Canny lass

29 minutes ago, Alan Edgar (Eggy1948) said:

you could get a cup of frothy milky coffee in the early 1960's - Moscadinni's.

... well, lucky you! I think Millne's was the first place I tasted coffee. 

1 hour ago, lilbill15 said:

Anyone, remember the bag of scramshuns

Oh, my mouth's watering! I didn't know you could get them instead of chips but I do remember that they always asked "Do you wan't scramshuns" when they were wrapping up your order. The answer was always "yes please" and they threw a scoop of them into the bag.

This is how I remember Front Street east, starting at the Northumberland Arms and moving east.

As you see, I don't remember any newsagents only a small off-licence. This was early 60s. Of course the O-L may have sold other things than Lambrusco - the 'in' drink of the time - or maybe that's just a sign of my mis-spent youth. We've had Feasters up for discussion earlier (see Topic: 'Old Bedlington shops' in History Hollow. I felt sure that Foxy had posted a picture but I can't find it now.

You may (or may not depending on how you rate my drawing skills) be able to see that Moldens and Feasters were situated on either side of a small 'arcade' with a mosaic floor. Before Millne opened they had the largest shop windows in town with one window acing the main street and the other, much larger, liningthe arcade.

6 hours ago, Alan Edgar (Eggy1948) said:

Was that Baccis' coffe shop/bar (a few doors to the left away from Millne's) you are talking about?

No, Bacci's wa further west towards the neuk. When Jimmy Millne opened his store it included a 'coffe bar' just out of shot and to the right in this picture. It ran the length of the shop from front to back where a staircase accessed the car park ... AND you could get a cup of milky coffee, something unknown outside of Morpeth.There was also a connecting door directly into the store. Jimmy was often there - service epitomised. He would take your bag, escort you to a seat, exchange a few pleasantries and made you feel really welcome. You don't get service like that anywhere today. As @Jr6468 says, it was a bit ahead of it's time with everything under one roof.

Thanks James. It had me puzzled!

Is the photo a mirror image of reality?

HPW, the school opened in 1957-8. I was there 59 -62 and Mr Abrahart was my history teacher throughout that time. He was also deputy headmaster.

As for being unable to write for laughing, that was certainly true but my main memory of writing and Mr Abrahart is that he got the whole school writing italic as the standard form of writing. Parker must have done a roaring trade in italic pens!

Remember it well! Bedlington's first ever 'Coffee Bar' just to the right.

Definitely Bedlington east end, just a few doors along from Millne. Feasters were the first outlet for Westridge School uniforms. I'm afraid I can't confirm Bonzo's origins.

There seems to be an awful lot of gable ends and I can't work out where they could be seen from.

I don't know of any other and I never had to pay for any tiles.

Not Mr. Hemming. That's Mr Abrahart - history teacher.

That's a lovely photo! Reminds me of my childhood, hanging on the gate, waiting for the 'tankie' so we could wave to the driver.

Thanks James! I have a clear picture now.

That's a really informative extract. Thanks Eggy! First paragraph confirms that the Old Colliery Row at the east end of Bedlington was 'controlled' by the Doctor Pit. It doesn't specifically say that it was owned by them so maybe it was hired by them for workers in much the same way as the Old Iron Works.

This might seem like a daft question but, why did a coal mine need a chimney? What was being burned?

I've always wondered how it got its name! Now I know! Would Doctor terrace have the same origins?

The onion sellers bring back memories! They came to Netherton during my childhood days, 1950s. I believed them to be Frenchmen. They didn't have carts but had baikes with onions hanging in strings from every available space.

I came across Dr Trotter recently in the 1911 census records. He was then living at the Old Brewery House on Front Street west with his wife of 9 years and their two children - Margaret Martin Trotter and Robert Martin Trotter aged 8 and 6 yo. They had one resident servant - Alice Herron - one of my relatives.

Well done!

Now, there's an idea. Could it have been even higher upp at the school?

Thanks Eggy! I don't recall either the club or the garage as beig that high but it must be right. I was thinking the tower of St Cuthberts but the angle is all wrong.

Does anybody have any idea where the photographer would have been standing to get this view of the pit?

Old Colliery Row is named  on the 1897 OS County Series for Northumberland. 

On 22/09/2020 at 13:53, Alan Edgar (Eggy1948) said:

The Market Cross. Some call it The Nail. Said to have been moved to it's current site in 1782 but there is o entry in the Bedlington 'Timeline'.

Info on the Megalithic Portal :-

No entry in the 'Historical Timeline of Bedlington' on this site :-

Info from @johndawsonjune1955

The Megalithic Portal doesn't make any sense to me. How can "Jim Swanns early 18th century diaries" possibly suggest that the cross was built in the late  18th century "1792". He must have written his diary BEFORE the cross was built!

YMCA ownership seems likely and thinking about the size of the field a bowling green would be about right.

On 08/09/2020 at 20:54, Jammy said:

 Behind the later YMCA building there is a flat field with something going on. Does anyone know what is happening on the field? My guess is it's a sports day. I didn't know that field existed. There appears to be footpath access from both ends.

While I was wandering around the 'station' in my research on Puddlers Row/Glassey terrace I noticed this:

Could it have belonged to the public house ? The Percy Arms