Jammy

Nelson Mandela’s son, Makgatho, died in 2005 from which illness? Cancer or Aids USA’s most popular postage stamp was produced in 1993 and 120 million were sold. What was the picture on the stamp? A Buffalo Which dinosaur had the smallest brain in relation to the size of its body? The one with the big club at the end of its tail. In which city can you find the famous street ‘La Rambla’? San Paulo, Brazil According to The Animals, where was The House of the Rising Sun? New Orleans What term do we use to describe the disintegration of a nuclear reactor? Melt down What do we call a female ferret? Jill In which group of islands is Iona situated? Inner Hebrides What shape is the body of a balalaika? Half lemon shape ½ ÷ ½ = ? 1 Who sailed around the world on The Endeavour? Captain Cook On which horse did Willie Carson win the 1989 Derby? Nishwan

If you are eligible(at least 6 months since your 2nd jab) you should arrange a visit. I've just checked the Covid app run by Dr Zoe and my area, Northumberland, has 7,110 active cases. That is up 1,756 from last week. Friends of mine, 77yrs and 80yrs, were at Guidepost scouts hut on sunday morning with an appointment time for their booster. The queue was down the street and they got their jabs 1hr after their allotted time. It was a shambles. I'm not surprised when it's walk in no appointment required. What is the point of making an appointment? The 3 areas of Bedlington have a total of 72 active cases and Sleekburn has 18. The cases are increasing. I'm not surprised, very few people are wearing a face mask or using the supplied gel in shops. The virus is going to run amok this winter.

The railway sidings were still there but last week a couple of railway workers from Leeds arrived with a JCB type vehicle complete a with digger bucket on the front. They said they were there to take the lines up in the sidings. They didn't know why. Opposite the old railway platform on the other side of the railway lines a compulsory purchase on the bottom part of the residents gardens has been made. That is most likely to provide space to build a platform. I was told a while ago that the rail side extension on the old Cruddis/Boots chemist was purchased and would be knocked down to provide access to the new platform. There is also a footway to be built over the railway line to be used when the gates are closed. Unfortunately we wont be able to play in the smoke and steam as we used to do all those years ago. However, we should be able to play in the diesel smoke!

What would you be doing if you practiced ‘banting’? Keeping chickens What is the motto of the Special Air Service? Who Dares Wins What colour is the Circle Line on a map of the London underground? Blue Who won his first Oscar for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest? Jack Nicholson What is the name for a dislike of foreigners? Which Australian motor-racing driver was World Champion in 1959, 1960 and 1966? Jack Brabham Which American car manufacturer produces the Firebird? Pontiac Whose biography did Clifford Irving fake? What is the maximum number on a Richter scale? 10 What was Dexy’s Midnight Runners first hit? Come on Eileen The skyline of which Italian city has been dominated since 1488 by a cathedral dome designed by Filippo Brunelleschi? Which plant can grow up to three feet in 24 hours? Bamboo or a plant that grows a flower spike quickly once in 10yrs.

I'm on Plusnet which uses the EE network. I live in Bedlington and haven't noticed any problem with my mobile signal.

There will be problems when the new station opens. The small car park near Tasty Bite is often full so luck is needed to obtain a space. The car park behind the Dress Doctor is always close to being full and the car park on the old Railway Tavern site may be reduced if part of it is or has been selected to build a platform. These car parks are already used by local traffic so not much spare capacity. The new station will attract traffic from further away. I foresee cars parked along Melrose and Jubilee Terrace, along the road to St Johns and Bridge Terrace and Stakeford lane. The parked vehicles will cause problems so yellow lines will appear, then where do they park? If a journey to Newcastle via train costs more than a bus then vehicles won't be a problem as the trains will hardly be used. For example: - who will travel by car to Bedlington Station from Stakeford(especially having to travel over those ridiculous humps in the road) when good a bus service is already available and the total journey time will be greater by train. This will also apply to Bedlington(top end) travellers. Initially the train will attract curiosity but I think the interest will soon subside and will struggle to break even. Local people may use it but it's all about journey cost. It may come down to how many workers at the battery factory use it. If bus passes can be used there will be quite a few older passengers but they are not what the train company wants as they don't generate much income.

@Cannylass thanks for providing some great quiz questions in the weekly quiz. Definitely appreciated by the group. Perhaps in the darker days of winter you will find time to put some more quizzes together even if not weekly. On behalf of the group a huge THANK YOU.

1. What are the six accepted colours of the Bedlington Terrier breed? Brown, Grey, silver, blue, tan, liver. 2. There can be no doubt that a Bedlington Terrier exists. What about a Bedlington Whippet – fact or fiction? Fact. 3. When did Bedlington railway station open? 1855 4. What was the motto of Bedlington Grammar School? Ever upwards. 5. Which of the following buildings is/are Grade II listed?: Trotter Memorial Drinking Fountain, The Old Vicarage, Netherton Blue House Farmhouse. The Old Vicarage, Netherton Blue House Farmhouse. 6. The parish of St. Bede, Bedlington, was established in 1876 under the care of which religious order ? The Benedictines 7. West Bedlington Town Council is a relatively young council. In which year was it created? 2016 8. Name the two police officer victims of the Sun Inn murders 15 April 1913? 9. What was the name of the somnambulist who, on St Valentine’s Day 1669, climbed a buttress of St Cuthbert’s Church and fell to his death when woken by a passer by? 10. Who invented the malleable iron rails for which Bedlington Iron Works became renowned?: Michael Longridge, George Stephenson, John Birkenshaw. John Birkenshaw 11. Name the parents of Sir Daniel Gooch? 12. East Sleekburn and West Sleekburn are recorded as early as 1183 in the Boldon Book. True or false? False 13. Bomarsund Coal Mine, which opened in 1905, was part of Bedlington Colliery. True or false? True 14. Bedlington was previously part of the County Palatine of Durham, belonging to the Bishop of Durham, When did Bedlington become part of Northumberland? 1778 15. The first ever recorded use of a Penny Black postage stamp was on a letter sent to Bedlington. To whom and at what address in Bedlington was the letter addressed? 16. Where in Bedlingtonshire can you see the Peter Burke’s sculpture “Janus” (the god of new beginnings) which symbolizes the changing face of Wansbeck? West from the Furnace bank car park along the black path 100yds into the Free woods. 17. Bedlington Golf Club opened in 1972. Who designed the course? Nick Faldo 18. Excluding its tributary, the River Pont, how long is the River Blyth from source to mouth along the river bank? 26 miles. 19. Which of the following services is NOT the responsibility of West Bedlington Town Council?: Bus Shelters, Children’s play areas, Waste and recycling. Waste and recycling. 20. Bedlington is twinned with which German town? Schautsmule 21. According to an old song: Hartley Pans for sailors, Bedlington for ……………? 22. 1836, Michael Longridge opened his own locomotive works at Bedlington. His first locomotive was built for the Stanhope and Tyne Railway. What was this locomotive called? Longridge 1

1. What would you expect to find in a pluvial region? In the sky 2. Where is Rupert Bear’s home town? Longwood 3. What is the surname of boxing brothers Leon and Michael? Sphinx 4. From which country does the wine Johannisberger come? South Africa 5. A nectarine is a cross between a peach and which other fruit? Plum 6. In what year did Salman Rushdie go into hiding? 1989 7. There are two Cleopatra’s Needles. One is in London, where is the other? New York 8. Who sang the theme song to the Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me? Carly Simon 9. Who in literature was haunted by the ghost of Banquo? 10. Into which sea or ocean does the Mekong river flow? China Sea 11. Which European prime minister was assassinated in February 1986? A Swede 12. What were The Kinks dedicated followers of in 1966? Fashion

Roseanne, this is what I use, sim wise. My iPad has a pay as you go O2 sim. The iPad rarely leaves my house so is ideal for me. My iPhone now has a Plusnet sim costing £6 a month on a 30 day rolling contract. The iPhone used to have an O2 sim installed costing around £20 per month on a 12 month contract. I use Plusnet for my broadband. I'm saving quite a few pounds per year with the iPhone. O2 used to drop phone calls when making them from home and often showed no service. With Plusnet(EE) I have a 2 bar stronger signal and have never had a call dropped or lost signal. Without knowing how much your O2 sim costs per month I will guess changing to Plusnet sims will save you money. You will use less data now your iPad is working. Should you decide to change you will find lower down on the Plusnet details page a box to type a number in. Type into the box the correct number supplied(by Plusnet) and you will retain your mobile number(takes a few hours from inserting the new sim into your mobile for your old number to be active). Should you go with Plusnet and find you don't have sufficient data you can easily upgrade to a higher data amount. As I said previously type to someone at Plusnet to ensure their sim will work in your iPad. If you have any questions let me know.

You will need a sim with data if you want to use the iPad away from home. You could swap your O2 sim into your iPad if its the correct size. If it works you won't be able to receive or make phone calls. Because you have Plusnet broadband you will get a better deal on a sim, ie: more data for the normal sim price. I've had a quick look at the Plusnet site for sim only deals. This is what I've found: - 4GB - £6, 12GB - £8, 20GB - £20 - £10 on a 30 day rolling contract plus on any deal you will get an extra 2GB because you are a Plusnet broadband customer. You can use your iPad at home to access the site and speak(type) to someone to ask about the suitability of their sims for an iPad. I'm sure the sim will be ok. Also, you may find a Plusnet sim will be cheaper than your O2 sim and you can keep your existing number. I changed to Plusnet from O2 for my iPhone. Plusnet use the EE network. Sorry, I should have typed 20GB - £10. OOPS