keith lockey

To me the moon missions rank with the 16th century voyages of discovery. Only the astronauts sailed on the sea of space and truly went where no man had gone before. It must have taken real guts to blast off on the back of a Saturn rocket and leave the Earth's atmosphere and you can only stand in awe of the twelve men who actually set foot on the moon and watched an Earthrise. But on a personal level for me it was a time of innocence or at least the end of innocence. I was 12 years old when they landed on the moon. I was afraid of nothing in those days; life was still a great adventure and the sky was blue and the grass was green. I started listening to music - The Moody Blues, Bread, David Bowie and a host of others. The world was alive then, but looking back I guess I was just seeing things through rose-tinted glasses. The world wasn't perfect, not then and certainly not now; it never will be. But we can never imagine what it is like to stand on the moon and look down on the Earth. Petty squabbles and personal problems must fade into insignificance from up there. It's a pity all the politicians and leaders of the world cannot be transported to the moon and gaze down upon this blue world. Maybe if they did the world would be a better place. But I seriously doubt it! I often get the binoculars out and look up at the moon's surface. It's like Buzz Aldrin said - Magnificent desolation.

I know this site is about Bedlington but Neil Armstrong was a part of my past so forgive this detour down memory lane. When I was a kid in the sixties the Apollo missions were a part of my life. I followed them right the way through and stayed up all night to watch the moon landing. I became fascinated by the moon - and still am. To me the sixties and seventies were golden years and I wish I had a time-machine to take me back to those days. It was a marvelous, ground-breaking time and the moon missions added to that time of wonder. It's sad, because this year has had a lot of 'endings' for me on a personal level. And now one of my heroes passes on. I guess memories are all we have left in the long run. So Goodnight, travel well, Neil Armstrong. RIP.

H doglover, sorry if I may have mislead you on the photo - it isn't mine it was posted by Johndawsononline. I was just responding to it because I had a possible relative on it and one of my old neighbours. I was a Whitley memorial kid then Woody School. But my uncle Bobby Cullen married a Barrington (Barnton) girl called Margaret. (Don't know her maiden name.) Cheers anyway.

I remember Ferguson, Love, Johnston and Mr Dick but the rest had all left when I started in 1969. Ferguson used to have us do dancing and I still cringe at that. Johnston was the woodwork teacher and before that he must have been in the Gestapo. Mr Dick - well everyone was terrified of him. He used to throw the blackboard duster at you in maths. But shortly after I started the Woody School it burned down and we all got carted off to Princess Louise Road in Blyth. A cross between Colditz and a Russian gulag. Some of those photos are mine but the others are Jen Gallon's. (I used them with her permission.) PS. James Mitchell and Neil Watson are no longer with us now. I wonder what the others are doing?

I used to go out with a contortionist - I bent over backwards for her. I used to go out with a circus clown - until I caught her fooling around. I used to go out with a spare-parts surgeon - but she gave me the elbow. I used to go out with a time traveller - she said she would get back to me but she didn't.

With regards to the photograph. One of my relatives was Leslie Tiffin - the family moved to Bolam Place. His mother was Ethel, his father Douggie and he had a sister, Hilda. Leslie became a milkman for the Co-op. Another person who is mentioned in the photo is Brian Woolett. Well he was my next door neighbour at Terrier Close. His mother was Doris and his father was Bill. He had a brother Geoff and a sister Wendy. (PS - Looking at the photo, Leslie looks more like number 7 than number 6!)

MORE PHOTOS FROM THE WOODY SCHOOL & PLR PLEASE FILL IN THE BLANKS.

http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-08-11/news/33156978_1_earthworm-artificial-worm-robot Now this is getting scary - what next, Terminators!

http://uk.lifestyle....ess-losing.html I'm sure there's this line in the Bible that says "...even the hair on your head is counted..." But anyway I've put myself forward for the first tests on this new Baldness Lotion and the scientists have sent me back a computerised prediction of what I'll look like.

The Terrier was always the start and finishing pub when I was a young elbow bender. I'd catch the 7.45 Raisbeck up the street and do the rounds of pubs. But then I started to drink in the Northumberland Arms and it was there that I was introduced to Real Ale. One of my favourite brews in that hallowed saloon was Pentland Ale. Believe me, I could knock back more than a few of those in my youth. But Symptoms mentioned Watneys - AARGH!. Images of Lucy's nightclub spring to mind - the Watney's Red - like drinking kreosote with a turpentine chaser. That's if you could lift the chunky glass it got served in. But Pentland - ambrosia served in a pint glass.

I could never get away with Vaux beer. I used to frequent the Railway Tavern often in the 80s - when Jim and Tracy had it, then the Egans. But I just used to drink the Strongbow cider when I went there, that's all I could stomach. But my favourite bottled beer in those days was McKewans Export - I thought that was better than the broon dog or the amber ale. The Terrier was at its peak when I started bending the elbow and Exhibition or Export were my favourite tipples. Brilliant pub that, damn shame it fell foul of the brewerys' greed. (Moving away from Bedlington - forgive me moderators - but I see the Old Red Bull Inn at Morpeth has just been demolished. Another good pub gone bad.

HOW MUCH!!! I'll get you a draught pack and some crab sticks and still have change for a number on the domino card.

Sorry Adam, I can't say I've ever been in that club and to be honest I forgot it was there. The only club I used to go to was the Market Place on a Wednesday night for the movies in the 70s?. And that got me thinking of the beer I used to drink in the different pubs and club. IPA was the club beer. I would have a pint of Worthington E at the Ridge - Trophy at the Red Lion, Stones at the Grapes, Strongarm at the Monkey, Real Ale at the North, Exhibition at the Terrier - But I cannot for the life of me remember what I used to drink at the Community Centre when it opened. I used to go upstairs and have a couple of bevvys but what it was is lost in the mists of time. Can anyone remember what they sold?

If I had seen that Worthington ad beforehand I would never have touched the stuff! The annoying thing is, Malcolm, I can't stop singing it now. AARGH!!! (But the John Smith's is spot on)

Yep! I walked into that one. Let me rephrase that. Can anyone remember which year the Ridge Farm Pub opened. (I remember drinking a pint of Worthington E there.)

Cheers Keith. I'll buy you a pint on your 18th. I knew it had a name. (Bedlington Community site at its best.)

Can anyone remember when The Ridge Farm Pub opened?

Thanks Malcolm, I've just brought up my breakfast. But talking of pub food I remember the basket meals at the Red Lion. Every Sunday night I would go there and have one. The soup in a basket didn't take off though. (PS I still haven't found a definite answer to why the back room of the Red Lion was called the Bunker!)

I didn't know they were a Sunderland 'firm'. I thought they were just local fishermen or something. I'm a veggie now but in those days I used to have a jar of mussels and I can still taste the grit in them. But the one thing I refused to try was willicks. There was a bunch of blokes in the Terrier who used to bring a big bag in and some pins and chew on them all night. It was revolting.

Talking of pubs and such. There were two things I remember when I used to bend an elbow in the Bedlington Terrier. One was the lad who used to come round with the 'Football Pink', and the other was the 'crab man' who came round with his wicker basket of crab sticks and jars of mussels. I assume the pubs cottoned on that he was making a fair bit of money and started buying there own stuff in, because the 'crab man' seemes to have gone the same way as the dinosaurs and the dodo. But is the 'Pink' still going?

Aw, what a shame. All the answers were unintelligible. And the winning prize was a fortnight in Barbados with the man / woman of your dreams. Guess i'll have to go myself now. Has anybody got Kylie's phone number? For those who don't already know - this little quiz was in response to a Tom, 'Richard' and Harry joke I told in GOOD JOKES. The algorithm censor made nonsense out of it. Yah boo hiss. PS Canny Lass, I do believe Mr Van Dyke is still alive. I know he was in the film A NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM. (Or whatever it was called - the one with Ben Stiller.) Thank you all for participating. I'm now going to watch that classic Carry on film about the highwayman - you know the one - CARRY ON DICK.

We got a Mr Grange from West Sleekburn and there was a Mr Lowry (maybe). I have put a photo up - see if you can recognize anybody will you. There were two girls i remember from West Sleekburn - Helen keenlyside & Kath Purdey. Do they ring a bell.

HERE'S AN ALGORITHM QUIZ ONLY ONE CORRECT ANSWER NEEDED!!!!!! 1) What was Herman Melville's most famous novel? 2) Who played the chimney sweep in Mary Poppins? 3) Which author wrote thrillers set in the horse racing community? 4) Warren Beatty played which cartoon detective in a 1990 film? 5) Who was the villian in the Wacky Races cartoon show? PLEASE WRITE YOUR ANSWERS CLEARLY - ONLY ONE CORRECT ANSWER NEEDED!

Cheers Mercuryg. To be honest the list goes on. I do remember there were posters of chimps on the wall when Jack Johnson had it - but I think that was because of the pub name not the reason for it. I'm sure I also heard one that said an early owner of the pub had a pet monkey!!!