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Thanks to rosco for opening up this topic (lighting the blue touch paper) and then standing back. It's always good to see the subsequent responses. Personally, I'd much rather read the ones whose glasses are half full (i.e. Foxy & Eggy) than those who are half empty. Sure there are always things than can be improved and Bedlington is lucky that there are still people who are concerned and care about the town, people who will organise and sort out issues, people who will stand against the establishment and try to make changes for the greater good and for the wider majority. But all these things take time and effort. Whingeing will not change anything. So, moe19 and rosco, if things are that bad and you are so unhappy with the town, then vote with your feet and try to find somewhere better, somewhere that will make you both happy and proud to live. By the way, we all pay our "council tax" to Northumberland County Council and not Wansbeck, that changed something like a decade ago.

Historic is great if you make something of it, capitalise on the heritage of the town, and make that the reason people want to visit. What follows then is that retailers have people to sell something to. I'm aware that at least one of the local County Councillors is of the same train of thought. The short-sightedness of some people is infuriating. You're getting a new town centre development that has been pushed for for many years; it won't please everyone, but I'm pretty sure when it's done, you'll be able to buy a pair of socks. The question is this: will you? Will you, and others, utilise the local shops and satisfy their need for footfall, or will you continue to shop in bigger, more expansive superstores elsewhere? Because Bedlington, thanks to it's available space and location, is never going to get a Manor Walks, or even a Bebside Asda. You're always going to have smaller, satellite stores offering the basics. For the record, if you want the lavvy when you're out, the Red Lion welcomes you, and no, you don't have to buy a drink. As for local banks, they're a thing of the past throughout the country - and in the wider Western world. A bit like cheque books. I concur with you about the problems with vandalism and so on (although I would say I see more examples of a drugs and drink problem in my local, much smaller town than back there) but that's not the town's fault, and nor is it that of the people who are trying their best to improve things. It's something the police need to tackle. Here's an idea: if you're so bothered about it, why not put your hand in? I see plenty posts on FB about people organising litter picks in the parks; there's volunteer groups who tend to the planters and hanging baskets on Front Street; goodness, you could even pick up a piece or two of that rubbish blowing about the place, and put it in the bin! There's a thought for you!

Absolutely true Vic Patterson, the ever changing world or evolvement has always been with us. Whilst we may all have opinions on whether progress is good or otherwise there is no effective way to prevent the world from evolving. I've seen almost 70 years of change, most of which I have embraced and benefited from. Bedlington has never been immune to change and my hope and wish is for the pro-active, positive people to influence and mould the future for the greater good of all concerned. There are several forward thinking men & women who fall into this category. Everyone else, have a whinge, have a moan by all means, but for goodness sake stop living in the past and listen to what Bob Dylan was singing about in 1964. The sentiment is still the same some 54 years on, always was and always will be.

A while ago I watched a British program on television, it started when most villages had a butcher and a baker! then when the steam engine was invented and goods moved around the country and the world fast and efficiently, every town and village had all sorts of shops. Then along came the supermarkets and shopping malls (I worked at building Woolco’s) lots of parking and big selection of cheap goods, now the next phase is on line shopping, in our malls the major tenants are closing, not just moving, the smaller box stores having to specialize or close, gone are the days of front street shopping except for specialty or personal services. We have only a few basic shops here, its 180km (2 hours in good weather) to the next town with major outlets. Its a changing world.

How many people in Bedlington would prefer to buy their shoes, shirts and trousers in Bedlington? I’m not denying that there are some who would and some for whom it is necessary, but for every one such person you can show me, I’ll wager that at least twenty would prefer a day out in ‘the toon’ or even Blyth or Ashington. Why? There’s a better selection of brands and shops in a town larger than Bedlington and the goods are often cheaper. That it’s a bit of a day out, and away from the kitchen sink with somebody else preparing and cooking your lunch is another good reason – at least for women – to prefer Blyth, Ashington or Newcastle. There are reasons for that which I’m sure that you Moe – being a businessman – will understand. Businesses, retail businesses in particular, have a tendency to place their outlets where there are potential customers, so choosing a place like Newcastle rather than Bedlington makes more economic sense. The potential market is greater. This, in turn, helps determine the cost of your shoes, shirts and trousers. Buying in bulk from the manufacturer gives a better price per article. For a business to buy in twenty shirts will cost a great deal more – per shirt – than buying 1 000shirts. Naturally, the cost is passed on to the customer. But of course you know all that, being a businessman. I may be wrong, but I believe the demise of the market in Bedlington may have had something to do with this. Bedlington people are not “a bunch of tight wads”, as webtrekker puts it. I know many Bedlingtonians who preferred to visit the market in Blyth simply because it was ‘a day out’ and it was a bigger market with a better selection of goods. Large chain stores in Bedlington are not really a viable proposition. I don’t think it’s ever going to happen, unless the population at least doubles, and there’s not a great chance of that happening as it seems that many people are opposed to more housing being built. Which brings me to the question ‘Where do we go from here? It seems to me that if we don’t want more people living in Bedlington then we should be investing in getting people to visit Bedlington. Shops – brand names and chain stores – don’t appear to be the answer. There isn’t a big enough market among the population and who’s going to travel to Bedlington from Ashington or Blyth for shops? They’ve got shops of their own! I think we may have to accept that Bedlington is what it is – a dormitory town, and a very nice one at that! As Mercury says, Bedlington has a great deal of potential just waiting to be cashed in on. Its history is just one part of that but it needs people in order to come alive. Those people don’t have to be’ tourists’. Plain, ordinary, everyday ‘visitors’ will do just as well so thank heavens that Bedlington seems to have a bunch of people (a majority, I believe) who are dedicated to trying to make that happen by helping to make the town attractive. Yes, Bedlington has its black spots. Yes, Bedlington has taken a back seat when it comes to getting money for improvements and yes, it is time to turn things round. That won’t happen as long as negative thinking prevails – even among the few.

I find that most born and bred Bedlington folk, that now live elsewhere (because of work, marriage etc.), like to stop and say hello to Bedlington people and socialise with them. I would expect that anyone interested in Bedlington, for whatever reason, who spend time and money there . Anyone that didn't then surely they should just take a different route to get to where you would like to stop .

I usually stop and have a pint......love the place

Thanks for the offer 3g but I don't want anything to do with auricasio! It has plagued me for a week and that's enough. I advise you to leave well alone. I have to admit that the the bracketed domain name should have read auricasio (no 'o' in the middle), but the name I Googled was correct.