HIGH PIT WILMA

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 Ivan,welcome to the site! Ronnie Helmsley was in my class at school,right through from starting the infant school,Whitley school,and finally Westridge. He will be turned 70 yrs old if he is still with us. A reet canny gud-natured lad. His older Brother Dennis,[73 yrs old],was in my older Brother's class,and left school from the Whitley. They lived somewhere,very near,to a family called Oliver,again they all went to the Whitley school.[we were all school friends in those days,Haig,Beatty,Millfield,and Hollymount Square......there were loads of us!!! If you went down the woods,you were bound to meet a gang of lads from one of these places!!

We noo got a drummer,a bass- player,[willyj],a lead guitarist,[me....but aam knackered!],aal we need noo is a rhythm section/keyboards/etc,and wa ready ti dae thi aad folks' yems......!!!!

Hi Paul,welcome to this crazy forum! One of my class-mates from infant school to leaving at 15 yrs old was a lad called Davy Kane,a reet canny quiet lad,bothered neabody. I think he was from Millfield,an Uncle maybe?

Heh heh! The "Abbatoir".....!!.....us kids caaled it thi slaaatahoose! A lad called "Hi-ti" [Nickname],used ti ti work there also,and we used ti get thi pigs' bladders off him,tie one end and blow it up ,then tie the other end.......... .....a perfect football for laddies whose Mother's couldn't affford a proper one! We lay in bed on a peaceful Sunday morning,me Brother and me,then we would hear squealing...[loudl]...bang.....then silence.......for a few minutes....... more squeals...more bangs....more silence....... Iv'e never twigged till noo,why The Savation Army used to stand outside wor hoose,sort of in thi middle of the street,in a circle,playing their hearts oot...... Sumtimes they must have been a bit late,for us to hear the squeals and bangs,from the humane killer. We just used ti wander aal aroond the place,cos it was open,and thi public right of way was through thi cut ti gaan ti Millfield from Bedlington main street,past thi Locke Hall. We used ti watch Hi-Ti scrubbing what we thought was the "Tripe" bags.....[!!!!!!!!].....to keep it decent on here..! He had a big wood bench oot in the yard,and a pail of water,and a scrubbing brush....and Joe Steel,the Bedlington pie-eater,used to eat three and a half yards of raw tripe withoot a pint of beer ti swill it doon wi'...! Howw!! Aam robbing me life-story book that aam busy writing,which a hev been deaing for thi last few years,just a bit at a time.!

Welcome maubel,can you mind of Mrs Oliver,the Headmistress at the infants school?,also Mrs Smith,the first year teacher? Both lovely ladies!!

Welcome maubel! You need plenty time to browse around here!

Welcome aboard the gud ship Bedlington,Fizz! Join the motley crew!

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!]

Heh heh! Ovalteenie!!,I can vividly picture the blue external staircase on thi right side,as yi went into the courtyard! Wasn't it spooky,in them days,wi gas leets aal doon thi cobbled streets of Hollymoont Avenue.?! Noo!,can ye mind thi big Co-op dairy sliding doors up thi Avenue? Can ye also mind the big milk lorries coming every night from Stocksfield,delivering the crates ti thi dairy,and aad Bob Reed,loading he's little 5cwt van up,ready for the next day's deliveries aroond Bedlington,wi only one arm,[the other one was completely off ti his shoulder]. Bob drove that van,with he's one hand,for donkey's years,and used ti put he's arm through the spokes of the steering wheel ti change gear! Nae synchromesh,in them days,it was double-de-clutching ti change doon![a used ti help Bob in the dairy,as a bairn,wouldn't be allowed noo...lifting crates that were a ton weight!,and also the other aspect of adult/kids poison in folks's brains nooadays!] This was in the mid - fifties that aam taakin aboot here. Coooncil hoose!...we played wi thi flush toilet and the two-way leet switches on thi stairs,for ages before thi novelty wore off!! [aa was aboot three-and-a-haaf,and me aader Brother aboot six-and-a-haaf,in 1947/8 ish,when we moved inti 13,Hollymoont Square,and like yi say,it was heaven....a bedroom for me Brother and Me,one for me two Sisters,and one for me Parents!..[having lived in two rooms wi nowt also!!] Nae wallpaper in them days,just distemper "stippled" in patterns randomly,wi a scrunched-up rag....nae carpets...just clippy mats...or bare floors! Wat a blast from thi past! Pleased yi came on 'Teeny!!

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......!!

Welcome to thi forum Ovalteenie!!! .....I used ti luv listening to your show on steam radio when I was a young pup!!!![a knaa!...yiv hord it aal before!] Me older Brother's Schoolmate used ti live in Hartford Hall,[three years older than me,],and HE went ti London as weel....in 1969-ish........ ....Initials M.J.and partner H.Y...I wonder if you knew them. You are about 6 years older,cos they..[ My Brother,and MJ..] left school,in 1956. A spooky place thon,when we were kids,we used ti gaan inside thi Hall,it seemed like millions of corridors and rooms!...skylights leading onto thi roof....tramps living in there,gaslit courtyard,rickety wooden ootside staircase ti thi upper floors.....shutters on the windows banged all night in thi wind,keeping us awake in our cosy little bedroom in Hollymoont Square!![aal this was after it was totally vacated,by thi way!!] Just ti put me right in me thinking,Ovalteeny,when exactly was it vacated?....I reckoned it was aroond 1955-ish...give or take a year each way. Am I near?,cos aa was aboot 11 years aad when a used ti mooch aroond in the hall![mebbe even ten yrs in 1954..]

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!!