Canny lass

That sounds like a possibility, Moe. I didn't know about the vicarage on Burdon Tce.  I remember the Tankerville well and know it was on the doctor's side of the road but I jut cannot Place the Alma at all. It must have been gone Before my time. It was the photo mentioned above which made me wonder if the name Glebe Row had somehow or other changed over the years to Glebe Road, I found Glebe Road on Google maps (2015) and it's exactly where Maggie refers to the mission being.

at the same time - if the Alma was on the "corner of Glebe Row and Oliver's Buildings"  then it suggests that Glebe Row was a side street off Glebe Road.

Coming back to JD's excellent topic, Old Bedlington Photographs & Stories - John has posted a Picture (post #7) of what he calls "Glebe Road"

This same picture appears on ancestry.co.uk on the thread related to John N Barnes. On this thread, however, the title of the photo is  "The Alma Inn, Glebe Row" ... "where John N Barnes lived and worked".

If you read John Dawson's thread "Old Bedlington Photographs & Stories he places the Alma inn "on the corner of Glebe Row and Oliver's Buildings (a row of stone houses erected 1850).

I found a reference to Oliver's Buildings on genesunited.co.uk where the adress of the Kelly family is given as Oliver's Buildings, Glebe Row, Bedlington.

The first gives Glebe Row as being separate from Oliver's Buildings and the second gives Oliver's Buildings as being part of Glebe Row. Confusing! But, we seem to be in the right area. However, none of this fits in with Maggies 'tin mission' near Bishops Meadow. Was the Alma on the right or the left when leaving Bedlington via the 1068? I thought it was on the right.

Started to wonder what a 'Glebe' was - or is. Wikipedia has the answer:

"an area of land within an ecclesiastical parish used to support a parish priest"

It can also be called a "church furlong" or a "parsons close".

I wondered why the mission hall was so far from the Church and maybe this is the answer.

Could Glebe Row be the road that's now called Glebe Road? Or, could it have been a smaller street off Glebe Road - as Maggie describes?

A couple of years ago John Dawson posted a photograph of the Alma Inn in 'Old Bedlington Photographs & Stories' . The adress for the Alma Inn was also Glebe Row .

According to http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com Glebe Row is now the A1068 out of Bedlington.

St. Cuthbert's Mission Hall also had the same adress if anybody know's where that was.

Joan Morland, (I knew her well, she lived almost opposite me), was right when she said that Pamela Straw was next to Joan Short. However it's not number 8 but the girl on Joan's left - 6th from the left.

The headmistress, Miss Gair, is on the left of the photo and not on the right as stated.

Number 3 is Lorna Naisby.

Just remembered, front row 5th from the left is Leslie Newton (Plessey Street) and the girl 5th from the right, second row is Brenda Shaw.

Interesting Reading Symptoms! I didn't know about the 1921 strike. Thanks for sharing that.

In the version I learned as a child the ee sound was mentioned:

I Before E except after C

but only when the sound is EE

Of course there are a few exceptions  to this as well.

Here in Sweden they use another rhyme when teaching English to students:

I Before E except after C

Or when sounded as A as in neighbour or weigh.

This one is somewhat better, in my opinion, but it also has a few exceptions. However, you'll more often than not  get it right by using the rule.

I've had a couple of those steeping in vinegar. Now drying out nicely!

Now I know what you mean! You're referring to the Nicholas Garrow Home for the blind. Nothing to do with Netherton. Thomas Taylor Homes (Part 3 accomodation - probably called something else these Days) and Mona Taylor (Maternity Hospital) shared the same entrance and grounds. The Maternity hospital was behind the Thomas Taylor Homes.

Thanks Eggy, that looks like a possible. Office Row was gone before my time at the colliery.

As with most things, Malcolm, as with most things.

I Think it might be something left over from Halloween.

I've just compared the stonework with that of Nedderton Village Junior school on other photos and they are definitely not the same. So, that rules it out.

I haven't ever Heard of this and looking at the building I can't place it anywhere other then Howard House, or the Weslyan Chapel as everything else was brick built in my day. It's also very reminiscent of the junior school at Netherton Village and could be - depending on when the name changed. I Think it might be a bit early to have anything to do with miner's strikes but it could have something to do with post-war poverty.

What would a Young lad not do to get his hands on a decent conker!! Well your visit seems seems to have made a lasting impression! At least you remember the name of the place.

When you say Clifton Lane do you mean Clifton Row? I can't remember any blind home there or anywhere else in Netherton but I Think there was a deaf school at Nedderton Village..

I've also been wondering about the 'Naval Club'. Was it not the 'Ex - Naval Club'? I remember the Word Naval in the name but have never been able to find any naval links to Netherton.

It's just a rule of thumb but it works in most cases. Teaching these rules to Children ensures that they get it right most of the time. If they learn and apply the rule then they'll only make mistakes with the  exceptions. As they get older they' will hopefully have learned what the exceptions are.

English Spelling is often related to the sound system of the language. The i Before e rule rule only applies when the sound represented by the letter combination 'ie' is pronounced as 'ee',  as is the case with  words like ceiling and receipt. The word 'science', on the other hand, doesn't have any 'ee' sound so the rule doesn't apply. There are a number of exceptions to the rule.

Why don't you start a Netherton album yourself, Eggy.

Well, it's a start toakley1965! However, I'm not sure about the idea that it "starts as rapidly as possible but takes a patient approach". Deadline for the stage 1 submissions is no more than 12 Days away. Thats hardly enough time to get your pencil sharpened never mind plan a town centre! Stage 2 date is "yet to be confirmed" - and we all know how long that to take.

Thanks Eggy. Shame I've just erected half a kilometer of Electric fencing yo keep the wild boar out of the garden!

Anybody got any idea how long I should let my conkers soak in vinegar? The grandchildren are nagging me to get on with the competitions.

Nivvor knew Nellie! You missed a treat! She could be as rough as a badgers backside but Lovely with it and she could hold her own in any affray with the sometimes  burly, swearing, local lads - especially when they'd had a few. Nellie put up with no nonsense on her runs.

Thanks for the clarification HPW. Actually it was pronounced just as you wrote it - Naisby. I just assumed that that was the Netherton pronunciation for Nesbitt.