Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)

As my aim throught my school life was to escape into the world where you could have adventures and all the teaching staff wanted me to absorb information that would enable me to fill in exam papers with ligitimte information I can only think of one that, at that time of my life, wasmy hero - Mr Holland, Dutchy, the games teacher at the grammar school. Dutchy let me run free in the real world. Cross country was majic even though John Ross (from Guidepost) always got past me and finished first. The run - turn left out of the school gates and down to the road under the black bridge and up to the Bank Top and left down the Furnace bank. Over the white bridge and turn left along the river on the Bebside side and back along to the black bridge - under the bridge and climb up the bank to join the blue bridge over the A189 back into Bedlington land. Turn left running between St Jons estate and the Palace estate up to the Wallaw cinema and left down Palace road back to school. No teacher following you on any part of the run, just running free with ones own thoughts ☺️. I escaped the teaching staff on a numer of occasions to visit the outside world eg. 1963 (or was it 1964) to see Morpeth flooded - LIVE - not some past event documented by someone who wasn't there to see the event! Naturally the strap was delivered across rhe rear end on a number of occasions and normally if I had missed an adventure at school Dutchy would ask me, descretely - good day out yesterday?

Thanks @johndawsonjune1955. Do you know if there any relatives of the Foster family still in the area that would know if there is a copy of the memoirs available to the general public?

@Lee Foster if you input "Rose cottage" (with the double quotes) there is a mention of the memoirs in a topic raised by @johndawsonjune1955 . I don't know if John has a copy or knows where to find one. I have seen a couple of facebook postings, with photos, on the Bedlington groups claiming to be Rose Cottage. At the moment I don't have access to them but other members will have. When I get the chance to contact John Dawson I will ask him what info he has and update you but he may read this and comment himself.

Ashington Facebook member - Ian Baird is trying to get his old mates from the B.U.D.C. workers c1978. Nos 5, 6 & 11 to identify :-

A link to the newmp site is :- http://www.newmp.org.uk/

Rigger - I am sure I have seen this photo before but my mind says Facebook - sixtownships, Bedlington or Ashington groups. Was it you that posted it on Facebook? It would save me a lot of searching if it was you that posted it, and therefore you will already be aware of the response (that I can't remember was).

@Richard Bloomfield :- whilst Ovalteeny was researching the Mechanics history etc. we never created an Album in the Gallery as we expected the info to change, constantly. There is a Sports section in the Gallery where there are a few photos of local teams :- https://www.bedlington.co.uk/gallery/category/4-sports/

@Richard Bloomfield- check out your 'Messages' - see top right of this page.

@Richard Bloomfield - the photos belong to @Reedy = Paul Reed. Although I have 'tagged' him in this comment I am not sure if Paul still receives messages from this group. The last time Paul visited/Logged onto this site was 22nd November 2017. In one of the photos Paul's dad, John reed, is named and that's where Paul gets his info and photos. John Reed was involved with the Mechanics from when they first formed. If you enter "Mechanics" in the Search box (top right) many Topics about the Mechanics will be displayed. I will send Paul a Message (via the Bedlington Facebook groups) and let you know what he says. On this group there is also Stan Kidd' grandson ( Ovalteeny) and no doubt your research has thrown up the name Stan Kidd. @Ovalteeny has researched the full history of the Mechanics and I am sure he would supply you with some info. Ovalteeny is still active on this group.

Cheers @Andy Millne - I thought it had been discussed in the past but my search of "Baedling" didn't return any matches so I assumed it was jut my memory playing games with me

Posted on the Bedlington remembered Facebook group by Brian Jenkins was the following comment on the meaning of the Anglo Saxon word Bædling :- Brian Jenkinson 'I guess that you will all be aware of Baedling Manor on the Front Street. The very word is very similar to Bedlington so some may assume that it is it's origins I think that the person / committee who chose the name are unaware of what a Baedling is / was! The term does go back to Anglo Saxon days or earlier (as suggested by the spelling) but has nothing to do with the town of Bedlington. A Baedling was a term used to describe a person of indeterminate sexuality. This does not mean they were bisexual as it goes much wider than that. A Baedling was usually a male who would suffer penance for having sex with another Baedling, another man or with a beast. Clearly there was a difference between having sex with a Baedling and having sex with a man! A homosexual / bisexual man was called a "waepedman" (meaning a weaponed man). No prizes for guessing the euphemism folk! So, when you decide to put your granny into a home think of the real meaning!'

@Canny lass - posted by John Krzyzanowski on the Facebook Bygone Bedlington group and one comment, from Joan Morland was that one of them was from Netherton Colliery. Is there a relative of yours on this ? I thought I had posted this image before but I can't find it

I was renting a bedroom in a house in Forest gate, London E7. Neither the landlady or the other one bedroom tenant had a TV so the three of us watched it on my rented set.

He's not as transparent as the rest so probably in the Northumberland Arms (= I forgot him )

Kath Simpson A lovely service today for a lovely man. Paul Maddison Yes the service was a fitting tribute to such a well respected man. Very well attended....

Margaret Emmerson Margaret Emerson sorry to hear about Mattyhe will always be rememberd

Jason Fennell Matty Hall ... what a legend. RIP SIR

Mike Irvine Sad to hear this he was a teacher at Whitley Memorial when I was there early 1950's. Nice bloke, I was never in his class but he took sports classes for the lads, mainly football. Manage Louise Todd He was a great teacher and a great fella. R.I.P. Mr Hall. Peter Oliver He was one of my teachers at the Whitley Memorial School in the late 50s and 10, 20years afterwards if I bumped into him on the front street he would greet me by name and I don’t think I-was the only ex-pupil he remembered, lovely man and great teacher, R.I.P Matty.

If you can't get down to Blyth and want a copy of the mural that I posted from Google street view then I am sure we can get it to you via your niece. Is your niece on the local Facebook groups - Bygone Bedlington - Past Times (just change it's name from sixtownships) ?

Eric was originally from Shop Row and went to Barrington CP school same time as me - 1953 to 1960. Bedlington Station secondary modern school - 1960 -1965. 'A pit when he left school but then went out with, and married a Bebside lass - Kathleen Popely and moved to Bebside. I think the first house he lived in at Cowpen was the street just past the Sydney Arms pub = Cowpen Road. No idea where he moved to after that. Union Street is where the old Wallaw cinema ( now Wetherspoons) used to be. Going down Union Street, passing Wetgerspoons on your right the mural is just a 'gud hockle' up the road on the left.

Ron Jones Great teacher and my favourite one as well.fond memories from 1963 .R.I.P Matty Anne Sanders Anne Sanderson Gavin Sanderson Dean Etheridge He was my favourite teacher at Meadowdale what a true gentleman he was and such a nice guy ! My thoughts and prayers are with him and he's family 😪 at this sad time Carole Mulgrew He was my husbands teacher he thought a great deal of him he used to say he was a great teacher

@HIGH PIT WILMA -- see under Chat Central. Matty Hall's grandson posted the news + info on the Bedlington Facebook group and I created a topic in Chat Central from the many comments that were posted :-