Maggie/915

We have to hope Bedlington rises again. It is a great place to live.

Pea shooters I remember. No health and safety.

Thank Goodness for Peace and not War.

Even the Glen Miller Orchestra. The legend does live on.

Where is the entrance toffo?

It seems the photo may have something to do with BUDC post war slum clearance scheme. Parker -Morris Housing that took place Stead Lane , Hartlands, Guide -Post and Westlea. The chap on the right may be David Cowans Dad and the bespectacled man next to him Archie Seaton. The house with the side window has had one all along threegee that is the style. The angle of the photo misses some houses and hits the house next to the gap site. The last house before the road and next to the telephone box.

Excellent posts well worth reading.

There is the dilemma Symptoms. View the picture and I would have to erase the memory because you could die laughing.

Well done Eggy1948. Excellent use of the photos. I did not even have to stand on a lamp post In 1951 a photographer came around Westlea taking pictures. How do I know , well my mother bought the photo of me because she did not want it seen or published. A prize possession and very much the orphan look with a broken arm. That is how I know the year. I wonder if that is the year this photo was taken.

Sorry about the photos foxy. Must head down under, I seem to have an upside down view of the World. I like the fact that one photo has made us all into detectives.

There are many reasons to think the picture is /was Westlea in the long old days of the 1950's. However after consultation and looking right here right now there are certain things that just do not look quite right. I wonder if certain houses were built, or filled in spaces, at a later date. They did leave areas / spaces between houses that , I believe, were fire breaks . These are now enclosed gardens and some garages have been built. On one space two new houses have appeared.

Hope you are right on all counts mercuryg. Many people argue the traffic in and around Bedlington is not good. My point is that there are contrary arguments..

Al Murray as a comedian has,with his comedy, raised some very valid points. By over stating or making ridiculous suggestions people may think carefully about what is happening and who they vote for in the coming election. There are so many claims and counter claims that all to often the whole election process can be comedy pure and simple. Common sense! As Al Murray would say.

They have all the answers but no answers. Older generations will maybe live longer. The figures can be disputed on every count. Working extra years and the old NHS problems may end up with people not living longer. Zero hour contracts and lack of job prospects mean lots of the younger generation are moving back into the parental home. Basically our children and grandchildren cannot aspire to a house purchase. They claim to have looked at the figures of houses for sale against properties not selling. The conclusions could be disputed! Yesterday we drove to Tynemouth and back by Blyth. We were shocked by the number of new developments. Blyth from Bebside was traffic saturation , no one was moving. The traffic jam was unbelievable. Being late for your own funeral must happen all to often! What happens to all the extra traffic when the new developments are complete! By 2031 when this Core Strategy has been completed we will truly have a very different SE Northumberland. The details and the 'No Protected Green Area' will have huge implications. Developments are being turned down but consider that 1) there is an election soon and 2) developers with money to spare can and do appeal to the Secretary of State, where all to often local decisions are overturned . The consultation time is nearly up and all that is planned will happen . My wish is it does not ruin this beautiful area that we love so very much.

When Al Murray started his comedy life as the pub landlord his opening line / lines were that in his pub it was :- 'A pint of beer and a glass of white wine or fruit based drink for the lady those are the rules. Without rules where would we be :- France! Too many rules :- Germany!' Interesting that he is being taken seriously. Maybe comedy is the only way to highlight issues. As Adam says it will be interesting to see how many votes he gets! Commonsence!

Bedlington is a great place to live but everyone needs to consider the whole strategy planning. The building process is only just starting.

The brochure on the Full Draft Plan for Northumberland is interesting. Before 2031 South East Northumberland which is the narrow band from Amble down to the Tyne is to be 'Delivered' of 12,540 new houses. The rest of Northumberland is to be 'Delivered' of 11,000. On the basis of this planning it seams South East Northumberland will have no protected 'Green Belt' The brochures will be available today at Choppington Social Welfare Centre 1pm till 4pm Newbiggin Leisure Centre tomorrow 10am till 2pm. Huge significance for us all and our narrow South East Northumberland Area. Will we end up like the ghost areas of Southern Ireland where new houses just did not sell. I hope this does not happen and the planned growth and the forecasts are true and accurate. No one wants to halt progress. Headlines in the News Post Leader this week suggest 800 people have signed a petition against 480 new houses. This is just the start, if we are not considered to have any protected 'Green Belt'. Please, if you can, get a brochure this is the future for all of us.

Be careful Tonyp ! Re read what Canny lass says. Maybe that is what you mean.

Look out for Al Murray's party political broadcast. The FUKP party! He alleges he is going to stand for Thanet! Very funny and very dodgy content.

Will look at your suggestion threegee. Thank you. I like the idea of the waxed string, spuggies and patrolling cats.

It seems Cheviot may mean the place of the Goats.

The answer is we will have an older population therefore school places not needed. I do not think they have any answers. Basically Government led. Money making for the developers. They say they have looked at the ratio of properties sold and properties that will be needed. I think the figures will prove to be what they want them to be . Hope I am wrong and we end up with an amazing town!

On a numbers game. The plans were :- Broadway House Farm was number 6744. West of Westlea on land that floods 6773 Haselmere up to the Blue house Farm 6775 Behind Haselmere 6774. The plan was/is for 1,200 new dwellings over twenty years Equating to sixty houses per year on average The plan also says that a new area for housing will be needed North of the Town. Guidepost/ Stakeford and Choppington get their own plan that is separate . That details 420 new dwellings. With some new housing to South of Guidepost. Maybe today will show different details. Whether the schools, doctors or even roads can deal with the extra people is an issue. South East Northumberland is to get 12,820 new dwellings over the twenty year period.

Please go to the meeting tomorrow.

Remember to go tomorrow. Huge significance for the next 20years and Bedlington. Do not be 'fobbed off' read carefully what is on the future plans. The Blue House plans and the Broadway House development were just not in the Core Strategy plans December 2013 that I read about and collected their shinny brochure. They were odd sites not considered but slipped in. They were on separate maps and only when you asked questions did you realise that they were hugely significant. West Bedlington Council did not seem aware and a meeting of Bedlington In Bloom took place on the same night. Only dedicated councillors were at that meeting for Bedlington in Bloom No one seemed to realise what had been slipped in under the radar.