Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)

Canny lass - Animal bones were collected and sold on  - extract from Wikipedia :- In the UK, 19th-century rag-and-bone men scavenged unwanted rags, bones, metal and other waste, from the towns and cities where they lived. Henry Mayhew's 1851 report, London Labour and the London Poor, estimates that in London, between 800 and 1,000 "bone-grubbers and rag-gatherers" lived in lodging houses, garrets and "ill-furnished rooms in the lowest neighbourhoods."

The bone-picker and rag-gatherer may be known at once by the greasy bag which he carries on his back. Usually he has a stick in his hand, and this is armed with a spike or hook, for the purpose of more easily turning over the heaps of ashes or dirt that are thrown out of the houses, and discovering whether they contain anything that is saleable at the rag-and-bottle or marine-store shop.

These bone-grubbers, as they were sometimes known, would typically spend nine or ten hours searching the streets of London for anything of value, before returning to their lodgings to sort whatever they had found.^[4] In rural areas where no rag merchants were present, rag-and-bone men often dealt directly with rag paper makers,^[5] but in London they sold rag to the local trader. White rag could fetch 2–3 pence per pound, depending on condition (all rag had to be dry before it could be sold). Coloured rag was worth about two pence per pound. Bones, worth about the same,^[4] could be used as knife handles, toys and ornaments, and when treated, for chemistry. The grease extracted from them was also useful for soap-making. Metal was more valuable; an 1836 edition of Chambers's Edinburgh Journal describes how "street-grubber" could be seen scraping away the dirt between the paving stones of non-macadamised roads, searching for horseshoe nails.^[6] Brass, copper and pewter was valued at about 4–5 pence per pound. In a typical day, a rag-and-bone man might expect to earn about six pence.^[4]

Whilst trawling the sixtownships history group site the Big Geordie debate came up again starting, again, with the photo (that Maggie posted on this site) of Broadway House Farm- c1960 - and the comment 'Big Geordie at Bedlington'. Photo posted on the 21st and 73 comments of fiction; hand me down stories, hazy memories and some facts and technical info posted by the 22nd. 

Naturally this was followed by many comments like - "me dad worked that" ; "I remember that crossing the road" !!!!!! & " was never at Bedlington......".

What I consider to be the most conclusive that it never worked Bedlington, or the the base was never built at Bedlington from all the comments and photos posted are :-  

Paul Thoburn Big Geordie or Bucyrus Erie 1550 W, was built at the Radar O.C.C.S Widdrington in the late 60's.

Paul Thoburn The machine in the photo was one of two Bucyrus Erie 1150B draglines brought over from America, to work the Acorn Bank Site in the 1950's. For more pictures go to Durham Mining Museum Website and follow the links.

Davey McCraith Big Geordie never worked acorn bank he wasn't built till 1969.

Janis Lowery hubby says they were called marion or 1150 at bedlington.

The Bucyrus Erie 1550-W walking dragline excavator was dubbed Big Geordie at Radar Opencast site in Widdrington, near Morpeth, where it worked from 1968 until Butterwell Opencast Site nearby was opened a few years later and eventually moved to Stobswood Opencast, where it ended its working days in 1993.

It will never take off butt at least the people of Bedlington can whistle or sing their own song - The He'penny Woods at Bedlington.:-

http://www.rolyveitch.20m.com/clips.html

Eggy1948, John Bygate was the second leader in the new building, the first was Derick Ruddy. You mention the name Humble in your post, Owen Humble was a regular at the YM.

 

Reedy, there is one picture in particular that we are trying to find it was one showing the wooden letters (YMCA) that were on the front of the building, two friends of mine made them and the Blyth News took a photo of them before they were put on the front of the building. I have tried to find photos of the YM on the net but not had any luck. Thanks for the charity link.

Never knew Derick Ruddy.

Owen Humble - my mam's cousin. Amateur photographer but unfortunately only have a few of our family photos taken by Owen. on Owen's death his immediate relatives stripped his house of all belongings so any photos of the YMCA, where he praticed a lot of his work, were discarded.

Thank you all for the info - sixtownships posting updated - if they want any more info then I (as I do on loads of sixtownships postings) give them a link to the community site and advise them to join.  

Posted, by John Dawson, on the sixtownships history group site - Yard Row c1910 - the photo has been 'photoshopped'

Canny lass - the lady gave up some info after I reposted the updated photo :- I was an army kid but visited my grandma in Netherton Colliery often my grandad was a deputy down the pit and they lived on first street o would be interested in anybody growing up in Netherton around 1957 or before I remember I went to west ridge school for a time X - my grandparents were Janey and Jack Wright 

She is a happy lass - thank you

Canny lass - photo updated with your info

Thanks Canny lass - I will add all your info to a copy of the photo. Any photos I post any member can have.

There was a request on the Bedlington remembered Facebook site by Lynne Ray :- 'My mum was from Netherton Colliery anybody got any photos of Netherton would love to see them.'  so I posted a link to Cympil's Gallery Album - Bedlington & Netherton old photos and a link to Smudgeinthebudge's topic 'Netherton Lonne' in History Hollow.

Lynne has viewed them and replied :- ' Thankyou kindly these pictures and write ups have taken me down memory lane  & .Thankyou so much I can see the street where my grandparents lived I have very fond memories of Netherton Colliery'

I will post the updated aerial photo on Bedlington remembered for her, with note - 'info from Canny lass'. 

Can't give exact dates but could ramble on a bit and that might help jog memories.

To help raise funds for the new building I remember one (weekly or monthly I can't remember) fund raising event in the old building was a Beetle Drive. Aunty Elsie Humble used to take me and my brothers when they had a pea & pie supper after a mad Beetle Drive event - the more mature ladies used to get quite vocal when their mate couldn't throw a six to get started with the beetle body! That had to be between 1958-60.

John Bygate was the YMCA leader when we used to go. Was he the first leader in the new building?

Can't ramble as much as I thought, must be me age - Your Memory Can Age. 

Canny lass - when Kevin1956 joined he asked about Netherton and you posted :

In the Sixtownship History Group a Brian Jenkinson has posted this photo:- 

I have photoshoped a copy with tags/labels A to K. Can you identify A to M?

We didn't have a car - aah.

1966 - girlfriend's dad had a Morris Victor and prepared to teach me - provisional licence obtained.

Must have had two lessons - each time from his house, Ridge Terrace, to Queens Head Guidepost, couple of pints I drove back and he told the wife we had driven for miles!

Lad from work offered me a lift, on his vespa, to The Millstone, South Gosforth for a lunch time pint - stopped by policeman. He was a learner without  'L' plates, Fine + endorsement 6 weeks later. Following week, I hadn't learnt my lesson, offered a lift, on mates vespa to The White Elephant from Ashington Tech. Policeman waiting for us at the pub. Fine + two endorsements - banned from driving.

Still 1966 - no licence, no car, no girlfriend - kept on drinking and walking to and from pub.

1975 started working shifts. 1980 - new provisional licence, K reg mini used for first shift and got stopped by police roadblock looking for escaped criminals - they caught me, with passenger but no documents on me so had to take them to the cop shop the next day. Provisional licence handed in and of course my luck had changed! They did not know that my passenger was a non driver and they assumed he was a full licence holder. No more encounters, having obtained a full licence by 1981, until 2015.

2015 - police attempted to stop me on me mobility scooter - tore off doon the back lanes, skidded past The Blake arms and went doon hill at 8mph; up the drive; into the garage and safely into the hoose. My luck with policeman and mobility has changed! 80% of this is true.

Whey,as aan pitman who knaas nowt,except pitwark,aal yi bugga's are leaving me bemused here!

A gotta agree wi aad Sym....an' as far as passwards are ,

nea bugga came on an' deciphired me little love letter ti the forum a while back....[aav forgotten where it is noo...a think it was in thi UKIP thread],

but just as a reminder,di yi think even thi Enigma wud get this one........

......aadbliddywilmasabootnakkaadnooanisgaantibliddykipcositslateanaamnoreddaroondyitsothibuggarillhaetibidetheortithimornnoocosaamowaknaakaadtidaeanymairsoaalsaygudneet,

andhappyborthditiyungAdamHogg!

Gudneetfowlks!

Cannagetthebitsinthemiddle, musttryharder!

 Aadbliddywilmasabootnakkaadnooanisgaantibliddykipcositslate       

Old bloody Wilmas about knackered now and is going to bloody kip as it is late

Anaamnoreddaroondyitsothibuggar

I know I am no…….  know I am no more  it so........bugger 

Illhaetibidetheortithimornnoo

I have ………………tomorrow now

cosaamowaknaakaadtidaeanymairsoaalsaygudneet,

because I am knackered to do any more so I will say goodnight

andhappyborthditiyungAdamHogg!

And a happy birthday young Adam Hogg

Gudneetfowlks!

Goodnight people!

https://youtu.be/TOJzPXzcF_g

A Touching Golf Story

Jim stood over his tee shot on the 450 yard 18th hole for what seemed an eternity.

He waggled, looked up, looked down, waggled again, but didn't start his back swing.

Finally his exasperated partner asked, 'What the hell is taking so long?'

'My wife is watching me from the clubhouse balcony,' Jim explained. 'I want to make a perfect shot.'

His companion said,

'You don't have a chance in hell of hitting her from here'.

Thanks Foxy - I think most people believe/know it was named after Mick Gallagher but many appear not to. As I sarcastically said in my posting I couldn't believe how- "thought they must be taking the 'mick'!" &  "I can't find any site that gives the reason why it is called Gallagher Park." Therefore locals who have never heard of Mick Gallagher; strangers looking at Friends of Gallagher Park and visitors to the Northumberland County Council web site would have no idea why it is called Gallagher park! Just wondering, cos I can't find anything on the www, if anyone knows where it is documented - I think it should be documented on FoGP & in NCC site   http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=16485

The question - "Why is it called Gallagher Park?" was asked on the sixtownships history group - thought they must be taking the 'mick'! One quick Google (or whatever) search will throw up pages of info, wrong. So unless there's some obvious info I'm missing, I can't find any site that gives the reason why it is called Gallagher Park. Checked the Friends of Gallagher Park site; NCC site (Gallagher Park & Dr Pitt Park); Bedlington Remembered; Bedlington Tryst etc. etc. but found no statement for why and when it was named. 

Looks like all these old pensioners do all their own odd jobs - but none of them very handy. 

If you try it don't be put off by the choice of food. They have what I would call a standard pub grub menu but if there is nothing you fancy on the menu board just ask and the landlady will see what she has in the kitchen. She produced a vegetarian meal for the wife, that she couldn't finish - too much. Car parking for about 15 cars, includes half a dozen, at the back of the pub, that you can't see from the road.

www.facebook.com/pages/The-Plough-Inn-Mitford-Northumberland/741969899211974?sk=timeline&ref=page_internal

I see they have closed both their shops, Glebe Road and Cramlington shop and amalgamated them into one business unit/showroom on the Cramlington industrial estate - Unit 6 Network Centre, Nelson Park, Colbourne Avenue, Cramlington, Northumberland, NE23 1WD. Online sales - www.forrestersonline.co.uk.

Merc,wat a strange co-incidence!..a wud be pleased ti meet yi one day!

NOO!,aboot this Bower Grange debate!!

Let's the facts straight,Eggy![.....says Wilma ...in his Mr Know-all voice...!!!heh heh ]

Bedlington "A" Pit, closed in 1971,[not 1962..!!]...I was transferred there in 1965,from Choppington High Pit,[when it was about to close in 1966].

I was then transferred to Bates Pit in 1971,shortly before the "A" pit closed [ in 1971]..having qualified as a mine Deputy.

I came back into the N.U.M.,disillusioned with Deputy-work,in 1978.

One day,in around the 1980's,I was attending a safety course,on the surface,at Bates,when the course tutor,who was our Safety Officer,was called away to Bower Grange development ground-works.

He had gotten a phone call to say a J.C.B. digging machine,with the back-actor,and it's operator,had fallen into old mineworkings,on the site where the

foundations for the houses were.

The machine went down about 20 feet,and the operator was obviously injured.

The next day,I asked him what had happened,and that is what he told me,saying that the workings were uncharted,and were the remains of mining done by the Monks,hundreds of years ago.

The coal seam workings had been dug out with a pick only,and the sides were as "straight as a die".....[meaningless to the uninitiated...but to those

who have had to use a pick on solid coal,without explosives,will understand!!...coal is hard like diamond in some seams,admittedly softer in others....but still HARD!!]

There was no mention of this in the press that I recall,and when I have spoken to residents,[strangers to me sometimes],when out dog-walking,they

have been surprised to hear that the Gallagher Park Hill,was the biggest Pit-heap in the country,and was 140 years old when I started there in 1965!!

Now the place where the machine went down,wasn't the first time old workings had been found,previous to that,a lot of years ago,they found old picks and shovels,with small baskets that the monks would have filled ,[having picked on for hours at the coal face,for a pailfull of coal],and then dragged out to the surface.

In "modern" times,like.....after the war,the A pit used the Bord-and-Pillar method of extraction of the coal,and the High Main seam,which was ten feet high,was like the proverbial rabbit warren,with a lattice-work of criss-cross roadways...[or "Bords"]

Pillars of coal 60 yards by 60 yards were left in to support the roof,and supposedly prevent subsidence......in a seam which wasn't 40 yards down underground!

The seam was worked under the whole of Bedlington,along with the contribution made by the Bedlington "Doctor" Pit also.

Just like Choppington,when the pit was about to close,and it was a case of fighting for survival,boundaries became meaningless,and officials gave orders to carry on working the seam,contrary to the mine regulations,and the plans laid down by the surveyors and planning department.

But you see,it's all gone,and when Mr Budge,took over from British Coal,it was a well-known fact,that he destroyed most of the offices files at Team Valley,including personal files appertaining to me personally,which makes me wonder now,what was the reasoning behind all this,and why didn't British Coal ensure all files were protected and transferred to be archived?

Also makes me wonder if his very good friend,thatcher-the-hatcheter,ordered him to do this....for some odd reason.....hmmmm!

Seams which were deeper,such as the Harvey,the Denton low Main,etc,were worked using Longwall coal faces,otherwise known as "Total Extraction"

Now if you add up all the seams ever worked at all the pits,[and at one time there were more than 76 pits in Northumberland alone..!!],you will see that a considerable amount of vertical support has been removed,so it's no wonder door-frames twist,and windows crack,due to subsidence!!

The "experts",who know the bookwork,used to preach the idea of "Consolidation"...meaning when you extract ten feet of coal-height,it's only the immediate few feet above the seam,what will collapse into the void left by the coal extraction....the strata will eventually be strengthened by the "Pressure-arch" theory. ....and Consolidation will take place.[no risk of the collapsing strata reaching to the next seam,or to the surface.

Try telling that to any miner who worked the Beaumont seam at Choppington B pit!

The strata was what the "experts" referred to as "very friable"....meaning when a roof fall occurred,you couldn't stop it...the strata was blue shale,and full of "slippy-backs",which meant as fast as you filled the rubble away...more kept pouring in like water out of a barrel.

I could go on for ages with these truths.......well...I just DID!!

Yep your right, must proof read my postings - 25th September 1971 it closed (date on Durham Mining Museum site). 

The petition is about scrapping the licence fee folks.  It's NOT about scrapping the BBC, or about the BBC taking advertising.  It would actually be more instructive if you'd read the reasoning on the actual petition and say exactly what you disagreed with.

 

Those who currently get a free licence could well change their minds once Labour or the Tories scrap the concession. Like the winter heating allowance it's low hanging fruit for the next round of cuts.  In case its escaped your attention none of LIbLabCon has ruled this out.  In fact Labour is probably best placed to do the deed, as they have less to worry about from "the grey lobby".  Remember prescription charges?

 

And, regarding the BBC bias: yes, people have always complained, but those complaints have always come from across the political spectrum.  That's certainly not what is happening now; the BBC is now near totally colonised by ex-Guardinistas who see it as their purpose in life no longer to inform but to filter and indoctrinate.  That's pretty much why Paxo and others quit.  The attitude to things like "climate change" is telling; it's now no longer necessary to represent a spectrum of views, because the BBC has decided that debate is not "socially useful".  But, it's far more sinister than harmless lefties driving the agenda: it has become the mouthpiece of the forthcoming European superstate.  That should be of concern to any thinking person, and to anyone that values their liberty!  Do not fool yourselves that this is the BBC we once knew.  However patronising and class-ridden that was, that BBC was near transparent in what it did.  Like other things in this world it's now trading on a long established brand label that doesn't truly represent the contents of the tin, and hoping that not too many people notice.

You read into the petition what you want to and I read into the petition what I want to. The way I see it is the BBC needs funds, just like ALL the other channels. The other Channels did not have to be launched in competition with the BBC but they were, and used advertising to fund them. My argument stays with me - the BBC needs funds - I don't like advertising - I will pay the license fee.     

Details of the protest posted on  Sixtwonships - Bedlington Remembered site.

I'm with Symptoms, prefer BBC. I do have SKY sports. Would prefer to go to the pub and watch a match(even more so the way NUFC are not performing and at least I could get some enjoyment out of a pint), but out of the question - can't stand for 10 mins, never mind 2 hours, these days.

BBC income per household = current colour TV licence costs - £145.50. Don't know if the BBC will still get an income from UKTV for them showing only BBC programs on Dave? 

SKY - difficult to work out what the full package would cost but has to be between £70 - £80 per month - so just say £900 a year.

Could the BBC do better than SKY on £900 a year? 

If you scrap the license fee all together would that just mean a ) additional rental charges similar to SKY and b ) more adverts?

My understanding Symptoms is that no one knows where they are and how they have been sealed until the hole appears.

Subsidence around any Mining area needs careful watching.

I suppose it is no different to 'sink holes'

One appeared on the main A 21 to Hastings this year.

Maggie - don't know all the ins and outs of the pit shafts etc. but just a couple of years ago I did a bit of digging for a young lady in connection with the Bower Grange estate on the old 'A' pit. She said her parents plus a few other residents, were concerned about cracks appearing load bearing walls. I remembered the fuss when the estate was first built - 1970s - and a committee was formed to discuss subsidence with Coal Board & Council etc. - the residents got nowhere and no action taken. I said I would try and find out exactly what the response had been from the Coal Board.

Passed around a couple of departments within the Coal Board and eventually ended up discussing the Bower Grange estate with the Surveyors Department and with us both using Google Street view I was directed to the house(s) that were built where the pit head shafts were located. The info I was given I still have documented ant the gist of it is :-  Subsidence damage has to be identified within 3 years and the building of property and claims, normally, should be submitted within 6 years after the closure of the pit – (that's how I interpreted what he said to me) - the Coal Authority are 100% sure there is could be no claim against them. Pitt closed in 1962, building did not start until more than 6 years after.

The Coal Authority records go back to 1872 and show that no mine shafts were less than the statutory 70 meters deep. Therefore it would have to be proved that there were, prior to 1872, shafts with 'bye-ways' of less than 70 meters deep.

The Pitt Head Shafts were located where the existing streets, Hastings Court & Delaval Crescent, are built and these areas would be the most suspect, if subsidence was to occur.

So any shaft sunk 1872 or later the Coal Board should be able to tell you where it is!