HIGH PIT WILMA

Hey man,hope you had a great day/night,and many mair ti come..! Belated birthday wishes from HPW,Keef!

History books are like the Bible,and the Durham Mining Museum....!! Very misinformed,distorted in places with the wrong facts,and very contradiictory....you take things with a pinch of salt,and don't get excited cos one book says different to another....or one History Teacher tells you how it was...! Do you,for example,really believe that the angels were blokes with feathery wings....and lovely satiny skirts,or dresses....whichever way you want to view them?[and if they were,was there a factory unit set up to make them for the angels....and were the Angels all white in a black,or brown race of people...no obese ones...all slender built.....?...!!!]I am a believer!....with a different perspective of the whole scenario!! The Durham Mining Museum,has loads of false information in,where people who refer to it to get "the facts and figures" actually know nothing about the mining history,or they wouldn't need to refer to it!! There are dates of fatalities for instance,at Choppington B Pit,which,to have been true,would have meant that I started the pit when I was 13 or 14 years old![people I worked with who were killed in the pit 10 minutes after I last spoke to them.....just to give a really sad example of how history is written and then "misconstrued"....is that the right word?] Sorry it I went off a bit,but just trying to press a point that Maggie has also made! Now let's all have a singsong for christmas eh?!!

Never watched the movies or telly for the last 30-odd years...would rather spend that sort of time playing guitar or biking or out walking!! Last Robin Hood I watched was the series when it first started in around 1958-ish......or whenever Tyne Tees TV was inaugerated,and we were inundated with American and British productions of all sorts of things....westerns,drama's..cartoons etc![and I was a very young laddie!!] I tell a lie!!...it just came to me!!....the last Robin Hood I watched,was at the Plessey Seam loader-end,where the loader lad was called EXACTLY that!! [doon Bates pit!...in aroond 1971-ish...!]...and he wasn't firing arrows....he was loading 3-ton mine cars from a conveyor belt with coal! One day the conveyor belts all stood for aboot half an hour...[a lot of coal production lost..]..and the Manager rang him to ask what was going on..... .....the Manager asked who was speaking,and the poor lad had to reply........."Robin Hood".....!! "come to my office tonight "...."but......but......."........"Office I said....."......"Aareet Mr ........" When the Manager checked with the Pay Clerks,HE had to apologise to poor Robin!!...[his Mother and Father must have loved Richard Green..the Original Robin Hood..!!] Who is this Kotsner bloke you are talking about?.....you must watch a lot of movies then?...to know about such unheard of people!!........[deliberate mis-spelling for dramatic effect...artistic licence!] Great to have a nice debate Tony!!

So you do agree with me Malcolm!! Your last line is VERY true indeed!!

Hi Sym.[and everybody else!].... No bugga worse than HPW for gaan ti Newcastle ti get ti Edinburgh!! .....so nae grumbles here marra! Noo,Dr Stone had 2 Sons,that Aa knew of,one of whom was sadly taken away in a car crash,many years ago. His other Son was called Richard,[or "Rocky" to those who he called his friends....certainly not me..!! ] Sym,I will PM you the reason why ,cos what I was going to share,might be considered a breach of privacy...or whatever!!!!! Suffice to say that Dr Stone was a very well-thought of Doctor. ..........and his Son wrote my car off which was parked outside of my door,while I was asleep in bed...where HE should have been at 5-0 am!!

Hi ajeanes! My uncle Harry Chapman,[deceased many years ago,R.I.P.Harry],lived in Ashington,although I don't know where he was born. Strangely enough,as time went by,and my Aunt Lily Chapman re-married,her second Husband died soon after. Their adopted Daughter Florence,emigrated a lot of years ago,to Australia,taking her "Mother" [Aunt Lil] with her. Aunt Lil died a few years ago,and Florence still lives over there. I wonder if she knew of any relations in the Chapman family,that might have lived over there,as being the reason to want to live there,or maybe just a co-incidence of names,it IS a lovely place to live after all !! I will have my older Sisters asked if they have any info on the Chapman family. The only other Chapman I can think of was a teacher at West Sleekburn middle school,for a lot of years till it closed down. He lives over the Wansbeck Estate. Not a lot of useful info,I'm afraid! Best of luck in your search!

Was Ellen any relation to Owen Monaghan,who was a good singer,[i think he did "go as you pleases " in the clubs,but could be getting mixed up with another person with a similar name!],in the late 1950's/early 60's?

Foxy,in the latter years,the only bouncer that I knew of was Big Bill E.,who is my old pit Marra,and like you say,everybody knew him,cos he was the same doon thi pit!!....every bugga knew him there as weel...just one of those person's with a very strong character. He threw my nephews and mates oot one night cos they were throwing beer at each other,over the newly-fitted carpets.!

Hi Symptoms,the big trailer 'van was owned by John and Amy Houghton who designed and built the "Astronaught" elevating fairground ride,which was based at the Spanish City,for years,until John sold it. They owned the Clayton ballroom,and ran the roller-skating on Wednesday nights,and the dances on Friday,and Saturday nights. Noo,whether they owned the Domino,I can't say,as I was out of touch with them by that time. The Astronaught ride had a big press review at the time,cos it was unique,the first in the world,and everybody wanted to copy it...[probably did,as time went by...this was in the 60's if i'm not going senile...!!] I met my Wife at the Clayton one Wednesday night,as we skated around.....in 1962! The Houghton's had a Son,[adopted?..not clear on that one,but he lived with them,and was brought up by them,in the big trailer,[showman's 'van]. My Wife used to be very friendly with them,and used to call in after the skating finshed each week. One night she went to say hello,and came out sobbing her heart out,her "old " friend Mick,had been killed on he's motorbike. It took months and months for her to come to terms with it,She was just over 16 yrs old,and I was 17 yrs old. As time went by,I played on that stage on dance nights,we had some great times in that hall. Me being a tee-totaller,I only went ti the Domino ti see "The Ivy League","Troggs","Los Zafiros",Toby Twirl,[Davy Holland ..[Holly]...from Blyth..],and other great groups..,so I cannot comment on the beer!! All these facts are probably googlable....!!![not me playing there...of course!]

Aa was thinking maybe a safety issue with the bridge,that naebody's tellin' us aboot,like ease thi load on it wi traffic control lights. Never heard of Les G. Thanks Adam!

Round of applause and three cheers for Mal's Son,poor little dog wud be terrified! Noo wat thi hell has thi Daddy vid got ti dae wi thi aad reservoir?! Tell u wat though,it's great,and as a guitarist,and home recording engineer,that is one gorgeous-soonding guitar,and very well played..wish a cud play that style mesel'!

........an there was me thinking aal alang....that aaaa was the Master and expert in digression......!!

Heh heh! Vic,I can picture the little black one wi thi Union flag on thi roof,ootside Yor Lass's Hoose in Hollymoont![in the early sixties!] Can ye mind seeing my little yellow Ford Anglia 105e, 997cc,wi the reverse angle rear screen?...in 1968 a got that,first car,passed test wi it,in1969. [it was a 1961 model] Next came a 1963 red M.G.Magnette 1622cc,twin S.U.carbs,sporty,walnut dash,full lux leather seats,..........AND!.....A RADIO!![TOP NOTCH ONE AS WELL!...."RadioMobile"..as used in the royalty cars......!] 87 mph road tested, but read 90 on the dash,flat oot 4-up! Then came the car I dreamt of owning when it was parked behind my little Anglia,years before,....a 1968 "F" reg. Vauxhall Ventora 3.3ltrs, straight six, 140 bhp. Massive for the day,used ti put front passengers into thi rear seats...almost,on acceleration,but only road tested at 105 mph. It was the executive model of the fleet. I had three of those over thirteen years,and nobody could tell me nowt aboot them,I had every fault that was possible to have,over them years! The most luxurious car I had was a 1984 Vauxhall Senator 2.5 injection petrol,straight six ,148bhp.,automatic....sheer bliss! When an idiot wrote that one off,I had to have a motor for work,and got a 1300 Austin Metro...automatic!!...flat as hell! ...Then two Astra estates,[1600],a Rover 75 Connosiuerr [2-0 ltr?],for four weeks,my Wife couldn't travel in it,it was causing a lot of pain to her back, seats too soft,put it back in,lost a lot over the four weeks...!... Got the car i drive noo,[for nearly seven years..],a Vauxhall Signum 2.2 ltr 4 cylinder petrol..estate?/big hatch...!! 0-60 in 8 seconds,140 mph flat oot...[havent tried it oot like!!. At 110 mph,it's as quiet as it is at 30 mph![at aboot 3500 revs...it goes to 6500 safe revs ] Oh,I forgot,I also had a Volvo 244 saloon,2.1 ltr 4-cyl.....gorgeous car,but flat as hell.....and other owners used ti say they take a long time to wind up...... what they meant was....they were flat as hell!!...[mind,thinking back,I had been used to 3.3ltrs 6-cyl. for years,and it was a shock to be driving this car,with a 16-foot caravan on thi back!]

AAHH!! Tribsa....!!!Wot a bike!

This pic was tekkin the same day a got thi bike,so a hadn't aal me riding gear wat a hev noo. Again,nae fancy thoosand -quid leather jazzy suits for HPW,a got a lovely textile armoured black jacket,wi the reflective bits on for safety,at Aldi,Cowpen, a few months ago,and it's warm as hell,and bone dry, after a two-hour ride in atrocious conditions,for £50..[ a think they were reduced from £100 or summick like that..] For the times a can get oot,it'll last me a lang time!! Riding is the best thing since sliced bread!! Gimme a nod if ye see me oot,ye'll recognise me space helmet,cos aav nivvor seen one on thi road yit....bar mine!!

Nice one Maggie!! Foxy,ye hit the nail on thi heed theor noo!! If ye visited me pit pics on Flickr,[bates Pit],ye wudda seen a big lad caaled Bill,who was me marra,in thi pit,and OOT thi pit,since aboot 196i-ish...to thi present time. In the early 60's he had a Norton Jubilee,250 twin,then a Norton Dominator 600cc "S.S."..[sports-Special]. IT lifted so fast,it tuk ya breath away for a second,as a pillion passenger.[95 in third gear on a four-speed box!] NOO,he has a Hayabusa,which makes the Dommie look like a toy!![except for pure character and styling!!] 0-60 mph in..literally two seconds!...100mph in aboot 5 seconds...and on ti nearly 200 mph,in the reet places...that is!wheelie-in like hell withoot trying...pure reverse torque![gotta keep rear braking while throttling to keep the front wheel doon!!] Nae gud for me noo,the bugga wud be away doon thi road on it's aan wi me sitting on me hint-end on the road,lukkin pretty....! Bedlington lass,aa wud have loved a green Ninja,AFTER getting me Royal Enfield 500 Cafe Racer,re-issue...but it wasn't ti be,ill-health means a gotta be content,[which I definately am!],wi me little pocket-rocket!!

Symptoms.....it was the "Blyth News"....[in broadsheet in them days.."Ashington Post"....was it's Sister newspaper..] Gud aad-fashinned clean and respectable reporting on local affairs.....who pinched Joe's gaarden fork oot thi allotments.....that sort o' thing! Sorely missed!!

Aroond 1971 my Wifes' Sister's neighbour had been to Newcastle for a meal after the cinema. The folks' little girl got a chicken bone stuck in her throat,and was choking.They rushed her to the RVI and the surgeons removed the bone. They knew immediately,that it wasn't a chicken bone,it was a rat's. When Police raided the restaurant,they found the fridges stocked out with cats and rats. The same procedure was gone through....fines...closure etc,checks on all the other's.. The girl was extremely lucky that she survived,as she was cynanosed by the time she reached hospital....no paramedics then,no oxygen,etc.... The Chinese got a lot of bad press,but we have moved on a bit since then!! How would a lot of folk survive if they didn' have their "Chinky's" to tek yem !! Looking back,it was probably ignorance of our culture,compared to their's,what caused the problem. If they eat rats,as some tribes still eat swallows and other small migratory birds,they probably thought it was o.k. to do it here!! Not forgetting that we used to eat sparrows,and blackbirds,and crows,at one time! ................................baked in a pie! To put things into perspective,a few years ago,I was in an English fish and chip shop,up Alexandra road,in Ashington,famished,waiting to be served. As I paid for my order,I dropped a coin,which rolled.as they do.....under the counter,right across,under the girl assistants' feet,and under the bench where the vertical spit-roast meat thing was cooking.....[donner-meat...that's it!!]. The young girl reached down with the long knife,used for cuttin the donner meat,and tried to bring the coin out,nearer to her,which she did. When I saw the muck and dust and filthy ball which came out with the coin,I was disgusted! It was worse when she reached a filthy wet rag from the chip counter,and threw the knife back onto the donner meat tray....,after giving the knife blade a quick rub up it's lengh,to "clean"it...![then putting the rag back onto the chip counter!] I never went back there again! One's each!!

Hi Tony,a knaa wa taakin aboot Bedltn here,but yi just gave me a blast from thi past!! Not Bedltn,mind,but can yi mind o' thi "Kam Tong" Chinese restaurant in Blyth,in thi mid-sixties? It was,as you would expect,immaculately presented,and thi ckicken n chips were gorgeous............till yi read in the Evening Chronicle,that they had been fined and closed doon because of....ahem....hygiene regulations breaches.........cats,rats,dogs,evrything but chicken....in thi fridges to cook!! Mind....it's aal thi syem,when yi put a bit saalt n vinegar,and tomaarti saaace aal owa it....!!!!..[except for thi smaal bones that get stuck in ya throat.......heh heh!] .........Sorry Tony,a got carried away....as yi dae...like!! A canna mind the first one in Bedltn,but a can mind one in Bedltnshire.....in the early 70's,at Guide Post,afore thi roondaboot was put there,it was caaled " King Barbecue Express"...[ gorgeous ckicken n chips,which was a rare luxury treat in them days!!]

Heh heh!,Whey lassie,ye'll not like me and my little pocket-rocket!! I've got a luvly red/black Honda cbr 125 rw-7,2008,wi just 3k -odd miles on it,and it's absolutely like as new as the day it was made! Gaans fast enyuff for me,and aa can oot strip aal ya big boys,on the twisty's nea bother! Me marra has a 'Busa,and he has even admitted the same thing,it's like big Jag vs mini hot-hatch on twisty's!....canna be done! Mind,aam 70 yrs aad noo,too aad for thinking aboot chicken strips etc,so 50 mph average,suits me fine for where a gaan,usually aal the narrow back-roads from here ti Kelso,and thi like.[and usually gettin on for midnight,in dark unlit roads,where the wildlife are more deadly than humans...!] A was nearly dead last year wi multiple blood clots on both lungs,and severe pleuritis,which left me weak as a kitten since,so if a DID hae a big bike,it wud hae ti gaan,cos me little fireblade replica,sumtimes feels heavy ti me noo,dinna laugh mind,cos the one certainty in this life is .......... Ye get NO YOUNGER!!! Biking should be aboot enjoying the freedom on the roads,and not comparing hoo has the jassiest claas,and bikes,or thi shoei hard hat.... ....aa wud wear me aad pit hard hat if it was llegal....it protected me from many a faal of roof-stone,owa thorty years undergrund in thi pits!! Noo,wheor's me putt-putt...!!! Once ye get on thi bike,ya senses get tuned ti thi limit,and ya like an 18 yr aad inside ya heed,a mean,for reaction,awareness,etc. After a 46 year lapse in riding,a did me cbt four years ago,and when thi instructor raised his hand for the emergency stop,a was stopped afore his hand got to his shoulder,and he wryly smiled and said.."Pretty gud stop, Bill !" Mind,it was queer having the levers the wrang way aroond,for a few minutes,in the car park cones!..[ trying ti change doon on thi brake lever isn't a gud idea,but a quickly got used ti it.[ shudda left things alenn,tha was nowt wrang wi thim in the sixties...]

Brillo,lights at the Welwyn Bridge only came off,recently,to allow a diversion route while a section of the A1147 was being resurfaced,under the railway bridge. The minute the works were completed,on the A1147,the lights were re-sited,again,for weeks,and weeks....still no work being done....no...not at night-time either,cos I walk my dog over at sometimes two,and three o clock in the morning! I shone my high -intensity cree-led torch all around,and underneath,and no sign even of any prep. work,no materials lying around...nothing![waiting till April Budget money maybe eh..?!!] Malcolm,any ideas wat's gaan on?

A can mind the name of Pig,but not their actual music. A can mind when the Lampglass was first conceived and opened up,it was aimed at "educated students....",or people with a leaning to the arty side of life,a revolution for Ashington,at the time,and a great asset to have in the town. A bet there was a few sugar cubes went doon wi tha pints,in them days,ti "speed " up thi vibes....so ti speak!!!!! Aa nivvor went doon,cos [A] Aa didn't drink,and wasn't "Arty"!...and A couldn't afford ti gaan doon if a wanted ti..! Lastly,a was too smart,and very self-aware,ti even think aboot sugar,blotters,or cartoons!! Plain aad-fashioned rock-n-roller,playing aal the charts of me time....in thi early 'sixties"...a great time ti be an axe lead-player!

Willy j.,here's another blast from the past!..."Hall and Cardwell's" in Ashington..owa thi bridge.... Me Son and me fell in love wi an axe in the shop window,which was there, for ages,a dinna even think it sold,probably went oot with the bailiffs or sumbody like that!...[this was in aroond 1978-ish,mebbe a bit earlier or later,but aboot that period of time..] Me Son was aboot ten years aad,and had been playing drums for owa a year,was in the Middle school Orchestra at West Sleekburn,and later in the Wansbeck Youth Orchestra,as well as learning Jazz,and rock percussion. Years later,as an assistant Engineer in Dave Stewart's [Eurythmics] Church Studio,in London,[not far from where he now lives,in North Finchley..],he came across the first axe he had seen since the one in Cardwell's window hooked him. ....It was a "Shergold Masquerader",very rare,and a gorgeous axe,though not a lot of muso's seem to have rated them.[don't know why!!] Nae accounting for taste,but maybe it was cos they have such a sweet sound,which was what Amp,and guitar maker's used to strive for in thi old days....distortion was the devil in an amplifier design!!! Selmer Truvoice was so named cos that's what it gave! Linear sound with just the right Harmonics! Anyway,he still has that axe,and it's on many a record that he's engineered,or produced,so it canna be that bad! Noo,Willy j.,or anybody else...,can ye tell me wat the name of the record shop was,in Laburnum Terrace,where Al's video shop is noo? The lad who worked in there was a blond haired lad who we nicknamed "Heinz",and he was a canny gud axe player,and he sold me my first Watkins Copicat,a bit tatty and half nackered,but it was one of the the very first ones ever made,the twin-lid beige model....worth a fortune noo! Did anyone know his name?