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Yes we did play down the woods a lot and swim in the river from the flat rock that we called the diver. We removed stones from the river bed in front of the diver to create a bit more depth and tried to form a dam with the stones. We did have some success with the dam so ended up with enough depth to dive in. Often we would find the dam was gone and couldn't understand why because it was quite well built and there hadn't been any floods to wash it a way. I found out in my 20's that the fishermen knocked it down because it prevented the sea trout from getting further up the river. We rebuilt the dam many, many times, gave us something to do cause we had no money. We also walked to Humford baths and back. There always seemed to be a lot of wasps there. Another thing we did was stab eels and flatties with a cutlery fork fastened to a stick. We all wore old shoes or sandshoes when plodging. One year the only xmas present I wanted was a pair of wellies so I could plodge when the water was cold! There was a swing or rather 2 up the ha'penny woods. We would often pedal there on our bikes whereas the lads and lasses from the south end of Bedlington would walk and wade across the river to get there. The rope swings were hung from a tree then pulled up the bank to the rock face where we would jump on and swing out into the space, One day when I was 13 I was on one of the swings and it snapped when out so I fell about 30'. This resulted in a broken wrist. It's still out of shape after Ashington hospital had 2 goes at fixing it. Fortunately it hasn't bothered me and I was not a pen pusher when I worked. Just turned 15yrs to 67yrs without a break except for holidays. Happy days and no fears of being abducted or molested. I don't remember anyone who experienced these things. At weekends and holidays we had to be home before dark. Often we were back sooner cause we were starving. Sea fishing from North Blyth staithes, the West Gears and the pier from 11 years old and only with my pals. We used to walk to Granary Point to dig worms for the fishing. We were like running dogs but very fit. No adults but we didn't need them, we had common sense because we were allowed to be out learning about the outside goings on when we were younger. The kids nowadays haven't got a clue of how outside things work. The big majority of them don't know what a starling is. We knew nearly every bird or animal we saw. I think we were born at the best time. I'm 71yrs soon so was young when I played at the back of Puddlers Row. I didn't know anyone who lived there. I remember the black and white films at both Bedlington and the Station Wallaw. Saturday matinees were when we went. Pearl and Dean were always on with the occasional cartoon before the main film. I remember the start of The Third Man had the hero(?) standing under a street lamp that I think was a lit gas lamp. They must have taken that opening sequence before you and your mates got there and pushed the lever!!! Take care, Jammy

Yes Eggy, we almost certainly worked together on the dam construction. I do remember you as a youngun though not from school because our education paths never crossed. At the Grammar school you were in the same class as my cousin Michael at one time or maybe all the time. Does anyone remember Billy Winter swimming from the furnace bridge down stream to the black bridge(railway) on a full tide? There was a raw sewage outfall next to the furnace bridge so he swam through and with it downstream! His brother Geordie did it a couple of years later. I never heard anything but I bet they were both poorly afterwards with at least gut rot. We used to shoot the rats with our catapults at that outfall. After the sewage water was diverted from the outfall the worms we used for fishing at Granary Point were never as big. Jammy

Updated No 14, with '?' and reposted the photo onthe Facebook group yesterday but no response to the update when I checked this morning🙃