Reedy

I hear that the court is earmarked for closure & the cells at the police station will also close soon meaning anyone arrested anywhere in Northumberland will be taken to Wallsend or Newcastle.

I attended the Grammar School for a year before it was turned into a comprehensive. Legend has it that Bobby Charltons initials are carved into the lead flashing above the main entrance doors.

The building arrowed was the boilerhouse for the ironworks which generated the steam to power all the steam driven industrial equipment.

Great letter but I'm surprised at the lack of responses from all the 'Maggie Thatcher bashers' on here. I saw Lavery the MP on tv a few weeks ago shouting in the commons about mining related stuff. Wonder what he thinks of the letter. No doubt one or both of our MPs will respond in their News Post Leader columns this week.

Eggy, Dad might have a family photograph of the Woods family. I'm between computers and external hard drives at the moment until I move house but when I'm sorted I'll send it to you.

Sorry Ben, Dad doesn't have any photos of any of your relatives or any others who lived there. Tonyg, my Uncle and Auntie (George and Mildred Tyrie) lived in Bridge End and eventually moved to Melrose Avenue at the top of the bank.

Happy for the info to go onto websites but I've held back on putting any new pictures on here as I was alerted that some personal pictures had been claimed by others who then posted them elsewhere and possibly made a profit from them. It's a shame because it stops people adding to their own collections. Dad has hundreds of Bedlington pictures but has never tried to profit from them. We're happy to help people and have sent photos by personal message or email rather than posting them. This is a great website but possibly gets misused sometimes. Love the history hollow and Dad enjoys trying to identify people and places. Good job by the site administrators thank you.

Ovalteeny, some extra names and info for your latest team photo. Bedlington Dr. Pit FC from 1949-50 season. Back row- Ronnie? is Ronnie Chrisp, Mr Hall is Matty Hall who is the father of Matty Hall the teacher from Bedlington referred to numerous times on this site. Front row - George Besford, Jimmy Dixon, G Medlin was known as Charlie, Norman Price.

Please do Ovalteeny. Hope it helps to fill in the blanks.

Ronnie Campbell & Barry Elliott having a tiff in tonights chronicle online. Elliott is UKIPs candidate in the general election. Also in the chronicle -the body found in Newburn was from Bedlington as is the woman charged with his murder.

My Dad now aged nearly 86 was the mechanics first goalkeeper and says that your Grandad Sep was his boss at the Dr Pit. He recognises the following from the Mechanics photo - Back row L to R - Colin Hall, Jimmy Carley, unknown, unknown, Reg Vinard?, Alan Jobson, unknown, Matty Thompson, Waldock, Sep Kidd (chairman), Billy Pearson (secretary). Front row L to R - Reg Lloyd, unknown, Matty Emmerson, Bill Pearcey, unknown. Dad might have some other photos in his collection with your Grandad on. I'll let you know.

UKIP HQ/drop in shop now open in Blyth around the corner from Wetherspoons on Waterloo Road. Is Barry Elliott the councillor referred to in the article the one behind the Elliott's Garage building or lack of building?

I saw 2 copies of this book on a stall at Tynemouth Metro Station Sunday market a few weeks ago. The stall was on the North Shields side between the two sets of stairs on platform 1.

HPW- re an earlier post, Fred Reed is not related to us. Dads accident- He was repairing an Anderson Boyes Arc Shearer by replacing plates on the clutch as opposed to fitting a new one. The jib and revolving head which were supported on 6inch chocs, came off onto his left leg crushing his foot. Luckily his right foot ended up under the track and was untouched. One of the men working with him was called Hetherington who may have ended up as an area manager covering several pits.

First pic Dad thinks the man at the far right was called Lewinski & was Polish. He also thinks the man in the centre was Jackie Lockey which would make him your uncle? He recognises the man in the cap from Netherton Club. Butlins pic, man at far right was called Brown possibly Bill. He asks if your Dad was known as 'Nipper'.

The head teacher was quoted in the newspaper article as claiming "The school has extensive grounds and playing fields which are set up for football, rugby, athletics and rounders". Last time I checked the rugby posts had been taken down & the athletics track wasn't fit for use due to subsidence and lack of maintenance. The school certainly needs new sports facilities. Whatever happened to the money raised in about 1974 by the school pupils doing a sponsored swim to help build a swimming pool?

Welwyn picture - My Dad spotted Lambert Bellerby straight away and reckons the player on Lambert's immediate left is William Watson. The goalkeeper is George Besford.

I went up the Happenny woods on my bike this morning. Didn't notice the no cycling sign until I came back out honest! I haven't been along there for about 30 years and was pleased to see that some sort of path has been put down. The place used to be boggy and inaccessible in a few places but was okay today. The path isn't a tarmac path like the free woods side of the river but is a bit better than a one which has been 'worn in' by walking over grass etc. The route continues for about three quarters of a mile before you come to private land with a barbed wire fence and no access signs which means you then have to retrace your route back to the bottom of the Hairpin Bend. The path is wide enough for only one person in most places but there are no steep inclines so would be suitable enough for any ages especially when it's a dry day. There were a couple of branches that you had to duck under and some exposed tree roots to watch out for too. Maybe some of the £74,000,000 allocated to Ashington could be diverted to pay for some stepping stones across the river which would allow a nice circular walk along both sides. There are a couple of natural shallow sections with one close to the far end which would be a great crossing point.

Great comments by John Hedley and others. Bedlington has always been the 'poor relation' when it comes to money being allocated compared to Ashington. The old Wansbeck Council certainly favoured Ashington. I hoped this might change when Northumberland County Council took everything over. Sports centres in Newbiggin, Ashington, Morpeth, Cramlington and Blyth. Nothing in Bedlington! The local MPs will obviously look after their own areas with Campbell and Lavery using whatever influence they have to boost their own hometowns. The thing with MPs and Councillors of all levels is that YOU have a chance to vote them out if you don't think they've done a good enough job during their time in office. If you're sick of the same old faces then get rid of them next time. Don't vote for someone because they are Labour/Tory/Lib Dem/UKIP or because they used to be a shop steward for the NUM or a well known local business person.. Think, has my MP or Councillor really done a good enough job. If not then give someone else a try. In the last local elections a fair few of the candidates didn't even live in the ward they were trying to represent! Political selections obviously. I think there was even a married couple trying to represent different wards. Perhaps the motivation for being a councillor or MP is all wrong. Expenses, career politician stepping stone, who knows? Put some thought into it and let's have some changes next time you put a cross on your ballot papers. Maybe then Bedlington will get a fair deal.

A couple of houses in my Dad's street have had their wash houses taken down. Try Eddie Mount builders in Bedlington. Local firm and very good at all building related matters.

Rediffusion next to the Post Office on Front Street.

We're not sure of the year but here's a Miner's Picnic photo featuring Harold Wilson.

Tom's father and uncle ran Eastons Coaches in Bedlington.

I agree it's similar to the Bebside Inn but the Inn has 3 upstairs windows. It might not even be a pub. Looks like a really old photo and I'm not sure the women featured would have gone into rough public houses in those days. The photo is one of only 4 unidentified pictures in Dad's collection so is probably a Bedlingtonshire building.

The lady in the front row with the child on her knee 3rd from right is Jean Rutter who lived at 34 Melrose Avenue near the Bank Top pub. I grew up next door to her. The child could be her daughter Catherine who now lives in Blyth. Jean was married to Jack Rutter who won local 'Britain in Bloom' competitions for his garden and was also a keen member of Cambois camera club and St Johns Ambulance Brigade. Sadly Jack & Jean are no longer alive.