Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)

Les Dawson was funny but definitely did not watch - 'An audience with............. - a dead person'. How sick was that and to have Lional Blaire on! Anyway here are some Paraprosdokian sentances:- Ø Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience. Ø Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car. Ø The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but it's still on the list. Ø Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak. Ø If I agreed with you we'd both be wrong. Ø We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public. Ø War does not determine who is right, only who is left. Ø Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad. Ø The early bird might get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese. Ø Evening news is where they begin with "Good evening" and then proceed to tell you why it isn't. Ø To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research. Ø A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk, I have a work station. Ø How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire? Ø Some people are like Slinkies ~ not really good for anything, but you can't help smiling when you see one tumble down the stairs. Ø Dolphins are so smart that within a few weeks of captivity, they can train people to stand on the very edge of the pool and throw them fish. Ø I thought I wanted a career, turns out I just wanted pay cheques. Ø A bank is a place that will lend you money, if you can prove that you don't need it. Ø Whenever I fill out an application, in the part that says "If an emergency, notify:" I put "DOCTOR". Ø I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you. Ø I saw a woman wearing a sweat shirt with "Guess" on it, so I said "Implants?" Ø Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet? Ø Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy. Ø Why do Americans choose from just two people to run for president and 50 for Miss America? Ø Behind every successful man is his woman. Behind the fall of a successful man is usually another woman. Ø A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory. Ø You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice. Ø The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas! Ø Always borrow money from a pessimist. He won't expect it back. Ø A diplomat is someone who can tell you to go to hell in such a way you look forward to the trip. Ø Hospitality: making your guests feel like they're at home, even if you wish they were. Ø Money can't buy happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with. Ø I discovered I scream the same way whether I'm about to be devoured by a great white shark or if a piece of seaweed touches my foot. Ø Some cause happiness wherever they go, others whenever they go. Ø There's a fine line between cuddling and holding someone down so they can't get away. Ø I used to be indecisive, now I'm not sure. Ø I always take life with a grain of salt, plus a slice of lemon, and a shot of tequila. Ø When tempted to fight fire with fire, remember that the Fire Department usually uses water. Ø You're never too old to learn something stupid. Ø To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target. Ø Nostalgia isn't what it used to be. Ø Some people hear voices, some see invisible people, others have no imagination whatsoever. Ø A bus is a vehicle that travels twice as fast when you run after it as it does when you are in it. Ø If you are supposed to learn from your mistakes, why do some people have more than one child? Ø Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine. Ø Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Ø Buses stop in bus stations. Trains stop in train stations. On my desk is a work station. This one makes sense. I'm supposed to respect my elders, but its getting harder and harder for me to find one now.

Wilma should definitely open a new topic on Pit Stories/Tales. The flattening of pennies on the track reminds me of when they showed us school kids how to make a knife, to play Split The Kipper, by placing a six inch nail on the rail track and it would be flattened like a knife blade when the next train went over it.

Your dad will be Alan Lockey's hero if that old pic has a date on the back? Alan still trying to work out when it was built, and demolished.

The old picture of the Co-op must be a good age I notice there is no bus stop sign on the telephone (telegraph) post. Spent many a time in the door ways after getting fixed up in the Rae Hall! But also spent many hours sheltering in the door ways whilst waiting for the Morpeth bus.

Now just listen here Wilma, just keeping getting wound up. There are loads, like 'tonyg' and me, that were turned away from the pits by parents that enjoy the stories. You should move off this Puddlers Raw topic and start a Pit Story page. I have one uncle left alive, born 1937, that worked at the pits, ended up at Bates, but has always lived in Choppington since getting married. Must be loads of good reading. I had a mate at the 'A' pit that they us to say - who's that little lad lad on the end of that cxxk?

As I will have passed that canteen every school day for six years on the way to Barrington CP you would think I could not forget where it was, but there is that very small doubut. I believe it was just to the left of this picture, a single story sandy coloured brick building. I am 99% sure. Doubt if we will ever find a picture, unless the canteen staff had an xmas party and invited The Management!

Chubby Brown on stage singing and 'pogoing' (if that's a word) -'You fat bastard, you fat ...........................................The wife nearly wet herself.

Read the previous Tommy Cooper one liners and thought I have some of them, and probably 80% not on this site, so:- Due to considerable reader demand here are some more Tommy Cooper one liners. Yes, he was brilliant!! 1 ... Two blondes walk into a building..........you'd think at least one of them would have seen it. 2. Phone answering machine message - '...If you want to buy marijuana, press the hash key...' 3. A guy walks into the psychiatrist wearing only Clingfilm for shorts. The shrink says, 'Well, I can clearly see you're nuts.' 4. I went to buy some camouflage trousers the other day but I couldn't find any. 5. I went to the butchers the other day and I bet him 50 quid that he couldn't reach the meat off the top shelf. He said, 'No, the steaks are too high.' 6. My friend drowned in a bowl of muesli. A strong currant pulled him in. 7 ... A man came round in hospital after a serious accident. He shouted, 'Doctor, doctor, I can't feel my legs!' The doctor replied, 'I know you can't, I've cut your arms off'. 8. I went to a seafood disco last week and pulled a muscle. 9. Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly. They lit a fire in the craft, it sank, proving once and for all that you can't have your kayak and heat it. 10. Our ice cream man was found lying on the floor of his van covered with hundreds and thousands. Police say that he topped himself. 11. Man goes to the doctor, with a strawberry growing out of his head. Doc says 'I'll give you some cream to put on it.' 12. 'Doc I can't stop singing 'The Green, Green Grass of Home' 'That sounds like Tom Jones syndrome. ' 'Is it common?' 'It's not unusual.' 13. A man takes his Rotteweiller to the vet. 'My dog is cross-eyed, is there anything you can do for him?' 'Well,' said the vet, 'let's have a look at him' So he picks the dog up and examines his eyes, then he checks his teeth. Finally, he says, 'I'm going to have to put him down.' 'What? Because he's cross-eyed?' 'No, because he's really heavy' 14. Guy goes into the doctor's. 'Doc, I've got a cricket ball stuck up my bottom.' 'How's that?' 'Don't you start' 15. Two elephants walk off a cliff...boom, boom! 16. What do you call a fish with no eyes? A fsh. 17. So I was getting into my car, and this bloke says to me 'Can you give me a lift?' I said 'Sure you look great, the world's your oyster, go for it' 18. Apparently, 1 in 5 people in the world are Chinese. There are 5 people in my family, so it must be one of them. It's either my mum or my Dad, or my older brother Colin, or my younger brother Ho-Cha-Chu. But I think it's Colin. 19. Two fat blokes in a pub, one says to the other 'Your round.' The other one says 'So are you, you fat bastard!' 20. Police arrested two kids yesterday, one was drinking battery acid, and the other was eating fireworks. They charged one and let the other one off. 21. 'You know, somebody actually complimented me on my driving today. They left a little note on the windscreen. It said, 'Parking Fine.' So that was nice.' 22. A man walked into the doctors, he said, 'I've hurt my arm in several places' The doctor said, 'Well don't go there anymore' 23.. Ireland's worst air disaster occurred early this morning when a small two-seater Cessna plane crashed into a cemetery. Irish search and rescue workers have recovered 2826 bodies so far and expect that number to climb as digging continues into the night.

Alan - thought this would be rather easy for me, with a couple of relatives having lived around the Bank Top and the Oval for years, and still do. As kids, say 8 to 14 years, we lived down there. As yet no trace of anyone having a photo. Meeting older relatives in a couple of weeks and the subject will be discussed. So still only the picture from [http://www.bedlingto...y3/37/index.htm attachment=2855:Bandstand_Free_side.jpg]

Friday - Three Horse Shoes my mate, who used to play cricket for Cramlington in the 60s thru to the -80s jumped straight in when I said 'Marley' and he said - Bill; Teacher; lived down Humford; played for Bedlington CC, smashing bloke. So looks like the links are there at the reformed Bedlington CC.p.s. and he still has a dustbin lid that he used in the back street at East Cramlington.

Frog Spit - as described by Symptoms = We used to chew 'tarry-toot'. Pick it up from where the roads were being laid or repaired. It tasted a bit like liquorice. One lad used to eat it, he turned into a right cyclepath!

The playing facilities are located…. Hirst Head, Bedlington, Northumberland, NE22 5QH ….this is not a postal address http://bedlington.play-cricket.com/home/home.asp Play Cricket https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bedlington-Cricket-Club/14878136250 Facebook https://twitter.com/Bedlingtoncc Twitter

My condolences to the family. I did not know of the older generations, the teachers, but when you get back to researching the family I would give Bedlington Cricket Club a call. I see they have reformed and have a web site http://bedlingtoncc.co.uk/ . My memories of them is that I used to go out with a Hemsted in the late 60's and I recall the Hemsted's; Marley's; Straker's & Pearson's were all either related or extremely good friends. The current reformation of the club shows these names are still involved :- President – Bill Marley Chairman – Malcolm Straker Committee – Elected officials plus Malcolm Humble, Malcolm Hemsted, Colin Campbell, Ian Campbell, Nick Carr, Lindsey Douglas.

Hope my 'grey matter' is still working in 20 years time. Tell him thank you and well remembered from me.

TO ALL THOSE WHO LOVE THE PHILOSOPHY OF AMBIGUITY 1. ONE TEQUILA, TWO TEQUILA, THREE TEQUILA, FLOOR. 2. ATHEISM IS A NON-PROPHET ORGANIZATION. 3. IF MAN EVOLVED FROM MONKEYS AND APES, WHY DO WE STILL HAVE MONKEYS AND APES? 4. THE MAIN REASON THAT SANTA IS SO JOLLY IS BECAUSE HE KNOWS WHERE ALL THE BAD GIRLS LIVE. 5. I WENT TO A BOOKSTORE AND ASKED THE SALESWOMAN, 'WHERE'S THE SELF-HELP SECTION?' SHE SAID 'IF I TOLD YOU, IT WOULD DEFEAT THE PURPOSE.' 6. WHAT IF THERE WERE NO HYPOTHETICAL QUESTIONS? 7. IF A DEAF PERSON SIGNS SWEAR WORDS, DOES HIS MOTHER WASH HIS HAND WITH SOAP? 8. IF SOMEONE WITH MULTIPLE PERSONALITIES THREATENS TO KILL HIMSELF, IS IT CONSIDERED A HOSTAGE SITUATION? 9. IS THERE ANOTHER WORD FOR SYNONYM? 10. WHERE DO FOREST RANGERS GO TO 'GET AWAY FROM IT ALL?' 11. WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU SEE AN ENDANGERED ANIMAL EATING AN ENDANGERED PLANT? 12. IF A PARSLEY FARMER IS SUED, CAN THEY GARNISH HIS WAGES? 13. WOULD A FLY WITHOUT WINGS BE CALLED A WALK? 14. WHY DO THEY LOCK GAS STATION BATHROOMS? ARE THEY AFRAID SOMEONE WILL CLEAN THEM? 15. IF A TURTLE DOESN'T HAVE A SHELL, IS HE HOMELESS OR NAKED? 16. CAN VEGETARIANS EAT ANIMAL CRACKERS? 17. IF THE POLICE ARREST A MIME, DO THEY TELL HIM HE HAS THE RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT? 18. WHAT WAS THE BEST THING BEFORE SLICED BREAD? 19. ONE NICE THING ABOUT EGOTISTS: THEY DON'T TALK ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE. 20. HOW IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE A CIVIL WAR? 21. IF ONE SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMER DROWNS, DO THE REST DROWN TOO? 22. IF YOU ATE BOTH PASTA AND ANTIPASTO, WOULD YOU STILL BE HUNGRY? 23. IF YOU TRY TO FAIL, AND SUCCEED, WHICH HAVE YOU DONE? 24. WHOSE CRUEL IDEA WAS IT FOR THE WORD 'LISP' TO HAVE 'S' IN IT? 25. WHY ARE HEMORRHOIDS CALLED 'HEMORRHOIDS' INSTEAD OF 'ASSTEROIDS'? 26. WHY IS IT CALLED TOURIST SEASON IF WE CAN'T SHOOT AT THEM? 27. WHY IS THERE AN EXPIRATION DATE ON SOUR CREAM? 28. CAN AN ATHEIST GET INSURANCE AGAINST ACTS OF GOD?

A fat girl served me in McDonald's at lunch time today. She said: "Sorry about the wait.†I said: "Don't worry dear, you might lose it eventually.†Japanese scientists have created a camera with such an immensely fast shutter speed that it is now possible to take a photograph of a woman with her mouth shut. 2009 TOP SMART ANSWERS 6th Place It was mealtime during a flight on a British Airways plane: Would you like dinner?' the flight attendant asked the man seated in the front row. 'What are my choices?' the man asked. 'Yes or no,' she replied. 5th Place A flight attendant was stationed at the departure gate to check tickets. As a man approached, she extended her hand for the ticket and he opened his trench coat and flashed her. Without blinking an eyelid she said, 'Sir, I need to see your ticket - not your stub.' 4th Place A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at a branch of Sainsbury's but she couldn't find one big enough for her family. She asked a passing assistant, 'Do these turkeys get any bigger?' The assistant replied, 'I'm afraid not, they're dead.' 3rd Place The policeman got out of his car and approached the boy racer he stopped for speeding. 'I've been waiting for you all day,' the bobby said. The kid replied, 'Yes, well I got here as fast as I could.' When the policeman finally stopped laughing, he sent the kid on his way without a ticket. 2nd Place A lorry driver was driving along on a country road. A sign came up that read ' Low Bridge Ahead.' Before he realised it, the bridge was directly ahead and he got stuck under it. Cars are backed up for miles. Finally, a police car comes up. The policeman got out of his car and walked to the lorry's cab and said to the driver, 'Got stuck, eh?' The lorry driver said, 'No, I was delivering this bridge and ran out of petrol!' SMART AxxE ANSWER OF THE YEAR 2009 A teacher at a polytechnic college reminded her pupils of tomorrow's final exam. 'Now listen to me, I won't tolerate any excuses for you not being here tomorrow. I might consider a nuclear attack or a serious personal injury, illness, or a death in your immediate family, but that's it, no other excuses whatsoever!' A smart-arsed guy at the back of the room raised his hand and asked, 'What would happen if I came in tomorrow suffering from complete and utter sexual exhaustion?' The entire class was reduced to laughter and sniggering. When silence was restored, the teacher smiled knowingly at the student, shook her head and sweetly said, 'Well, I suppose you'd have to write with your other hand'.

Can anyone remember the miner's gala at the park, down Palace Rd, (where the station club used to play it's home football matches) and into the gates at Tanglewood Cottage? I have now caught up within History Hollow, I have read all topics, and updated my on-line picture folder with some amazing pictures and memories, thank you all for that. In the topic 'What Do You Miss?' miners galas get a mention, but not for Bedlington Station. I can't find any photos in my old family albums, so I assume our box brownie was too expensive to get bout for the day. As I type this a thought has just popped into the old grey matter! As we did not have a miner in the immediate family was the only time we got tickets for this when neighbours were away on holiday? And that would be why there are no pictures to be found. Illegal entry. I remember getting a white bag with food, and I am sure a couple of bob, me mam would not have slept for a week. So, Ian, even wearing the sleek white hot-pants to reduce wind resistance I assume our family I could never have entered any race, three legged, wheel barrow or sack, in fear of being spotted as illegals. Have we any legitimates, or other illegals, that have evidence of this 'A' pit event?

I have said this before - thanks for the memories. This topic brings a lot back and also adds a name to one of my stories. Ship 395 was the last ship, that without my intervention would probably have missed the boat. I left Blyth ship yard in May 1966, still the same age as when I started there, 16, and I never knew (or could remember) what name it was launched under. The Rogate will now be added to the story, I have told in many a pub, of how I ensured that ship got launched before the yard closed. Left school expecting to get an apprenticeship, electrical, at the 'A' pit. No chance said me mam a pitman's daughter and 4 brothers in the pits, she had seen enough dust and coughing to last her. My first job from school, I remember ships 393/4 & 395. Conned by management to work in the General Stores until a vacancy came up in the Drawing Office. They knew it would never happen as the yard was on it's last legs. But I am glad that it happened, even though I escaped in May 1966 before the final closure. At 16 I had no idea what was going on but the pleasure that place gave me, then, and looking back is priceless. No wonder the Japanese could build ships cheaper than us. They did not have to paint the whole town whatever colour the latest ship was being done in. Almost every house in Blyth had a door/shed the same colour as the latest ship. The guy in the paint store, can't member his name just that he only had one leg, sold paint, ciggs, booze as well as pandering to the latest ships requirements. The Japanese blacksmiths did not have to make wrought iron gates for the foremen's drive ways, or basketball hoops, and fittings, for every gable end in Blyth. During the winter months the labourers could not be found to move flanges from the blacksmiths yard to the ship so welders and riveters stood idle. The labourers were busy keeping the foremen's stoves stoked up in the foremen's cabins. The general stores labourers would get one of the large wooden blocks, that were used in the dry docks around the ships keel, and bring it back to the store to be sawed up on the electric saw and made into bundles of sticks, for each foreman. Known locally as 'fxxxy' wood for the foremen to take home for the wives to light the fire and keep him warm at night! No idea how many blocks were used each month but they were always charged to the cost of the ship. Can't remember which store had the copper pipe but I do know it came in 21ft lengths. Labourers would come in with a chitty for ship 395 for 3 x 5ft lengths. They would be cut but the whole 21ft was charged to the ship and the 'scrap' 6ft was cut into bait-box size pieces and distributed, on a daily basis, to all the store lads, including me, to be sold to your local scrap man. I never saw what the carpenters were producing for the home. Saw what they did on the ships and it was fantastic. First encounter with a carpenter was when the store's manager was off at a meeting, I, at 16, was in charge and had to ensure the relevant team were informed when the GPO man delivered 395's ships bell from the foundry. The ship could not sail without it's identifying bell fitted. Bell delivered and GPO man left saying – 'see you tomorrow at 13:00 to collect the bell'. Can't remember who checked the bell was Ok but after checking the carpenter had to be told so he could build a crate for the bell. The bell had just arrived in a crate but a new crate had to be made! It would go off for engraving with the ship's name and where and when it was built. Carpenter came early the following morning, built the crate, and left. At 13:00 GPO man arrives –'where's the crate?, 'in the corner' my reply. 'Lids not fixed on, can't take that and got to be away in 5 minutes'. 'Hold on, I'll get a hammer and nails out of this massive store I work in'. Did that and lid nailed on and GPO man went away happy. I was beaming, quick thinking and the bell was off to be engraved and would be back in time to be fitted before the ship went off to sea on it's trials. Hero. Then I heard a union meeting. An unqualified person had been seen nailing a lid to a box and this could lead to a walk out! I had been seen putting the lid on the box by the person allocated to do the job. Two hours later the yard was back to normal. There would not be a walk out on this my first offence. I was to be reprimanded and it would never happen again. The union guy, 18 stone plus Terry Coppin, forman riveter pinned me to the wall with one hand and warned me – 'never do a skilled man's work again'. 'But Terry' I whimpered, 'the carpenter had left the lid off'. 'Yes' said Terry 'he had done the skilled job of making the crate. The putting on of the lid is unskilled work and that was to be done by the joiner, that saw you nailing it on'! Not half pleased ship 395 completed it's ships trial and made it into service. Thank you Foxy – I too owe you a pint, as long as you are a fully fledged skilled drinker.

How could anyone forget Mr. Hunt, especially the rest of the teaching staff, all female. Not that I am saying he harassed females, he just liked getting close. But the main things I remember about Mr Hunt's class were:- 1/4" graphite pencils for italic writing AND THEN HIS ARRAY OF PUNISHMENT TOOLS = bamboo canes; walking stick; 4ft blackboard ruler etc. and that enormous grin he made to the rest of the class whilst one of us bent over a desk and he took aim. It never did us any harm, that I am aware of.

Once again this new member dragging old topics back. Just to confirm the exact position of Barrington County Primary using Google Street View:- Coming from Bedlington Station, through the pit and onto the Barrington Road the school was just before the house/shop (that I think I have read about in History Hollow but can't recall, the name) where R Watson's Haulage & Storage site was when Google Street view passed in 2009. I have not been able to find a photo of the school, other than class photos, just this painting:- If you went straight past the school gates the track took you to 'The Clay Hole Pond' where the Class 6 pupils, under the guidance of Mr. Hunt, conducted Nature Studies once a week. Collecting into jam jars, for study in the Classs 6 large fish tank, were frog's spawn, frogs, newts (plain and crested), water boatmen etc. etc. If you did well in this class outing and recording back in class you got to attend Humford Baths for the weekly swimming lesson. I must be wrong but I can't remember ever getting a bus to Humford, Probably because we always walked from Coquetdale Place, with our 3d for 8 hours entrance money, to the baths. Any way, if you carried on past the clay hole you came to Red Row, where one of the lads from class 6 lived, can't remember his name. Just that when we went to his house, on a weekend, to use the fibre glass boat that had been dumped in the pond, this lad's mam always made us chips and put them in a news paper cone so we could go straight back out and clart about. As far as I can remember the Brick Works was approximately where there is a roundabout now, going back towards Bedlington Station, before Charlton's Removals (now closed). We were told the Brickworks used to get their clay from the area next to the school, hence the clay hole. I see the road off the roundabout is called 'Red Row Drive'.

Do not know if they would give up info but The Journal was contacted by some Bedlington pensioners, that may have some info. There was an article in The Journal in January about the campaign to save the library so it's also possible that's all they know about, the library:- Pensioners rally to save Bedlington Station library Posted by The Journal on Jan 6, 10 11:20 AM in News We'd like to hear from you. Send your stories, pics and videos to northumberland@ncjmedia.co.uk

You forgot to Roger the cabin boy! I These name lived with me for years until :- Libel case regarding double entendres There is a persistent urban legend, repeated by the now defunct UK newspaper the Sunday Correspondent, that ascribes sexually suggestive names – such as Master Bates, Seaman Staines, and Roger (meaning "have sex with") the Cabin Boy – to Captain Pugwash's characters, and indicating that the captain's name was a slang Australian term for oral sex.[2] John Ryan successfully sued both the Sunday Correspondent and The Guardian newspapers in 1991 for printing this legend as fact.[3] The origin of this myth is likely due to student rag mags from the 1970s.[4] That's Wikipedia for you, telling it as it really is and ruining are memories. Still a long way to go to bring me up-to-date with this site. Enjoying reading this topic but do not want to keep dragging you back to the topics you have already commented on :- Clayton Ballroom from 1965 - Roller Skating - Friday night dance, visits from Guidepost and Blyth lads wanting some of the action! Did they once try Wrestling at the Clayton? Raisbecks bus - Melrose Terrace, Bank Top, Terrier route to Top End and as stated avoiding all the United bus stops, but picking up anybody anywhere and exceeding the number of passengers allowed to stand (squash to gether)., on a Friday Fish & Chips - Wales and Patties - used them both, not on the same day. School days in 1960-65, kept me 5 bob dinner money so Monday to Thursday Moscadinies for half hour snooker & two bags of Tudor crisps with bag of salt. Fridays, sit in and have Fish, chips, bread & butter + glass of Tizer depending on how much money you had left by Friday. Men standing at A pit (entry by Barton Rafie) - I think that's where the pit bus picked up the workers, next to the corrugated roof structure that would be shelter or push bike stand? ved it to be the first in the county. Craigies disco - we always believed it to be the first discoteque in the county. Double Maxim looked like a point of engine oil. The landlady, can't remember her name absolutely loved it when a fight kicked off.

A thought just popped in as I was about to 'Friday night' pop out - South Row?

This may not be any help, and you may already be aware of it, but whilst looking on the www searching for Puddlers Row etc. a link I had not see before appeared, in my Google Chrome results, reference a Northumberland County Council document that I could not ignore, especially if it is one you expert researchers have not seen before:- http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/archaeology there is a reference to [PDF] Bedlington ... Produced by Rhona Finlayson and Caroline Hardie 1995-7 Revised by Alan Williams 2007-8 Strategic Summary by Karen Derham 2008 Planning policies revised 2010 ... www.northumberland.gov.uk/idoc.ashx?docid=42b1cb2f-98b2-4843-9aed-531444c13619&version=-1 I have downloaded and saved the document and the Chapters in the document are:- CONTENTS PART ONE: THE STORY OF BEDLINGTON 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Location, geology, topography 1.2 Documentary and Secondary Sources 1.3 Cartographic Sources 1.4 Archaeological Sources 1.5 Protected Sites 1.6 Summary history 2 PREHISTORIC AND ROMAN 2.1 Mesolithic and Neolithic 2.2 Bronze Age Cists at Mill Field 2.3 Later prehistoric 2.4 Roman 3 EARLY MEDIEVAL 3.1 Settlement 4 MEDIEVAL 4.1 Settlement 4.2 Bishop's Hall and Courts 4.3 Church of St Cuthbert 4.4 Leper Hospital 4.5 Bedlington Corn Mill 4.6 Properties 4.7 Market Place 5 POST-MEDIEVAL 5.1 Form of the Settlement 5.2 Market Place 5.3 Buildings in the town 5.4 Church of St Cuthbert 5.5 Corn Mills 5.6 Economy 5.7 Weaving 5.8 Coal Mines and Waggonways 5.9 Iron Working 5.10 Mills 6 NINETEENTH CENTURY 6.1 Form of the Settlement 6.2 Places of worship 6.3 St Cuthbert's Church 6.4 Wells 6.5 Blacksmiths 6.6 Bedlington Iron and Engine Works 6.7 Chain and Mail Manufacturers 6.8 Coal Mines 6.9 Waggonways 6.10 Railways

Times were hard, when I was a lad, only had enough money to get the bus to Whitley Bay! But you are all right and my memory has been jogged , thank you. North Shields, where they had the ferry, was the final destination. If you were rich you could get the ferry to 'sand-dancers' country - as you will have worked out, never been there.