Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)

I was asked by ex Third Row resident Hilda Oliver (née Storey) :- 'why was Plessey Row named within the simple sequence First, Second & Third Row? Did a Google search just to see if the question had been asked, and answered, before but no luck. CL - during your research have you found anything to suggest why they would name the rows in that sequence? Whilst searching the following info on the name Plessey was found :- The name Plessey has been used for :- Plessey Hall – Plessey Mill – Plessey Checks – The Plessey Farm pub (now rebuilt and restructured as the Snowy Owl pub) – Plessey Street, East Hartford - Plessey Road, Blyth – & at the pits Plessey seam was worked (according to Durham Mining Museum [DMM] site) from 1914 at Netherton, Bedlington ‘A’, Doctor Pit, Cambois, Bebside and from 1935 at Bates. In Evan Martin’s book – Bedlingtonshire – he states that the building of the Rows commenced in 1902. So compared with the info on the DMM site the building of the rows commenced 13 years before the Plessey seam was worked at the pits. First, Second & Third Row names appear on the old maps from 1921 to 1947 but the name Plessey Row does not appear until the 1961 map. -------------------------------------------- http://northeasthistorytour.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/plessey-waggonway-nz229791-to-blyth.html Plessey Waggonway (NZ229791 to Blyth) Described as one of the earliest and longest waggonways in Northumberland, Plessey Waggonway is known to have ran from Plessey Hall Farm eastwards for some five and a half miles to the port of Blyth. It was in use from at least as early as 1709 and continued carrying goods – mainly coal – until 1812. Though it was very probably far from the earliest – nor, indeed, the longest – in the county, it is remarkable for its survival in the landscape. Though now overlaid for long stretches by both the A192 and A1061, it can be seen in places as an earthwork over six feet in height. Out of commission by the time of the birth of the railways proper, it was used to transport coal on horse-drawn waggons and was made from beech wood rails laid on oak sleepers – though iron runners were used in later years. The horses would have been small in stature, each animal pulling a ‘chaldron’ of 52 hundred weight – and would be expected to make two round trips per day. One may look at Plessey and its environs today and wonder what all the historical fuss is about. But this now largely empty space on the map was once a thriving village, with coal being mined from the immediate area – and shipped to London – from as early as the thirteenth century. Plessey Hall Farm itself dates from 1680, but the site was almost certainly occupied by an earlier building belonging to the Plessis family and formed the centre of the local manor. A series of lumps and bumps in a nearby field provide likely evidence of the deserted medieval village. ----------------------- http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/24766 In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Plessey like this: PLESSEY, a ville in Stannington parish, Northumberland; on the river Blyth and the North eastern railway, 5 miles S S E of Morpeth. It has a station on the railway; and it figures in many ancient deeds and records. P. Hall was formerly the seat of the Plessey family, but is now a farm-house; and P. Mill was connected with St. Bartholomew's monastery in Newcastle. A little Pub history - The Snowy Owl sits on the site of Plessy North Moor Farm, which was originally part of the estate owned by the Ridley family of Blagdon Hall. When converted to an inn, the building was named The Plessy Farm, though the structure has been rebuilt and restored at least three times since it was originally constructed long before 1600. -------------------------- None of the above answers the question - 'why was the sequence - First, Second, Plessey, then Third?' Does anyone know why?

All windows and doors etc. in Grade II listed buildings to be replaced with energy efficient ones BUT Chimney Pots should be kept so future generations can work out what was where. Aren't chimney pots brilliant!

Posted on the Bygone Bedlington site, with ???, Although the Journal says Clifton Row most people disagree. Anybody any thoughts on this? Is this Third Street?

Checked on the Facebook sixtownships site and John Dawson, courtesy of Gordon Smith (historian and author from Blyth), had been given what looks like the photo used in the newspaper cutting :- The Statesmen that changed their name to the Olympics I am estimating would be early 60s when I operated the coloured bulbs. Can't remember where it was but could have been their first ever gig, at a youth club, and for some reason Netherton keeps jumping out. If I ever see John Cavaghan, lead singer, again I will ask him - think he was an electrician at the pit and he wired up the bulbs, & switch to the plank. I lived next door to John, Coquetdale Place and Peter Dean lived across from us in Fontburn Road. This Olympics photo, posted in Bygone Bedlington, by Nicola Cook with the date 63-64./

Can't see anything on their web site CL - Malcolm must be able to get a hold of the knitting pattern! Their email address that they ask people to contact them on is :- bedlingtoncommunitycentre@hotmail.co.uk

Damian - Joan Morland posted - Thanks for letting me see this great memories I remember Belle & Mixer as he was called & their 2 young lads as we lived in plessy street & the lad with the bike was Alan Stappard (Harry ) who was sadly killed at the pit & Mrs Storey but loved the video.

I could be wrong CL but I think this is second year - inspired initially by the 2014 centenary poppy display at the Tower of London. This is a link to the community centre artcile on Bedlington's own Weeping Window - http://www.bedlingtoncommunitycentre.co.uk/poppy-display.html

Damian - Hilda Oliver commented on Bygone Bedlington :- We lived opposite the Robson,s. We were great friends and neighbours. I was Hilda Storey before I was married and we loved them and the boys. And the amazing thing is, that,s my mam in the video. The lady in the headscarf getting on the bus is my Aunty Nellie who we all loved dearly. Thank you for sharing this video. I will treasure it.

Pure chance HPW - I was searching this site for some old stuff, noticed your posting on the group and remembered I had seen something on Facebook. On the Bygone Bedlington Facebook group the guy that runs it, John Krzyzanowski, often posts newspaper cuttings and this was one of them, along with one of The Statesmen. I remember The Statesman, and Robin Haddaway, from Bedlington YMCA. I was the kid conned into being 'The Lighting Engineer' at the first gig the Statesmen did - think it was a youth club at the Top End. That involved sitting on the stage, under a table draped with an old curtain, and flicking the one switch, in harmony with the beat of course, operating the four coloured light bulbs, fixed to one plank of wood, that was the extent of their lighting system! By peeping under the curtain II did manage to get myself a female lighting engineer groupie from the vast 20+ audience (20+ might be an exaggeration!)

I don't have the exact year HPW - The Avengers with their new gear.

Missing name identified by - Alan Dickson = Kenneth Neal ,lived Office Row ,Barrington.

Malcolm - searching through History Hollow, for info on Netherton Colliery, I noticed this old posting of yours. Did you get the 4 photos identified ? Have you still got them and any chance of posting them separately so I can get a better view? Eggy

I would say - Smack in the middle of the existing roundabout with all the info - Merc lecterns - at every entrance and exist off the roundabout and outside the Red Lion. This is a 'non-artists' impression of the possible sites:-

Damian - between Robert Morland & Bryan Cole, on the sixtownships site, they named him as Alan Stappard (but always called Harry!) - and had a comment :- recognised him and the bike but that would be over 40 years ago and wasn't,t really sure . He was an electrician at netherton and sadly was killed there a nice lad and motorbike daft .

Thanks Damian - let you know if there is any reaction to the posting.

He will have to wait in line behind - Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble, Grub. Here is the clock, the Trumpton clock. Telling the time, steadily, sensibly; never too quickly, never too slowly. Telling the time for Trumpton.

Brilliant - hard to work out what those two main characters grew up to be - dog handlers or car body repair technicians! Damian - I would assume you have no objection in the link to this video on your Youtube page being shared. There are a few ex Netherton residents on the Facebook groups - Bygone Bedlington & Bedlington Remembered that often ask if anyone has any old photos of colliery streets especially Plessey Street. What streets are they in the video? Eggy.