Canny lass

Eggy, you might want to take another look at question 10.

Thank you young lady!

This week's quiz. It's one day early as Saturday is the yearly family get together when we make 15 metres of Xmas sausage and bake 600 gingerbread biscuits. It requires a fair bit of preparation and planning and I didn't get a lot done today. I did get an awful lot of snow shovelling done though - 40 cm overnight! Without further ado, here's the quiz: Nelson Mandela’s son, Makgatho, died in 2005 from which illness? USA’s most popular postage stamp was produced in 1993 and 120 million were sold. What was the picture on the stamp? Which dinosaur had the smallest brain in relation to the size of its body? In which city can you find the famous street ‘La Rambla’? According to The Animals, where was The House of the Rising Sun? What term do we use to describe the disintegration of a nuclear reactor? What do we call a female ferret? In which group of islands is Iona situated? What shape is the body of a balalaika? ½ ÷ ½ = ? Who sailed around the world on The Endeavour? On which horse did Willie Carson win the 1989 Derby? I’ll bet you didn’t know …. The average pencil will write 50,000 words before running out. ... Now that's what you call 'having lead in your pencil'- Answers on Thursday next week.

Really late but better late than never, as the saying goes!Answers to last wek's quiz: Natrium and Chloride Sausages Neon Piano John Smith Vesuvius France The Dons The Great Stour Eton Badger Shrove Tuesday Normal service will be resumed next week and answers will be posted on Thursday as usual.

I've no idea but I bet the young lady said 'OMG Watt's that!'

This week's quiz: Common salt is composed of which two elements? Which meat product appears in Punch and Judy shows? Which gas is represented by the symbol Ne? Which musical instrument has hammers, dampers and strings? Who succeeded Neil Kinnock as leader of the Labour Party? The eruption of which volcano buried the ancient city of Pompeii? Which country’s national anthem can be heard in The Beatles song All you need is love ? What is the nickname of Aberdeen football club? On which river does Canterbury stand? Which school did Prince William start at in 1995? Which animal has the scientific name Meles meles? What is the day before Ash Wednesday called? I’ll bet you didn’t know …. James Watt was arrested twice for flashing. Answers on Thursday next week when I will also post a new quiz as I'm very busy on Friday.

Answers to last week's quiz: California Nucleus Fishplate Serial killers, Fred and Rosemary West Cassava Doctor Finlay Vladivostok Neil Sedaka Farthing Bird Michael Jackson Elizabeth I New quiz tomorrow.

I haven't lived in Bedlington for many years but when visiting, I've always liked the way it seems to be developing since the mines closed. A really nice villagey feel. One thing that hasn't changed is the friendliness and helpfulness of its residents. As far as that is concerned, Bedlington is the same as ever. Andy and Malcolm give a very fair description of how I've found it and I'm sure @lilbill15 can tell you all about interesting dog walks in and around the area.

Grey cell gymnastics coming up: In which US state are the Sierra Nevada Mountains to be found? What name is given to the central part of an atom? What name is given to the flat piece of iron that connects adjacent railway rails? 25 Cromwell Street Gloucester was the home of which couple? From which plant is tapioca derived? Which popular radio and TV doctor was created by A J Cronin? The Trans-Siberian railway runs from Moscow to which city? Who had a hit with Oh Carol? Which British coin ceased to be legal currency in January 1961? What is a grackle? Who did Debbie Rowe marry in 1996? Which British monarch was known as the Virgin Queen? I’ll bet you didn’t know …. The only animal whose evidence is admissible in a court of law is a bloodhound Answers on Thursday next wek.

Answers to last week's quiz: Reputedly England’s most haunted house Eat it. It’s a fish. Tony Curtis Whisky (from the Gaelic uisge beatha ( water of life) where uisge means water) Al Capone 14 Teaching 3 River Ruhr Lancaster Coco-Cola Bronze New quiz tomorrow.

There are indeed many sites covering this subject, Eggy. My experience over the years has been that symbols and their meanings can vary depending on: which century the inscriptions were made, where they were made (England, Scotland or sometimes even which county) and the religion of the deceased. None of these are necessarily to be found on the stone itself. I look for clues elsewhere. The churchyard itself often gives a clue to the religion, the name of the deceased might hint at his origins (McPherson, Llewellyn, Johnson) and dates that have been eroded by wind and rain can often be revealed by linguistic research on any remaining text. You need to cover all aspects in your research,. However, I don't think there are many symbols that differ greatly in their meaning.

Who do we thank for the mesh sculpture. Very nice! Also nice to see so many young people involved.

For me there was nothing to be offended about. A very interesting article.

You are just splitting hairs now! The book says "humps"!

It's starting to look like Stanley A was adopted by Margaret's brother, John George. Can you give me the following information: Where was Stanley A Burn's birth registered. District and sub-district would be helpful. You'll find them both at the top of the birth certificate (I'm presuming that you have it as you know the address). Also, who registered the birth and what was their address? John George Burn (Stanley's adoptive father), was his father also called John George? I understand if you don't want to publish this ifamily info. You can message me here if it feels better, just move your cursor over the purple hat and it will take you to my profile and a messaging service. If it's easier you can photograph the birth certificate and message it to me.

Stanley, 6 years old, was living there in 1939 with his inferred father, John G Burn and his wife Ruth. Would that be about right before I go further?

Does your dad remember where he was living when he used to visit that address?

Time to get your thinking cap on again: For what is Chingle Hall, Lancashire famous? What would you do with a spelding? In the 1970s TV series The Pretenders who co-starred with Roger Moore? The name of which alcoholic drink, when translated literally, means ‘water of life’? Who is reported to have said “I have been accused of every death except the casualty list of the World War”.? What is the maximum number of clubs that a golfer is allowed? Pedagogy is the science of what? How many of Henry VIII’s children later succeeded to the throne? Which major river flows past Essen to join the River Rhine at Duisburg? Which type of plane was used by the Dam Busters? What did pharmacist John Styth Pemberton concoct as a cure for headaches? Of which metal was the old British penny made? I’ll bet you didn’t know …. Camels are born without humps. Answers on Thursday next week.

One of the nice hings about this site Pauls, is that there is no obligation to contribute, or even to read the contributions of others. Members enter discussion of their own free will should they feel that they have a contribution to make or a question to ask, so I’m sorry if you feel that you are being ’dragged’ into a discussion against your will. That was certainly not my intention. I’ve read through the topic again and I don’t see that I, or anyone else, has said that parents were better or worse in the1950s than they are today. I think you may be misinterpreting my response to your argument that ”few kids in those days (1950s) grew up in households where both parents worked full time so there was more scope for parents to take them to facilities that were further afield”. I found that statement to be far from how I remembered my childhood and that of my peers. I responded with a counter argument, claiming that there was in fact less scope, as working hours were longer for both parents. Additionally I argued that less money was available to parents than today, which further decreased the scope for providing outings to facilities further away. I supported those arguments as best I could with factual information from my own childhood but at no time did I suggest that parents were either better or worse than they are now. I did suggest that perhaps parents of the 1950s prioritised other things than parents of today – there are, after all, some things today which didn’t exist then, thus eradicating that need - but I did not suggest that their priorities were better or worse than those of today’s parents. However, I have to disagree with you about the relevance of parents to a discussion about public leisure facilities, because without parents involvement, children would not be seeing the inside of a leisure complex until they were teenagers, and that would be far too late. Again, I’m sorry if you’ve misunderstood my contribution to the discussion. In relation to your last statement It appears it is I who may have misunderstood. I believed that we were talking about the facilities provided by NCC in ’their’ districts and that being the case it is the facilities provided elsewhere in the country that are of not really relevant. Correct me if I’m wrong but I thought taxes paid by residents went into a communal pot. If that’s not the case can you, or anybody else, please explain to me how the 600 or so residents of Otterburn managed to get a school, a bed in a hospital or a road to get them to their nearest leisure centre, 15 miles/27 minutes away in Rothbury?

It's very late, I know but we had unexpected visitors who just left. Here are the answers to last week's quiz: Bird Light-heavyweight Melon Lake Victoria The Book of Malachi Michael Faraday Columbia Mother Teresa Caesium Napoleon Mercury Edward VI New quiz tomorrow.

Is that swimming and leisure centre managed by Active Northumberland for NCC?

Back to leisure centres! This will be long! I’ve been in bed three days with the after effects of the third dose of Covid vaccine so I've had time to ponder and even do a little bit of research. With regards to Leisure/sports facilities, let me make it clear, Pauls, that I, like you, am 100% behind the introduction of ANY amenity in Bedlington which will enhance the lives of its residents, children or otherwise. It was, therefore rather disturbing to read that any development in Bedlington while it ”may be of interest to those who may once have lived here but now reside elsewhere it will have little or no impact on their lives”. Speaking as an ex Bedlingtonian I can say to you that residence in another town, city or even another country does not necessarily sever all ties. Several former residents, myself among them, retain some strong, physical ties which include property, family and friends or even a plot in a cemetary alongside other family members. I can also say that some developments do have a big impact even for non residents. If, for example, you own property renting it out or selling it can be very dependent on the amenities offered by the town. But that’s by the by. We were discussing Leisure and sports facilities and their eventual introduction to the town of Bedlington. Good discussion so far, the rest of you guys! As I said initially, I’m 100% behind the introduction of ANY amenity in Bedlington which will enhance the lives of its residents but I would be 200% behind the introduction of any amenity that would enhance the lives of Bedlington residents, even those who do not want or are unable to partake in sporting activities, while at the same time encouraging footfall from visitors, possibly leading to opportunities for further development of, and for, sthe town. Unfortunately, I don’t believe that a Leisure/Sports facility can achieve that footfall. If I understand the situation with such leisure/sports facilities in Northumberland correctly, it is the charitable institution ’Active Northumberland’ who manage ALL leisure facilities (and some other services) on behalf of NCC and looking at their website, I can see that they manage the following leisure/sports facilities (listed here in opening order for the benefit of ex- residents who may not know): Blyth Sports Centre (Opened 1967, extended 1979 and 2006, modernised 2021) Ashington Leisure Centre (Opened 1972 Refurbished 2009, New centre Opened 2016.) Newbiggin Sports and Community Centre (Opened 1973) Concordia Leisure Centre, Cramlington (Opened 1977, refurbished 2016) Wentworth Leisure Centre, Hexham (Opened 1986, new pool 2008, Refurbished 2016) Swan Centre, Berwick ( Opened 1990) (rebuilt 2021) Riverside Leisure Centre, Morpeth (Opened 1991) Sporting Club Cramlington (Opened 2002) Willowburn Sports and Leisure Centre, Alnwick (Opened 2003) Hirst Welfare Centre, Ashington (Opened 2004) Northburn Sports and Community Centre, Cramlington (Opened 2005) Rothbury Pool and Gym (Opened 2008) Sporting Club Bedlington (Opened 2016) Druridge Bay Fitness Centre (Opened 2017) (Temporarily closed) Ponteland Leisure Centre (Opened 2020) Amble facility* * NCC make no mention i of any facility in Amble yet they claim to manage ”all” NCC’s facilities. So, for the purpose of this discussion, I’ll take Pauls’ word for it that NCC do have a facility there, bringing the total to 16. I’ve plotted these, in red, on a Northumberland County Council map dated 2018. Bedlington, I’ve marked in blue. As you would expect, these amenities are located in the 14 most heavily populated areas in NCC’s region and only one amenity is in Bedlington, that’s the small red spot on the upper edge of the blue. I agree, Pauls, that Bedlington today is no longer a small village, but have you considered how it was in the 70s when the leisure centre boom began and local councils all over England were building centres as if their lives depended on it? I have no figures to support it but I believe the population was infinitely smaller. I know that it increased by 2,000 in the decade 2001 -2011 alone and goodness knows how much prior to that. Looking at the development of Leisure/sporting facilities in Northumberland I would guess that local councils got into the groove very quickly with the first centres springing up in Ashington 1972, Newbiggin 1973, Cramlington 1977 and they even extended and modernised the already exixting facility in Blyth, built 1967, in 1979. That’s not a bad achievment given the money, planning and work involved. Clearly someone involved in the decision-making had read the then newly published report of John Birch 1972 Provision for Sport and followed his recommendations of centres with a catchment of approximately ”4 miles or 20 minutes”, because those four centres are very close to each other when compared to similar facilities in the rest of Northumberland. Note here that Birch’s recommendation refers to catchment area size, not town size, or population size. After Blyth in 1979, there seems to have been a considerable break in the building programme as the next centre didn’t see the light of day until 1986 when the Wentworth Centre in Hexham came into being. This must have been a blow to Bedlingtonians whose temperatures were already running high in 1977 when the third centre, Concordia, was built in Cramlington. Unlike its counterparts Concordia didn’t get the town name, instead it was called Concordia Leisure Centre. Being a new Bedlingtonian you may not be aware of the reason for that name. There were long discussions about it. It is based on the word ’concord’, meaning ”harmony between people; lack of quarrelling and unfriendliness” (OED), and was a response to the ongoing disputes about allocation of resources within the district. My brother, a brickie actually had stones thrown at him by people from Bedlington because he was working on Concordia! So why Hexham and not Bedlington for the fifth leisure centre? I personally don’t think Bedlington was forgotten as seems to be the general opinion. I believe it was a conscious decision at council level, possibly from the very early planning stages, as Bedlington does fit nicely into the catchment areas of all four centres (Google measurements from Bedlington Market Place): Newbiggin Sports and Community Centre 5.8 miles /10 minutes Blyth Sports Centre 4.5 – 6.7 miles / 10-12 minutes Concordia Leisure Centre 4.8 – 5.2 miles / 9 -11 minutes Ashington Leisure Centre 5.8 – 7.5 miles /11-12 minutes Alternately, the decision may have come during the building programme when planners had a look at what lay within reach of Bedlington and decided that people within 4 miles/20 minutes of Hexham were entitled to the same opportunities. After all, they pay their taxes too. It’s worth remembering here, that until 1986 Ashington, Blyth, Cramlington and Newbiggin were the ONLY places in the whole of NCC’s region with a leisure centre. Then there is the economical aspect of building a leisure centre. Councils, like families, do not have pockets that are endlessly deep. What self-respecting family would put a swing in their garden when there’s a public play park on the other side of the garden fence? Would it not be better to simply put a gate in the fence and use the existing swings? The money saved could well provide something else, another experience, for the child, or why not something for another child who doesn’t like swings and has no use for them. Of course, there would still be the dilemma faced by all parents: at what age do I let my child go through that gate on his/her own or indeed play on the swings on his/her own? I don’t believe that falls within the remit of council planning at county level or otherwise. It’s a parental responsibility and always has been – even in the 1950s. That said, I do not mean we shouln’t be concerned about safety outside the home, whether the assessed risk be from by traffic, paedophiles or people unable to control their fingers (nicking bikes) or their temper, and if these are our concerns for people of any age travelling to Ashington, Blyth, Cramlington or Newbiggin to enjoy leisure facilities then I personally believe that the problem is being addressed in the wrong way by asking for a costly leisure facility in Bedlington. That is not addressing the real problem. Traffic accidents, assaults, even of a sexual nature are not unique to Ashington, Blyth or Cramlington or to the roads leading to them. Neither are they unique to the twenty first century. They can just as easily occur today in Bedlington, yards from your own front door, as the tragic death of Bethany Fisher on Victoria Terrace in 2017 ought to remind us. I myself was witness to an attempted sexual assault on my own 14 year old sister just 600 yards from home. (@Lilbill, the slipperiness of the bank leading down to the bridge over the Green Letch was not the only cause of my fear for that place), and don’t think I need to remind anybody about the recent incidents involving Bedlington residents Colin Proctor and Robert Edington. hile roads are common places for traffic accidents, Internet and ... I read recently… leisure centres are common places for grooming by paedophiles. Should we stop our children from using any of them to reduce the risk? No we should not. As parents, and grandparents, we have a responsibility to teach awareness, without scaring, road sense and respect for others while at the same time judgingwhen to reduce parental support and let the child enjoy the ”independence” that Pauls had in the 70s ”without the risk of being knocked off her bike or having it nicked. Why not direct efforts and finace to improving safety to, from and at existing leisure centres instead: cycle paths, provision of a (free) bus for school children once a week to Cramlington, better bus service, more crossings, bann mobile phones around pools and in changing rooms (it’s always amazed me the number of parent who sit poolside with mobile in hand and eyes on mobile instead of on their children in the pool). And, as you took up bike theft Pauls, why not bike lockers or two-tier ground anchored bike racks outside the entrance to leisure centres where they would be under continuous surveillance from passers by. They work extremely well in all parts of Amsterdam and Copenhagen and the cost of buying say 1,000, would be infinitely cheaper than yet another multi-million pound leisure centre which, unless it has some mega-super, state of the art, bank-breaking attraction in situ, is not going to attract anyone from Ashington, Blyth, Cramlington, Newbiggin or even the nearby Morpeth, cos they’ve already got one. That money, could then be used to provide another amenity in Bedlington to cater for the needs of other groups than gymgoers who, looking at the map, are in my opinion, already well catered for. Should that amenity be something that Ashington, Blyth, Cramlington, Newbiggin or nearby Morpeth don’t have that would be a bonus. Myself, I could think a larger cultural venue for all types of music or theatre. A spin off could be cafes, restaurants and possibly overnight accomodation so that people could make a weekend of it; have a meal, see a show, stay overnight and maybe even walk the heritage trail next day before returning home. Another spin off, especially for youngsters could be music or drama schools in a corner of the venue. Sport and fitness are extremely important but there are other aspects to a healthy, well-balanced life

I'm not quite sure what your message is there, Malcolm. Are you saying that children prefer TV and video games to going out? If so, why all the fuss about a leisure centre for youngsters? Or perhaps you are saying that parents just want a quiet night and the child has no choice about going out?