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I think there was a church of some description before 1069. . The site is important . The Golden age of Northumberland and the rise of Christianity had many people believing and then going back to pagan ways . 1069 was the monks fleeing from the Normans. I believe the history of Cuthbert’s body being here in Bedlington starts before that date. Hence they return to safety . The church site is on higher ground . The river is nearby we have a holy mount. ( ok Hollymount now). No one can disagree because no one really knows. Again Bedlington says to me Bede town in honour of The Venersble Bede. Various vicars make reference to a time before 1069.. The service was by candlelight and in Latin . Very atmospheric .The ancestors have all left their mark in making the place special regardless of belief. ‘Honour those that went before us. There is a group called Show of Hands and they do a track called All Hallows’ Eve. Basically you light the lantern at your door and honour those that went before on Halloween . A better use of time than trick or treat and scaring your neighbours. Just go for the chocolate to remember. Being back in the Shire life gets busy. Even managed to get to the Gallowgate end to watch the Toon play the Palace..

Season's Greetings to all Bedlingtonians from a hot,dry and firey Oz.

Beginning of the financial year, mileage allowance 45p/mile. He can't have already clocked up 10,00 miles in 28 days to be getting the reduced rate of 25p/mile - can he? 90p gives him a two mile journey for each log entry. Maybe he just popped out for lunch: Hare & Hound, up Pimlico way, Star & Garter, south bank, Fiddler's Elbow, Camden Town, The Granny Knot, Bayswater, The Frog & Whistle, Lambeth - the list is endless depending on direction from place of work. Mind you, I'm assuming he was alone in the car because otherwise he'd be entitled to an extra 5p per mile for every "qualifying" passenger and that makes the maths too difficult (wish I'd paid more attention to Miss Wilkinson)!

That's an interesting brochure, Maggie! At first I thought it must be a printing mistake. Surely the relics of Cuthbert couldn't have been in Bedlington in 1069! They left Lindisfarne in 875, were nicely tucked up in Chester-le-Street in 883 and had found a permanent resting place in Durham by 995. A bit of digging showed that the relics did indeed leave Durham 1069-1070 when they were returned to Lindisfarne for a short period of time to escape the Norman invasion. I never knew that! That visit must have been well documented as there is an actual date, unlike the visit en route to Chester-le-Street.

Merry Christmas everyone.

https://www.mpsexpenses.info/#!/mp/540 Doesn't look like all those thousands of our money spent on "Publicity services and local paper column writing" delivered any results Ian! I'm fascinated to know what those six items below £1 are, and how much in administrative costs that fiver or so you couldn't spare incurred.

Merry Christmas

MP Travel - whatever that is

Xmas 2019 - photo from Simon Williams :-