Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)

It was aimed at John Lee. As he had published an extract fro the memoirs I was hoping he might have had contact with members of the family and could have passed on contact details to you. Checked the local Facebook groups and although the story about Rose Cottage and the seven trees but can't find any distant relatives adding any comments This is the image that is often posted on the Facebook Bygone Bedlington group, and it shows what we believe to be Rose Cottage and the trees that the family planted. The bridge in the photo is the Furnace Bridge that still exists today :- 2016 Google street view shot :-

Nos 1,10,11,12,& 20 added

Because every development hits snags, that's life and with the increasing online shopping, that a lot of us do, high street shopping centers are risky businesses. Developers will always have retailers changing their minds and after better deals - .

More names from Ovalteeny :-

I'm definitely getting worse - must concentrate more - Dr Pit Welfare - 1949-50 season

Names updated @Joe McNally

Cheers @Joe McNally - @Ovalteeny is the one that has researched the history of the Bedlington football teams and I am sure he will use your info. @Richard Bloomfield will also be interested. Update from the Facebook Past Times members - Graham Usher commented -'Can tell you the photo was taken at Croft Park, Blyth.' & Malcolm Speirs commented -'I'm sure no.2 is Geordie Mack, my uncle that was on the committee at the Welfare, he used to bring the strips to get washed at wor hoose.after the games.remember going to Dalbeatie near Dumfries, with the team for a friendly around 1954.'

@Canny lass :- not the store but close by. This comment and photo posted on the Bygone Bedlington Facebook group by Gordon Smith,a local historian, lives in Blyth :- 9 June, 1966. Mr W. Winslow, left, Vice-President of the Bedlington branch of the Royal Naval Association hoists the White Ensign to mark the opening of the new branch headquarters at Netherton. The new headquarters is in the former Netherton Social Club which moved to new premises three years ago. The extensive renovations have cost £15,000. It is the only RNA club between the Tyne and the Tweed and Mr E. Gurney the branch chairman feels it will be well supported. "We have a strong sea-going tradition in the area," he said. BNAP Thursday 16 June, 1966. I added the text and a couple of members have named 3 of them :- A couple of members think that No 4 is Jackie Cunningham and another that No 3 might be Joe Coleman. Do you know any names for this photo?

The 1959-50 Dr Pit welfare Team numbered and No 5 identified as William (Billy) Hemsted by his niece Susan James-Hemsted on the Bygone Bedlington facebook group :-

@Rigger - this is the topic Keith raised - unfortunately no pictures of the medal that the winners were awarded.

Just remembered - I once played in a Bedlington CC medal competition, about 1967 for the 'Butchers X1 ( I was dating George Hemsted's daughter) and got talked into it. The late Keith Lockey started a topic about this competition back in 2014 :- https://www.bedlington.co.uk/forums/topic/5298-bedlington-cricket-trophy/?tab=comments#comment-54251

Unfortunately no one has any idea where in Bedlington, or if it even was in Bedlington, it was taken.

Photo posted by John Davidson on the Bygone Bedlington Facebook group and he thought it was possibly bedlington Mechanics. @Ovalteeny has identified it as the Dr Pit Colliery Welfare FC that played in the Miners Welfare League throughout the 1940's & 50's. Original photo :- Is this of interest to you @Richard Bloomfield ? With some names added :-

Never seen any posted on any of the sites @Rigger. Some names that have been associated with Bedlington Cricket Club throughtout the 20th century are Hemsted - Straker and Pearson. There are a couple of relatives of these familes eg - Mal Jovi Hemsted on the Bygone Bedlington Facebook group that might be able to help you. Bedlington Cricket Club do have a web site but there are no historical records on that site :- http://bedlington.play-cricket.com/

We can't join in Brian - all recovering from Burn's night :-

Janet Jackson on the Bygone Bedlington Facebook group commented :- I remember Topper McGlen who was a friend of my father (Anty Thompson) and no 18 looks more like him to me.

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/