Keith Scantlebury

You're right Merlin, the thing is you should be able to see for yourself instead of relying on texts. The schools are on holiday, which means you can get out of your back lane. :whistle:

I bet they would be easy enough to make Mr.D. I know the Mrs got some fabric chaps for our daughter fro Keith Muter on the Barrington road. They have velcro fastenings. Just an afterthought, have you tried Go Outdoors at Westerhope. They seem to stock pretty much everything and there may be some walking/hiking chaps that may be of some good, or adaptable

The xmas lights last longer than the flowers!!! sad isn't it. I do agree, the tubs etc. do look nice, but as I said they don't detract from the tatty state of the buildings.

I agree entirely. I don't think there is a single town in the country that has not got a problem with with untidiness on Friday or Saturday night to some extent. The thing is, some of them address/tackle the problem better than others. As far as the empty properties go in the Market Place, I think you could be right Foxy, somebody buys up properties like these then treads water to see how things develop arround them. That in itself would create a run down town centre. Johnsons own the land behind the shop down to the wall by the car park [at least they did when I lived there] so it is potentially a valuable property [does it still belong to Clive Johnson?] As far as I know, nothing is planned for the Station, other than what Malcolm mentioned about the Metro, wether anything comes of that, who knows. The shops that trade on Ravensworth Tce seem to make the best of a bad thing as that terrace does not seem to be in the best of conditions. Other than the Station Cafe [Mario's/Moskies] being turned into a takeaway, nothing much, structurally, has changed along there in decades. I drove past the Clayton yesterday, there are no less than 7 panes of glass broken, the landlord is obviously sick of replacing them [understandably so]. So what is to be done, brick them up?, put caging over them?, employ doormen? ccv. tv.? or simply close the place and have the same thing happen with the Clayton as Jakes bar. Having the flower beds outside the Station building and to the entrance of the car park on Whitley Tce. are pretty, but they are less noticeable to the visitor than the tatty state of the buildings. I mentioned earlier about the approaches to the Top end looking nice, ie entering by the golf course, Nedderton and Choppington. I came in to the Station from Blyth yesterday. On leaving the Spine road there are plenty of grassed areas that would simply benefit from more regular cutting [i have seen mower drivers taking a short cut over the grass to avoid waiting at the lights, could they not cut it while doing so?] Turn left at the lights and drive up St. Johns Road [ John S.N.R.G. lives there, he could confirm?] Weeds are growing on the path on the left hand side the length of the road. Admittedly, some are coming from the gardens on Kings road, in wich case the tennants need telling, but a large ammount are growing between the paving flags. This does not give a good impression to the visitor and it hardly costs a fortune to put right . The sides of the railway line, inside the chainmail fencing are overgrown [very visable through the fence] it would not take much money or effort to tidy it up, whoever is responsible for it. As far as the occupied buildings are concerened the authorities should be telling the owners/tennants to get them tidied up [a lick of paint as doglover suggests]. The takeaway food shops should be made to pay towards the cleaning up of discarded wrappers/boxes, their names are on many of them. If their customers don't act responsibly, [ students from the high school at lunch times are as guilty as anybody ] then they should take the flack [ catering vans in laybys etc. have to] as part of their trading agreements. It does not have to cost a fortune to cosmetically clean the place up and instill a sense of pride of their environment into the People who live and work in Bedlington Stn, and, for that matter, the Top End/Market Place.

TomTom, There is NO comparison. The Station is the dreery backwater to the Top Ends freshness. Even though the Village Infant school and Elliotts garage are empty and falling to bits, there is still something planned for them [admittedly it is a ball ache that they are taking their time about it, Foxy's pet subject]. Jakes Bar at he Station however, has been stood empty and rotting for about 10 years now. The shutters have been up at the Clayton news since last year. Shops are closing all the time, Tanyas is the latest. We have had a dellicatessan [is that how you spell it] open in the last couple of weeks, with the help of our butcher, Bobby Cowell. The Station is a kebab and pizza takeaway Mecca, WE HAVE 9 including Chinese,[1] Indian,[1] Fish and Chips,[2] a Sandwich shop,[1] Pizzas and Kebabs. [4]. Many of their custmers do not know how to use a litter bin ,it seems and we have the best fed rat population in the county. We have 3 pubs, The Clayton, The Railway Tavern, The Percy Arms and a club. No matter what the licencees do, smokers will chuck fag ends on the pavement, that is not something that just happens at the Top End, it happens [disgustingly] everywhere. Come to the Station TomTom, it is obvious that it is some time since you have been down here, [if you have, you have had your eyes shut] then you can tell me that I am bleating on about nothing if you then think that the Top End's plight is as bad as ours.

Malcolm, No matter how it is dressed up,Heritage award or whatever, the "Top end" still gets money to make it look pretty, we get nothing, not even a hanging basket. As I said earlier it is supposed to be all Bedlington now, not two seperate places. You can easily see the difference when you turn left at the finger post [ jeez it's along time since that whent, I'll be calling the Percy Arms the High House next] onto Rothesay Tce/Victoria Tce going towards the Station all you see is a sea of FOR SALE and TO LET boards. It really takes a turn for the worse when you get passed the Spa garage and the High House, oops. I do not begrudge the Top End the money that is spent there, its just that WE want some as well. Putting the Metro station at the end of the Barrington Rd is a fat lot of good to any of us, as you say it should be where the original platform is. I wonder if they are thinking of putting it where the concrete works are, they can build a park and ride to entice people from Ass-ington and New-bogin etc. Well they can bog off and get their own [as in leisure centre]. I suppose we could charge them an extortionate fee to use it, that way , we in the station will get our hanging basket. UMPH

I've signed the petition. Since the closure of the railway station [as far as I am aware] Bedlington and Bedlington Station became, simply, BEDLINGTON. We have the same postcode NE22. The same people "Lord it" over all of us. The division appears when there is money to dish out, then "Bedlington" gets it, not the "Station". I wonder where that million quid went to Malcolm, because there is no sign that it was spent down here. When the Palace estate was tidied up a few years ago, I thought here we go, are we going to get a revamp in the Station?, obviously not. The Palace estate [Kings and Queens] had the houses painted and walls/wrought iron fencing erected instead of the open grassed area to the front, the fact is now the residents have to maintain and keep tidy that area now and the landlord does not have to pay for grass cutting every week in the summer. They have since [2010] had new roofs. The buck has simply been passed to the tenant. "Bedlington Station" will never be afforded the same respect that "Bedlington" enjoys. That is the way it has and always will be. People dont want to come and live here. Houses are hard to sell, in comparrison to the top end. Those flats that were built on the site of the old Palace night club cant be given away for love nor money. The houses built opposite the Station club/Station first school are proving difficult to sell. I live in Burnside. Now to many of you Burnside estate is the pits and the people who live there scum. Not everybody in Burside is bad. There are about six or seven people who have lived here since the estate was built [completed in 1937] and the fact remains that very little has been done here since then. Central heating, double glazing [completed this year] the odd kitchen upgrade, by we are spoilt aren't we. The estate road is a wreck and is far too narrow, nobody had cars when the estate was built. If anywhere needs off road parking [like the palace estate] it is here. Because of the cars parked on the street/footpath, a fire engine would find it near impossible to get to a house fire, the bin wagon struggles and it comes after people have left for work. We in Burnside are a classic case of the "BEAN COUNT" system. Set the cost of any compensation claim against the cost of improvements. I was talking to one of those old residents the other day and he was telling me that at one time , in the not so distant past, people wanted to live in Burnside, now, they dont even want to live in the Station , period. So, you good people of the TOP END , the next time you drive through the Station, instead of rushing through incase somebody has the wheels off your car 'cos you are driving too slow, take a good look, you do not know how lucky you are, in comparrison. You really do have it all.

Bedlington Stn. has always played second fiddle to the Market Place and the Top end. The roads in and out of Bedlington up there have always been made to look good, as with the town centre. We in the station, however, have to make do with the odd road sweeper [if we are lucky]. The local businesses pay for the xmas decorations and as far as I know, the council put them up and take them down, it is now AUGUST and they are still up. It is about time a compulsory purchase order was taken out on Jakes bar, it can surely be only fit to knock down now. Why is it taking so long to lease The Clayton News shop, I can only assume the rent that is being asked of the place is too high, or the business allowed is too restrictive, who knows. Instead of being used as a drop in coffee shop for a few old cronies, [ a lot of the time] The Bedlington Stn residents accociation needs to get themselves sorted and the issues with the state of the Station brought to the attention of the powers that be. [ they are already aware of the plight of the place, they just choose to ignore it]. I feel that nothing will be done about regenerating [for want of a better word] unless the railway station is re-opened and all they have done in the past few years is talk about it, nothing else. Oh, sorry, the odd ride on a train through the station for a few handwaving - to the minnions- chain wearing dignatories. Lets face it, Bedlington Stn, compared to the top end, hardly has a mention on bedlington.co.uk , does it? We in the Station will always be seen to be the banjo playing, slack jawed cousins to those who reside in the more affluent, cash rich top end with it's posher pubs and restraunts [not like our greasy kebab and pizza takeaways]. Even in Winter, the snow is dirtier down here. Enough now, I am geting virtigo on this soap box

I must admit I agree with Charlie on this one, parents should be responsible for looking after their own kids in the park. But we do live in a "where theres blame, theres a claim" society. Was there not a child who drowned there [or in another council owned paddling pool] or seriously injured a few years ago? I do know there was an issue with broken glass in the pool at one time.

Crazy golf? I agree, all golf is crazy

MERLIN !!!!! You had to open your big piggin mouth didn't ya. Now where am I gonna go to drink my cider and meths in peace, ffs man nothing is sacred.

A few people and hostelries in Rothbury were relieved of some hard earned reddies because they were taken in by Ryman and Mortakis. They regularly traveled between Blyth and Rothbury in a taxi with someone [for some reason] following behind in Rymans Range Rover.

Merc, the wife and I went to a meeting with NBSL in Ass-ington last Wednesday and had a very informative meeting with a business advisor called Alan Grieves. He has given us some contacts for low intrest loans and grants. Your friend can do himself no harm at all by making an appointment to see him. I will pm you my phone number if you want to ring me.

Nothing new really and it will always happen as long as there is a cesspit called THE PALACE OF WESTMINSTER for them all to meet. John Ryman [remember him?] he was the daddy of them all. He set the benchmark for the benchmark.

I just read that FIFA told the Brazilians to build a venue to stage the World cup 2014 draw. This cost the Brazilian tax payers £18,000,000 for the 100 minute event. £180,000 per minute. £3,000 per second. Who can justify extravegance on that scale given the state of the world as it is at the moment.

And that, Malcolm, is what is commonly known as having faith in ones equipment and even more commonly known as a F@%$@ing idiot !!!! FFS.

Looking at Englands group to qualify for Brazil 2014. Poland, Ukraine, Montenegro,Moldova,San Marino. I wouldn't rush out to book a flight to Rio just yet.!!!! Any one of those, including San Marino could scupper England.

There seemed to be plenty there Foxy. I intended to go but as it happened I had other things to do at home, but it was nice to see that they had a good turn out. Ian Bell is one of the major Yamaha dealers in the U.K. and that alone is down to shear hard work, you are absolutely right the business is a credit to Bedlington.

The most expensive event to compete in is -believe it or not- Water Polo.............. The cost of replacing those polo ponies after drowning one every couple of minutes or so is astronomical.

....... or with those who attend the Haltwhistle lifeboat open day

Will have to meet up Brian,are you coming back for a holiday or has Oz had enough of ya? :rofl:

Cheer up Merlin mate, you have all of those old ladies to wrestle with when they try to get out the wrong way again.

I saw ABU HAMZA outside Morrisons with 6 bags of heavy shopping earlier today. It looked like he was needing a hand.

Had Amy Winehouse not been in the public eye, this would just be another smackhead getting exactly what she deserves. Like any other substance/alcohol abuser who's life has ended this way, she has left a family behind who, I expect will be absolutely devastated. She is no different from those who take these family and life wrecking drugs while living on the streets or in some seedy squat, those people too have a family [well most of them] who have been torn apart by the evils of heroin and crack cocaine. Amy Winehouse was an incredibly talented singer with a lifetime of fame and success ahead of her, it was she who chose to live the life she did. My sympathies today tend to lay with the parents of those poor unfortunate kids camping in Norway, NOW THAT TRULY IS A TRAGEDY. Amy Winehouse had a choice, those Norwegian kids did not.

Bailey, Is there a paper petition as well as this e-petition ? Malcolm, You seem a little wary of this petition, do you have reason to think we should be? I for one have wasted no time in signing it.