Symptoms

Returns on beer bottles ... we used to go around the back of the Red Lion and nick the odd crate of empties then go in the front and hand them over for the 'deposit' back ... I think we used to get a tanner* for a crate. We never got caught. * 6 old pence for our younger viewers

Mal - add these to your list: Rail bosses who are in harness when there's a rail disaster Top Peelers when some innocent is gunned down or topped in the cells

Now, if memory serves me correctly both Merlin and Monster used to post continously during school term time and, as a result I always thought they were a couple of naughty schoolboys using the school IT equipment to post when they should have been attending to lessons; it always went quiet during the school hols. The Forum was much more of a 'white knuckle ride' back in those days with much inappropriate/offensive posting; this often resulted in good discussions about the pros and cons of censorship. Whilst I was always very critical of some of the extreme stuff I always defended the right of those to post it. Oh, I'm not suggesting that Merlin was responsible for the offensive stuff.

They used one of these:

Blimmey Paul ... you actually had clothes that were ironed. Your Mum had a fancy iron (with a wooden handle). I've still got a couple of my Granny's flat irons and they're all metal ... she wrapped a cloth around the tubular handles for insulation; I use them now as door stops. Two iron on the go at the same time - one in use, the other heating up on her range ready for a quick swap. Down in Cockneyland where I used to live an 'iron' meant something completely different.

Good old Merlin ... now all we need is Monsta to put in an appearance. Ah, happy days.

Wow! I've just had a look at Glebe Road on Google Maps Street View ... what have they done to dear old Bedders!!! Everything gone on the righthand side, duel carriageway - it all seems just 'empty', almost as if the tumbleweed is about to blow across. It's all a bit of a shock when you've been away for almost a lifetime. Anyway, - the Alma Inn. I was friendly with the son of the publican (I can't recall the son's name at the moment). I remember all the timberwork was painted dark blue, both inside and outside; the front bar had a lot of timber cladding and was quite a small room and very dark. I was too young to be drinking then - this was the early 60s - but have an impression that it might have been a Vaux house. My pal's dad then took over the Railway Tavern at Bedlington Station - another Vaux house (hence my hunch that the Alma was Vaux). I'm glad to see the old picture house is still there (as the Paramount Fitness Club) but I can't remember what it was called. We used to go to the Saturday morning shows ... they screened all those old pre-war serials, like Tarzan and lots of cowboy stuff. We could only get in the stalls ... the 'dress circle' was a fenced-in area at the back. Now this is where my memory could be playing tricks on me but I'm sure the entrance fee was an orange.

KeithL's reference to Ford Castle brought back my schoolboy memories of the field trips there back in the 60s. I remember us being told to be watchful of the ghost (I think we were told it was of the Jocko King James lV who'd been topped at the Battle of Flodden) who used to wander the corridors. Looking back now I'm sure it was a device used by those canny teachers to spook us into not getting up to mischief at night. We were also 'locked-up' in the oubliette (the bottlenecked dungeon) by the resident bossman - now that was spooky.

Hook, line and sinker boys and girls! These few celebs (sporties & lovies) represent only a tiny fraction of of those begging to kneel down before Betty Saxe-Coburg and Gotha or her dozzy eldest Chucky. The ONLY function of these events is to bolster the existence of the whole corrupt edifice by rewarding all those belonging to the ruling elite. Oh yes, they usually nominate some goofy Loolipop Lady to keep the vile Daily Mail happy and by extension promote the view that the whole shoddy system is there to recognise the 'everyman'. It's all a load of boll*cks. I say - applaud those who have seen through the ghastly con and refused to have anything to do with it.

Come on Keith .... " You could feel it on your bed, 'treading'. You would look down and there was nothing there. The funniest thing was I always had a brilliant night's sleep when it was on my bed." We know what was going on in your bed especially when you got a "brilliant" kip afterwards.

I've just looked at some old OS here: http://www.ponies.me....15651250330744 for both locations and plotting orientation of bridge with that chimney doesn't really help as both bridges have mulitple colleries in the the crucial direction. But checking the map contour lines would suggest a less steep river valley, therefore the Wansbeck. The old OS map shows an island or bank below the North Seaton Bridge but I didn't see on in the photos but maybe it's there ... another job for 'our eyes on the ground'. Tip: you can get rid of the faded 'overlay image' by using the slider below the map.

The tags on those photos are mid to late 1920s and clearly identify the River Blyth and the Cleveland Bridge Co. So those dates correspond to the construction period of the Bedlington Railway Bridge (The Black Bridge) which opened in 1930 - see: http://www.bridgeson...uk/bedrail.html But, but, but, the North Seaton Railway Bridge (the Black Bridge) also fits and was opened a year or two earlier - see: http://www.bridgeson...k/nstnrail.html There's nothing on the Cleveland Bridge Co website about them so I reckon a bit of time spent looking at an old OS map and trying to plot the position of that chimney may confirm matters.

- .... .. ... / .. ... / --- -... ...- .. --- ..- ... .-.. -.-- / .-- .... . .-. . / --. --. --. / .... .- -.. / .... .. ... / ..-. .. .-. ... - / -... .-. ..- ... .... / .-- .. - .... / - . -.-. .... -. --- .-.. --. -.-- --..-- / .. - / .... .- -.. / .--- ..- ... - / -... . . -. / .. -. ...- . -. - . -.. / .-- .... . -. / .... . / .-- .- ... / .- / -... --- -.-- .-.-.- / / .... .- .--. .--. -.-- / -... .. .-. - .... -.. .- -.-- / --. --. --. .-.-.- For all here (except GGG who'll know what it says) the message reads: "This is obviously where GGG had his first brush with technolgy, it had just been invented when he was a boy. Happy birthday GGG."

Well then, it wasn't staiths. If that's Blyth powerstation in the distance (did it ever only have one smoking stack?) then it has to be the Wansbeck. Also, my memory of the Blyth valley was that it had steeper banks - those in that second pic look quite shallow.

Keith wrote: "I can remember the Costain bridge that took the railway from the opencast across the river and Atlee bank ...." Keith, I always thought that was the Euclid's bridge - part of Costain's road system so the Euclids* could take their loads down to Bebside railyard ... I can't remember there ever being a railway line over the bridge. The bridge was a 'classic' Bailey construction. There's an earlier post on this topic to search for. That timber construction in the photo looks more like staiths to me but closer inspection at the base of the staiths shows new concrete pads being made ... I wonder what these were for? * For our younger viewers a Euclid is (was) a monster earth carrying lorry with enormous wheels (Google for pics)

Keith - I reckon it was just a little earlier than that, maybe '69. I'm sure, if memory is correct, that there were some earlier posts about this so put those bins down and save me having to do a search

No snow show - so Santa is a cruel myth!

I'm wishing for snow - I just love the stuff. It's OK for those in the Colonies where there's lots of the stuff but none for me here. Two years ago we had tons of the stuff and it was bliss; nowt last year and no chance this - poo! Seasonal Greetings to all.

Well said Keith!

Cor Blimey GGG - "saved by the rider" my ar*e; as you know I'm the model of reason and fairness here. I loved the old boy and, like you, didn't like the hatched-job some in the press did to him ... but, heh - what do we expect from the scribblers. Been reading The Staggers since I was in the Sixth Form ... it was a freebie in the school library along with Stern, Paris Match, and of course my beloved Guardian. Though never a member of the CP I shared a flat in London with a girl who was so often read her copy of Marxism Today and now also read Private Eye & The Spectator so the brain food diet I reckon is balanced. As an obviously widely-read man (woman?) yourself I'm sure you'll agree that being so lends a certainty, in our own eyes at least, to what we write or say.

Now, now boys and girls - stop it! I don't want to be the main player in Bedders version of the Dreyfus affair ... where is Émile Zola when I need him. It's clear that GOD just likes my turn of phrase so this can't be taken as evidence. Some here would add me to the Birmingham Six, the Guilford Four, the Bridgewater Four and string me up. Cry from the rooftops - "Symptoms is innocent OK"

AS THE BLESSED ONE KEITH LOCKLEY PROCLAIMS DECEMBER IS A GOOD MONTH TO ENTER MY REALM (AS I KEEP REMINDING J) AND YOU HAVE LIVED A BLAMELESS LIFE. PETER RISE WITH YOUR HEAD HELD HIGH TO QUAFF DEEPLY FROM MY CHALICE OF BROON AND BE SATISFIED THAT IF THE TITLE HAD NOT ALREADY BEEN TAKEN A SAINTHOOD MIGHT HAVE BEEN MADE AVAILABLE AS A REWARD.

ALL IS WELL IN THIS PLACE AND I WILL AWAY TO DO MY GOOD WORKS ABROAD BUT NEVER FEAR THAT ONE WHO IS KNOWN AS MALCOLM ROBINSON FOR HE IS BLESSED ALSO FEAR NOT VILLAGERS I COMMAND THAT ALL THE WICKED DOOMSDAY NAYSAYERS TO CRINGE IN FEAR AND SHAME FOR PREACHING THE FALSE WORD OF BEELZBUB - YOUR WORLD WILL NOT END ... I SHALL POST THE FOLLOWING DAY AND LET ALL THOSE WHO DOUBT ME THEN SINK TO THY KNEES BEFORE ME AND BEHOLD ME FOR I AM TRUE.

MY SON WHO IS KNOWN AS KEITH LOCKEY BE THOU AT EASE FOR THY BOLDNESS AND STRENGTH, STAND THEE OUT FROM THE MULTITUDE AND THOSE VEXED WITH UNCLEAN SPIRITS FOR YOU ARE TREASURED AND WILL HAVE A PLACE AT MY SIDE AS IT CANNOT BE ON MY KNEE AS THAT PLACE IS TAKEN BY MY WORTHY DISCIPLE PATRICK (HIS WORLDLY TITLE WAS FORFEITED AT THE GATES AND BEHOLD IS WITHOUT BLAME ACCORDING TO THE WORD OF YEWTREE). I HAVE GIVEN YOU THE POWER OF X-RAY EYES TO SEE FAR INTO MY REALM FOR YOU ARE NOW DESERVING AND ALWAYS WILL BE. COMMANDS HAVE GONE OUT THIS DAY FOR MY RED CLOAKED FOLLOWERS IN SPAIN TO QUENCH THEIR BRAZIERS WITH YOUR NAME AFIXED AS I WILL NOT PUT YOU TO THE TEST BUT HAVE READIED THEM FOR OTHERS LODGING IN THIS VILLAGE.

VERILY I SAY UNTO THEE IT IS WOE UNTO ANY WHO CAST FALSENESS ON THE INNOCENT, I SEE THE HAND OF THE SINNERS AND MISCHIEF MAKERS AT WORK HERE IN CASTING THE STONES OF BLAME TOWARDS THE BLAMELESS. BE NOT MISGUIDED FOXY BY THE MISCHIEF MAKERS BUT SAYETH WITH LOUD VOICE FOR HE IS INNOCENT. DO THEY NOT BLASPHEME THAT WORTHY NAME BY WHICH THE INNOCENT ONE IS CALLED