Canny lass

... 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.

Hi Lee & Eggy, I think I can throw some light on Rose Cottage. The house on the postcard is definitely not Rose Cottage. It’s more likely to be the Gate House. Rose Cottage appears on this photo: It is the house with the hip roof to the far right of the picture – not the dilapidated house with the cross gabled roof. We know it better today as Clock House and here’s a picture of the same two houses taken, I believe, in 1899. You can also find it in the gallery (Thanks to Foxy). The house on the left is Rose Cottage. It no longer exists but the stone plaque above the door was built into the bandstand in the adjacent park. I believe there’s also a photo of this in the gallery. Rose cottage was formerly one of the buildings belonging to the Ironworks, which was active until 1867. I don’t know what it had for use in the company but it’s quite stylish with its arched windows and stone plaque above the door. Possibly a home for a manager or company offices? Before the company ceased production in 1867, around 1850, a housing community had developed around the coal mine at Bebside. This community expanded rapidly as more and more miners were needed to provide more and more coal to fuel the ongoing industrial revolution. Eventually, land for building began to be scarce and a new community was started – intentionally or otherwise – a half mile down the hill and heading north on the road leading to Bedlington Station and flanking the south bank of the River Blyth. The area was formerly occupied by the ironworks. This community became known as Bebside Furnace to distinguish it from the community known as Bebside at the top of the hill. Eventually the buildings from the ironworks, first the worker’s houses and later the factory buildings, were also taken into use as dwellings for miners. This can be seen very clearly in the street names: Old Gate Row, Old Factory, Factory Yard and Clock House all of which are included in the 1911 census for the area. In the following photo you can see Rose Cottage to the right at the bottom of the hill leading down from Bebside and beside the river. Rose cottage appears to have changed its name to Clock House around 1911. I know it was called Clock House in the early 1930s because my parents lived there (before I was born) and two of my siblings were born in that house. One of them even died in that house at the age of 3 months. Hard times! The reason I believe the name change came around 1911 is because of an entry in the 1911 census. At that time the community of Bebside Furnace belonged not to Bedlington but to Bebside and Cowpen (despite the name ‘Bedlington Ironworks’). I don’t know if you are familiar with the census enumeration system in Britain, Lee, but it follows very strict procedures and routes. If you are ‘au fait’ with these procedures you can follow the footsteps of the enumerator from house to house as he delivered, and later collected, the census forms. I did this earlier. Starting at the top of the hill on Brick Row (the leftmost row of chimneys in the above photo) I followed his steps down to Bebside Furnace passing Doctor’s Row (formerly Gate House), through Bebside Furnace Gardens (Market Gardens), past the 25 houses of Old gate Row (formerly Gate Cottages) and on to the eight houses of Old Factory (named’ Factory Yard’ by one resident). Coming down the hill I reached Clock House. There I found the 29 year old Coal Mine Surveyor, Charles Bell his wife and one year old daughter living at number two – the very house/apartment in which my parents lived. One of the lovely things about the 1911 census is that we can look at every individual census form and not only the enumerator’s book into which he painstakingly transcribed the information given by every household. The photo below shows the first page of the census form delivered to 2 Clock House in 1911. This, in accordance with all the rules of the census procedure, is filled in by the enumerator before delivering the form to the household. He gives the address as “2 Clock House”: Turn the page and we can see the information given by the head of the household, Charles Bell. Charles gives his address (bottom right) as “Rose Cottage” leading me to believe that this is the name he is using at the time. This isn’t uncommon throughout the Bebside Furnace area. All the “formerly” called street names I mention above are those given by the residents. The enumerator gives another name. The quality of this last photo isn’t too good but if you look closely you can see that the enumerator has written “2 Clock House” in small letters below Charles Bell’s “Rose Cottage”. I hope this brings some clarification to the mystery of Rose Cottage. By the way, Lee, I am looking for a Forster (with ‘r’) in my past. My maternal grandfather, born around 1875 and also from this area, was given a middle name – Forster. I’m guessing it may be from a former family member – possibly one who married into the family. I understand it was a common practice then.

Cow's tail - last as usual! Hope the day was good and the hangover minimal.

Thank you! It was a bit different this year. 31 years ago I was fooled into a hard morning's work clearing snow, followed by a sauna, followed by a roll in the snow, followed by a brown, foul-smelling and foul-tasting drink served in a small glass. It was revolting - but it didn't half put a glow inside my chest. I was lead to believe that this was normal and customary practice on birthdays celebrated during the winter. Talk about being naive and gullible - It was six years later when I learned they were taking the mickey! By that time, having recovered from the shock of the first experience, I'd started to enjoy the procedure (and even the drink - the sacrifices one makes) and ever since then I've thrown myself voluntarily into the snow with gay abandon every January 13th with the exception of one snow free year when I threw myself into a lake (3 degrees centigrade). Never again! Snow, believe it or not, is warmer! This year we are again without snow so I had to make do with the sauna and the drink (well - it might have been two) following which I spent a quiet and relaxing day doing basically nothing. I've had a hectic month with an extremely ill OH so doing nothing was absolutely wonderful!! OH is making a remarkable recovery so we'll make up for lost time when he's properly on his feet again. Thanks again for your kind birthday wishes.

Where's Wilf?

The year is 2019 The date is January 1st This planet is Earth. I offer this information from the kindness of my heart to all those who may be wondering this morning. Happy New Year everyone (and Happy Birthday 3g).

Thanks Eggy! Mines not working either.

I hope my OH hasn't heard about this or I'll be getting it for Christmas! Ever the romantic!

From the frozen North - a very Merry Christmasto everyone.

Don't know about the qualiity of the singing in that video but the dialect was music to the ear!

Could be 'The Road Not Taken', Maggie. (Robert Frost)

I would just take that as a compliment, Malcolm! You're clearly doing the job too well and it's ruffling a few feathers. Keep up the good work!

.... that must have been one of them bonny coloured, chequered bath towels that they sold in the pit canteen.

Sometimes it does refer to the actual 'open and close' type of gate but not so often. It all depends on when the name was given.Citys and towns became walled in to protect the inhabitants and to allow some control over who could enter. (Why am I reminded of America ?) Naturally those walls needed the odd opening to allow entry and exit. Of convenience these openings were placed over the existing roadways - then called 'gata'. Over the years the word gata/gate was eventually used for the door itself. A sure sign that the road and not the door is being referred to is when you see the words 'within' and 'without' in the street name either side of the opening. Oldgate Within, Oldgate Without or Bondgate Within, Bondgate without are two of the most common I've come across. As miners use 'gate' when referring to the roadways in the mines, you can be assured that it's been in use a long time.