Keith Scantlebury

It's just a pity that the grass is'nt lower Stephen. The buck will always be passed and someone else blamed, but the grass will still grow. The thing is, this cannot be hidden. It is there for all to be seen and those responsible for it should be thoroughly ashamed. I wonder what it would be like if all our parish councillers lived here. On another note my wife saw some teenagers trying to sell some marigolds in Burnside, guess what ? ....... both of those barrels are now devoid of flowers.

Nor me

Drove from the Bank Top under the black Bridge an hour ago. You can hardly see the seats for grass and the long grass and weeds are right up tp the roadside now. I also noticed that some selfish, thieving lowlife has nicked the marigolds out of the barrel nearest the pavement in front of St. Johns.......... why bother ? !!!

I did'nt think that would get out !!!

please dont !!!!

Well at least we agree on something Malcolm.You never know, someone with a bit of nouse might even notice and realise Bedlington continues beyond the Front streets and the Market Place. Just because the Raisbeck has stopped running dosent mean you cant get to the station anymore, it is still there.

To be honest I could not give a monkeys chuff who pays for what,...... the..... grass.....needs.....cutting....... 'cos the place is a bloody mess.

well that counts some of us out then Malcolm

An old farmer once told me his take on it a few years ago. " Its all them old bed irons and other junk they're sending into space, playing havoc with the weather ". Who's to say he is wrong ?

Some flowers have been planted in the raised beds and hanging baskets put up !!! A half barrel has been placed in front of St. Johns and planted with marigolds. Just a pity they never cut the grass , weeded and re-planted the existing beds first.

Same old, Same old. "There is nothing better for them to do" BOLLIX !!! How many times have we heard that being said over years? Whether they have nothing better to do or not, this does not warrant wanton vandalism in any shape or form.I dont think for one minute that those responsible for this are children, therefore we should presume that they know right from wrong, making this act of destruction even harder to understand. However, I do agree that there is a lack of facilities for the kids ( same old, same old) and there needs to be something for them to do, but, do events such as this offer any incentive for anyone to help them get the facilities they want.? I would really like the people responsible to be put in front of the magistrate with the toughest reputation, with the people who paid for the tables, the people who worked hard erecting them, some of the people who have now been depraived of using them and the police. Collectively I think they may come up with a suitable punishment and somehow I dont think "something to keep them occupied at Gallgher Park" would be considered.

Brettly, you are doing just fine without it mate, ha ha. Just drive in the opposite direction to that of which the NCC gardeners vans and grass cutters are travelling, you may just find Bedlington Station among the weeds and undergrowth. The Station itself ? long gone, long forgotten and never to be ressurected it seems. (looks like my sarcasm button is working just fine, sunshine)

Wheres the Station ? EXACTLY !!

ya wrong bedie, I like a BIG drink

I took my son for his first drink down the pub. I bought him Foster's, he didn't like it, so I drank it. I bought him John Smiths, he didn't like it, so I drank it. This happened with the Carlsberg, Guinness, Stones, LCL and so on. By the time we got through the whisky and other spirits I could hardly push the pram home. !!!

Agreed. The Station next, possibly?

Les Dawson again, "We used to go to Ireland every year to see the mother in law, she lived in Birmingham, but she looked better from Ireland".

Les Dawson again, "There was a knock at the door, I knew it was the mother in law because the mice were throwing themselves into the traps".

Now, you're not going to tell me that Torchie the Battery Boy was not real are you?. Next you'll be spreading rumors that a collie called Lassie never actually travelled hundreds of miles from the highlands of Scotland to Yorkshire making loads of friends on the way just to be with the son of a miner. Or that Skippy never saved people from wells and mine shafts and many other life threatening scenarios in the Australian Bush. Just don't burst any more bubbles for me please !! I have just composed myself after finding out that Mr. Ed was not really a talking horse !!! (I was devastated)

Street

Not sure, I do know that a spectator was hurt. Whether that was the reason for the demise of the grasstrack there I dont know. The sand racing stopped as well but that was for conservation reasons I think. The trials were moved up to the Rothbury area and I cant remember where the scramble was moved to .

No heaps if they were on the coast , Bates Cambois Lynemouth etc. The spoils whent out to sea. Sea coal washed up. The beaches were dirty. I really cannot understand why anybody would prefer to have that pitheap here. We now have a much cleaner place to live. As far as unemployment is concerned, I was lucky I started as an apprentice at Ashington farm, 2 weeks after leaving school in 1971. A few of my mateswhent down the pit and couldn't wait to get out. I would like to bet that there was just as mny unemployed then than there is now, if not more. Ted Heaths government, the 1st miners strike, the 4 day week, electricity rationing / power cuts. Yep they were the good old days ! Yes the pits did provide work, they kept local businesses and suppliers / fringe trades going etc. (including hospital wards and pulminary units) There was a certain cameraderie among the workers. BUT give me the much cleaner place which we live in now. You really did have to be there Adam!

Bedlington & District Motor Club used to have their grass track meeting there Keith, not just the sidecar, solo machines as well. They also had the occaisional trials meetings on the free side, but mostly they held them at Plessey woods. Their sand racing was held at Duridge Bay. That meeting drew riders from all over the UK as well as works riders from BSA, NORTON, TRIUMPH etc. I remember my dad hammering two BSA works riders. He had asked BSA if a certain bike could be modified for sand racing, they laughed at him and said no, so he did it anyway. Guess what, two works riders turned up with the very same bike,.... modified. My dad knocked them into a cocked hat, he didnt just beat them he absolutely left them stranded.

some of them were half decent Keith, our Frank was the county keeper. He had one or two opportunities to go pro. He played for the Police and he now trains referees.

Youre doddering memory is correct.