HIGH PIT WILMA

Hoo did that happen?..aam taakin dubble.......!

Aye,keefy,aa startid theor as weel,in 1949,but it had been modanised...oot went thi slate an' chaak,an' in cyem proppa pelcins..! Missus Oliver waas me heedmistress,a luvly aad lady,and Missus Smith waas me teacha,luvly an' aal. Life waas simpil in them days,wi larn't ti coont wi bonny-colaad roond carbord coonta's like big widdly-tinks..! Missus Smith used ti tek wi doon ti thi scyuul plaa-in field where thon vicar's hoose is,doon chorch-lane,and aa spent menny a happy oor cowpin me creels an plaain rowly-powly doon thi slowpy-bit ahint the graveyard waal..... Utha happy times waas plaa-in in thi aad wartime air-raid sheltaas in thi corna uv thi scyuul-yard!![waasint alloo'd mind,but wi wur just bairns!] Nivva did me nae harm,aa still groo up ti be an illtenigelt yung bugga,who knew nowt aboot futbaal,aa sporrt,but knew hoo ti calculate the resistance[R] of a theoretical circuit,given the potential [E] and the current ,using Ohm's Law,and understood the theory and practical applications of Magnetism,and Electronics,using Thermionic Valves,[before Transistors and Micro-chips were born!!] Winding coils of wire and building electric motors was aad hat n kids stuff when a waas 12 yeors aad! Aye,thi aad scyuul shudda been presarved,eevin if sum bugga had med a hoose oot o it,like yon chorch doon aside the Forresstaas pub doon Sleekborn...... Noo,if aa had been brainy,ind gud it sums,a might a been a brain sorjin,and bowt it mesel....but a went doon thi black hole.......!! Eggy,that's the stupidity of the "English" language,I does gaa before E,except in Keith,Leith , etc Noo in PROPPA langwidge,like Bedlt'ntonian,it meks nae diffrence,cos ivry bugga knaas wat ya taakin aboot ennyhoo,cos they aal taak thi syem......er......a mean,they USED TI TAAK AAL THI SYEM,afore aal thi posh fowks came in wi tha funny way o taakin......and noo we are aal dyin oot....!

Aye,keefy,aa startid theor as weel,in 1949,but it had been modanised...oot went thi slate an' chaak,an' in cyem proppa pelcins..! Missus Oliver waas me heedmistress,a luvly aad lady,and Missus Smith waas me teacha,luvly an' aal. Life waas simpil in them days,wi larn't ti coont wi bonny-colaad roond carbord coonta's like big widdly-tinks..! Missus Smith used ti tek wi doon ti thi scyuul plaa-in field where thon vicar's hoose is,doon chorch-lane,and aa spent menny a happy oor cowpin me creels an plaain rowly-powly doon thi slowpy-bit ahint the graveyard waal..... Utha happy times waas plaa-in in thi aad wartime air-raid sheltaas in thi corna uv thi scyuul-yard!![waasint alloo'd mind,but wi wur just bairns!] Nivva did me nae harm,aa still groo up ti be an illtenigelt yung bugga,who knew nowt aboot futbaal,aa sporrt,but knew hoo ti calculate the resistance[R] of a theoretical circuit,given the potential [E] and the current ,using Ohm's Law,and understood the theory and practical applications of Magnetism,and Electronics,using Thermionic Valves,[before Transistors and Micro-chips were born!!] Winding coils of wire and building electric motors was aad hat n kids stuff when a waas 12 yeors aad! Aye,thi aad scyuul shudda been presarved,eevin if sum bugga had med a hoose oot o it,like yon chorch doon aside the Forresstaas pub doon Sleekborn...... Noo,if aa had been brainy,ind gud it sums,a might a been a brain sorjin,and bowt it mesel....but a went doon thi black hole.......!! Eggy,that's the stupidity of the "English" language,I does gaa before E,except in Keith,Leith , etc Noo in PROPPA langwidge,like Bedlt'ntonian,it meks nae diffrence,cos ivry bugga knaas wat ya taakin aboot ennyhoo,cos they aal taak thi syem......er......a mean,they USED TI TAAK AAL THI SYEM,afore aal thi posh fowks came in wi tha funny way o taakin......and noo we are aal dyin oot....!

Scraany?..heh heh! Howw,AAV had a hard life ye knaa! Sorry Jim,desperately tried ti get back ti ye,didn't hae me computer on..this is me normal time for browsing,after aal me commitments have been met,and a wind doon for an hoor....usually aalwis efter midneet. Gaana bugger off noo and get ti me mailbox!!

Being a very unusual name,thought I would mention an old fella,who was a hauler-driver [steel-rope winch],underground,at Bates pit,called Matty Sawyer. He was the canniest bloke you would ever wish ti meet. That was in 1971 when I started Bates,after Bedlington A pit closed,and Matty seemed a good age then..with no disrespect intended. Mind,I was only 27 yrs old,and a pit Deputy in charge of Matty,as part of my district workforce,and at that age anyone over 40 was ancient to me.....queer how your perception of time and age changes as you get older. Wonder if "Matty", could have been a middle name,or even just a nickname,not forgetting the whole of the National Coal Board,including Mines Inspectors from London,who carried out official visits to every pit,by law,only knew ME , by "WILMA"!! The pay clerks knew my real name,they had to,to pay me,but they still called me Wilma,casually!! SO,Matty MAY have been a distant relation,[or even a close one who knows?] On the subject of names,another example was a lad who worked doon Choppington High Pit,and HE was called.."Bet",which,[i think],was an abbreviation of his real name.."Bethanie"..[his old Father also had the same name,and worked down there as well.]

Thanks Reedy,ye dinna knaa hoo happy ye med two aad codgers, by posting that pic of the Bower family! Bill.

Jim,Ruff it was,ya little Corgie....mine was Micky. Afore a gaan oot ,Jim,if ye browse aroond History Hollow,ye'll see Micky Potts[a think it was],who telt thi story aboot he's Jackdaa,when He was a kid,and aa related the story aboot hoo wor Jackie came to a sad end. See if ye can find it Jim,tha's sum great folks on here,aal wi interesting stories ti tell! As ye used ti say....."S' long"! Aal mail ye when a cum bak,but dinna fo'get ti check oot yor mailbox on this site,click on at thi top of thi page on the envelope icon,where it says.."messenger",if ye hover ya moose owa it. Bill.

Seriously,Jim,a had the greatest affection for aal yor family,and was deeply saddened to hear of the loss of your Mam,Dad,and Sister. A only found out when they were long passed away,and didn't get ti pay me last respects to each of them. Once we moved ti West Terrace at Stakeford,in 1970,you would think it was me who had moved ti the other side of the world.... Even noo,a only see me family noo and again in either hospital,or Doctor's surgery waiting rooms,that's the place to meet up wi aad friends also!....we're aal at that age!! A canna wait ti see Wor Youngun' mind,ti tell him a got a line aboot a millionairre! Aam looking forward ti many a gud crack Jim,ti catch up wi ye,but reet noo,Little Black Jess is biting me leg fo' waakies!! That reminds me,aal of a sudden...it's just hit me like a stone....!!...Jess![ is that name familiar wi YE, or aam a really gaan senile,and getting muxed ip?!!] Cheers Jim! Bill.

Heh heh,Jim! Sinatra will nivvor be dead will he! Pleased you ain't gone senile,mate,you had me worried for a second or two till you've confirmed we were both nuts when we were kids! Have yi not checked ya Private Messages Jim,we need ti exchang e-mail addresses -were public here,not that I bother about that,cos a want ti thi world ti knaa hoo great this site is for fetchin aad marra's tigitha! A couple of years back,a aad pit marra of mine,[whey he is a lot younger than me!],got in contact through me pit photo's on the Flickr Photo site. He came across me Bates Pit Pics,and commented on them...he lives in Perth,Western Australia!!!! Then Vic popped up on here,Jim,[Doreen's Vic!!].....in Canada!....Amazing! Check ya Mailbox Jim,and we'll hook up there! Cheers, Bill the transformer freak......[bet THAT ONE'S got ye thinking!!]

Aye ,webtrekker,them wor thi days eh?,gaan doon ti Barnt'n tip,howk on for aboot two hoors,ti bray the axles off an aad pram,tek the wheels and axles back owa yem ti Hollymoont Square,[a canny distance for a ten or elivin-ya-aad yungin ti hump owt like that for yon distance!!] Cadge a bit o' builder's baak ,a big bowlt from thi pit[cortisy o' wor aad chep!]....a few six-inch-nails bent owa the axles and brayed inti thi baak wi a pit hammer,thi bowlt went at the front axle baak,ti steer wi,a bit o' pit rope [wat horse reins were med on...hemp] tied ti thi front end ,and away yi went doon Bedltn main street at ninety mile an 'oor...wi ya "Bone-shaaka" ....[posh kids caaled thim "bogey's"]!! ......great fun......till ye smashed inti thi waal and cum a croppa!! [like aa did a few times....a was too much of a speed-haak!] Circa 1954-ish!....nae money....didn't need it....Barnt'n tip was thi local supplier fo' aal a laddie's needs!...Bullrushes,Rats,aad wirelisses ti pull apart and play wi thi bits ti mek summik else!,ponds,rafts,catapult -training at afore-mentioned rodents....very unsuccessfully...like....! Plus!....ye were guaranteed ti see sum o' ya marra's from sumwheor,doon theor,at any time of year...summa a winta! Keep at it trekker,it'll cum natchiril ti yi efta a while! Cheers!

..Er,webtrekker,it's not Geordie...it's Bedl'tntonian,or,[if you prefer..]...Northumbrian!! But wi aal still caal thi bugger Geordie anyhoo! If,like me,yi rite like yi taak,it's aal chinka plonka..just rolls off ya fingers insteed o' ya gob! Noo,ti get bak ti Forrester's,John spent a canny bit o' time wi me,tryin' ti find an odd-sized fridge-freezer ti replace me dinosaur yin,wat's aboot twenty yeors aad nearly......[a week or two back]. Aav had ti modify me kitchen unit ti tek a modern stanaad sized yin. So me Wife an' Me went owa thi day,whey,a shudda sed yistidi,cos a didint realise thi time and noo thi day is the morn from when a started ti comment aboot this bliddy freezer lark!! Anywheh,John and he's Lads were aal busy as hell,phones gaan aal owa,scadded cats,but John still fund time ti mek me and Cath feel like we were thi ownly customers they had. Thi new fr.freezer will be here this Set'di mornin'. Nowts a botha ti these lads....ye divvent get a friendly family atmosphere when ye gaan inti thi "big"[!] retailers,like yi dae off Forrester's! [Noo,John,a cheque 'll dae...aa dinna mind!] Heh heh!!

Aye,Welshie!,an' a think ya not as gud as me for reminiscin', marra,seeing as ye an me were thought by some folk up here,ti be Brothers!![in 1950's-60's] Just think back ti ya aad Rossetti "Lucky 7",[Green one,if a mind correctly,]and aa got the white one..[still got it],ye got the little 4 watt Vox amp,[valve-driven,and aa had an unbranded 8 watt amp.....way back in aboot 1959-60 ish..!! Happy days eh? Jimmy,me old boyo! A wud love ti hook up wi ye again,Jim,for aad times sakes, Me last post referred ti discussions we used ti have aboot where wa next bike-ride was gaana be!![we were only aboot 13 yrs aad and we rode to Rothbury,one day,and Alnwick on another day,when the old roads were aal twisty and humpy-backed.....bliddy hard work on old steel bikes with steel mudguards....dynamo,steel gears,nae carbon fibre or titanium in them days! Ye got yor blue racer brand new off Jimmy Milne,paid for wi ya paper-roond,and Wor Youngin' got the Raleigh Trent Tourist,[ Rolls-Royce of a bike!],off Jimmy Milne also,cos he was working doon thi pit,and had pocket-money. ME?....aa had ti gaan doon Barrington tip..[barnt'n tip..],and salvage bits of other aad bikes and cadge bits from me friends,ti build me own bike up..[.but a treasured it!!]....,cos aa was still at school,and didn't get any pocket money off naebody!!! [...play violins!.......sniff....sniff!] Jim,wat aboot Walker's apple-orchard,at the bottom of your garden?...soor as hell,but we raided them every year,alang wi Eric D. and he's Brother Alan. Eric was in your class at school,alang wi Tott,Paddy,Terry Brad,who sadly passed away while still a young lad at school..[R.I.P. Terry]. Did ye get me reply to ya P.M. Jim?..check ya mailbox. Noo aal this IS history,that naebody knew owt aboot,and through thi power of this great site,and a bit help from thi internet,my long-lost aad Marra from age 5yrs aad has just been re-connected with me! Jim,having been away for so long,a hope ye haven't lost ya Bedltn accent aaltigitha mind!! Look forward ti hearing from ye again Boyo! Bora Da! Bill.

Correction to a name........it wasn't "Chalkie White".....it was "Chalkie" Miller!

Watcheor,Welshconnect!! ........."wat gear are ye on?............"Tranwell.."......"er...ner"...."Mitford"......."naa"....Cresswell then!"...."aareet!" Heh heh!!!!!

Whey,aam a bit late o' finding this thread,but just as weel cos if a start wi aal the nyems a knew at Choppington high pit,and aal thi fowks a knew at Choppington and Guide post...........aal not get ti bed thi neet! Ti hell!....let's see hoo many a can mind of..... Started the pit in 1959,but lived at Hollymount Square in Bedlington by then. Born in Gudepost,lived also at Storey's Buildings,on the Willow bridge.....till 1947/8,then Bedltn after that. Started in the timber yard wi Pat [Paddy] Purcell..[a went ti school at Westridge with his Daughter Pat..lovely jovial lass..],and his marra was Tommy Taylor. Jimmy Framm was the Keeker,[in charge of aal the men on bank],Ned Cushing was the Training Officer,[both of who remembered my Father working there as a laddie 14yr old putting,in 1929!] George Ferguson was the screens chargehand,[an NUM man,but paid a few shulling extra for tekking charge],old Jackie Levison was on the screens with only one hand,[he knew me the day a started,and said "are ye Bill A...........'s Son,lad?,ya the spitting image of him when he was a laddie!] [aa was 15 yrs aad] John Brown was also on the screens,[he had one leg blown off by a dropped .303 rifle..the bullet took his leg off above the knee,and he stood aal day at the screen belts on an artificial leg]....smashing bloke wi us kids. "Baggy" [?] was also a chargehand on the screens,him and Geordie Ferguson were the only two awful-natured and bad tempered fella's oot o' aal the Heapstead men. Bobby and Davy Wood....Banksmen,Alfie Cairns [senior]...Winderman,["Brakesman"],Walter Gobin[R.I.P. Walter]....Shakers,John Richardson....Shakers,"Chalkie" White,....cleaning tubs oot alang a gantry from the Heapstead..Willie Givens..Pit pond cleaner-a-oot-a-raa.... He's Brother,Arthur Givens..Shunter,Ronnie Hunt,...Shunter,Harvey [?]....Shunter,Old Jimmy Mitcheson [R.I.P.] [?]...travelled and repaired the branch line from the Low Pit up ti thi High Pit every day.,old Jimmy Armstrong[?] ..Oiler on the Heapstead,[R.I.P.],old Billy Puntin [R.I.P.] ...Underground oiler,Billy Smith..Baths attendant,Mr Fenwick..Manager,Cyril Bird..Undermanager..,Jimmy Marley..Manager's Clerk,Davy Mitcheson..Timeclerk["timekeeper"] Charlie Dent..Lampcabin man,Harry Dent [brother]..pit Deputy,Raffie Weightman..Blacksmith,Alan Stewart[?],Blacksmith [and pony shoe-er],Bob Nichol..Blacksmith,Jimmy ["Sticker"] Nichol..big coal-filler,Harvey Knox..Onsetter and union Secretary,Billy Proctor..Onsetter,Les ["Fingers"] Dawson..Shaft-bottom pushing tubs into cage,[full'uns],Jimmy [?] Greaves..Shaft-bottom hanging chummins on ti thi rope,[empty tubs],Harry Barnes.Horse-keeper, Arthur Fennel..Horse-keeper and union treasurer,Basil Hunt [?]..Shaft-bottom superviser [new created job],Alfie Cairns [Junior]..Loader-end,Geordie Sproat...Loader-end,Larry Thompson[?]..Loader-end..[bad accident to his leg nearly killed him-Chris Arkle ..Fore-Overman saved his life],Joe Barratt.. Back-Overman,Fen Barratt...Ventilation Officer,Danny Barratt..Pit Deputy, [all Brothers],Ray Barratt ...Linesman,[Fen's Son][was in my class at school], Bartie Slaughter,Willie Humble,and Jimmy Aitchieson....all Rolleywaymen [and haulage -rope splicers],George McCallum,Surveyor[?] Linesman,Ronnie Barber ..Surveyor [?] Linesman,Bob Barber..[brother]..Timberleader,Old Jake Jenkinson..Button-man,Dor Dreyer..Main-Timber-set lad,"Cockney" Ernie Watson..[Dor's cross-marra on the set],"Maverick" Dennis Barwick..,Frankie Greaves..Eddie Allison,John Halliday,..all Timber-leaders,Bobby Brooks..Tony Shippam,and John Mash[R.I.P.],all Girder-leaders,John Dickinson..John Wardlow..and Me...Heavy transport lads,George Wardlow..[John's Brother]..Shaft bottom..Dreggin fullun's up on the Kip,Jimmy Armstrong[?]..Button Man,Billy Myers..Overman..[knew me Father when he was a laddie also at 14 yr old..in the 1930's!,old "Salt" Dawson,Bart Dawson,Tucker Dawson,Harry.["Harper"]Dawson..Coal-fillers,[same family]"Big Toss" Dawson... Cutterman,"Daa-Daa" Alan Dawson...Driller,Billy,Tommy,Dickie Nicholson....all Coal-fillers on the same face![brothers] ,Raffie Nicholson..[brother also]... Timber-leader. Ronnie Brown..Filler,Geordie Brown..Timberladdie,Curly Taylor and Walter Etheridge..Coal-cuttermen,Harvey Tilbury.."Scrammer" George Young.. ..Jimmy Prime..Cuttermen,Johnny Gobin ..Caunchman,Geoff [his Son]..Coal-filler,Brian "Doc" Gobin[ also Johnny's Son]..Timber-laddie,John Arkle..Master-Shifter,Chris Arkle [afore-mentioned]..Fore-Overman,Ernie Arkle..Development-Worker..[all Brothers],Jackie Lake,Jimmy Swan,Councillor Eddie Teasdale..Deputies,Bobby Cross..Overman,George Carr..Fitter,Eddie Hagerty..Electrician,Freddie Cadwallender[senior]..Electrician,Freddie Cadwallender[Junior],Apprentice Fitter,Arthur Smith..Ditto,Ken Tyrie..ditto,Jimmy Haley..Electrician,old Walter Grey..[R.I.P.]..Stageloader Stall-man, old "Sol" Collis..Button-man,Harry Derbyshire..Deputy,Dawson James..Stoneman,Ernie Clough..Development worker,"Limpet" Llodundra[?][correct name given in his Family search in another thread]..huge man..Coal-filler,Harry Undeldorf..Development worker. My fellow-trainee young-uns who were sent to Choppington high Pit together in 1959;Me, Kieth Cooney..[R.I.P.], Harry Common..[R.I.P],Geordie Ord, Edwin Collis,Ronnie Hannah. The late night,plus my empty stomach means I will have to pack up!! Hope this post gets read after me spending the last two hours typing it in!!

I knew we could rely on the old wise owl again for conker enlightenment!

Hi Torwood,aal try and find that pic,and post it if a can.Welcome by thi way!! Aa used ti gaan doon ti Cambo Ave.,ti seek me friend,Terry O' Neil,and as the years went by,Tom Richardson,whose Brother Jimmy,played bass-guitar in the "Night-hawks" group in the 60's. Jimmy was on the bins around Bedlington/Stakeford for donkey's years,a reet canny lad![wondered if ye knew them..]

Careful Ozzy!! ....ya not dealing wi Chip noo yi knaa! Ye'll get thi Ashaa's owa,nokkin on ya door! Nivvor mind,yi cud aalwis send thi buggaa's owa here,and aal yark thim wi me stick!

Lorna Naisby,[correct spelling],is my Brother-in-law's-Wife's-Cousin.

My eldest Son lives in North Finchley,in London. The first time my Wife and Me ["I"..!] visited him,we went for a walk through the local park. Aaa was amazed!!....conkers like tennis baals lying aal owa thi gruund,and the schyuulkids..[little apple-crunchers!],were just kicking them aal aboot..a nivvor IVVOR saa any kid pick any up ti play conkers....that was 26 years ago approx. Aa browt a greet big carrier bag full,back yem,and gie aal thi kids in wor pit raas,a few each. AA was a local hero ti thi kids!!...nae brokken windaes,nae impitince,just aal gud friends![whey it WAS a pit community..wi aal knew each other and worked doon thi pit tigitha...! ....not thi kids like!] These kids had nivvor seen conkers as big,and every year they used ti ask if a was gaan doon ti London ti see wor Dazza! We pitmen doon the three-quarta drift,at Bates pit,used a product caaled "Selfix", in conjunction wi wood dowels,[bIG ones!.....nine feet lang!], ti help control the badly-broken roof strata.. Selfix was like big sausages,aboot a foot lang,and an inch-and - a - half thick,and consisted of a flexible paste resin-filler with a catalytic hardener stripe along the length of the "sausage" skin. When you mixed the two together by inserting the sausages into a drill-hole in the roof,and "drilling " a wood dowel in,using a big hand-held "bulls-head" driller,the Selfix used to harden in seconds,binding the broken roof,and helping to control it. So whaat's this got ti dae wi conkers? One day,when a had fetched a saasage yem,ti fix thi holes in me exaaast pipe,on me aad car,me aadest Son,[then aged aboot 11yrs],cut a conker in haaf,emptied it oot,filled it wi Selfix paste,[ similar ti plastic padding type o stuff],and clagged thi two haafs tigitha again,wi thi string in place.!! NOBODY could beat THIS conker......until...one day....the shell eventually shattered!! ...Whey,thi Selfix was White,sumtimes,other times it was Grey,but nae way did it luk like thi proper colour of wat thi inside SHUD have lukked like!! It was fun while it lasted![thi sort of trick aad Sym wud hae done....a imagine!!.....are yi in there Sym?!!]

.....1962.....courting....kiss me lass gudneet!...10-20pm Raisbecks ....last bus at Grange Park...[ti tek me ti thi Market Place!]....Aaaahhh happy days they were!! Mind,a used ti get it at odd times...[and a mean very rarely....in pouring rain usually],ti Westridge School,a bet when yon schyuul was started,it was a boom time for Raisbecks! Can anybody mind of the queer throb of the aad grey Diesel coach? Aa was ownly aboot 13 or 14 first time a got on that bus,and wi me being a highly intelligent laddie for me age............................................ ......a cudn't help but wonder hoo thi engine produced the intermittent beat that it had..as if it was ganna staal,then picked up at thi last minute..but kept daeing that aal thi time it was ticking owa,while ye were waiting ti get on the bus. A nivvor hord any other engine on any buses that was like that......noo aam aa a queer bugga for noticing summik as trivial as Joe Raisbecks tickowa?!! Nivvor knew Nellie!

Heh heh! .....search box....!....my little bit of lead balloon Sym!! Noo dinna tell me ye went aal thi way wi Fanta.....................!!!!!!!! Noo!....just think when ye start croaking,and ye hae ti be weshed ivery day by some kind,innocent little nurse............!! My memory at 14 yrs old,was,that it wasn't painful,just a mild stinging,loads of blood running doon me arm mind,whey it wud,at 14yrs aad wudn't it....fresh as a linty!

Pil,your philosophy is spot-on....I have said that for years about things like marketing strategies etc.......ask for more-settle for a little less - everybody's happy.....but you are the winner! That's what haggling is all about!....[isn't it?]

Well,my opinion isn't worth a chut,not being politically motivated,but,having worked with,and once paid,Ronnie Cambell,when I was a young pit Deputy,in the early 1970's,and knowing him to be gud union man,and a gud honest worker,I said to my Wife,26 years ago,when he was elected Blyth MP,that we COULD see Ronnie as a future Prime Minister,[before Ian Lavery came alang,],and my Wife,AND my Marra's at the pit,at Bates,aal ridiculed me,right owa the years.... He's daeing weel up ti noo,but those who read papers,which are trash reporting,and don't really knaa the man,are totally mis-guided!! A canna speak for Lavery,cos a divvent really knaa him,only a passing word or two between us owa the years. Time will tell!! A bet Tony Blair's marra's,at work,and he's band-mates,nivvor thowt HE wud get anywhere!! A funny aad world we live in! As for slang reporting....."let he who is without sin throw ......etc!!" Naebody's perfect!

....................search................search.........!!!!!.......where are you?????????????????????/!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The laddies must be using the beauty shops.....cos every lassie AA see, is covered in bloody ugly macho tattoos!!!!! Mind,aam nae bugga ti taak,cos aa hae a tattoo on each fore-arm and a swallow on each wrist...! BUT.....in 1958,when aa was 14 yrs aad,and had nae money whatsoever,[cos no pocket-money for us],me owlda Brother,who was working at the Aad pit,at Bedlington Station,and is 3 yrs owlda than me,tuk me doon ti blyth on shanksy's,and paid for me tattoos,put on by Charlie Dick,opposite the shipyard. Nae infection control,except a quick wipe wi an alcohol-soaked rag,used on ivry buggaa's bodies,mostly sailors and soldiers,in them days. A vividly remember a soldier and he's marra's,in uniform,being tattoo'ed,on he's arm,smoking a tab,sweating like a pig,swearing,drunk as a newt,and he's mates encouraging him to stand the pain,patting him on the back wi remarks like..."ya deaing weel man,ya still alive...." Me and me Brother stood watching this spectacle,both of us thinking....HE'S gaana be a lot o' gud in front o' the enemy if he's gaana pass oot owa this!! He had ti get up and gaan ootside to throw up halfway through the session,while he's marra's laughed their heads off!!...So!...aa sat doon.... Charlie Dick asked me if had consent off me parents ,to which me Brother nodded,so Charlie took aboot five minutes ti put me first tattoo on. Typical entwined hearts and sword with scrolled "True love...Mum...Dad.." Me arm was twice it's normal size with the red line running up by the next day,doctor came,blood poison,gave me a gud taakin ti,...off school for a week...Danny Douglas gave me grief for not tekkin part in P.E. cos a was bandaged up. Lost part of the tattoo wi the infection. Charlie Dick said "...unusual....a hair must have gone in wi thi needle....." !! Lucky a didn't catch AIDS or some otha STD through transmission of other peoples ' body fluids on the needles! Looking back,it was unbelievable how tattooer's got away with the set-up! A few pots of coloured inks,standing uncovered for hours,thick needles,standing in a jar of alcohol,a few cotton wool swabs,wiping the blood away every few seconds,when it obscured the artwork,same swab every time till it was soaked and had to be slung! Everybody,including Charlie,smoking inside the small cramped shop...as they did at one time! Happy days eh? This was just ti start a new "craze" amang the kids!![..mind,WE were the ONLY kids that did this,ivry bugga else had mair brains!],and each time we went doon ti get another one on,it was aalwis full of navy/army personnel!