Eileen

Eggy iv just recieved a photograph on face book, there is a site meeting of gnomes at George Stephensons Railway Museum, pink pigs there as well as George, Ian, Norman and Roly, I cant make out the rest, but maybe Wilf is there.

was th tearoom upstairs opposite boots, I can remember going somewhere in morpeth, the waitress's wore white aprons and hats and brought a selection of cakes on a cake stand, I only went once but never forgot it.

I dont know his name but he's tall and nearly always wears a cap, he's a really nice guy, iv been having a bit of a winge about the girl behind the counter, but iv found everyone says how helpful he is. Iv been to the Indian restaurant at stannington tonight and had a lovely meal. I was telling my friend the story, and she started telling me about how the nice man had helped her, we should set up the nice man at the lion garage fan club.

Everybody in Bedlington knows the Lion Garage and the owners im sure, Ive had acouple of problems lately, the first was putting air in my tyre( im sorry but im one of those woman who dont know the front end of a car from the back) anyway the son came over and helped me, he was lovely proper gentleman. Then earlier this week on leaving home discovered i had no water in my windscreen washers, i could hardly see as my windscreen was covered i tree sap,having parked under a tree all weekend. No problem, i needed petrol il get water from the garage, filled up with petrol, asked the girl behind the counter for water, would have paid for it if id had too as i work 5 mile north of morpeth. She looked at me as if i was stupid " we dont do water" she said, but most garages do i said, " well we dont only garages with an outside tap do water, we dont have one". Then i spotted my knight in shining armour, excuse me i said why dont you have water, to which he replied "of course we do" the watering can was in the doorway, and the tap just outside, he fiiled the watering can for me, lovely man, he couldnt understand what she,d said as she uses the tap everyday? He said he would have a word with her, i put the can back and informed her id left water in for the next customer, to which i got a stroppy reply, so i thanked her for being so unhelpful, more attitude so i told her she had an attitude problem, her reply whatever, whatever, whatever,. I will go back, but will check to see if she is working, and thank you to the lovely man who is always so helpful, just a shame about 1 member of staff.

I think i was probably about ten years old, my best friends father owned a newspaper shop at Bedlington Station, so we spent quite a bit of time playing about behind what used to be Rockets the shoe repairers, there was a barber sop there as well, and Houghtons the show people had caravans parked there. The Gables health centre is there now. Where there is a gap now, next to the pizza shop but further back there used to be an old barn, my friend and i used to sneak in and spent many a happy time playing there. Anyway one day i went to her house and she says she has something to show me, the old barn had been demolished, which was a bit sad, but the workmen had found two swords hidden in the building, she said her father kept one and im sure she said the other had gone to a museum, she showed me the sword they had kept, i cant remember what it looked like. So i was wondering has anyone heard anything about these two swords, or does anyone remember the old barn.

Hi George, so do you think taking a cutting wont work, i know i took cuttings of a hydranger last year and theve taken great, I thought rooting powder would do the trick. Glad of your advice, i love gardening but i dont know a lot about taking cuttings.

Whats the difference between a bush and a shrub, maybe you should call it a shrub before someone gets into trouble. Yes Keith i was serious about a cutting, im off during the school holidays, so maybe i could get a cutting then, and at the same time show you the photographs i have, im a computer idiot, so maybe you could download them, ( I think thats the term) for me, if thats ok, or point me in the direction on how too. Please dont chop your bush(sorry shrub) down till i get my cutting.

Hi Paul, welcome.

I can remember an old washer in my parents wash house, or wesh hoose, it was a square green metal thing, it had a lid on top with a handle, you put your boiled water in and clothes, put the lid on and turned the handle, must have been hard work. I also remember my mam getting her first electric washing machine, with a mangle on the top. My younger brother was always getting into mischief, he must have been about 3 so il have been 7, i walked into the kitchen to see his arm going through the mangle, i can remember screaming and pulling his arm out, my mam had to make me a cup of tea to calm me down, she then took him to Mr Cole who was a first aid man at the pit, my brother got away with a bruised arm and never shed a tear, unlike me. Can anyone else remember Mr Cole.

Hi Keith, love the flowers, sorry i dont know what its called, but any chance of a cutting. I hope you realise im going to spend the rest of my weekend trying to fine the name of your bush, thank u.

Oh yes I remember the country dancing, did we not do it at the youth club as that didnt burn down in the fire?

strange how memories come back, and this is a strange one. one of my mam neighbours gave me a stuffed seagull, why i dont know, I told Mr Ferguson about it and he told me to bring it too sc hool, I did, and the school burnt down the next day, Keith do u think the seagull did it?

Hi Keith, just been reading through woody school memories. There were two fires at the woody school, my grandma lived at 11 Albert Road 3 houses from the school, my mam had been there on a saturday night and came home to tell us there had been a fire but not to much damage i think it had been started outside the gym door. The second fire was huge, my uncle Jim who lived with my grandma came to tell us, I remember helping to give out cups of tea to the fireman. It was definately 1969 as my grandma died that year as well, she was born at Hirst Head farm in 1895.

I grew up playing down there as my friend Hilarys grandparents lived at woodside, I think playing around the ruins is what sparked my interest in history, but now when i go there i will think about those poor children who worked there, im so glad times have changed. Thank you John

Well u learn something new everyday, I always thought the budge was the shelter on the corner opposite the church, thank u for making my night, so funny.

I was a Mona Taylor baby as well back i 1956, my mam used to talk a lot about a midwife call Nurse Dunbar, it later became an old peoples home and changed its nam e to Thomas Taylors.

Re the picture of the woman standing in the field, the woman standing on the far right is my grandmother Eleanor Ester Latty, she lived at thr farm with her mother Mary Todd and her two brothers William who died in thr first world war, and Robert, who is in the other photograph, standing in a field with the horse. I have quite a few postcards sent to Hirst Head, especially ones sent from France from my uncle Rob to my gran who he called Nelly. I have a couple of photographs taken around 1900 as well. If anyone has any more photographs I would love to see them.

Hi this is my uncle Robert Latty

i do, the lady on the far right is my grandmother, Eleanor Ester Latty, she was born at Hirst Head in 1895, had 2 brothers Robert, and William who wa killed in the first war, I have postcards addressed to Hirst farm from him to my grandmother whom everyone called Nelly, my great grandmother lived at the farm as well, she was called Mary, as for my great grandfather Robert Todd, he is a bit of a mystery. My grandmother married James Purdy, whose brother George, John wrote a book about him. I do have a couple of photos taken at Hirst Head, I would love to find out more. Eileen

what was tarry toot?

hi keith yes its me, thank u for the advice

Iv lived in bedlington all my life except for a brief period 1976 to79. My dad worked at the old co-op which is now millfield court, he did everything from working in thr warehouse, delivering milk by horse and cart, and driving the funeral hearse. In the 1950s we used to have a sign in our wash house window Board Kept Here, when someone died there would be a knock on the door anytime day or night so they could collect the board to lay out the body. When i was a child i was convinced the dead bodies were in the wash house, i still have the sign. When my mam and dad married in 1947 they rented a flat in Hollymount Hall, have spent years trying to find photos, without any luck can anyone help. I will stop now as i will be here all night, just wish my dad was still here, he had loads of stories about bedlington, i think he entertained many fellow drinkers in thr black bull with his tales.