Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)

@AllanUK & @Canny lass - on the Facebook group Bygone Bedlington there is one posting showing two photos of the old St Bede's church and each one has the text 'Catholic Church,Bedlington.' The posting by a Robert Cox :- and there were only two comments from other members :- I posted a comment a couple of days ago asking for any further info but I have had no response from any member. Theses are the two photos Robert posted + a couple of Google street view, 2009, images of Catholic Row with one photo added to the Google views.

1. Who beat Holland in the 1978 World Cup Final? Answer = 2. In the drink ‘Gin and it’ what is ‘it’? Answer = 3. Who was Adolf Hitler’s mistress? Answer = 4. In which sport did Wilt Chamberlain and Alton Byrd achieve fame? Answer = 5. Quetzel – is it animal, vegetable or mineral? Answer = 6. In which county are all ten of England’s highest peaks? Answer = 7. Nemesis was the Greek goddess of what? Answer = Revenge 8. What term for a turncoat was especially applied to a Christian who turned to Islam? Answer = No idea whatsoever 9. What is a male honeybee called? Answer = 10. What was the title of the 1990 World Cup anthem, sung by Pavarotti? Answer = Nessun Dorma 11. The signal ‘England expects that every man shall do his duty’? was supposedly sent before which battle Answer = 12. What is the eighth sign of the zodiac? Answer = I’ll bet you didn’t know …. Mary Queen of Scots became Queen at the age of one week. Answer = I did – it was on QI

@Canny lass - questions asked on FB group - awaiting replies-

@Canny lass - @AllanUK - just checked the info in the Gallery album for St Bede's and the web address in there is is no longer active so looks like CL's above link to the online site has taken over. This is the entry in the album :- @AllanUK - the only other images I can find on the Facebook Group - Bygone Bedlington - are wedding photos = wedding groups standing outside the church entrance.

@AllanUK - haven't found the one(s) I thought I had see. I've searched the Bygone Bedlington Facebook group. All I have found at the moment is this aerial shot that @John Fox (foxy) posted. There wasn't a date with the photo but it has to be between 1953, when the B.U.D.C shelter, to the right of The Red Lion as you look at the photo, and the early 1970's, as the Trotter monument hasn't been moved for the building of the roundabout and dual carriageway down the Glebe bank. @Canny lass

@AllanUK I think all the photos of St Bede's that we have on this site are the school class photos in the 'Gallery' album - St. Bede's Primary & Senior School - in page 2 of the Historic Bedlington section. Have you looked through the album? I think I have seen a photo having been taken in the alley way between Hartford Road West and the old Police Station but I will have to do some searching. Let you know, one way or the other, what I find.

Well I'll still enjoy life whilst the development is in progress and finally completed - but Roll on 2025 and we should see the state of things. You never know by 2025 we might all have taken a step back in time, as importing is getting more difficult, and we will have gone back to the early part of the 20th century days to growing our own produce in our gardens and following the local horse and trailer sellers for horse manure

That sounds like a good idea but would they have to leave out a gymnasium area? I wonder if the paramount Health & Fitness Club, on the Glebe Road, would be involved or would they loose their business in the area? Nowt to do with Bedlington but just what happens to small businesses when a shopping complex with additional facilities opens. I know an ex work mate of mine opened the Aspire Health & Fitness club, Newgate Street, Morpeth but I don't know if she and her husband were aware of planned new leisure centre facilities. They bought the premises, 76, Newgate Street just before covid hit so all their plans were nocked back months and now they have opened and have some members I wonder how long their members will stay with them when the new leisure centre gym opens.

I had heard that when Tesco pulled out all the small retailers also backed away. Naturally as that's just what I heard I have no idea what went on behind the scenes and at the council meetings. I assume all the minutes from all the meetings involving every stage of the development, that has gone on for years, are available to the general public. Reading the minutes, or attending council meetings, It's not something I have ever thought I could pass a few hours/days of my time doing.

If they had an Ann Summers shop on Front Street then the footfall could be monitored and then we would know who was working from home. This isn't totally accurate but the best I could do - Market Place area & Cramlington Manor Walks and Concordia area (car parking areas outlined in yellow) :-

@PetePete I know what you mean Pete – it’s the same here. There are quite a few who only do home visits. The wife uses a hairdresser that used to rent a space (one chair, bench and mirror) in a local Hair Salon. The covid lockdown resulted in that hairdresser starting to work from home and she has now converted one of her rooms into her ‘one person at a time’ salon. Once I got to my teens, mid 1960’s, I hardly went to a barbers. I preferred the hippy style to the Teddy Boy brylcreemed wave. These days I never go to a barber or have a home visit – It’s a do-it-yourself hair shaver job with a No 3 guard so one length all over.

@rosco Do you think the space now under development at the Market Place would have been large enough to hold a leisure facility, with all the amenities, for the whole of Bedlington? Bearing in mind I think it would have to have it’s own car park. I know we all would prefer to see a thriving Front Street but would we all be prepared to spend more in the individual family Butchers, Bakers, Greengrocers, Florists etc. than we would in a Supermarket? Even for those that could afford to pay extra for their weekly shop there are still many more that would prefer the cheaper option. If Bedlington did not have Supermarkets would the town’s folk, with transport, shop elsewhere. I know a few relatives, from Bedlington Station, do their weekly shop at Blyth (Cowpen) Asda and only use the Station Co-op and corner shops for the odd items they may need through the week. One of our daughters used to be in charge of the Guidepost Co-op But still did a large shop at ASDA.