Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)

Additional comment by Gloria Lawrie on the Bygone Bedlington Facebook site was :- 'I did have some self interest when I did the research for the Bedlingtonshire History Society with another member - started 2009 finished it 2011 - My ancestors had the Gardener's Arms, The Black Bull, The Tankerville, Barrington Arms and the Cross Inn. Maybe that is why I enjoy real ale! Last I saw of the research was at a FFHS exhibition at Stannington in 2011, but I thought it was going to Woodhorn. I still have most of my notes if any queries.'

Foxy, courtesy of one of his mates, comes up with the old pub sign - The Railway Tavern. Don't know the year the photo was taken but as the level crossing gates & warning light system are in place I would guess at after the wooden foot bridge was removed in 1973. 

Jakes Bar, Clayton Street. I know nothing about Jakes bar - when it opened or when it closed. Nothing on the www and even Google Street doesn't go past it!
However Joyce Scott ( Shep) wrote a comment on the Bedlington remembered Facebook site :- 'think back to the 60's do you not remember it as Thompson stores ? Went through several changes and it was opened by a local lass ( Vicky Buckham), as a cafe bar, and then Ivans Bar , then another local ( davy ? forget name) at min'

Turks Head Inn - a descendant (tracing family tree) of 'Petrie on the Ancestry site posted - "The Petrie's were Inn Keepers in Bedlington itself. Looking through the Census info, in 1841, the whole area was just listed as High Street, so not many clues, in 1851, there seem to be no actual addresses listed at all for Bedlington, but in 1861, an address was given. It is in Market Place, and looks like Howard 'something' (maybe Howard Arms ??) - Does this ring any bells with anyone ? It looks like it is between an adress called Kyles (or Wyles) Yard and the Turks Head Inn." - in the bedlington community site.

Also in the bedlington community site 'Fourgee' posted - "The Turks Head was the building next door to what is now the Market Tavern and later became the Terrier Plate Works, Millne department store, the Co-op, various supermarkets (kwik save and another I can't remember). It's now part of Tesco used for storage." Now that Tesco is no more I assume it is just empty awaiting it's next owner.

22 hours ago, threegee said:

Oliver Reed comes immediately to mind!  Can't think why. 

Neither can I     

Percy Arms - became Italian restaurant in 2013.

Did have a reputation in the 60's as the place for first shift workers to call in for a pint after work and the place where if you won a Domino Card you had the choice of cash or the chance to enhance your Carnal Knowledge. Never won a domino card!

The pub where me, and many others, spent most of our social life in mid & late 60s. Saturday nights normally ended with Mr Aisbet (and probably others) belting out old tunes on the piano accompanied by well lubricated voices.

Top Club - the last building it occupied was known as Garth House or The Laird's House, in Bedlington conservation area. The last time I checked for any info (months ago) it was up for sale on Rightmove site for £165,000. Don't know what the latest position is on sale or renovation of the property but I expect some members have some updates they could add to this posting.

Before moving to The Laird's House, after the fire, the club had temporary accommodation in a portacabin type structure. Can't find an photo of that cabin but expect Foxy might just have one, from the inside.

Wheat Sheaf Inn (pre 1886) - Front Street East - demolished in the 1950's and a block of flats built on the land. Wansbeck Court Care home now stands on the land. Info and image from 'james' on this site.

The Railway Tavern - can't find an image of this pub with a sign saying The Railway Tavern. In the early 60's the pub was referred to locally as Graigsie's (think that's the right name) after the tenants They said that this was the first pub in the North East to have 'discotheque' lights. The lights made your beer look the colour of sump oil and your black suit looked like it was covered in dandruff. Definitely one of the places for a fight at chucking-out time and normally the local copper - Big Jock (I think) was often on hand to calm things down or sometimes join in just for the fun of it.

When the photo with the text about the 'Monkey in the window so locals would know there was beer available' was posted on the Bygone Bedlington Facebook site the following comments were posted :-

Gloria Lawrie :- Sorry think that was a false story. I researched the origin of the name several years ago for a relative and descendant of 'Monkey Lizzie' and came to the conclusion it was called 'The Monkey' because their beer was supplied by the Harlepool Brewery. Hartlepool famous for hanging the monkey thinking it was a french man.

Gloria Lawrie :- Would be good if the story could be proved true! My relative has Monkey Lizzie's ring given to her by soldiers that frequented the pub after her husband's death. If you are interested I researched the pubs and ale houses of Bedlington for the History Society about six years ago. I thought our research was going to Woodhorn?

Gloria Lawrie Should add  - Eggy1948 - that Elizabeth Wilson (Monkey Lizzie) had the pub during the first world war. So it already had the nickname a long time before your uncle was born. Another story was that she was given a monkey as a present but couldn't find any truth in that one either.

Howard Arms - Changed it's name to The Neuk and that suffered fire damage. After the fire (can't find the date of the fire) became the Market Tavern. The Howard Arms gets an entry in the Bedlington Timeline document compiled by local historians :- 1956 Joe Steel, Bedlington’s champion eater was at it again. The then 42 year old munched his way through a 4 1/2 Ib steak and kidney pie about 1 foot in diameter and 3 1/2 inches deep in 17 1/2 minutes. to break another record and gain another championship by beating 24 year old Ted Stoddard of Ashington. The event was held in the Howard Arms, Bedlington on Monday August 6th.

Dun Cow - Front Street East. I believe this one has changed the most and I think the sequence was - The Dun Cow - Millfield - Connections - Dunn Cow - La Torre - but I could be wrong. Can't find any photos of when it was Connections.

After I posted the above comment on another site one reply was from Steve Hedley Goonan :- I used to be bar manager at connexions for Tommy, they spelled it with an X after a bar in Aviemore, we used to have a great time. 

Market Place Club. Has it ever been any different? Was it always in this building? Can't find any history etc. on this building.
he ground floor windows have changed since this photo of the Dr Pit banner was taken outside the Market Place club 1950 
Maureen Quait said - The Miners Picnic wasn't held in Bedlington until 1952, so they must have brought the cup back from Morpeth where it was held in 1950.

It was a member - 'Blank' - on this site that gave the date of the photo as 1950, 

Brenda Dalton  commented on the Bygone Bedlington posting :- Original building was used as accommodation for Glaxo Company Staff, who visited Glaxo Cambois from other Glaxo sites. Then the company changed its use to Glaxo Social Club.

Spotted a mistake in the text on the compilation photo, before I posted it then forgot to correct the text! The date, 1950, on the image of what I believed to be a crowd, for the Miners Picnic, outside the Sun should be 1952 or later. The event was held in Morpeth in 1950.

Joanna Jackson (Bygone Bedlington Facebook group) commented on the c1900 photo of the pub :- The lady standing outside is my G G Aunt Meggie Fender nee Morris.

 Sun Inn - famous for the murders of two policemen on 15th April 1913 and the murderer, John Amos, was hanged in Newcastle Gaol 22 July 1913.

Whilst looking for relatives headstones in the Bedlington Cemetary (Netherton Lane ) a Terry Maddison (Bygone Bedlington Facebook group) found this gravestone, in memory of the two officers - Pc George Mussell and Sergeant Andrew Barton.

Don't know when the Red Lion pub opened, taking over the premises belonging to a J. Tuck. 

Tony Green - Bygone Bedlington Facebook site commented :- the buildings at the Top End (next to the Police Station) were demolished and rebuilt in 1902.

Alma Inn - was next to Oliver's buildings on the top end of the Glebe bank.

Info from John Dawson :- Oliver’s Buildings was erected around 1850 and was a row of stone houses, erected by a builder named "Oliver" These houses were later leased to the Bedlington Coal Company for their employees and families.

Maureen Quait Bedlington Remembered Facebook site commented :- Did the Alma Inn become the "National Food Office" just after the war and into the early 50s? I can remember going somewhere that looked like that to collect orange juice and National Dried Milk when my brother was a baby. I also think that my grandparents may have lived in Oliver's buildings when they first moved to Bedlington. My grandad worked at the Dr Pit and I know they had lived somewhere down Glebe row until they got the house in Cornwell Crescent in 1921.

Extract from 1860 map showing Blackbird Hall but no ordnance survey abbreviations ( Public House  - PH) on this map. 

Updated info on the Cross Tavern :- Following some research by the Bedlingtonshire History Society, during 2009-11, by Gloria Lawrie and another member they discovered that the Ale House was known as the Cross Inn, not Tavern, and it was located in the Market Place approximately where the shop numbered 20A is located now.

Kings Head - Front Street West - Now officially The Grapes.

Maureen Quait - Bedlington Remembered Facebook site -  commented 'It used to have a large stone bunch of grapes hanging outside & it also used to have a plaque stating that it was the birthplace of Daniel Gooch, who invented the first rolled iron rails, which I believe were manufactured at the Bedlington Iron Works.'

John Dawson's c1970 photo.

Gardeners Arms, Front Street East. The info with the photo  - The landlord was a character called J.D.J. Metcalfe. A prominent and well respected breeder of Bedlington terriers and he bred them in kennels behind the pub - was from 'Keith's' posting on this site.

Foxy's image posted on the Bedlington Remembered Facebook site and Joyce Scott (probably Shep) posted an old painting of the Top End that has the Travelers Rest pub depicted in it. The painted name looks like TraveLLers Rest.   

Oneofthevillageschoolkids - a photo was posted on the Facebook site Bygone Bedlington and the comments from two ex Netherton residents were :-

 James Lee Aynsley  - "Is that old Netherton colliery cos it looks like the Clifton Row Joyce" ( Joyce [aka Shep from Bedlington] was the person that posted the photo)

& one reply was 

Robert Morland - "its clifton raw"

There were no other comments on the posting of this photo

On 3/16/2015 at 10:54, smokeysdad said:

Hi eggy just thought i would let you know back row is leslie fullar not tiffin

Cheers smokeysdad - photo updated