NICOLSON was headmaster I have a very good reason for remembering him, five stiches in my right hand from his cane still carry the scar to this day. Teachers I remember were Misses Ginny Palister, and Nancy Molden, Alan Davison, Matty Hall, Bill Hedley, Jack Dodds, Mr Wood. We had a song about William Nicolson as follows Wor schools a good school Made wi bricks and plaster The only thing that spoils it Is the baldy heeded Master. We also had one about Ginny Palister, There is a happy land far far away Where Ginny Palister Stands teachinh all the day Oh you should see her run when she sees my father Come For choppin slices off me bum three times a day. I hope this brings back a few memories for the older generation of Bedlington Terriers, I do not like being called a Bedlingtonian (whoever they are)

Capt om Murphy in your photograph was my uncle. My father William Turner (Bill) also served in Bedlington Home Guard as a sergeant, he remained in the HG until it was disbanded and was commisioned into thr Northumberland Fusiliers (TA)

I remember the Wade family, John Wade was a friend of my brothers,Ialso remember old Cud, had a few clips round the ear from him, we spent many happy hours playing in the barn and round the rick yard. Tdrie to the farm was u shaped with one entance next to the entrance to the cricket club and the other next to Muters house. I cant ever remember the wades living anywhere other than inthe big farm house that stood at the top of the u drive, Iremember the was a high wall around a courtyard which we used to climb up an sit and watch the pigs being killed, until old Cud saw us and chased us, if he caught us it resulted in a clip round the ear, happy days!

Iremember the Gardeners Arms very well and old Ned, I had my first drink in that pub and remember Ned looking at me and telling me I looked exactly like my dad at that age. While on the suject my late wife and I visited Western Australia 7 years ago and whilst there we visited Pricess Barracks in Albany, the guy who was running the cafe reconised my accent and asked where I was from, when aked this question I always answer inthe same way, Iam a Bedlington Terrier born and bred and very proud of it. The result ofg this conversation was that this guy to was originally from Belington and was a nephew of Ned Metcalf, small world.

I remember Raisbecks white bus with the green stripe, it was a Bedford and the bonnet did stick out in front, I was returning home from school must have been 1957/8 and just as we were comming down Beech Grove on of thr rear wheels came off,It happened just opposite a shop you may or may not remember, Deefie Thomsons who would sell you one woodbine and give you a match to light it. All the best Norman

Ginnie Wilkinsons fish and chips, catching raisbecks bus from the Terrier to Westridge School cost a penny. Playing in the Free Wood and the Happney Woods, swimming in the Flaggy and at the quay, camping on the green behind Beaty Road. Building camps in the A pit timber yard and getting chased by the colliery police.

I knew the Hunter family from Terrier Close,although it is many years since I have had any contact, Joan I know had asperations to join the police force though if she ever did I do not know, her younger sister Veronica used to visit our house as she went out with my younger brother for quite a while.