Symptoms

I had a school holiday job (must have been 1967) stripping the asbestos lagging off the boilers at the old West Sleekburn (I think that's what it was called) pit ... the place was an engineering factory. Hammer and spike were the tools and a damp hanky over the nose ... Ah, happy days! Every Thursday after school I'd catch the North Shields bus from the Red Lion to see my Granny. The route went through Forrest Hall but before that passed a huge pit heap (could it have been the Wheatslade) ... the pile was always on fire with tons of smoke coming off it. In the dark winter nights the !*!@# heap glowed red from the heat; this went on for years. Even if there was a political will to resurrect the UK mining industry it's unlikely that we will ever see any new deep mines opened. The cost of shaft sinking alone would scare off any state or private finance. para 2 should read s.l.a.g. heap but without the dots ... poo!

No, no, no, keep-up the good work Canny.

What about Ernie Gurney the butcher ... didn't he have a shop on Front St somewhere beyond the Northumberland Arms? Did Matty Binks the plumber have premises down there as well (mid 60s and before)? I seem to remember opposite there was a little farm or small-holding of sorts owned by the Pattersons ... I think they may also have had haulage lorries; I knew the son but at the moment can't recall his name ... I think he may have joined the cops but I could be wrong on that.

I wrote: "Shackled groups of naughty/evil teens forced to eat the long grass." Mal wrote: "Just trying to counterbalance Symptoms assertions that teenagers need to be horse whipped to within an inch of their lives! Some actually lead productive lives..... " Yep, most teens are fine, it's just a few slugs I'm on about.

If it's appropriate then the grass should be cut, for example in town centres, play areas, most parks, landscaping around buildings, around bus stops, and so on. I reckon it should generally remain uncut elsewhere, places like road margins and central reservations (but have a mower-wide cut strips alongside the gutters for 'elf 'n' safety), large designated areas within parks, swathes through accessable woodland, and along hedgerows ... this should be done to create wildlife areas.

Cor Blimey Canny ... I just settled down with a cup of tea to quickly review the posts here but now I'm going to have to set aside a good hour or so ....

I have it on good authority that a chaingang of shackled naughty/evil teenagers had been forced to chomp the grass; good to know that the powers-to-be are listening to The Forum's wise old owl ... Symptoms.

Flashman! Just a soft Southerner!

What we need is our own version of the American chain gang. Shackled groups of naughty/evil teens forced to eat the long grass. See the Picnic Tables thread.

Stocks! ... a namby-pamby soft Southern solution to the problem. Meat hooks I say! The cat I say! Electrodes to the .... STOP, STOP, STOP.

This taken from Backworth pit's band site: "The first picnics were held between Blyth, Newcastle and Tynemouth. In the 1930's they were held in Morpeth, until 1952 where they were held in Bedlington until 1992 (the band won the first ever Bedlington picnic!). Then final few years of the picnic, at least it this format, were held in Ashington until the last contest in 2002." see: http://www.backworthcollieryband.org.uk/history/brass_bands.php But lets get back to discussing naughty/evil kids and maybe the need to give them a damn good thrashing.

Look, much of this is copied behaviour. I blame it on all the 'in your face', aggressive behaviour in the Beeb's Eastenders. Oh, and let's not forget that evil agent of the kiddie's pass to bad behaviour ... Ester Ratzen. Try telling a child off and even parents are treatened by their brats ... "I'll call Childline and report you for abuse". What can you do?

Mal wrote: "Seems to me someone has decided to only cut about half a metre in from the roads irrespective of how much grass there is wherever.... 1 pass with the flail mower?" Quite right too! I'm glad some responsible official on the Council has the welfare of the bugs & critters as part of his/her portfolio; I say long, uncut grass everywhere. The dicks, the frogs & toads, and all the creepy-crawlies will thrive.

".... & about 30 others from the Morpeth supporters branch,". Agh, scream, yelp! I was hoping that there would only be one mackem in my beloved Northumberland but 30 ...!!! Just joking J. Thanks for the PM, will investigate.

Yep, Cowt was a mackem ("the only mackem in the village" ... to paraphrase from a certain recent comedy show). A brave lad indeed as he'd be seen at the Red Lion bus stop, all decked-out with red & white scarf and bobble hat, waiting for the bus to go to the match. He was a good friend of mine but they were kinder times back then; the rest of our group were avid Toon supporters but he was always part of our group. I'm not sure that would happen these days.

foxy - could it have been Coultas? There was a Cliff Coultas (he would have been maybe 65 to 70 now but died just a few years ago ... he was in the cops), an Alan who I knew would be 59ish now, and I think there was a younger brother Keith. Cliff and Alan (Al's nickname was Cowt) were Westridge lads early to mid 60s. Does anybody know where Alan is now as it would be great to make contact with him again?

Excellent work P.A.W.S. A big lump in the throat about 5 minutes in ... the Market Place Club - a home from home back in the day; I'm emotional that it's still open ... pass a hanky.

Brilliant Malcolm!

That's a canny turn-out ... just like the old days when the Picnic was in town*. Did the Beeb turn-up to film and any hints when, and where the highlights might be broadcast ... maybe I'll have to scroll down to the 97? Sky channel to get Look North. *Pity none of the kids chucked stink bombs from the bank outside the Council Office like we used to in the 60s.

Maybe some old pit banners, borrowed from Woodhorn, could be included in the parade ... it would be wonderful to see maybe the banners from the Bedlington pits on show. Aye, a reference to the Miners' Picnic and historic Bedders! But I bet the Ashington mob wouldn't let the stuff out of Woodhorn! Oh, and just to gently rile old GGG why not borrow a NUM banner to lead the parade?

Whilst sipping my espresso and munching on my croissant yesterday I nearly spluttered the lot over my beloved Guardian when I came across a report about Bedders and it's hinterland. I've included a link below to the Guardian's website for those who want to find-out more. I didn't know if I should've posted this link in Malcolm's very, very, very long-running chronicle Crash 2 The Sequel! but I decided to stand it alone here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012/may/16/wansbeck-bankruptcy-capital-uk?INTCMP=SRCH

foxy said: "Maybe tomtom or Symp can tell us what was on at the pictures." Well, if it was a Monday or Tuesday it would have been an Elvis picture ... they seemed to be on at the start of every week; I recollect the programme changing every two days then a three day programme at the weekend. I was in the place watching It's a Mad, Mad World when the projectionist put-up a slide over the flic with the news that JFK had been topped in Dallas. The Wallaw name has thrown me a bit as I remember it as the Palace ... but again it could be the grey stuff turning to mush!

I should also get a prize for suggesting there'd be no Rosebay Willowherb growing there now. I had a look at Google Earth just now to try to place the track in context and was mildly suprised to see the railway line still running through Bedlington Station, although it must be said that the track bed looks in a right state at the level crossing ... litter, broken wooden boards, etc. Does this track get much used these days? I seem to remember that once the coal traffic was lost the line was occasionally used as a diversion loop when engineering work was being done on the London/Edinburgh mainline. Once in the 70s my Kings Cross train to chillyjockoland was sent through Bedders ... it made my day!!!

Canny is spot on with time of year ... just look at all that seeding Rosebay Willowherb growing in the foregroud to middle-distance. I have fond memories of that stuff growing just about everywhere back in the day - not such a common site now; I suppose that's down to less wasteland and railway bankings.

Yep, he's gone ... but he lasted 'till he was 91 and what a full life he had playing with all the greats. Not only did he influence all the modern guitar Gods but also ordinary players. I went for guitar lessons for years (1960s) to a guitar teacher in Bedders called Georgie Peel (he lived in a Council house off Stead Lane) but Bert's book Play in a Day made it an impression on me. I wasn't a good player but I still bash out a few chords now ... the old fingers don't move too well these days.