Canny lass

At last - and well worth the wait!! The split peas took ages to get here thanks to the Swedish customs who opened the parcel and investigated the contents. I guess 3 lb of split peas looks pretty much like 3000 Ecstasy tablets on an X-ray! I boiled the ham the night before and in honour of the occasion I even baked a batch of bread. I took half the 'pudding' straight from the oven and mixed in ½ beaten egg and a large kn?b of butter and left it to cool, as I have vague recollections of seeing this done as a child. Next morning I cut a thick slice and fried it in the fat from my bacon. Delicious! Rating: 10/10 This has to be the sandwhich to beat all sandwiches. PS It has to be the most expensive as well as the postage on the parcel was £18!

Thanks! The split peas are winging their way to me as I write. I can't buy them here - only whole yellow peas with really tough skins - so I've arranged a delivery from England. You've set my mouth watering and I can't get pease pudding off my mind now. There'll be no pleasing me until I've tried this recipe. I'll let you know how I get on. I have a vague recollection that my mother mixed a beaten egg and a !*!@# of butter into the warm pudding and put it back into the oven for a while. It could then be cut into slices and fried when it was cold. Anybody remember this in a recipe or am I going senile?

I thought it was always Mr Abrahart (history) who administered 'wackings' to boys who were sent to him by other tachers. I remember that it was Miss Craigs (Needlework) that we girls were sent to but we just knocked on the door, entered and said that another teacher had sent us to borrow a needle and a bit of black thread! It worked fine! If there's anything I don't miss it's an outside netty on a winter morning.

Sorry! I meant to ask if it was hot or cold ham stock.

Hot or cold water?

Gala day! I'd forgotten all about that - or maybe i'd just repressed the memory. I was, unfortunately, one of those who threw up all the way home. Couldn't have been the toffee apples or the candy floss that were to blame as I don't like either of them. Travel sickness my mother called it. I had the same problem with the rides at the Spanish City (was that also called the White City at some time)? I can't remember getting a toy either but I remember we got a banana and a white paper bag with 2 sandwhiches and a cake. The sandwhich filling was always tongue, which I didn't like - once 'd found out what it was - and was always full of sand before I could force it down. You can see why I've repressed this memory, can't you! You from Netherton Keith?

Raisbecks Bus! Now there's a memory! You've talked about all sorts of stripes and colour combinations but my first memories of Raisbecks bus are a plain green bus with a large bonnet up front. We're talking mid 1950s here and it shuttled back and forth between Netherton Colliery and Bedlington station. It even had a conductress called Nelly (Halliday, I beleive). There was no messing about with her. She ran it like a battle ship! She had a heart of gold though and many's the time she'd help lift furniture into the bus for people moving from the colliery rows to West lea. I have a clear memory of sitting on the bus with a double matress in the centre aisle!! That bus ended up as a stationary 'mobile home' behind the then newly built Coop (opposite the institute) and stood there for many years.

Thanks to everyone whos made me feel so welcome. Haven't had time to get around to thanking everyone individually but I'm looking forward to a long and happy relationship with you all.

Thanks Brettly, it was a bit worrying to find myself getting a reputation at my age! But if it's in the interests of promoting community spirit then I'm all for it.

Hi everybody and thank you for making me feel so welcome. Just one little question: What's this 'reputation'that appears on my profile and why does the number keep changing? (Explain in simple terms please)!

Sorry, I gave the wrong year. I left Westridge in 1962.

What a wonderful site! I sat down to write a couple of e-mails at 8 pm, started to search for a piece of information I needed and somehow ended up here. It's now almost 2 am and I just cant drag myself away from all your wonderful pictures. You really should put them all in a book.I've now wandered down memory lane for almost 6 hours.I've laughed I've cried and I've enjoyed every minute I'm originally from Netherton Colliery but I beleive I also lived at The Hartlands (the housing estate down the bank from the catholic church) when I was pre school age. I went to Westridge Secondary School and left in 1965. From the age of 26 I moved around the country quite a bit in search of work (nursing) and ended up in Sweden at the age of 40. I've been here ever since. It's a few years since I was last in Bedlington and then only for a flying visit (funeral).If anybody thinks they know me please mail me. (My maiden name was Bower). Keep up the good work.