Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)

Eggy sometimes the so called experts get it wrong.

They form opinions based on limited knowledge.

Remember not a lot was written down and they can make guesses that become fact!

but Keith dressed up on a Friday night, nothing quite as delicatus as that.

Whilst searching for other stuff on Bedlington came across this in the  http://www.sixtmedia.org.uk/page7.php site

The name Bedlington is of Saxon origin, as are the names of most of the places in the surrounding parishes. The names of families enter largely into the composition of local place names. It appears there was a tribe of Saxons called Baedlings, and Bedlington would mean the town were the Baedlings lived.

and can't find any reference to this explanation of the Bedlington name on this site.

I searched for the word 'Baedlings' and found this site :- 

Within this you get the explanation :-

Anglo-Saxon dictionary = Baedling, [baed or bed a bed, ling from linigan to lie]

1. A delicate fellow, tenderling, one who lies much in bed; homo delicatus. Baedlingas effeminate….

2. A carrier of letters, as if derived from baed a prayer, or command, ling from linigan or lingan to lie, lie under, tend,, bring; tabellarius

If you then check out 'delicatus' we find the Bedlington males are Slaves that enjoy servicing both Master and Mistress.

Maggie - can't find anything on current Bedlington Leek clubs. If there are still going then I guess it would be the CIU clubs and not whats left of the pubs.

Just checked the Northumberland branches of the www.wmciu.org.uk‎ and even the Netherton Club, where Bedlington leek grower Rob Hall broke the world record, for 3 leeks is not listed. 

Cambois club used to have a reputation for it's after leek show party with leek soup & broth but can't find anything on that either.

They always show the dramatic now pics but very rarely the 'what it was like pics'. Google street view comes in handy, again:-

Not a lot of help on this one but you never, what came out might be totally true and trigger someones brain cells. I passed it on to a cousin to ask he dad (she refers to her mam & dad as the 'Ageds') and the response, copied directly from cousins email was :-

By God-this causes a right owld head scratch kidda!!

Middle man, back row (blonde quiff) is Billy Davison/Davidson. Year or two older than Ageds and living it Stakeford! His father showed my father "the ropes" at the pit! His sister married a bloke called Long who lived at Cambois-I went to school wi their daughter! Lives around where I live apparently! 

Front row, bloke in front of chap wearing black jumper is Dobson's lad-sorry no first name as "there was a lot of them"!! Moved from Barn'ton to opposite the garage (? Near where you lived in the youth?!) 

The feeling is that a lot of them were grammar school boys.

 

The last bit in the email is attempting to identify where the photo was taken

 

Dad thinks the only place he can recall at the mo with an arch would be Cornwall Creacent-this is adjacent to the football field. Pop Clouston n Edie Graham lived on that street apparently! That will be another story which will unravel at some point I'm sure!!

Reedy - just spotted my mistake. I copied the wrong photo to my last post on this subject. The ramblings of my relative were about the possible YMCA photo.

I have never been against the culling of animals. 

I have always believed that people in responsible positions must have common sense and any decisions that they make, knowing they will be publicized and attract the media, are made by majority vote by all members of that group. When we see decisions made by governments; banks; councils etc. etc. and we wonder how could sensible educated knowledgeable adults come to such decisions, I assume they know much more than is being released and therefore I am wrong to judge without all the facts.

If zoo animals need culling and they save money by using the meat to feed the other animals they don't have to play a fan-fare when they do it. Just do it without publicity and the majority will understand. We don't have to like it but we know it makes sense rather than waste resources. 

I explained to my kids, in the wild animals feed off each other, that's the law of the jungle. Zoos protect animals (yes initially it was for someone to make money) and allow children to see them up close, as the majority of children would never get the opportunity to see them in their natural world.

But this is one of those cases where you thing - 'What the f*** are they doing'. I hope an online campaign is started to bring charges of child cruelty against those responsible. 

I used to manage to get into the Bank top when about 16 or 17 Tommy Richardson had it then. Anne was the barmaid and she was there for donkeys years. John Exton had the Railway and took no crap from anyone. Tommy Tait was in the Clayton. I can remember Margaret & Bob Nesbit in the Percy (his brother was of Millican & Nesbit fame )I did get in there before they ran the place but cant remember the previous names. When Spike had the Percy (High House as many called it )rumour had it that if you won a domino card you had the choice of the money or 10 minutes upstairs with his Mrs (or barmaid) !!

Seem to remember it was with one of the barmaids if one won a domino card. Think that was the same owners that allowed your Forst Pint, of the day, any time after midnight or when you had just come off shift from the 'A' pit.

Has anybody got Photo's of these Forst Pints?

Cheble - ah, that's brilliant. I can mind some beers had a soapy taste - quite liked Double Maxim though when ah got roond te it. Me an' a mate used te buy Broon Ale at an off license, say it was fo' wa mam an gan' inte the woods an' drink it. Fed was the best draught pint though. Ah was happy when a got me club card an could drink Fed cheap.

Could never work out why such a big difference in the price between Fed ordinary & best. My memory of the market place club was 1966 - 1s 4d for ordinary & 1s 8d for best.  

So it was another 25% dearer to drink best. So for every 4 best you could have 5 ordinary. Quality or quantity? 1966 quantity every time, never did like best!

The Railway Tavern when I was about 16.  Trouble was it was a mackem Vaux pub so the first pint I had was Vaux Gold tankard and it tasted awful, it had a sort of 'soapy' flavour.  But, 'pints' were what all the blokes drank so I persisted with beer and developed a life long taste for the stuff.  Obviously, Blue Star* beers were much, much better than the mackem muck and of course there was always the Federation beers at the clubs - yum, yum!

 

I seem to remember the girls usually drank a porter sort of beer that came in a very small gill bottle (1/4 pint) but its name has slipped the memory for the moment.

 

Drinking and driving was never a concern back then, I remember regularly driving miles to boozers, having a skinful, then driving home.  Many stories to tell but I'll hold-off telling until others post theirs ... what's the 'statute of limitations' for out-running the Peelers whilst pissed at the wheel?  Obviously, I don't do that sort of thing now ... the Bizzies have guns here!

 

*for our younger viewers Blue Star was the trademark for the Newcastle Brewery.

And when the disco lights were switched on the Vaux beer looked like a pint of engine oil.

Brilliant and thanks for the help everyone. My Dad recognised Albert Hayley and a couple of others who possibly moved to Westridge when they left the Whitley.

 

Here's another one for you to have a look at.

 

We think it's possibly a Bedlington Station YMCA team. The player at the front left is called Watson. I went to school with his daughter Ann.

Not a lot of help on this one but you never, what came out might be totally true and trigger someones brain cells. I passed it on to a cousin to ask he dad (she refers to her mam & dad as the 'Ageds') and the response, copied directly from cousins email was :-

By God-this causes a right owld head scratch kidda!!

Middle man, back row (blonde quiff) is Billy Davison/Davidson. Year or two older than Ageds and living it Stakeford! His father showed my father "the ropes" at the pit! His sister married a bloke called Long who lived at Cambois-I went to school wi their daughter! Lives around where I live apparently! 

Front row, bloke in front of chap wearing black jumper is Dobson's lad-sorry no first name as "there was a lot of them"!! Moved from Barn'ton to opposite the garage (? Near where you lived in the youth?!) 

The feeling is that a lot of them were grammar school boys.

The last bit in the email is attempting to identify where the photo was taken

Dad thinks the only place he can recall at the mo with an arch would be Cornwall Creacent-this is adjacent to the football field. Pop Clouston n Edie Graham lived on that street apparently! That will be another story which will unravel at some point I'm sure!!

Off you go Joe.....

 

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/joe-kinnear-resigns-director-football-6666815

Now the flooding will be worse.,The tears of joy will bring more tidal waves!

This might help with that last 'YMCA' photo. It's one of Foxy's again, I believe. It shows the Whitley School but look above it to the top right to the football field and then the houses beyond. They look similar.

 

whitley school ground.JPG

Keith - I know what you mean,  - I will keep looking but doubt if I will find anything else.

Reedy - it's just when I used to go to the YMCA the field at the back had been tennis or bowling. My memory (often wrong) seems to recall it was not big enough for football and any house in the background would be Waverley Drive and they are semis with chimney stack in the middle.

The team is the Whitley Memorial Seniors team and the player holding the ball ("the captain") is Derek Wilkinson. Our team photos were all taken at the school so I assume this one was taken at the Whitley.

James - see the image attached. We have managed six of them and there names are embedded in the photo, including Derek. Any ideas on the other 5? 

I'm with Keith 2 on this one, Haig Road. My aunt used to live there and her daughter and i used to play under the archway. The archway didn't separate two houses as you might Think but was under one half, the rear half, of one house. The toilet and coal house were on one side of the 'tunnel' and the back door, leading into the kitchen, was on the other. I Believe the Picture must be taken from the rear of the houses that backed onto the park (sorry, I can't remember the name) that ran the length of Park Road. There was often a football match going on there when we went past on a Saturday.

Still looking, but doubt if I will find the street. In my mind I have ruled out the now Dr Pitt Welfare where Bedlington Terriers play. The attached is an aerial photo showing Park Road and the two sets of houses that back onto the welfare are Haig Road & Hollymount Square.

Note the Chimney stacks are in the middle of the rooves (old houses, old word) are shared by the semi-detached houses.

The chimney stacks on the houses on the left of the photo are at the gable ends.

Might have to drive around the shire with Google Street View looking for these houses. If they still exist!

Brit Peacock had the percy arms when i used to drink there in the 1960s,

It would have been 1965-66 (legally in 1966) when The Percy was my local. Can't remember a Brit Peacock, but that's just me. The only Landlord name I can recall at the moment is Brian! and I think it was his wife's name above the door. There are a number of brief entries about the Percy Arms but a topic attempting to depict it's full colourfull past. You should start a topic Tony - Percy Arms History - Landlords - Leek club members - Darts Teams - Piano players!   

What has happened to the Leek Club Tradition.

Does anyone still grow and show leeks.

I am not a club member!

Maggie - you need to checkout entries by Paul Mann, that started thgis topic, see topics in History Hollow

It's not Burnside, is it Eggy? Keith 1 would be able to tell us. Someone give him a knock on the head with a sledgehammer.

Burnside all semis Keith.  Apart from the two blocks of four houses in Hollymount Square I can't picture any street like that in the background of the picture.

I'm trying to place the houses on that second photo - is it Haig Road? Were they playing at the Terrier's ground?

I'm doing the same Keith. I can only remember 2 YMCA buildings at Bedlington Station. The last one replacing the old one at the North end of Jubilee Terrace (now Jubilee Mews). I can't remember them having any football teams in the 1960's but I do remember there was a reasonable amount of land at the back of the old YMCA so they could have had their own pitch (then there was a slaughter house and the Scout's hut?). If they did then the houses in the background would be Waverley Drive or Bolam Place. However the street in the background to this picture appears to show an arch way in the houses on the far left. The only place I can remember an archway of this type was Hollymout Square where there is one set of four houses but the rest semis.

I would have expected a Bedlington Station YMCA team home pitch to be in the station - somewhere like the old park past the Grammar School and one of those pitches used to be behind the school and back onto Queens Road, but the houses were, and still are, semis.

I can't work out where those house would be in Bedlington. 

Up the top-end you had more to try than us poor oval lot. The staff in The Terrier new everyone so if you went in for a drink, this was 1964age 16, you were sent out to use the off-license shop at the side of the pub - no pint in a glass.

Before the disco in The Railway Tavern (was it Gregsies or Craigsies?)we couldn't get in anywhere. The Bank Top wouldn't let us in. The

Percy Arms was like the Terrier, use the 'off-sales' door. One stool and a hatch into the bar to get served. They would serve you a half

through the hatch, but not a pint. In The Clayton Arms we would get thumped before we got a pint!

So it was across the water to The Kings Arms, Cowpen. There were three of us used to go on a Friday night and the darts team members looked after us. They knew how old we were. Made sure we behaved and as soon as any of us started to have a wobble to the loos they would pack us

off home. Wonderfull blokes but can't remember a single name.

Finally finished scanning 800+ photographs of Bedlington related stuff including Cambois, Barrington, Netherton etc.

 

There are about 6-8 which Dad can't name so any suggestions would be welcome.

 

I've posted the first which he thinks is a Westridge School Football Team from 1952-53. Confirmation or any players names please.

Yes Malcolm, it's your turn and And 'you' need to go on and on, and on, and on.

It can't last for ever!

Please Mr Ashley, the worst has past,

now pay your dues,

weve all made mistakes but don't blame Pardews.

You'll bring us fame and fortune and everything that goes with it

cos really we are the champions

and we'll keep on fighting 'til the end.

I now need SAFC to escape relegation by more than 6 points; NUFC can't be held responsible!

Maggie I used to save many a thing but not anymore. I'm not frivolous or a spend thrift just living today's society. If we didn't replace goods frequently would there be enough employment for the increasing population to make money to buy more goods.

I would say for our generation it was not just tradition but necessary to help make ends meet.

We were brought up with it. Nothing was thrown away, just in case a use was found for an item years later. We were taught to reuse everything rather than spend more cash on replacing an object that could be reused. We can use the old sayings like - 'things aren't built t last anymore' and 'kids today just don't know they are born ' etc.

How many people used to have a garage that you couldn't get you car into! The garage was full of materials from jobs done ages ago but we would never throw the surplus out.

My spare planks of knotty pine, from the 80's, lay in my old garage for years. They lay next to the spare pieces of - plaster board, sheet(s) of hardboard, rough and dressed wood cut off the  6ft/8ft planks etc.,unless you got the exact length you required from Keenleyside's off-cut bucket! Jars full of nails and screws, some nails I had even straightened out after extracting them from used timber. Today would we use 20 different off-cuts and a couple of doors to build a fence? My uncle Luke, Dr. Terrace, never worked after his encounter with a detonator from the Dr Pitt, used to look after at least 3 gardens growing fruit and veg and I remember every shed, greenhouse, partition fence etc. was made from recycled materials.

I remember my mam buying a houseplant that decided to grow and required extra support to assist it's growth so my dad did not go out and buy any canes etc he pushed the spare size 0 knitting needles (no longer required as the hippie chunky knitwear of the 60's had died out) into the pot as support.

I still try and convince our grandkids that most of today's toys & gadgets are just the old stuff with new packaging.

Could go on and on but wont. Recycle Maggie. Fill the charity bags and let the charities decide what they can reuse.

As for superstition, throw that out. Walk under ladders; cross people on the stairs in the house; put your umbrella up in the house.

But you are not crackers, just conscientious.