Malcolm George Allan

Thanks Alan have connected.

Hi I would like to thank Muriel Gordon and Billy Straughan for making the effort of attending the Red Lion on Sunday 14th September the weather was really bad raining cats and dogs, we were joined by Bill Marley a great orator and Terry Dobson old friends of mine along with my best friend from Ipswich Diane. Also Russell Hogg and his mates were an example of Bedlington hospitality as they remembered me by my nick name which I am not going to divulge as I have grown out of that now been a senior citizen. Alan Edgar can you assist me I am trying to contact Muriel Gordon on Facebook but there is a lot of Muriel Gordons in the world if you gave Muriel my Facebook contact for friend it's Malcolm Allan thanks Alan.

Hi I have lived in Glastonbury Town for 35 years, as you know we all have heard of Glastonbury Festival which takes place at Worthy Farm Pilton generally last week of June, I have been many times, I know Michael Eavis not well but I have met him on a few occasions, I don't go to Pilton (Glastonbury Festival) anymore the last time I was there in a sea of mud met Herbie Hancock and thanked him for all the great music he has performed from Miles Davis to his own band the Headhunters, he was a very nice man. What is unique about Glastonbury, been one of the seats of early Christianity one of the most prestigious Abbeys in Britain until it was ransacked by King Henry the VIII and the Abbot Richard Whiting Hung ,drawn and quarted and left hanging in the Tower at the top of Glastonbury Tor. You also have the Chalice Well famous spring for it's water along with independent shops that attracts about 500,000 people to the town through the year people from all over the world come to this small Market Town in Somerset population 10,000 so what is the Unique Selling Point (USP) for this town to attract so many visitors? It's quite liberal and tolerant as we get all sorts of people some on a quest of self-realisation others just to come for the experience, there is a lot of artistic murals and a healthy music scene plus alternative therapy's available if your into that sort of thing. So as you see if your town offers something that you don't get anywhere, you will get visitors and create a alternative experience that has an overall positive economic effect for Glastonbury Town. I think that the good people of Bedlington live in a satellite town due to been close to Newcastle Upon Tyne, and as it seems the lack of investment in the town has had a detrimental effect on the potential for business growth in the town, as Bedlington has some beautiful Countryside and parks and not been to far from the sea also. Lets hope in the very near future that Bedlington gets some real investment to improve what the town has got to offer and to bring that extra quality of life the everyone deserves in the 21st Century. Yours in the Spirit of Co-operation. M G Allan.

Hi looking for a friend from the past Derek Wilkinson he was living in Guide Post, unfortunately he had mental health problems and sometimes displayed eccentric behaviour, so if anybody knows of Derek please be so kind and leave a message. Thank you. M G Allan.

Hi Muriel (now Gordon) yes it would be nice to see you at the Red Lion on Sunday Sept the 14th if you can contact anyone else Muriel please do Thank You. Malcolm.

Yes Tonyp have a brother Keith he now lives near Plymouth in Devon Keep well.

The place were Harold Wilson was at, was Netherton Social Club west end of Bedlington as I was the paper boy that was I was allowed in once in whipped out the autograph book and Harold Wilson signed. Take your chances in life. M G Allan.

Hi I am going a bit nostalgic here, it seems like Bedlington does not hold the Northumberland Miners Picnic anymore, as this was one of the highlights of the year in Bedlington, what with the brass bands, the Scotch pipers along with the thousands of people lining the streets of the town, it must have been a economic gold mine for the town. Along with the banners and the speeches at Atlee Park of leading members of the Miners Union and leading Labour politicians of the time, In fact I got Harold Wilson autograph as Prime Minister when he attended one year as I was a paper boy so got past the policeman on the door as I had to deliver the papers Harold Wilson was polite and he signed my autograph book for me. Also we had the Shows were many a fun time was had and it was reasonably cheep I can imagine there would be some archive pictures of those days happy memory's indeed. Those were the days my friends. Malcolm G Allan.

Thanks for your reply Malcolm, as I now live in Glastonbury which have tried alternative ways of Community involvement in alternative economic ways from developing a successful Rural Credit Union, Mendip Community Credit Union, which is a savings and borrowing financial organisation run by its members for it's members, also what has been tried are Local Exchange Trading Systems (LETS) along with Edgar Cahn Timebanks were you exchange time for work done so that it more equitable than capital as no interest or charges are involved. Bedlington Terriers should have used a accountant from either the Co-operative or Social Enterprise sector to get their accounts delivered on time to Companies House, is it possible to declare Bedlington Terriers as a Community Asset? Is it the Welfare Park the ground of Bedlington Terriers also have they lobbied the Big football clubs in the North-East for any financial support I am sure they could spare a bob or two to keep Bedlington Terriers financially afloat for the coming football seasons ahead. Have the Councils formed into Unitary bodies as they have done in Somerset so there are now no District Councils they are now part of Somerset County Council and like all Councils due to the cutback on the Central Government Local Authorities Grant increase making Town Councils like Glastonbury to increase Council Tax precepts thus making the local population rally against the Town Council because of the increase Council Tax charges with in some cases a decrease in services provided as the local authority have not got the financial budgets to meet the demand. Yours in the Out of the Box thinking. Malcolm.

Thanks for your reply Malcolm, as I now live in Glastonbury which have tried alternative ways of Community involvement in alternative economic ways from developing a successful Rural Credit Union, Mendip Community Credit Union, which is a savings and borrowing financial organisation run by its members for it's members, also what has been tried are Local Exchange Trading Systems (LETS) along with Edgar Cahn Timebanks were you exchange time for work done so that it more equitable than capital as no interest or charges are involved. Bedlington Terriers should have used a accountant from either the Co-operative or Social Enterprise sector to get their accounts delivered on time to Companies House, is it possible to declare Bedlington Terriers as a Community Asset? Is it the Welfare Park the ground of Bedlington Terriers also have they lobbied the Big football clubs in the North-East for any financial support I am sure they could spare a bob or two to keep Bedlington Terriers financially afloat for the coming football seasons ahead. Have the Councils formed into Unitary bodies as they have done in Somerset so there are now no District Councils they are now part of Somerset County Council and like all Councils due to the cutback on the Central Government Local Authorities Grant increase making Town Councils like Glastonbury to increase Council Tax precepts thus making the local population rally against the Town Council because of the increase Council Tax charges with in some cases a decrease in services provided as the local authority have not got the financial budgets to meet the demand. Yours in the Out of the Box thinking. Malcolm.

Thanks Alan, I think this is the guy that I have read on some of the posts of what the Council is doing are not doing, I have attended a lot of Glastonbury Town Council meetings even put ideas towards them never got a reply or thank you from them as it seems across the length and breadth of this country (England) that the majority of the populace have no great faith in the actions of our so called elected local Councillors, I wonder why. Do you just love Democracy? Malcolm.

Hi Alan Community Asset Transfer. It specifically refers to the transfer of assets (Land &Buildings) from a public body to a Community organisation often less than market value, with the aim of promoting COMMUNITY WELL-BEING just like Humford Baths all those years ago Alan just to finish a good legal structure for any Community is a Community Benefit Society (BENCOM) That's it. Thanks. Malcolm.

Hi Alan I am a bit rusty with my definitions as I am now retired but had some experience in Workers Co-operative sector. Have found out some interesting things. From the Community Right to Buy introduced as part of the Localism Act 2011. There are 4 categories as follows. Community Right to Buy. Community Buy Out Community Asset Transfer. Community Right to bid. That allows community groups to nominate land or buildings as "Assets of Community Value" that does not guarantee the community the right to buy but it does trigger a process where the Community gets first opportunity to bid when an asset is put up for sale I have been reading about Bedlington Terriers and the problems they have as a Community Interest Company (CIC) with a company that wants the Bedlington Terriers to vacate the ground that has been part of the local football fabric for a very long time. If the Bedlington Terriers could look at those 4 categories that I have displayed and they got some legal advice from a Co-operative Development Body in the region this could be of some assistance in their case of keeping Bedlington Terriers at their home ground for years to come. I don't know if this would be helpful in anyway as there is a very pro-active councillor Malcolm I am not familiar with his surname so apologies for that but he might be interested in this Localism Act 2011 and the categories that could benefit the Bedlington Community in the future as a form of building up Community Assets. I hope this is helpful information. Yours in the Spirit of Co-operation. Malcolm.

Hi when I was young living in Bedlington 1950s/60s Bedlington Council was rated as one of the best run Councils in the country, it seems since the amalgamation of Bedlington with Wansbeck that amount of capital investment towards Bedlington did not meet the requirements of improving the town a great deal. Bedlington used to have an open air swimming pool at Humford in the good care of Wilf Marley this acted as a social hub and a place to keep fit even though the water could be a bit cold sometimes and yet still Bedlington waits for a swimming pool maybe a Community right to build could be put forward to Northumberland County Council for the benefit of all ages of the Bedlington population. Yours in the Spirit of Co-operation. Malcolm G Allan.

Hi Alan Past &Present is a name I have come up with for the get together in September have had a reply from a friend who is going to attend so slowly but surely we are building up a group for the night. Got to keep on been positive. Malcolm.