Reedy

My Dad John Reed was born in December 1928 and was brought up on Stead Lane. He has a copy of the photograph and identifies the motorcycle rider as Alan Walker and the ice cream seller as Billy Bell.

Dad reckons that the Locke Hall was named after an Alderman with the surname Locke and was once popular as a dance venue. The gym above the Co-op in Bedlington Station was formerly 'Reay Hall' again named after an Alderman.

Spoke to my Dad who's 87 who remembers a few tunnels or similar structures in different parts of Bedlington. The Church Lane tunnel could possibly be the culvert where Jocker Amos was found following the Sun Inn murders. There are some images of the culvert elsewhere on this site. There was a surface drift which was part of the Doctor Pit which ran under where Tescos is situated and started nearer to the gas works/police station. There was also a 'cundy' which is a type of underpass which ran from the colliery rows to the gas house near the new police station bypassing the Doctor Pit yards. There are also 2 tunnels which emerge at the bottom of the Furnace Bank right on the river bank next to where the bandstand used to be. I think one of them is clearly visible although the entrance is silted up. This one may be the one with 'abide ye' or similar carved on the stone arch. If you're looking for it, it's about 50 metres west of the Furnace Bridge on the north side. Dad reckons these structures were actually water inlets which filled up at high tide. Several bore holes were sunk into them along their length to obtain water for the ironworks.

I heard today that the Bank Top Hotel has been sold to developers who intend to knock it down and build houses on the site. It was a great pub once upon a time when Albert Gibbon was the landlord.

My Dad reckons it's most probably the Market Place Club as the man standing on the right of the picture with his hands folded in front of him was called either Walter or Bill Allison who was the club's chairman. The chap seated behind him is possibly Andy Fairbairn and he's fairly sure that the remaining members of the quartet are (left to right), Bobby James, Newton Tyler and Tommy Brown. Mind you he thought your Dad was Bill Anderson. Sep Kidd was my Dad's boss when he started in the pits and Newton Tyler drove the taxi which took my Mam and Dad to their wedding.

Could it be the furnace bank with the Bank Top Hotel in the background. Dad has a very similar picture. I'll see if I can upload it onto here later.

Double check on the date - it was actually 1929.

I think Lavery and Northumberland County Council have plans to change its name to Ashington Terrier and provide funding to pay for the change.

Ovalteeny, if your Grandad was Sepp Kidd he was my Dads boss when he was an apprentice at the Doctor Pit and was Chairman of Bedlington Mechanics FC.

Dad was given this photo a while ago by someone who had stuck the title of 'Bedlington Station 1928' on it. He reckons it is the school which was where the library is now near the Railway Tavern. The only person he can identify is the lad in the second row from the back, second from the right next to the girl who looks like she's about to burst into tears. He was called McSparron and lived next to the Bank Top on Stead Lane. Dad has another photo with the same background and railings which has McSparrons sister on it.

If you Google Bedlington YMCA theres a link to a charity registration for the organisation which started on 30/11/64. http://opencharities.org/charities/522031

The old YMCA was a converted farmhouse at the far end of what is now Cherrytree Court. The caretaker was called Benson. The new building was built closer to The main road of Jubilee Terrace. Sorry we don't have dates but the new building was possibly opened by Princess Alexandra which might help with your Blyth News search. What pictures are you looking for?

Cllr Sambrook may have a Bedlington connection. I went to Bedlington High school with a Lad called Sambrook who is possibly his brothet