Maggie/915

My memory is not that good and it is such a long time ago. If your Aunt was there she would remember me. My family connections have always made it easy to pick up any conversation with anyone anywhere in the World. Pete you were there at the Empress ballroom, what a shame the Spanish City is not the place it was. We have friends in Canterbury who keep meeting people from Bedlington. One guy working at Tescos in Lewisham went to school with me and on another occasion they were in the Maldives and chatting Bedlington with some local farmers. One son plays football locally and hates the idea of anyone finding out he was not born in the NE. Maybe it is in the Genes! You can take me out of Bedlington but you can't stop me being a flag waving Terrier and Geordie. Many people would chose a bomb, possibly to send me back, when I am away. It was a very happy time, working at the Welwyn, they just did not pay that much. I had gone to Morpeth grammar after Westridge but decided that making money was a better idea. Studying later with small children was not for the faint hearted.

Then there is the art of laying the fire. Cinders paper and only one match allowed if you had done it correctly. I now make up for those days by lighting garden fires. Sorry everyone, the smoke can be a problem. You can now call it renewable energy! Someone wrote a song about being 'a fire starter' We could send smoke signals if the computer crashes!

What about all the buildings nearby the bridge. Seem to remember a shop, where you could buy sweets before the walk to Stannington. Maybe my memory is playing tricks.

Would be interested to know who they all are? Think it was a trip to Blackpool. Obviously for reasons of Internet security we cannot say who our nearest and dearest are! Particularly if like me we are using our real names. Life is strange. Not the way it used to be, sadly.

Everyone is too young or to polite to talk about the Nettys. Perfect recycling and no toxic fertilisers. Everyone had bathrooms en suite because there was always a potty! No pipes to freeze and no water leaking. I am not arguing to go back to those days.

A book on Wallsend has an interesting poem:- My husbands a midnight mechanic He works at the dead of night And when he comes home in the morning He is covered in ------- Turkish Delight Recycling ash and human waste onto the fields. My Dad earned a few pence doing the digging into the fields. Child Labour. Anything was better than the soup kitchen or charity. Times were hard in the 1930s Bedlington.

Anyone got pictures off the Red House Farm. We all see buses etc going in that direction but have forgotten what was there. Seem to recollect people living in caravans when I was small. No one complaining.

Not sure Malcolm. Was not allowed in the pub back then.

Yep for six weeks in the labs. If I worked overtime, I still only got the same pocket money. Moan Groan! Going on my board was a major problem. Happy Days! And you tell the kids now and they don't believe you! Quoting Monty Python!

It did a good job that Paper. Now the papers are too small. Journal and Chronicle I have some papers with The Famous headlines from WW2. They reduced the size then too. What about the chimney sweep!

Hope that is right Foxy. Anyone remember the dumping that went on in the opencast. Local recycling

The Sun Inn regulars

Can anyone remember the old road to Humford past the Original Broadway House Farm

I was just getting up and then the TV was on for most of the day. All those flowers that appeared, later in the week! When people put flowers where the person died, I am not to sure about that one. It is remembering the spot where they suffered. In France they had a system where they put up black shadow people at the spot of death. That seems a better idea. Maybe no one truly accepts death of a loved one. No one gets out of here alive, so get on with life and remember to be kind to each other. Should end with a joke but cannot think of one

Not sure these will be ok but worth a try

Bedlington was not even mentioned. If we were doing our own show what could we include. Longridge Graves in the Churchyard. The Stephenson's were around. Wooden waggonways to metal rails. First Penny Black sent to the Iron Works. Queen Victoria trusted Our very own Daniel Gooch to drive her personal train We have experts on the computer front. How can we prove Bedlington needs money to develop the site as a World Heritage Site.

There was a big band leader who played for the BBC in very early days. His family had a shop near Millbank Terrace. Clousden was the name I think. Sorry no pictures. Just a picture of the shop would link it to famous people in Bedlington. If we could get some information.

I like Sting but have never heard him called that. Certain members of the family threatened to disown me for reading his autobiography. We did see him at the University 1978 with the Police. They were not famous and carried in their gear. Head of the bill were Los Trios Paranoius' (not sure of the spelling) We have an LP somewhere. Getting off subject is great. Makes it all seem just like chatting in the pub. Kathryn tells about times in the pub. The Grey Bull. Northumbrian voices

Surely the people should be consulted before any work starts. Maybe I am just being silly! The Government of the people for the people.

On the night Kennedy was shot there was a Welwyn do at The Spanish City ballroom. The news came through as we got off the bus. I can even remember what I was wearing!

Could we have a Bedlington connection with 'Garrow's Law' Maybe one for the Heritage Initiative.

How about 'The Queens' in Newcastle. Remember seeing Ben Hur and The Ten Commandments. Not together, but it was the only time we got my Dad to the pictures. Then there was Life of Brian at a cinema in the Haymarket. The controversy was quite something. What a shame the big cinema on Northumberland Street is no more! Does it become Pilgrim Street?

Kathryn Tickell has won musician of the year at the folk awards in Glasgow. She took her tour around the country last year and like The Pitmen Painters or Billy Elliot (thanks to Lee Hall), our accent is now totally accepted. A friend saw the show in Buxton and people were queuing for Kathryn's dads autograph. Maybe singing Border Ballads instead of reading Sleeping Beauty did it.

Petition to Save the City Hall handed to the Newcastle Council today. 11,000 I believe.

Strangely while working in the garden 'West Bedlington' my husband heard a series of loud bangs. OK it could be the opencast, but it sounded nearer. Anyone any idea what they are doing in the middle of the Bedlington Lane Farm. From both roads particularly if your on the bus it looks like drilling or worse. Surely they have dug out all the coal. Hopefully we are not in line for Fracking! I am trying to catch up on old posts. Basically 'Spoaching'