Canny lass

Why not?

Whether or not it will work in Bedlington, I can't say but it can and does work in other places. My nearest town for shopping is slightly smaller than Bedlington with just 15 000 inhabitants. It has three large supermarkets and has had since the arrival of Lidl some 10-12 years ago (a fourth did not survive). The two prior to Lidl had high prices because the majority of goods were Swedish. The excuse being given for this was that 'Swedish is quality' and 'the customer only wants Swedish'. However, along came Lidl with much lower prices and a range of non-Swedish goods that sold like wildfire because they were cheaper - giving low-income families the opportunity to eat until they were full and even have the odd luxury like an ice-cream once in a while (yes, we have those families here as well). Also, Lidl's range was different from the usual assortment making it easier for Swedes to try new things while those with an immigrant background no longer needed to travel 90km to buy familiar basics like dates, pollenta, tahini to name but a few items. My life would be complete if only they could start stocking shredded suet and split peas. We all miss something from home which allows us to make food we've grown up with. The result was that the two previous supermarkets lost many customers to Lidl, which has now doubled in size. However, they didn't go out of business. Having seen what customers 'really' wanted, they started to think with their heads instead of their wallets and bought in some cheaper brands, one even created an own brand. Swedish items are now very few and today, those supermarkets are still alive. Not only are they alive, I also believe that they are doing well. I base that judgement on the fact that all three, during the past 6 years, have doubled the size of their car parking area and they are all packed with cars Thursday to Sunday (popular days for doing the weekly shopping here). Of course, it may have helped that the town centre has had a re-vamp in recent years and that people are positive and helpful, making it a pleasant place to visit.

Really! There's football on the telly this evening? My old man, 3 sons and 7 grandsons ( I've got my own team), sauna going full blast even though it's a heatwave outside, beer, crisps, dip sauces, peanuts, beer, popcorn, a selection of dried susages - and did I mention beer - all over the place. They told me they were having a book appreciation meeting.

What's not to like about that! I think it'll be very nice.

Just showed that to the oldman. I thought he was going to choke on his coffee! Something to do with the meaning of the word 'mouse'.

looks like Kim, nodding in agreement to something or other.

Suspended here as well. Using http://www.westbedlington.org.uk

I think that aspect is covered by "somebody to care for us". PS What is that emoji? It looks like Kim Jong-Un.

When you think about it we aren’t so very different to plants. We need also need a firm anchorage in a place that can provide nourishment so that we can grow and develop. Somebody to care for us who can recognize our need for – and give - a bit of extra support when needed and somebody who can see and appreciate the beauty within us even when we are just a simple bud or battered by the elements. We should all be gardeners whether or not we have a garden.

Whoopee! I've just located seeds here! Too late for this year unfortunately.

I know exactly what you mean. Some years ago I was a volunteer on a project called 'Växthuset'. That word is made up of three components: växt - hus -et. That word translated to English means 'The greenhouse' and we did have a greenhouse at our disposal. Translated literally it can mean 'the plant house' or 'the growth house' as the component 'växt' has two meanings. It was a great name for what was happening there - plants and people were growing - people like Emma. who'd been in very dark places. It was wonderful to watch them emerging into the light and more than a few actually 'blossomed'. There's something about gardening that's healing.

That's it! Just what I tried to bring back from the Cotswolds last year.

OK? with roses like that she's doing a bit more than OK. They are gorgeous. I've never had any luck with roses here other than 'Vresros' (don't know what that's called back home but the botanical name is rosa rugosa). I just let them take over on the slope beneath the balcony and the scent is heavenly of an evening! Almost takes over from the scent of the pink gin.

No, definitely not a sedum. Wrong type of leaf, but thanks for trying Steve.

That would be great! Don't know if I can get it here but some garden centre might be able to get it for me, or I might be able to get seeds in England' I don't mind it spreading. There are areas of my garden that could do with something like that and I only have squirrels, deer and elk for neighbours.

You're a genius! I googled 'Leaf curl' and it's definitely that. Plant is now moved to a shadier spot. While we are on the subject of things that grow wildly all over the place, does anybody know what this is? It grows just about everywhere in the Cotswolds, both in gardens and on the roadside. I don't know if it's a weed or a cultivated flower. I brought a little root home with me but it didn't survive the journey. I asked a few locals what it was called but only one gave me any sort of answer. When he was a child he used to call it 'Grandmother's needlework'. I can't find that anywhere. I'd love to have it in my garden.

Beautiful garden, Eggy! I've got about 3 000 square metres to look after, so there's a lot of grass with flower beds dotted about the place. I'm also a 'pot' kind of person and Fuschias and Geraniums do quite well here. I've some that are getting on for 13 years now and I've lost count of how many cuttings I've had over the years. Strange you should mention tomatoes. I was given a plant a few weeks ago. It's standing outside in a 10 litre pot against a south facing wall. Very warm but it has it's very own parasol. I've nipped out the side shoots and it has 2 lovely groups of flowers. When it got up to the 3rd set of flowers the very top leaves have curled up into a tight ball, not dead just curled up. Any idea what's happened?

Thanks Eggy, I'll be showing that to a few people! I'm in Devon in September, so I might even try and find the Westcountry Nurseries and buy seeds. Mercury, we put just about every kind of perennial in the garden here. Living in the forest on an old farm, I and many others like me, opt for the old-fashioned type of garden with plants that are decorative, but some are even useful - much as the garden may have been years ago. I have: Honeysuckle, Forget-me-nots, Marguerites, Lady's Mantle, Peonies, Delphiniums, Iris and decorative Sages. Lilac and Jasmine are a must for everybody! Then I have Clematis, Hostas (Plantain Lilies?), a whole range of Alumroot, Marigolds (make a lovely tea), Soapwort (it really does work in the washing machine), Bleeding Heart and a full range of Aquilegias. And, of course, I have Lupins - painstakingly dug upp along the roadside and planted into my 'woodland area' where everything is allowed to grow wild. Another flower that is considered invasive here is Yellow Loosestrife. I think It's also called Alexander. I love it. It also grows wild on the sites of former small holdings and spreads like wildfire, though nobody complains about this - came from central Europe originally.

Tomorrow, June 6, is our national day. It’s relatively new, just a few years old and we had to give up Whit Monday to have it. A bit of a loss all round as the latter, always falling on a Monday, meant a holiday every year. The new holiday falls even on Saturdays and Sundays but there is no day in lieu. However, this year there is a cloud on the horizon. This week, our national day got a twin – “the big fight against lupins day”. Yes, you read that correctly! These beautiful flowers, originally from North America, are considered as invasive weeds which “don’t really belong here” and threaten to “take over the natural habitat of our native wild flowers thus destroying the habitat of our native insects” (Sound familiar?) War has been declared against lupins! Field biologists are hoping that the nation will be inspired to go out and get rid of lupins. They’ve even managed to get EU funding to do it. This is taking immigration policies to their limit. People don't believe me when I tell them that we buy seeds and plants to have them in our english gardens.

Definitely Arthur Brodie, front row, 4th from the left, leaning on his euphonium. To the left of him (3rd from left) is, I believe, a very young Joe Grant from Clifton Row. A fantastic cornet player who often played the solo spot outside the council offices (where the judges sat) at the miner's picnic. He is the only specs- wearing member of the colliery band I have seen. Judging from his age this photo must be early fifties. Perhaps Joan Morland might remember him as well. Other than those two there are only two others I recognise but can't put a name to them as yet.

Thank you, Andy and thanks for removing that last post.

So you think you are being attacked, Moe! Don’t you think that you are being just a bit hypersensitive? As far as I can see, it’s only yourself who is having their posts censored by admin because you are dishing out personal insults. Need I say more about being attacked? I think what you should have said is that you are being asked questions about Bedlington which you are unable/unwilling to answer and I think you are misinterpreting this as being “attacked” or at least 'not believed'. Did you ever get off your high horse just long enough to consider that people may be really interested in the size of the problem you describe? I certainly am. I have seven lovely, musically talented grandchildren ranging from age 11 to 24, for whom Bedrock might be a nice event to visit with me. I could maybe even combine it with the heritage trail (note, I use the word ‘heritage’ not ‘history. I don’t think you understand the difference). It would have been nice if, instead of throwing out insults, you could have answered my questions about the size of the problem, thereby allowing me – and anybody else who may be interested - to make an informed decision as to whether or not the event was suitable for just me/them. After all is said and done, we are all individuals. What’s one man’s meat is another man’s poison. Some people will be offended at very little while others have more patience and understanding. Take the noise outside your house as just one example. People could make as much noise as they like for me outside of mine. I’m semi retired and choose myself when I work. I don’t have to get up for work the next day so I could make the sleep up whenever I wished. You, on the other hand are clearly still working, so I can understand your irritation. Please don’t take it out on members of this site. It’s the same with events involving crowds and alcohol. Inebriated people spewing or relieving themselves publicly wouldn’t spoil my day, anybody can be caught short or drink too much and I think that’s just part of the scene. However, were it dozens of people then I wouldn’t take the grandchildren. It clearly disturbs you as a now non-drinker and people’s advocate regarding public toilets. That’s fair enough but do allow, or even help, others to decide what they themselves are willing to put up with for a good day out. You have a veritable mountain of unanswered questions which interested members have asked: myself, Eggy, Vic, for example. Swallow your pride and start writing.

Moe, Why do you think it’s so strange that former residents still have an interest in a town that has helped form their lives? I think it shows a great misunderstanding on your part to say that we “know absolutely nothing about what happens on the front street late at night and early mornings”. Firstly, it’s hard to imagine that Bedlington alone has managed to escape the wave of antisocial behavior that appears to be sweeping the nation, or indeed the whole continent of Europe. We all read the newspapers. It is also hard to believe that Bedlington alone has somehow managed to avoid employment problems, decreased spending on public services etc. Those problems appear to be widespread. You yourself said “its “just the same as most places these days” (21 May) so why should people from other places not know how things are? Secondly, we use sites like this one, where members share experiences, to keep ourselves up to date with developments. One of the reasons that many of us are here is to keep ourselves informed about the town, whether that be its progress or its decay. In order to do that we are grateful for all information that other members supply, whether that be photos, newspaper articles, memories, minutes of meetings or personal experiences – such as, for example, your personal experience of Bedrock. They all help to paint a picture of the town as it was, is, and may someday be. We show our interest, get involved in discussions and we ask questions, which most members – but unfortunately not all, take the time and trouble to answer. The result of all this is that some of us, at times, are more informed than some of the residents – I give you the example of paying council tax to Northumberland County Council as just one example, which not everyone in Bedlington seems to be aware of would you believe. So, Moe, even if we don’t reside in Bedlington, we do not live in total ignorance of what is happening there – at least, no more than some of the residents.

So you think you are not knocking the residents of Bedlington, Moe? If I’m first allowed to don my linguist’s hat for just a minute, I’d like to point out that statements about people or places – or anything else for that matter – do not need to be made directly. In the trade, we call it ‘inference’, that’s to say, something which the reader/listener is able to deduce from the written/spoken word using only a bit of simple reasoning. Example 1: Mary had a little white fluffy lamb with three legs. It was last seen at the school bus- stop. That statement tells us directly what the lamb looks like, who its owner is and that somebody has seen it a school bus-stop (presumably having followed its owner). Indirectly, however, and without mentioning the fact, it also tells us that the creature is now missing. Should that sentence have appeared in a local newspaper headed’ Bedlington parents are worried’, then we could also have deduced that the lamb had disappeared locally. The clue is in ‘the school bus-stop’. The writer expects everybody to know just which school bus-stop he is referring to. It’s impossible to use the word ‘the’ otherwise. So, Moe, You don’t have to put something into words in order to make a statement. I am quite happy to stand up and be counted as one of those who think that you are knocking Bedligton and its residents. You do this in several ways: direct statement, inference and allowing others to make wrongful derogatory statements. The thread is about Bedlington (the clue is in the title) so it seems reasonable to assume that people are talking about Bedlington in their posts, does it not? Let’s just have a look at some of the things being said about about the town and its residents. 20/05 “It will take more than a few pots of pansies to tidy this place up” – Inferred, Bedlington residents make their town untidy. 21/05 “Its a doorty owld pit village” – Inferred, Bedlington residents do not keep their town clean. 21/05 “apart from St Cuthberts church it has really nowt else worth looking at” – Inferred, Bedlington residents do nothing to make their town attractive. 21/05 “Its plagued with drink and drugs problems” - Inferred, Bedlington residents are unable to control themselves. 21/05 “Its plagued with vandalism” – Inferred, Bedlington residents have no pride in their town 21/05 “Its plagued with burglaries” – Inferred, Bedlington residents are criminals. Note: To be plagued by - to be a widespread or continuous problem or defect in something – as in the sentence ‘his incorrect use of thee, thy and thou plagues the entire topic, thus causing confusion and misunderstanding’. 23/05 One horse town (i.e. having no attractions). 23/05 Webtrekker called the residents of Bedlington “a bunch of tight wads”. I didn’t see you springing to their defence – even though you and yours were included in the insult. That was left to a non resident. I draw the conclusion that while you did not say it, you certainly agree with it thereby inferring that Bedlington residents are indeed “a bunch of tight wads”. 23/05 “zombies in some sort of trance” 23/05 “if ya asked anyone what tha were supposed ta be they would not have a clue” – Inferred, ALL Bedlington residents are ignorant. The list goes on, and on, and on, and on

Bedlington needs more people like your son! I wish him every success in this venture.