Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)

@Symptoms - posted this in relation to a previous question about the 'A' pit :- The banner was commissioned in 1949 by the Bedlington 'A' Colliery Combined Levy Fund Committee; the pit was also known as Sleekburn 'A' and originally the 'Auld Pit' when the first shaft was sunk in back in1838. So, it's the same pit ... perhaps, some of the old boys just continued to call it Sleekburn Pit after Nationalisation.

@Bradford - there is a web site - http://www.dmm.org.uk/mindex.htm that has gathered information on all the coal mines within Northumberland and Durham. The above link will take you to the cover page and there is an index for the site down the left hand side. Selecting 'Mines' will give you the alphabetic index list A to Z . The Bedlington 'A' pit is under Bedlington Colliery - opened 1838.When you are searching for info on the 'A' pit you may encounter the name Sleekburn. The area where the 'A' pit was opened was known as Sleekburn before a railway line, that serviced all the local coal mines, came into use in 1850. I don't know when the area name changed to Bedlington Station. This is a link to the railway station named Bedlington on the 'Disused Stations site :- http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/b/bedlington/index.shtml

@HIGH PIT WILMA - I posted your query on the Friends Of Bates Colliery group and Andy Tredwell erplied :- '...... Yeah Charlie Treadwell is my uncle ( my dad's brother!) Very nice to read cut again! I don't know if the use of the word 'cut' is a mistake or just something I don't understand

Can't get the static picture - I miss Bedlington

@HIGH PIT WILMA - I stumbled on a Facebook group - Friends of Bates Colliery. I joined the group to see what the members were saying and what images they were posting. The group Admin guy is Eddie Appleby. Did you know a painting of the colliery has been added into a 48ft mural on Union Street :-

Agree with the legalization but not the taxing. In my mind that just gives the illegal traders of cannabis the opportunity to undercut the legal price and crate a black market. Legalization should be contrasted with decriminalisation, which removes criminal charges from an action, but leaves intact associated laws and regulations. But it wouldn't really matter what happened, legalization or cannabis on prescription, someone would still find an illegal market for it

Welcome @Emma Cuthbert - can't recall any photos or info on East Hartford having been posted on the site. Entered "East Hartford" into the 'Search Box' - top right of the screen and the few comments that were returned only reference East Hartford - no info. I think the only old photo from east Hartford that I have seen is the one on the Durham Mining Museum site showing a small bit of the village with the colliery behind. Link to the Hartford Colliery page is :- http://www.dmm.org.uk/colliery/h017.htm