Canny lass

Welcome Reedy. Looking fprward to the photos.

It only took a minute!

So it is!

I can manage 3 Keith: Bette Davis, Peter Sellers and Jimmy Stewart

It appears that the expression 'pay on the nail' isn't peculiar to Bedlington and doesn't have anything to do with nail production. It was in general use in the English language as early as the 16th century and has been noted as early as the 14th century in Anglo-Norman 'payer sur le ungle' - literally translated ' to pay on the nail'. The nail in question appears to have been a nothing more than a finger nail. http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/cash-on-the-nail.html

Keith 2 and Merc, go for it!

Absolutely not ignoring John's supposition - just adding an alternative supposition.

Wouldn't that make it eligible as a market cross?

Oh happy days! I gave up needlework in favour of technical drawing, not without a fight I might add, as I thought it was far too tedious with all this hand sewing. I'd already learned to use a sewing machine (of the treadle type) at home before starting at Westridge and even that I couldn't do properly according to Miss Craigs.. On my last school report I got a D for needlework. I met Miss Craigs (of the Railway Tavern) some years later in Bedlington. She said that she had seen my wedding photo in the newspaper and thought I had a beautiful dress. She didn't believe I'd made it myself and would certainly not believe that today I've made a tidy sum of pocket money making them for other people. So much for the school grading system.

Is there some specific connection between the market cross and nail production?

It was also a common practice to mark out a place for exchange and sale of goods - a market place, hence the 'market cross'. This marker didn't always take the form of a cross. I've read somewhere that these market places were usually beside the church but for the life of me I can't find a reference just now. A market cross, according to Wikipedia, is a structure used to mark a market square in market towns. They are often elaborately carved and can be found in most market towns in Britain. They are not, however, all elaborately carved. Wikipedia informs us that: "These structures range from carved stone spires, obelisks or crosses, common to small market towns such as that in Stalbridge, Dorset to large, ornate covered structures, such as the Chichester Cross†The word obelisk, which comes from the Greek language, is particularly interesting for me. Liddell and Scott (1940), still a valid work of reference today, say this; á½€bελ-ίσκος , á½, Dim. of á½€bελός I, A. small spit, skewer, Ar.Ach. 1007, Nu.178, V.354, Av.388, 672, Sotad. Com.1.10, X.HG3.3.7, Arist.Pol.1324b19, PEleph.5.2 (iii B. C.), etc. 2. pl., spits used as money, Plu.Lys.17, Fab.27 ; cf. á½€bολός fin. 3. nail, IG12.313.141 (prob.), 11(2).148.70 (Delos, iii B. C., pl.). 4. = subula, Gloss. 5. window bar, ib. (pl.). II. anything shaped like a spit : the blade of a two-edged sword, Plb.6.23.7 ; the iron head of the Roman pilum, D.H.5.46. III. obelisk, D.S.1.46, Str.17.1.27, Plin.HN36.64. IV. drainage-conduit, "οἱ á¼Î½ τοῖς τείχεσιν á½€.†D.S.19.45, cf. IG 9(1).692.14 (Corc., ii B. C.) ; so perh. πεÏὶ τοῦ πιλῶνος (= πυλῶνος) κaὶ τοá½bιλίσκου (= τοῦ á½€bελίσκου) PLond.2.391.2 (vi A. D.) ; cf. "á½€bολίσκος†1. Henry George Liddell. Robert Scott. A Greek-English Lexicon. revised and augmented throughout by. Sir Henry Stuart Jones. with the assistance of. Roderick McKenzie. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1940. http://www.perseus.t...04.0057:entry=o)beli%2Fskos Look at 3 - á½€bελ-ίσκος (obelisk) would appear to be synonymous with 'nail'. There's no doubt that our nail is an obelisk it fulfills all criteria – tall, four sided, tapering with a pyramid shaped top. Nail is just another name for this structure. Anybody know how long it's been referred to as the 'nail'.

... and Doug Ryland

Not yet Malcolm but looking forward to it.

I think it's called supplementary street lighting.

Sure was!

I remember Spud (Brian) from the YMCA in Bedlington and from the Scottish Country Dancing Group. I'm sure Pete does too.

As Kieth 1 would say: ERRRR--

I would never have got it!!

Welcome, welcome, welcome. It'll be nice with a bit of female company - even if I feel like one of the guys!

Excellent, and as you say some very nice pictures! Thank you Symptoms.

I came across this site and wonder if anybody knows anything about the flint implement found at Nedderton in 1998 or the burial cists found at Millfield in the 1930s? www.keystothepast.info/durhamcc/K2P.nsf/K2PDetail?readform&PRN=N13980

Did he say PINK?

I agree whole heartedly. I think the majority are great as well. What was heart warming for me wasn't only what these youngsters did but actually HEARING about it. We 'adults' aren't too good at singing their praises in public. It's the odd few who've gone astray that hit that headlines, unfortunately.

Really warms the heart to hear something good about young people.

Hello fellow Westridgians! I'm also an old A-streamer, left in 1962. I remember all these teachers. Richard Coulthard rings a bell with me. He was in my class.