Maggie/915

We can now accept Bedlingtonshire has a population to match Ashington and Blyth. So Dear NCC and the Labour Controlled Bedlington Council, Show us you care!! (Or maybe not) Please please can we have a shopping centre (like the Keel Row) maybe call it The Lonnen. Waitrose and a Marks and Spencer Food store plus other retailers. Anyone who wants a way into a huge potential untapped market. Lots of available space. Bus station and parking on level ground. Two other levels with a walkway over to the old Elliott's Garage site and the old school Obviously there will be space available on the GAP Site. Space may become available if and when The Court House and Police Station close. All it needs is a little thought. Maybe a leisure centre would be a step to far but if it could or would be viable then that too could be considered. I sincerely hope this is not too much to ask after the years of no investment in a fantastic old town.

Guide the few back to base. Did you say the 'Battle for Bedlington'

21 million for an Ashington Leisure centre. Ok one million from Sports something or other. The numbers are extraordinary. Why Why Why! I am so confused.

That sounds better for local shoppers.

The population numbers are very confusing. Bedlington is 15,400 but does that include North Bedlington 9,350 And Cambois 3,836 Then there is Choppington Stakeford and Guidepost 9,594! Is this the North Bedlington figure. Ashington 27,335 but what does that include and exclude Morpeth 16,000 Blyth 35,818 in 2001 Then said to be 36,071 Newbiggen no figure Lynemouth 1,832 Woodhorn. No figure I am very confused and trying very hard to justify why Ashington is so very important that it gets huge funds from NCC. New leisure centre 21 million. New County Hall no figure as yet, none that I know of ! Please help if you can, I know the Forum has people very good at 'Figures!'

21 million is a lot of money. Maybe we could tele port the old leisure centre to Bedlington. Money no object. Beamish achieve these objectives successfully. It could be under the Heritage Initiative. We may need help from our 'Rich' neighbours. Perhaps they can just feel sorry for us 'Poor Relations'. Crumbs from under the table come to mind. Six Townships is taking on a whole new meaning. Once upon a time! Any budding authors care to mix past and present together. Fact and Fiction. Certainly beyond humour maybe not.

The Mayfair and Saint James' Park probably need new threads. I remember the Stones with the Dan Reed Network and the Choirboys as support. That was the 90s. In the 80s we took along one son and became anxious about the crowds and the old wooden stand. Bradford Fire I suppose raised our fears. Daughter never forgave us for not taking her. Then in 85 there was Bruce Springsteen .

Sadly jorga I was turned away in probably 1951. Forced elsewhere. Netherton Colliery, loved the school. No longer any trace. Good Luck with your reunion.

Ouch. Accidents will happen. Didn't Elvis Costello sing about that in the Dark Ages. Seem to think the next line was 'it's only hit and run' After an accident recently it is amazing what memories it recalls in friends and others. I remember I child telling me his Dad had fallen off a cliff in the Peak District. When I looked concerned he said not to worry because he (his dad) had done it before. Another lad suggested his Dad could help if needed . (Plastic Surgeon)

Home Front 1915 BBC Radio 4 at 12 till 12:15pm. Pod Cast available. I think there is an omnibus edition. This week they have moved the action to Tynemouth. The programme seeks to follow In real time the events and issues of the First World War. Obviously 100 years on. We are listening because on both sides of our family we have grandparents who were in this location during this time. Tynemouth have done amazing work documenting this period of time. Web site available to view. Better still get down to Tynemouth and North Shields and see for yourselves.

Thanks Symptoms but I am a simple soul who feels there must be answers. Just not sure how easy it is to find them. If a West Bedlington Councillor cannot get answers who can! No one gains from Bedlington being shown in a bad light. I do believe in our justice system and even our democracy.

I invite anyone NCC or the Old Wansbeck District Council to explain what has happened in Bedlington. Where has money gone? (Golf Club and Tesco's first) Then all our Taxes. What money has been used for Bedlington ? No waffle and not just general maintenance issues. Serious issues have been raised on this Forum and no one has any answers. All other towns in the area have leisure facilities old and new. We have a Community Centre . We have Gallagher Park but these facilities do little to help

Thinking carefully about these issues , there appears to be too few answers and so very many more unanswered questions. Maybe a police investigation on 'Fraud' is the only way forward. At the very least it is a case for investigation by the media. If the MPs needed investigating I dread to think what has happened to our town.. Accountability or lack of it seems very prevalent. Bedlington has been and remains in a no win situation.

I hope the City Hall will be bought and continue as a music venue. The baths are in a great position for inner city workers to keep healthy by swimming before during and after work. Austerity does not allow for this to happen without private developers, who have making money as an essential requirement..

Thanks toffo. The traffic will affect this area of Bedlington. I also worry about the lack of school places, these houses will be bought by young families. In other areas school places are a lottery . Children can be expected to travel to a school, more traffic. I was born in 1946 and there was a similar problem. The solution was school in Netherton Colliery and a walk. Now it would require a car.

Keep going Malcolm. We just need more people who will challenge and inspire! Basically we need things to change for Bedlington to move forward. Any spotlight on the council will prove how things are done or not done.

I am pleased that you are pleased or 'gratified' threegee. I think we even agree on Animal Farm. Not sure how many people it would take to change everything. Revolution rarely proves to be an answer. However things are not good whichever way you look at it. The BBC attempt to be impartial but how much influence and power the government hold over them remains to be seen. I believe most governments would use the same power. Yes I am aware of the Russians coming so close to our airspace. I think you will find it is something they have done for a long time. Even during the so called 'Cold War' My understanding is that the RAF regularly scramble to intercept any infringements . Maybe not so regularly reported in case we all panic.

foxy they all need to change and help Bedlington. They need to see it is in their interests. The past problems need to be buried and a new approach developed where everyone has the same goal. The 'root cause' could be developed into the 'root solution'. Either way the next generation will change things. Our children and grandchildren will see a different attitude develop. No one can see what has happened in Bedlington as fair.

Interesting points threegee. I do not agree with all your conclusions. I think we all hear the news and the issues of day in our own subjective way. The BBC has it's role to play. There are other news channels to compare viewpoints. Basically there have always been people who seek to challenge authority. Similarly the BBC, in its own way, has tried and maybe failed. Back to Martin Luther and the printing press, would that be fair and unbiased! I think not! Depends which side your on. The Government and National Security now that is a whole topic in itself. Life has become dangerous but remember the Cuban Crisis, were we safe then from foreign expansion plans. What becomes an army of occupation can be said to be a peace keeping force! The World it seems can never be totally peaceful. Politicians have their own agenda. Maybe Animal Farm is the text to quote.

Bedlington is changing, people are changing, The past was good wholesome food ! Nowadays tastes for different styles of cooking are increasing daily fuelled by all the television programmes on baking. There are more and more people who would shop locally at Waitrose or any other supermarket that provided a decent range of produce. The reason they do not now is because you only have to try once to get something ordinary but extraordinary and fail to shop permanently elsewhere. After all other shops have failed , we have to decide why? Waitrose have a smallish shop in Newcastle in Eldon Square and shops in Hexham and Ponteland I think. Now here's the thing their budget range is excellent and everything is of a high quality. Sounds like an advert for Waitrose but in my defence I do like their policies within the John Lewis organisation. Policies I think that fit with Bedlington and even the old Coop Movement. Stores in Bedlington fail because they do not think people will buy anything out of the ordinary. It is my belief that given a decent service and a variety of merchandise we would all shop locally. We need something unique to start the ball rolling . We need everyone on side, no one hanging onto past ideas of failure. The Council and land bankers realising that they have everything to loose and nothing to gain by doing nothing . Morpeth is not the answer for Waitrose , Bedlington could be!

Brilliant. The employees of Tesco's would surely approve. Maybe our MP and Councillors could also sign up. I do not just mean Bedlington but Northumberland Councillors. Perhaps even an MP or two. The situation is extra ordinary! The question really is 'Why Why Why' For things to get this bad and to be content with office space in a town centre seems very wrong. After all we do not live in the wilds of Northumberland and a population of 15,000 and rising demands some consideration. Even if we drive cars we have to consider people who do not, we may in later life need help to shop locally. The neighbourhood planning team proposing so many new houses suggest we do not need more schools because we have an 'Ageing Population' in Bedlington. If this is so then we do need a shopping centre.

Well said Canny lass. Biased perception maybe !!

You must let us know how this Forum goes Tonyp. I for one would be very interested in the topics discussed.

Free speech allows us all an opinion. Surely we can accept the viewpoint of Mr Fry. We do not need to stoop to personal abuse to make a point.

We need a viable shopping centre. It seems local landlords and local councillors have 'messed up' big time. If the buildings are not fit for purpose then things have to change. Investment in Gallagher Park Etc is all very well but we need local shops that provide us with more than the essentials. Why should we need to go elsewhere. Governments emphasis the need to walk and keep healthy. Can we say in the future ' I am just off walking to the shops', in reality there will be no shops. Why is it that we find more variety in Guidepost or Bedlington Station? If it is simply that people cannot see the big picture, then they need to be educated. Come on councillors, landlords and developers. It seems to me that everyone is holding their breath waiting for better times. Is that why developments are started and not finished or not started at all. Maybe land banking until investment appears. Bedlington is important. We can rise from the ashes of this dark age.