Canny lass

I think it's an age thing! Well, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

It says "avif". I don't know how old it is or where I got it from but I see that I've got exactly the same photo with the extension png. It may as well be in Chinese for me!

New to me too! I have this pic saved on my computer but when I publish it here the pic itself doesn't show up. When I try to open it on this site on my iphone I get a message saying It's not allowed "where you are". As you would usually say in such circumstances, "It is a mystery"!

I think that @Donna Clark has identified that correctly and yes, Donna, it is Johnson's shoe shop. Here's a photo from 1970. 1970 J R Johnson, shoe shop 1.avif

I wish I could 'clart' as good as you!

Sorry, Alan, but I have to disagree. I don’t think that Marshall’s Buildings appear in that photo at all. I believe that what we see, moving east from the Dun Cow towards Bedlington Bank, are: The Dun Cow PH, Smith’s Buildings and Burdon Buildings. Looking at the 1960 map, Marshall’s Buildings are free-standing and don’t connect to Burdon’s Buildings in any way. Looking at the photo, there are no free-standing buildings. The 1960s map shows Marshalls Buildings as protruding further towards the road than Burdon’s Buildings. That isn't so in the photo. The photo shows a slight curvature of the pavement at the end of the building nearest the camera and this suggests to me that it accommodates the protruding end of Marshalls Buildings. The pavement lacks kerbstones suggesting a road leading in between Burdon’s- and Marshall’s Buildings, as can be seen on the 1960’s map. Looking at the census returns from 1911 – 1939: Smith’s Buildings consists of 7 dwellings with a total of 13 rooms. For me, it seems unlikely that the small building you name as Smith’s buildings can house 13 rooms so I suggest that Smith’s buildings are in fact the 2 buildings with 7 dwellings nearest the Dun Cow, as shown on the 1960 map. Burdon’s Buildings consists of 5 dwellings with a total of 10 rooms. There are 5 entrance doors on the first building in the photo. Marshalls Buildings consists of 6 dwellings with a total of 12 rooms. That would equate nicely with the 1960s map. What do you think?

Definitely not planering anything! We’ve left all pines and birches which spread their seeds for free and without backache. It’ll be lovely in a few years.

Ha ha ha! OH is on the chain saw, felling and cutting into 50 cm lengths. I’m in charge of splitting those lengths into logs for burning. Mind you, we have a hydraulically operated machine that does the Job. When I say ”I’m in charge” of splitting, it basically means that I provide the refreshments and tell him to watch his fingers. We had a company in to take down this amount.

5-6 acres of timber is a bit much for us even though we heat the house with it. We sold it: 8 double trailers of these: 5 doubles of these which go to produce power and the residual heat is sold to business premises and homes for the aged. and we cleaned up in the immediate vicinity of the house and got this for heating: It should last a while but it has to dry out for two years first.

Not too bad here in Sweden. Funnily enough, the worst heat has been in the far northern regions. Here, further south, we've had 3 substantial periods of heat with temperatures in the upper 30s. Naturally, there are bans in place in the whole country regarding, garden fires, BBQs and watering of plants and washing cars- for those with mains water supply. Water reservoirs are apparently quite low. There's the odd idiot who doesn't comply so a couple of small fires have happened near us but nothing dramatic. We felled 5-6 acres of forest nearest the house in May, just after the first heat wave, but it was planned already last year. Never the less, were glad we've done it because we think the problems will get worse.

Hi again @Pegwoman. I think you may be right about that meaning. I’ve searched the archives and Internet and cannot find any mention of a PSFR, which Tony suggests (that’s not to say that it doesn’t exist, only that I can’t find any mention of it anywhere). My earlier idea that the medallion may have had something to do with the food office or rationing, I have totally abandoned. I’ve viewed several dozen ration cards over the past couple of days and all use the personal National Registration Number allotted to every person following the completion of the 1939 Register, in preparation for the pending war, ie: GCEV 310: 1 (the reg. nr of Vic’s late father-in-law) or GCCI 154: 2 (allocated to Ada Robson in Ashington). Looking again at the medallion, I’m still inclined to think it reads G. F. S. 2 376 and that would equate nicely with the ‘Girls Friendly Society’. In 1942, during the war, the Girls Friendly Society branch in Bedlington actively maintained local, parish-based youth work and community support for young women, 14 – 18 years old. The Bedlington Branch operated under the framework of the local Anglican Church. According to what I’ve been able to find out, groups like the GFS in industrial and mining communities kept young women connected through community work, assisting in local war efforts, Red Cross Support and regular meetings as well as providing safe recreational spaces. Members received an annual membership card, pin, or “stamped metal disc/token” which could feature the society’s emblem on the reverse. I don’t suppose you have a picture of the reverse of Elizabeth Gibson’s medallion? There were, as far as I can see, two types of members, the working- class girls, known as ‘members’ and the ladies, who were called ‘associates’. They both paid an annual subscription, tailored to their income, and the associates often provided recreation rooms in parish facilities or even in their own homes where the members could meet, read, sew etc. There may still be some records available at the Northumberland Archives and, if you’re lucky, they may document meetings and member’s activities. Alternatively, the GFS is still active in both Blyth and Cramlington and they may be able to throw some light on the matter.

100% correct, Vic. The 1939 register codes used are: GCE enumeration district Bedlington Urban District Council. V the area within the enumeration district where he lived. 310: 1 is his registration district: sub-district. You can read Ada and Ethel’s info in the same way. GCC is the enumeration district code for Ashington.

Hi @Pegwoman I think that G F S 2 may stand for Government Food Supply, food office 2 (I think there were 2 food offices in the Bedlongton area).

100% correct! Tankerville Arms, Blue Fountain Inn, Green Fountain Yard nrs. 1 -6 (in the direction Fountain Inn towards Tankerville Yard). That's a great aerial photo! May I ask where you found it?

No, you wouldn't be able to identify the Tankerville from that photo. it was much further down the road from the Alma Inn - the "Food Office", as I remember it. In the 1950s. I used to visit with my much older sister to collect "National Dried Milk" for bottle-fed babies, Cod-Liver oil, orange juice and 'Virol' (some sort of malt). Alan, do you have any idea of a date for the photo showing the Tankerville?