Hillbilly

Looks very quiet round the back at the moment... anyone know what's goin on?

Here is the leaflet Appendix_7_-_information_leaflet1.pdf

No Fourgee... I couln't find them either. There is a pic on the leaflet though... click on "SCI Appendix 7 - Information Leaflet" in the documents section

Done and enthusiastic support has been sent to the moderators for them to review! It would be great to inundate the site with positive support for the plans... not saying that it will swing the final decisions that need to be made, but as Tesco keep telling us... Every little helps!

Great plans for what would be an amazing boost to Bedlington. I have just registered on the portal Fourgee mentions in his post and left a comment of support. I would urge everyone reading this to log on and do the same. Let's play an active part in making sure this gets the go ahead!! Thanks for the heads up Fourgee!

Wow... I SOOOOOO hope this goes ahead and there aren't any further delays or rediculous objections. The town is deperate for this investment and I think it will make a huge difference. Who know's... with this and Wetherspoons, we may even see the Front St spring back to life! Does anyone know if there is any way we can collectively support the project... ie; petitions to go ahead, writing to anyone etc! I think we need to act rather than sit back and wait to see if it happens! It gets my vote!

Here Here Malcolm!!! I am having to use every ounce of self discipline on this thread not to say what I really think of this!!

Not my usual style to post negative things... but I think everyone in Bedlington needs to be aware of this!!! http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/8345654.Pervert_priest_lives_next_to_school/

You beat me to it... I was about to post a question asking what the piece of paper taped to the shutters was!! Just noticed it this morning as I drove past. Does it give any dates for the licence being awarded or whatever... or any other details that might be of interest?

Whats the latest on this... any more news!? Last I heard, they wanted to open in September... unless I am missing something there seems to be a distinct lack of anything going on there at the moment!! Anybody got any info?

John W... you are to be commended for trying to bring some life to Bedlington!! Well Done! Here are a few ideas on fundraising that you could consider. Apologies if some are repeated earlier in the thread, it is just a brain dump! 1) Ask for a £1 donation from everyone in Bedlington... perhaps some local press could help you publicise it? 2) Collect clothes, brick-a-brac or similar and sell from one of the empty shop units on the front street - Goodness knows there are enough of them! 3) Have the 28 day pilot sponsored by a local business... ie. Synergy FM brought to you exclusively by Bills Pet Supplies etc? 4) An event... could you use the market square for a late summer event. The opening and the lights being turned on there attracted a a lot of people. Maybe a few bands, stalls etc? 5) Donations website... using PayPal for simplicity could help people to donate smaller amounts 6) Get some local schools involved in the preparatory work - This could help to raise the profile of the project and allow you to generate some PR through local press etc as well as adding something to the community 7) An Auction - If local businesses don't want to donate cash they could offer services or products for auction? Just a few ideas.... if I think of any more I will post them later. Good Luck!!!

Cheers Cympil... hasn't changed much really!! In fact I am sure that bloke walking over the bridge with the briefcase still drinks in the Monkey Any more photo's welcome

Well... progress on the old family tree is very slow and painful. I THINK I have tracked down my grandfathers birth to 1912. His place of birth is recorded as "Willow Bridge, Scotland Gate, Bedlington" I was wondering if anyone has any pictured of Willow bridge and the houses there from around this time? Or if anyone has relatives that were born there? As I understand it it is the houses just over the 'Willow Bridge' before you get to the speed camera as you enter Choppington.

Just from different threads in here Malcolm. So, may or may not be accurate... Although knowing the councils track record I suspect the former!

I just posted this on another thread and thought I would post it again as a new thread of its own... I am soooooooo frustrated with this!! Here is the original post... I cannot believe that the council or anyone else for that matter is making an issue out of the available parking as a reason to limit investment in the town! Don't they get it… NO ONE COMES TO BEDLINGTON ANYMORE!!! don't they understand that? - What a great problem it would be if it was real... A street packed with punters and cars coming from miles around to visit the multitude of retail establishments overflowing with every consumable known to man! Really... the council needs to stop putting ridiculous obstacles in the way... investment isn't easy to come by at the moment and for the first time in the history of our town we have 3 major retailers; Asda, Tesco and Witherspoons trying to move into the town and the bl**dy council is thinking of every excuses they can from Parking spaces to Bats nests, to try and stop them! FOR GOODNESS SAKE NORTHUMBERLAND COUNCIL, PULL YOURSELVES TOGETHER!???? Surely you can see how you can make a difference to the future odf the town, in a way that Wansbeck District Council failed to do! ***Sorry for the rant, but this is just an absolutely ridiculous situation for this town to be in

I cannot believe that the council or anyone else for that matter is making an issue out of the available parking! Don't they get it… NO ONE COMES TO BEDLINGTON ANYMORE!!! don't they understand that? - What a great problem it would be if it was real... A street packed with punters and cars coming from miles around to visit the multitude of retail establishments overflowing with every consumable known to man! Really... the council needs to stop putting ridiculous obstacles in the way... investment isn't easy to come by at the moment and for the first time in the history of our town we have 3 major retailers; Asda, Tesco and Witherspoons trying to move into the town and the bl**dy council is thinking of every excuses they can from Parking spaces to Bats nests, to try and stop them! FOR GOODNESS SAKE NORTHUMBERLAND COUNCIL, PULL YOURSELVES TOGETHER!???? Surely you can see how you can make a difference to the future odf the town, in a way that Wansbeck District Council failed to do! ***Sorry for the rant, but this is just an absolutely ridiculous situation for this town to be in

Well well... I didn't believe it although I'd heard the rumours. Seems a bit odd that a chain as cash rich as Witherspoons would buy a place, board it up and leave it indefinately! Surely they would want it gutted, re-furbed and turned around so it can start earning it's keep!? I wonder if they have other plans for it? I really hope it does open, I think it will bring people to the town centre and they will inevitably wonder on to other pubs. Don't see how it can be a bad thing... Goodness knows we can't leave the place looking like it does today what with it's nice silver shutters up!

I am starting to make some progress on my family history thanks in part to the replies I have recieved on here... so I thought I'd give it another go with a something that has me stumped! I THINK I have managed to find my great grandfather in the 1911 census. His birth place is recorded as 'Carrington Colliery'... I have never heard of it and can't find any references to it on google. Anyone know anything about it or where it was? Thanks Jim

I exchanged emails with John Dawson last week and he confirmed that Storey's buildings where to the back of where the Welfare building now is at choppington. Mystery solved... thanks to everyone for you help on this one!!

It's a bit surprising to say the least! But if that is the case it sort of explains their reluctancy to do anything to help the town recover! It may have been a through away comment by the person in the Job Centre... but as me awld man used to say.. "thas neva smoke withoot fire"

Well... we shouldn't be suprised really! Bedlington has had it's day and until the economy starts to recover I can't see any way back now! IF... IF Tesco ever build that store in the marketplace that is the only opportunity our town has to attract more people and therefore more shops/ retailers etc. We should get behind the Tesco development (First by trying to find out it is happening and when work starts!) Any ideas or should we call it a day and all move to another town!?

cheers Cympil... where did you find out from? Does anyone have any thoughts on how we could validate this?

Thanks Dajazar! Could you take some of the content of this thread to the council and ask those at the meeting to read it... I think this is a fair representation of how the majority of Bedlington feels. When you read the underlying tone of the posts people put on here it is almost as if they have given up on the town altogether! We need to give you some detail I agree, but the incetive of knowing that it will be listened to and more importantly, acted upon first would help to motivate people to get you that detail! I have only been a member of the website for about 4 months and there must have been at least two dozen or more threads similar to this and the same things come up again and again; - The state of Elliot's Garage - Empty Pubs - The old school - The number of empty commercial/ retail premises - The poor or cumbersome planning process limiting progress and development - Lack of facilities and services (Leisure centre etc) - Tesco re-development - The market place So, if you could raise these things and come back to us with which the council would be prepared to investigate further and perhaps take some action on, we could come up with some detail for you? Would that work?

What's this fourgee.... a leisure centre??? Are they considering one??? If they are we should lobby behind it!!

Not sure about plans Fourgee... but here is a report from the Journal. Guess it just confirms what we already know, but thought it may be of interest to this thread. http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2010/03/16/store-scheme-aims-to-transform-town-61634-26038093/ Also, although I suspect the planning is a done deal (If tesco have, as it appears, worked with the coucil in preperation for the submission) but does anyone know when the planning permission is due to be approved?? and when work should begin?