Bedlington Girl

When I read through the 'competition' I kept getting deja vu. like I heard a lot of it before so off I went to investigate and guess what…parts of the design brief are almost word for word what was said in the layout newsletter months ago. And has anyone noticed that this phrase keeps getting repeated 'Bedlington is / has always been a priority' for NCC? I've heard it from Cllr Wallace (8th July, Chronicle), Steve Mason, (1st May, NCC website), Dean Jackson (19th October, NCC website)? Maybe they think if they say it enough they will convince us it's true.

Make A Noise for Bedlingtonshire are consulting the public about what they would like to see happen on this & other sites in the town. We will have stands at the following events: Bedlington Terriers Dog Show (16th Aug), Bedlington Street Fayre (23rd Aug) & Brass Band Contest (5th Sept) where you can tell us your ideas / thoughts. We will then be passing these onto NCC so even if they don't consult they will be aware of the views of residents.

Well done to WBTC for the work they've done on street furniture etc. Looks great.

Couldn't agree more, Maggie. Exactly what we are saying over on Make A Noise for Bedlington. One wonders where some people's priorities lie.

Thanks for these photo's Cympil. I sadly don't recognise any of these men either. My whole family, on both sides cane from Netherton Colliery. Maybe your family knows of them. They were the Cunninghams, Tuck & Bell were my Grandparents & had 5 kids, Mary, Sally, Tom, Jack (My Dad) & Bob (the boys all miners at Netherton at some point I believe) My Mam's side were the Shorts of Howard Row. William & Alice (Grandparents) with Ivy, Norman & Reg (also both boys worked in the pit). I know alot of miners from the Colliery moved up to Westlea when it was built and the community spirit was still strong there when I was growing up. I remember helping my dad clear the 'tute, as they called it (miners Institute) in the colliery before it was demolished & we found hundreds of pairs of old roller skates. ALso remember the Co-op & the Chapel, which a cousin of mine, Joe Moore, used as a garage during the 70's & 80's.

Oh, Leek shows! I remeber my Dad, Jack Cunningham' won loads of stuff at those. Once he won a stereo 'radiogram' with turntable in a teak cabinet at The Wharton Leek Show. It was state of the art at the time. I also remember that he often won the same prizes in several shows & my Mam would say 'Oh, Jack, not another bloody canteen of cutlery!' and she'd stick it in the cupboard with all the others.

Thank you so much for sharing this. It's fabulous & brought back so many memories for me of growing up in Bedlington in the 1970's. Picnic Day & 'The Gala' trip to Whitley Bay were the highlights of the summer for us kids back then. Thanks Again.

Not sure I quite qualify as a 'more mature member' Fourgee....but lets just say I have a good memory of my childhood in Bedlington. The Miners Picnic was the annual gathering of Northumberland mineworkers & traditionally took place in Bedlington (until Ashington stole it in the 1980's - just as they did the Christmas lights the Bedlington Traders bought...enough said.) The day began with a march, by all the Northumberland colliery bands, from Westlea all the way down to Atlee Park (stopping on route outside the Council Offices for the band competition). Jazz bands from all over the region also marched this route.The sound was amazing & crowds gathered all along the way to watch & clap. After the bands, the miners would march with their Colliery Banners. Once at Atlee Park, local & national dignitries & miners union reps would give speeches. Everone would be sitting around the band stand with their picnics. Once the speeches were over, everyone went back up Front Street. There was a fun fair on the 20 Acres field, stalls & sideshows along Front Street and of course all the pubs were open! The merryment continued all day & evening. The Bedlington Fair is a much more recent event which I only rmember running for a few years then fizzling out. There were stalls & side shows along Front Street and a procession of floats, I remember but it was not nearly as huge an event as The Picnic which brought in people from all over the region. It would be fantastic to try to have an event along these lines again. I for one would love to be involved in making this happen & I'm sure alot of other Bedlingtonians would keen to help out too. Maybe we could all 'sign up to be involved' then meet up in the New Year to get the ball rolling?

Like your ideas for the new Bedlington town centre. Looks like a goer to me. Maybe we should start a petition on FaceBook to get Tommy the Egg Man elected mayor, then once he's in office we'll have more of a chance of geting the plans through!

If Tommy doesn't get the job then everyone who's voted for him should turn up on 5th for the 'switch on' and chant 'TOMMY! TOMMY!..' and let's get the press there too! It's time we Bedlington folk stood up and made the council take notice of us, we've been ignored for weay too long.

I grew up in West Lea & the chapel you are talking about was a chapel of rest where undertakers would layout a body over night before funerals & family could go & visit. I remember the story about a body being found underneath but think that was just a nurban myth (sorry to disappoint!). I 'm not exactly sure when it was knocked down but I moved from West Lea about 22 years ago & think it was around about then. Does anyone else remember when the old part of that cemetary was cleared & families had to paint a white cross on any headstones they didn't want knocking down?