Canny lass

Hello again Dorothy! There was something odd about the house number you gave so I went back to the census and had another look. Sawmill Row was a very short row of houses with only 24 dwellings listed in the census so I thought that 194 couldn't be right. There were no house numbers recorded in the census for that street and 194 appears as the enumerators schedule number (always the first column as there isn't any special column for house numbers). Many streets didn't get numbers - or even names - until the postal service was fully developed. Hope this helps your future research.

I might be able to help you here, Dorothy. I don't know if you are familiar with the area but Sawmill Row wasn't in Bedlington town but in the greater area of Bedlingtonshire. It was situated by the sawmill that once stood in Guidepost, roughly to the east of the junction between Sheepwash bank and Stakeford lane. The sawmill, but not Sawmill Row, appears on this OS map from 1866. Note that there are no houses in front of it facing Stakeford Lane and only one row of houses running north to south directly to the west of it: Census enumerators had strict routes to follow so in the 1901 census we can see that Sawmill Row is situated between the community of Guidepost (no street names given) and Ford Terrace - which is followed by Freehold Terrace. Freehold Terrace appears to be the elder of the two as it appears on early maps but is not named. However, the 1922 OS maps show both Terraces with name so they must have been built between 1866 and 1901. (Ford terrace to the south of Stakeford lane, then called simply 'High Street'): and Freehold Terrace to the North of High Street: Note on the first of those two maps that a new street has also appeared running at right angles to High Street and parallel to Blyth Terrace. I believe this is Sawmill Row but it is also possible that the street named Blyth Terrace was previously Sawmill Row as it stood on its own next to the sawmill. Unfortunately I can't find the name on any maps. Eggy, your a genius with maps. Can you do some sort of collage with arrows and pretty bits that show this as a then and now kind of picture?

Thanks guys! The lemons are still coming at me but but that swetened them up a bit.

Has this thread died or just gone to sleep? Life is giving me nothing but lemons and I desperately need a good laugh!

This is what this site is all about!!

That IAO is a real eye-opener! Thanks Malcolm for this little glimpse backstage. More transparency like this is needed - at all levels of politics, I might add. Keep up the good work.

Breakfast? Wouldn't dream of mentioning it!

Foxy, if only the British Government could make a decision and act on it as quickly as you everything would be alright with the world! Thanks!

That's a tough year you've had! I hope things are on the up and up now. Very sorry to here about your losses. It's never easy to lose a pet but it's good that we have memories of how they enriched our lives for the short time they were with us. And, don't forget to give yourself a big pat on the back for all the ways in which you have enriched their lives. A true animal lover, that's what you are!

I couldn't agree more, HPW! You don't have to wait for Stakeford lass to remove the post, you can report it to admin - just click on "report post" at the top right corner of the offending post and ask for it to be removed. It's such a shame when personal differences are taken up on the site and it doesnt do anything positive for the good name of Bedlington.

I don't recognise any of these as belonging to the Hennessy family that lived in Plessey Street from about 1950 onwards.

Happy birthday Brian! Is it still possible to get a 'cold' beer in the Australian heatwave?

Well, they did respond - eventually. 5 months left to get it debated!

Happy birthday from me too, Vic!

Thanks for throwing some light on that, timeslip1. Another mystery solved.

Have a look at this aerial view: It's not the best of photos but you can see clearly that the new Coop store (the light coloured building across the road from the institute) has been built. At the other end of the row (if you put your glasses on and zoom in) .you can just make out the shape and colour of Esther's green shed. I'd love to know if she'd had another place before this.

I lived in Third Street from 1950 onwards and Esther Rochester's shop (in the green shed) was always at the bottom of the garden of number 24 Third Street - the last garden on the row. The 'tute' was at the opposite end of the street and nowhere near the shop. However, she later moved her business into the prefab building opposite the institute but that wasn't near any gardens. Did she have another shop prior to the green shed at number 24?

... so is mine! At least, the outdoor one. I've taken down the indoor tree but a great many keep that as well. It's common practice here to leave the tree up until the last day of Christmas - officially known as Candlemas (2nd February) in the Anglican church. The lights are removed then but the tree can stay as long as you want it. I think it's rather nice.

Did mr. Bebbington teach maths as well? I only ever knew him as a Biologi teacher (at Westridge). Talking in class seems to have been a particular sin during our time in school! Your lovely Mr. Johnson admonished me often for it. His strategy was to punish the offender by making the punishment fit the crime and I have, on more than one occasion, been told to write two pages on the subject of 'loquacity' or 'verbosity'. Now, it's not often I'm lost for words but that's not an easy task for a 12-13 year old. It may well have been the start of my love affair with dictionaries.

Tll me Malcolm, do you run on Duracell batteries? Where do you get the energy from?

... or we may get an entirely new form of retail in the town centre. Internet shopping is undoubtedly a cause of diminished highstreet activity but retailers are keen to keep customers and may just come up with new forms of selling. One clothing retailer here, has just opened new shops in three major cities. They aren't your usual: walk in, try on, pay and take away type of outlet. They are walk in, try on and order type of shops. You can pay on ordering or when the goods are delivered to your door. People seem to love it! I know I would! Internet or no internet, we girls like - and always will like - a day on the town, shopping and lunching. That we don't have to cart a load of bags around would just be an added bonus.

I think my two quid's safe enough.

There's something odd about that picture. Are you sure it's the club at Netherton. Compare the picture with this one from the gallery: The low wall to the right of the picture doesn't appear on the picture from the gallery (showing the front of the building). There was, however, a walled enclosure where beer barrels and empties were stored at the back of the building. That was behind the left half of the building as seen on the above gallery picture. If this is Netherton club then they must be hoisting the flag on a wall that faced Choppington pit heap and an empty field. Seems a bit daft when the way in to the club was on the right, as was the name/sign.