HIGH PIT WILMA

Keith,I remember Tommy,and his brown coat,and also the fact that the lad who gave me my nickname of Wilma,in 1959-ish,[one Keith Cooney,now deceased..R.I.P.Keith..],used to court Tommy's Daughter,for a while,as a very young lad,way back in the mid-sixties. I wonder if she is still with us,and if she could remember Keith......actually,I don't think anybody could forget him,he was such a character....was Keith![bloody good worker down the pit,in really bad conditions...] Tommy started the first Spar shop that I ever knew of,in our area,anyway.

Heh heh!...Smudgy,you did right i would say,cos I did the same in 1959,and went down the pits,me having such a knowledge of electronics,but being bottom of the class for maths.[i always wanted to be a radio television engineer]. Stupid thing about exams etc is that you need them to get a good job,but never use the knowledge gained ever again,even bank staff have told me that! My Son went to London 25 years or more,ago,with nine top O-levels and two O-A levels. He had a job within a week,and nowhere to stay,as he was temporarily staying with my relatives down there. His new boss said very impressive about his qualifications,but in this job,you only need TWO things.......a good sense of hearing,and dedication. He said to my Son that he he could put his C.V. and all his qualifications in his bottom drawer and never look at them again! The job?.....Sound recording engineer in a Recording studio,making records! Now?.....He has his own small recording studio,with some very rare and sought - after equipment,gold discs on the walls ,and an impressive [for us!]previous client list! Unfortunately the music business has dropped like a stone,and it is becoming more difficult for record producers like my Son,to survive the downfall. I digress,but the point I was trying to put over was that in most employments,you won't need a degree in religious studies,or history,geography,physical training,football etc..........!! I think you should be encouraged to learn the subjects which will help you achieve your ambitions in life. I actually went and knocked on Mr Hemming's office door,one day,[aged 14 years!],and asked if I could be excused from P.E. lessons,and to spend that hour,twice a week,in the science laboratory,studying radio electronics,and furthering my knowledge and gaining more experience actually constructing radio projects with Mr Johnson,the science teacher,who was my mentor,long after school hours,every night,sometimes till 10-pm!! We were like two old friends,after school,but strictly pupil/master during class. Mr Hemming agreed with my request,and said to tell Danny Douglas,[ahem....MR Douglas.....!],that he authorised me to do that. Guess what Danny said....and DID! ".....Did he now?.....[referring to Mr Hemming..],well I'll tell you what we'll do ,Boy,[while lifting me off the ground by my ear,paining it like hell!....]... ...come with me and I'll SHOW you what we'll do with you!" He pulled me by the ear along the long corridor from the gymnasium,to Mr Freeman's class,[who was in the middle of a math's lesson],and said to Mr Freeman,to give this boy an hour of Math's for not bringing his P.E kit in.!!!!! Mr Freeman knew of my gift with electronics,and quietly whispered to me how he sympathised with my plight but had to comply,so there I sat for the next hour trying desperately to grasp Logarithims..[can't even spell it,never mind DO it!]. NOO!,.......HOO do ye knaa hoo actually USES Logarithims in their daily job!! Danny effectively held me back from studying my chosen field,cos I didn't want to jump a vaulting horse or kick a bit of leather around a grass field! BUT,I still thought the world of Danny Douglas,as did anybody else who he clipped,cos he was such a great character! R.I.P. Danny. Eh,there a gaan again....!!!!!!!!!!!

Just for correctness,not to be awkward,but there was no "free" coals,the concessionary coal was part of a miner's wages,from long-standing agreements. It has always been a sore point with me,using the term "free",probably because the miners got slagged off by tory press during the 1984 strike,and this was always one of the bullets they always fired! Sorry for digressing folks! An old pitmatic saying was.."Yi tell mair lees thin a collry polis"....the colliery policeman had to justify his wage,and would take in young kids accusing them off tresspassing on the railway lines,or accuse men of stealing from the pit stockyard,and take them to court if need be. I've had it done to me by a young police officer [H.M.]twice when I was young,told bare-faced lies to the bench,[old Mrs Ainsley and co..],and got me fined for something I hadn't done.Colliery cops were the same!

Great poem Alan! Who were the Allison's ye mentioned?

Rhonda Richardson went ti the Bomar pit,then when it closed ,he went ti Bedlington A pit [thi AAD PIT!]. He was feared by a lot of the old-timers doon thi pit,and aav seen them put their bait back in their bait-bags,and get up and gaan back on thi face,cos ...."howway,thi Black Prince's coming in...."[Rhonda 's nickname...most gaffa's had nicknames in them days!],aa had many a standy-up battle wi Rhonda.[he was a strict,feared,overman,but was dedicated ti trying ti mek thi pit survive a threatened closure,in the mid-60's!!] My gud aad marra used ti live in Barnt'n village,in the 1940's-till the hooses were pulled doon..aal see wat a can find oot aboot thi Thomson family,and report back,cos he canna use the computer.

Er,Alan,aam presuming yi DAE knaa hoo aam is.......tha was ownly ONE Wilma ye ivvor knew at thi pit![ who played a mean twangy geugaa!]

Aye Alan,in 1947,a really bad winter,in horse and cart days,thi snaa on thon bridge was level with the waals on each side! Me and young Ronnie Andrews used ti play on a smaal tree stump,wat had a couple o' branch staaks sticking oot like handlebars,and mek on it was wor motor bike......a think that idea came from me uncle Tommy,who used ti cum ti wor hoose at no3 Storey's Buildings,on he's motorbike,and that would be thi ownly bike a wud ever see...![ we were ownly three years aad ye knaa],and them fields were just plain fields,nae trees,reet up past thi black bridge,which isn't there noo. Tha was a big pond up the fields,where thi Barn't'n burn used to widen oot,and when it froze in them days....it stayed frozed!! Ivrybugga used ti gaa up and slide on the bugga. Thi Barrington pit ponies used ti be in the back fields during the summer holidays,and one day aa climbed up on the barbed wire fence ti see them,and one came owa and bit me cheek,mekking me faal off the fence,and riving me shin doon the barbed wire.! Wat a carry-on!...aav still got a canny scar on that shin yit as a reminder not ti climb on barbed wire fences ti see pit pownies! A nivvor knew tha was a golf-course there mind,nice bit o' history. A was doon thon bank a week or two ago wi me little dog,just poaching aroond where the aad chapel used ti be,and a see the remains of the chapel garden waal is still there,jutting inti thi field,but owagraan wi trees and wat-not.

Mr Bebington was a crackerjack of a teacher,well-liked by everybody....good-humoured,so much so,that when you were in the middle of a math's lesson,you would ask him to wiggle his ears,and he would put his chalk down,and demonstrate the fine art of ear-wiggling,turning his head to one side so we could see better,and having us all in stitches...THAT was the way to get a class of 45 pupils eating out the palm of your hand without a strap or cane! We found out about this from older Brother's and friends who had gone through his class before us!!!

Hi Micky,recently saw a plan of the area,old one mind!,and it shows Allen's fields,as you rightly say,they were next to Knoxy's field.

Heh heh!,Canny Lass,a musta gottn carried awa wi aal the clartin aboot copying and bliddy pyestn this an that,whey thi ownly pyestn aa knaa is on a pyestn tyeble puttn waalpyeppa on!!!!

Alan,this is where aa med reference ti ye,wi ya initials,hope ye dinna mind owa much!

Watcheor Alan! Nice ti see yi joined the set! A referred ti yi withoot saying ya name on page 3 of this topic,just ti confirm ti John,[at the time] where Storey's Buildings were,cos aa lived there when a was a kid,which ye aalriddy knaa,but ye might have forgotten aboot,seeing as it's a while since a seen ye. Great video ye med, wi John and Davey from Bates Pit..aav watched it a few times! Keep a hauld Marra!

Aye,Tony,when a was a long-haired lout in a leather jerkin,back in the bad old '60's,a was a lead guitarist in a pop group,and a played many a saturday night at the old top club which you refer to,down the street,in the middle of the terrace. It used to get packed out,like all the other clubs mentioned here,in which I also played,the worst one for me personally to play in,was the "Gate club",cos I was playing in front of 90% of Choppington High Pit miners ,a lot of who were my own Marra's,and who,on a following Monday morning,back at the pit,would take the wee-wee out of me no end,all banter of course!!

Woudn't have a spoon in it .........?!

Heh heh ! Nice to see you joined the happy clan Paul. The dvd was one of the Six townships set, which was originally done on 8mm film,and found dumped in a builder's skip,rescued,then transferred to dvd,so the quality has suffered,but still gave the buzzes when I watched it! The coal-haulers were 42-ton,[not 66-ton...for correctness!],and they are seen bouncing over the bridge for a few seconds. If you google "Acorn bank Opencast coal site",there are lots of info facts and figures,such as there were only four coal haulers operating,with eight 42-ton trailers,running at 15-minute intervals,the time it took to fill each trailer,using "Butters" skip-winders at the edge of the cut. To us kids lying on the grass watching them go over the river bridge,it seemed as if there were dozens of them!! You will probably still get it at Al's videos at Ashington,or directly from John Dawson,of the "Six-Townships" . You are right about Big Loada,Paul! Noo,just looking at the pic of the workers at Costain's,the black guy with the beaming grin,reminds me of the ONLY black guy I had ever seen in my life,up to the age of about 16 years,and that guy was a star turn comedian,doing the working men's club circuit in the north-east. His name was "ASTOR",and anybody entering the "go-as-you-please" at the club,on a Saturday night,knew beforehand that they had backed a losser,cos Astor always took the biscuit hands down,he was that good. You know why he was a great success?,cos he pulled himself,and his colour,to shreds,in front of predominently old coalminer's,who were also prone to a bit of racist banter,purely banter,which,nowadays,would cause a lot of grief! Can anybody remember this great guy,and I wouldn't mind betting that he is the guy in the pic,cos I am talking about 1960-ish when I saw Astor on stage at Netherton club..[i wasn't drinking,cos firstly i was only 16-ish,and secondly I can't stand the smell,never mind the taste of beer,..except in weak shandy on a hot day...!...hypocrite!] No,a relative of my Brother's girl-friend borrowed my guitar and amplifier,to enter the go-as-you-please,expecting to win,cos he had he's own rock group in Leicester ,and he was good........but not as good a puller as Astor!![and I was there to set the guitar amp up on stage beforehand,so that's how I saw this really funny guy!]

Noo wa gettn sumwheor!,mind a had ti put anutha fowath class stamp on ti dae it!

Hi Maggie! O n the first day Westridge school opened,there were 500 pupils in the school hall,which was the full count for the school.Mr Hemming introduced all the staff members,and then announced that,because the stationers had renaged on their contract,there was no books,pens or paper ,or any other kind of stationery supplied to the school,so we would all be sent home,with a view to starting the next day. Now we did attend the next day,but as you can imagine,everything required to run a school,with 500 pupils,would take some organising! So Mr Hemming gave us all permission to just have a wander freely,everywhere around the school,to familiarise ourselves with the layout,and to note where fire assembly points,extinguishers, escape routes etc, were,even though we would be drilled properly in due course. So we went in our little groups of friends from our previous schools,and tottered around all the classrooms,which were locked,of course,along the corridors,upstairs and downstairs,marvelling at What we were seeing,such as the metalwork room,and the gymnasium.....the what?!!!!....we hadn't even heard of the word "gymnasiumâ€,let alone be able to say it![we were from the Whitley School you know!] The books and stuff started arriving by the van load,in the next few days,and it took best part of a week,or more,to get organised for proper lessons. This makes me wonder if the reason we started when we did was because the school cost a third of a million pounds to build,and was the first modern school to be built in Northumberland,after the end of the war,not forgetting that rationing would have just ended not long before the start of building work,in the post-war years of austerity. The County Council,would have been harassing the Government for the funding,and would have had to justify their case by occupying the building before it was totally completed,which it DID do,as the landscapers were still doing their job when we started. Happy days eh?...i have vivid memories of those days,and can picture Mr Freeman,Mr Johnson,Danny Douglas,Miss Thew......Miss Thew!![i blame part of my hearing loss on Miss Thew clapping my ear so hard with her flat hand,that it made my ears ring for days...for speaking in art class!]Miss Short,Mrs Nicholson,Mr Abrahart,Mr Epsley,Mr Cook on he's Sunbeam inline-twin green motorbike coming up the drive.....aahhhhh!!!!!!!!!!

What's gaan on heor?,a been clartin on owa an hoor,and ownly haaf me taak has gettn posted,did a not put plenty stamps on or wat?!

Hi Maggie! O n the first day Westridge school opened,there were 500 pupils in the school hall,which was the full count for the school.Mr Hemming introduced all the staff members,and then announced that,because the stationers had renaged on their contract,there was no books,pens or paper ,or any other kind of stationery supplied to the school,so we would all be sent home,with a view to starting the next day. Now we did attend the

James,I really am chuffed to hell that you posted this pic,cos the Captain holding the ball,left school in 1956,Mick Rutherford,he lived a few doors away from me in Hollymount Square,and was My older Brother's best mate,and I used to follow them around...they were three years older than me.[15 years old in 1956!] Dicky Mitcheson back left,it looks like Yice Hale next to Dicky,[maybe wrong!],Brian [councillor] Richmond-goalie[sat behind me all the years through school from starting infant school],looks like one of the Wood twins next to him,then I cannot mind the lad's name on the right,even though I knew him well. Front row was...[pass!],then, My long standing school-mates through every class Alan Wikinson,[sat next to me in the same desk],Ronnie Leyland,[sat behind me and Alan],Mick Rutherford,Mick Bradley,[in the form 4 who finished school that year this pic was taken!] So it puzzles me how Mick Rutherford played his last game in 1957,as a school-kid,when he would have been working in the pit for almost a year,as did my older Brother who also left in 1956,and missed starting Westridge in the school term following the summer holidays........obviously the pic had to be taken while there was still a team,for posterity,and other political purposes,but in reality is meaningless!! Seeing this pic has had the memories flooding back in my mind,how A lan,and Ronnie,and me [with other friends]used to go down the Ha'apenny woods after school,and have lots of great times! Thanks for posting the pic,James.

Sorry if I sound arrogant,James,but the excellent,and rare,and very much appreciated pic of the team,doesn't really mean a thing to us who started on the first day Westridge opened,and have very vivid memories of that day,in 1956. It makes no difference when the last game of football was played,and,if you seriously think about it,rather than trying to "clear up confusion",try and see that what you are doing,is,in fact,doubting the intelligence,and integrity,of both Myself,AND Norman,who both started that day. It really is insulting,even if unintentionally!!,to try and convince someone, on what day they started a brand new school,after the post-war years of austerity,and suddenly find you have to attend wearing a ...uniform....!!...at 12 years of age! I was already studying electricity,and electronics,valve wireless theoretical circuit diagrams....magnetism,Faraday's Principles,Ohm's laws......etc....... building small two-valve radio sets etc,as the years went by,....from 12 years old...but I knew bugger all about football,and was always bullied by the "sporty" lads....cos I was different..and hated sport lessons! So I think I have the intelligence to know what day I started my new school! Right?!! [Rant over,and hope I haven't come over as being stroppy...!!!]

The concrete bases are hardly 50 yards from the stone river bridge,if that! When we were kids,about 13 years old,we used to ride the Costains road all the way to Bebside pit,from the Bedlington side,there was never any security on in those days....why would they need any?..we weren't going to destroy the road or the bridges..........!! It was truly an amazing thing to watch the 42-ton coal haulers bouncing their way across the river bridge,we used to watch,and say one day,it will collapse... shows how much us kids knew about Bailey engineering!! Check out Six-townships DVD about Acorn Bank Opencast site,and there is a short clip..[only about five seconds],of a coal hauler going over. Because I just lived up at Hollymount Square,My friends and me watched the laying of the foundations of both the road and river bridges,the cutting through the Blackberry hill and the construction of all the roads connecting the project,the building,and ,years later,demolition,and re-instating of the land to it's former self......minus all the masses of blackberry bushes,on the Blyth side,which provided us with a bit of hard-earned pocket money,when the blackies were in season![picking them and selling them to our neighbours for thruppence a pund!] It was fascinating to watch a Bailey bridge going up over the river at Rothbury,last year,as I knew every part,every pin ,washer and split-pin that held the frame sections together......never changed in sixty years since the Costain bridges!! I took pics of every stage of that project,building it,then inconveniently took seriously ill,near-death,so I missed the demolition stages when it was completed!!![talk about bad luck spoiling things!] Wish I could have had pics of the Costain ones....but I was only about ten years old at the start of the project!

Is that not Joe Raisbeck[bus driver-Raisbecks buses]? sure looks like him,hair an' all!,who is captain?

Derek Wilkinson,is the spitting image of Alan,and in 1953 we were eight/nine years old,depending which part of the year you look at. So,while Derek was captain here,Alan was following close on his older Brother's heels. The likeness is really freaky..it's like I'm looking at a pic of Alan!! It's also freaky how they both suffered death-defying terrible accidents,at about this time of life,and survived to tell the tale! Derek,fell from the old Humford mill building,which stood at the top of Bedlington Bank,while trying to reach a pidgeon's nest,injuring his head very badly. Alan fell of the spiky low railings which went around the gardens at the market-place,next to the market cross,as he was trying to walk along the top of the spikes. One of the spikes went through him,and impaled him,near to his heart. Doctors said he was very lucky to be alive. Alan,if you are in there,can you confirm the stories for me please?!

Right! Just to clear up the ambiguity of the houses....the set up on the right of the pic,over from the Whitley School IS Hollymount Square,where i lived from it first being built after the war,left a bit,and you can see Haig Road,and Cornwall Crescent,facing onto the Dr pit football field. Central,and leading over to Haig Road,is Rosalind Avenue ,aa knew every body in them houses when i lived there,but a lot of names are gone noo! I sat next to Derek Wilkinson's younger Brother Alan,all my school life,from the Villlage infants,the Whitley,and Westridge,for a while,until I went into the Upper Remove..[which was the worst thing I ever did in my School life!!] Alan was considered for East Northumberland juniors football team,but a canna mind noo,if he got there,but he was a great footballer,even though I knew nowt aboot fitba',I could see how good he was back then!