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Taken today 13/6/2021:

Humford baths. There were no trees at the A pit.

Definitely Bedlington east end, just a few doors along from Millne. Feasters were the first outlet for Westridge School uniforms. I'm afraid I can't confirm Bonzo's origins.

Wahey! Exactly as a remembered it! Costain Mining laid this temporary road and built the two bailey bridges, this one and the river crossing one, to take coal from the opencast mine at Acorn Bank, overland to Bebside Colliery, after public complaints about coal laden lorries speeding down Bedlington, otherwise quiet, main street, one of which knocked my faithful little dog down and killed him, having nearly hit me as we crossed the road. Tulip owned the fleet of old banger lorries, and they used ti belch out black smoke screens all the way up the road, after having climbed Bedlington Bank, empty, on the way back to the Opencast site, where the Golf Course is now, but this was around 1956. The 30-ton Euclids trucks, and also 42-ton Coal Haulers, used to make the bridges bounce e up and down as if they were made of elastic! Thanks for posting Alan! Made me happy ti see it again! Cheers Bill.

"Mr Todd!" He was deputy head of house (Hadrian)miss Ramshaw was head they were quite a good team I left in 1977 anyway a funny story about Mr Todd. I remember standing at the wall he came up to me I was wearing red & White Dr Martens, he looked me up & down & said are you a clown 🤡 boy basically he sent me home to change my shoes. Looking back on it now he was 100% right super photo that's made me smile with affection 👍🏻

If this is 1948 then nr. 5 (Maud Bower) would be about 14 and that would be about right (born 1934). However, the closure of Netherton Colliery school couldn't have been the reason for the move to West End Council School. It was open long after 1948. I was a pupil there myself for a large part of the fifties.

George Campbell is No 33 on this photo. Recently, I sent George, who now lives in Scotland, a copy of this photo. Needless to say he was very happy to get a copy after all these years. George responded with some comments about the photo. George comments that most of the boys in the photo would be aged 13/14 years old and are still wearing short trousers. George provided following information: # 26 is Sylvia Golding (Maureen Curry was a year younger) # 34 is Herbert Nicholson The following pupils are missing from the photo for some reason: Mary Snaith (Netherton) Ella McLean Mary Wilton (may have gone to musical college) Peter Leithard (Netherton) The pupils which came from Netherton Colliery School when it closed are numbers 5, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, 34, 29, 30 in the photo.

Definitely bot Netherton. The only windows in Netherton were the four-paned sash type.

@Canny lass- some of Alan Dickson's paintings that he posts on the Bygone Bedlington, Cambois and Barrington groups. This photo I would say was 50+ years ago - could be Netherton Colliery - see text. Alan did join this group in 2014 but was only active for just under 5 months. Alan often posts a poem abut each of his paintings. This is a typical Alan Dickson poem :- Mind I had a funny dream , I was tossing and turning, Guess I had too much to dream, Just couldn't fall properly asleep, I remember I was aboot halfway counting the sheep. The cortins kinda fluttered and an old wummin came in from oot of the mist,came forward and sat on the side of the bed and gave me a kiss, I knaa I noticed the silver strands in her auburn hair, And the sparkly things dancing aboot in her eyes, Bugger this old lad was very surprised, To see his Mother putting a hand forward and stroking his head,, I reckon she must have thowt I was worried aboot this or that, But to tell the truth I didn't know what, She just spoke the once!! Son am nivvor very far away, I watch you every day!! I know your getting old, and the hairs whiter than grey, So your Mother thought she'd better call in and tell you, In her eyes, your still her little lad at the end of the day, She gave a little smile and drifted back oot in the mist, Now I wasn't sure if I had been dreaming or not. But I felt my hand ganning up to touch the spot where I thowt she had kissed, I must have fell back into deep sleep, Cos I couldn't see any more sheep.

Here's one the right way up, but I still don't know who it is?

Andy's photos, and Jojo's,, definitely the stepping stones next to Humford Baths.

Must be an early one @Andy Millne - that's the only one Iv'e seen where the chimney from the Water Works still exists when the place was converted to the swimming baths.

@Andy MillneDoes your family have any connections with USA? One of the magazines on the stand is The Delineator. This was an American woman’s “Journal of Fashion, Culture and Fine Arts” which was published in New York 1873 – 1930 before merging with Pictorial Review. This may help to date and place the photo. Also, we can read on the window: “ Victor, [FRENCH C]USTARD, [ICE] CREAM” (Text in square brackets is my suggestion). Victor French Custard Ice Cream was, according to Wiki, from a Californian company and anything to do with the company seems now to be very collectable (E-Bay). I don’t think this is Bedlington. Although 1930 is a bit before my time and things may have changed before I became familiar with the streets, I don’t remember ant pavements with diagonally laid paving stones. Neither do I remember anywhere with high bar stools – which I think I detect just inside the door. Could this be an American ‘ice-cream parlour’?

This may or may not be Bedlington but there is a suspicion that the dog may be the original "Bonzo"

Then & Now (Google Street View 2020)

The photo is taken from No 4 Old Colliery Row looking up towards the Black Bull. The gable end behind Mr Hemsted is No 6 Bell’s Place and this can also be seen in the google maps photo looking at the same view about 100 years later. The section of Bell’s Place that was demolished in the late 1940’s ran parallel and behind Old Colliery Row. To the right of the row were the toilets, and gardens. There was gas lighting and a couple of outside taps - no electricity.

Andy is "Putting" or taking the tub outbye to a landing,where several full tubs would be coupled up,usually a set of six,where a "Driver" with a bigger horse would pull the set outbye from the landing to the shaft bottom,to be sent to Bank in the cages.Andy is going downhill when the pic was taken,as he has a wooden "Dreg" in the rear wheels to help slow the tub from over running the horse,even though the Limbers,["Limma's"] used to control the tub ,also the "Backstrap" on the Horse's Gears,around his rear end and fastened to his Bellyband...that pushed up against the Horse's rear flanks,and when he felt the pressure,he automatically pushed back against it and set his legs ..another great pic!

Note their pants!!.."Fustons"...indestructible thick warm material,most Miners wore Fustons,it was like ...what else wud ye wear doon a black hole?...not ya Wedding Suit! See the Steel corrugated Straps,[or "Planks"] holding the roof up? They were 6' long and canny heavy! Aboot three or four years ago,me and LBJ [me wee Lab x Dog],were waaking back from owa the Bomar fields ahent wor hoose,and a got me eye on summick familiar,sticking oot the thick bushes,next ti the Farmer's fence.A howked on and pulled it oot,it was one of these steel straps,bent at right angles,wi the weight of the roof underground,and it came from the Bomar pit heaps when they levelled it oot..noo hoo it ended up where it was owa the field a divvent knaa,but a fetched it yem on me shoulder,and mind,a was knackered when a got back yem!A hae it at the bottom of me garden as a feature,next ti me fence!! Just a little reminder of when a was strong enough ti lift them with one hand up ti the roof,and put a Lazy-Man prop in ti haad it there,so ye cud knock a prop in at each end to support the roof.[When a was in me Twenties - Forties...!] The Dr Pit was a "Naked Lamp Mine",under the M n Q Act 1954, so Willie Ward was ok using a Flashgun doon the pit,but wadn't hae been allowed doon any other "Flame Safety Regs " Pit.

Aye,James,the metal canister held 5 lbs of Explosive Cartridges,what we ,[the miners] referred to as "Sticks o' Pooda"..[Powder]. That was the Legal limit that a miner was allowed to carry,under the "Mines and Quarries Act 1954"..of course,like any other Industry,rules were made to be broken! Down the Three-Quarter seam,at Bates,in the early 1970's,I used to be hurrying inbye to fire the Solid Drivage Maingate or Tailgate,or Back Drift,[1-in-4 gradient!],carrying a 50 lb Box of Polar Ajax,[33% Nitro-Glycerine..],under one arm,another 50lb Box on the other shoulder,and TWO - 10LB Packs ,one each side inside of my Overalls!! So I was carrying 120 lbs of High Explosives,with my Glennie on my belt,my Self-rescuer,also on my belt,my Caplamp and Battery,which weighed 9lbs...Heh heh...I was only in my Thirties,and strong as an Ox!! Noo,aam nearly 77 yrs aad,and a canna lift me aan shadow! Four feet of lovely clean coal here,maybe 4' -6" ,and great dry conditions,gud hard laminated Sandy Post Stone..with a wee bit of Blue on top of the Seam. A great pic of times gone by! Thanks for posting it! Bill.

The following is an extract from the book “Leisure and Recreation in a Victorian Mining Community” by Alan Metcalfe ……….. …….”this, is illustrated vividly by the history of the Bedlington hoppings which were held for three days every Whitsuntide from sometime in the seventeenth century.72 The focal point of the three days of festivities was the Front Street and the adjacent side streets. The Hoppings attracted commercial attractions from outside Bedlington. The streets were filled with "numerous swing boats, galloping horses, shooting galleries, cocoa nut stalls, ice creamers, hokeypokeyites, Jaffa orange vendors, ginger bread stalls'.73 Over the years menageries, circuses, theatres, boxing booths and a variety of other entertainments visited the hoppings. However, changes began to appear in the 1860s and it was in the athletic events that changes were to be observed, In the I850s the programme consisted of a variety of footraces, three-legged races, old men's races, tilting the bucket and climbing the greasy pole for a leg of mutton, Over the next 5O years they became more "athletic' with the 120 yard handicap becoming the premier event. However, there were some things that did not change: the central role of the innkeepers and tradesmen in organizing and sponsoring the events. They were, from the outset, commercial enterprises. However what is most significant is that real lack of change in the location, Despite efforts from the police in the 1890s to remove racing from the Front Street and the various attempts to introduce alternative sports, the basic form of the hoppings remained unchanged, They provide a salutary lesson on the power of tradition in the mining communities” …………

The Old Colliery Row, better known as “The Aad Pit Raa” was built in 1840, 15 years before the Dr Pit was opened. According to Stephen Martin’s book it was built by a farming family, The Swann Brothers to rent to miners who were moving into Bedlington to work on collieries that were opening up in the vicinity. The Colliery Row was initially leased then sold in 1892 to the Bedlington Coal Company. The row was demolished along with Bell’s Place in 1950. Hollymount Square was built on this area immediately after the demolition of the rows.

Hi Ian. This was taken at The Old Vicarage next to St Cuthberts Church. I am the other person in the photo . Threegee is my father. If my memory is correct your grandparents lived at the top of Attlee bank but @threegee will know best.

'Pop' Short in the Upper Bensham Seam 1955

Oh @HIGH PIT WILMA!! I’m weeping for Micky as I’m reading your account, tears dripping off my chin. What a little darling he sounds; I’m supposing Micky was a boy dog but his mothering of the kittens makes me wonder? I can only imagine how heartbroken you were; I’ve had over a dozen dogs over the years and I miss each and every one of them 😢-my bairns ❣️xx I was a nurse, never stopped to have children and never regretted that; my bairns all had fower legs 💕🌈xxR

The Heron Family were a lovely set of neighbours to have,young Frankie,and Jackie,pictured her,were two fine lads,Frankie always had his camera oot in the street recording family and Community life as it was in the late 940's and through the 1950's.We have him to thank,as well as recently deceased Billy Wright,our next door neighbour,for our family photographs as well as all our young friends playing together on warm summer nights in Hollymount Square! A wudn't mind betting either Billy Wright took this pic,or Frankie gave his camera to somebody else to take it with him on it!

Hi Tony, great story. I'll remind him of that when I see him on Friday.

I got to know Fred Todd at Bedlington High School in the early 80's. He was teaching Technical Drawimg, metalwork and Motor Vehicle Studies. I am friends with him now. He is now 86 and still going strong. Really nice guy.

No idea - no member on the Bygone Bedlington group, apart from Christina Leach who listed the names on the back of her mam's photo, has mentioned her.🙂

@Canny lasson reading this comment again it sounds facetious and possibly even sarcastic. I apologise, this was not my intention; I was ineptly attempting to convey my continuing admiration of your acute scrutiny and attention to detail. I think you are an adept detective of maps and photos, perceptive and precise (hence my reference to Sherlock H) My very best regards Roseanne xx

They are standing on what would become the Mechanics football field (Millne Park) and is now the car park.

She probably knew that you were destinied to do great things with old photos of the area later in life. Mothers are good at that sort of thing.

From threegee. "The group of lads with one astride the car could include Philip Joyce, William Scott, and Bob? Mather?, Bill Orange, Billy Elliot - the Bedlington engineering/garages crowd who used to hang out together. Long before my time."

Searched the local Facebook groups as there are a few ladies bowls teams photos posted posted. Found one newspaper cutting, Past Times History group, and it could be the same trophy. Newspaper cutting + an image from Andy's photo added.

My info in the other photo is second hand from threegee based on his comments here. we're in a loop.

I’ve never heard of Bedlington Amateur FC but it’s a great photo with amazing quality. The photo mentions Price’s field at Hollymount and having grown up around Hollymount I looked closely at the photo to see where it was taken and it definitely wasn’t Hollymount. Before Hollymount Square was built there was a field between the Bell’s Place gardens and Hollymount Avenue but not big enough for a football field. At the top right of the team photo you can see the two chimneys of the Doctor Pit so the buildings behind the team are those down Vulcan Place and looking closely through the trees on the extreme right of the photo is the Whitley Memorial School. The photo I have attached of the school with the newly built houses of Hollymount Square would have been taken in the early 50’s (presumably taken from the church tower) and shows prefab classrooms that were only built in the late 1940’s. I have marked in green the spot where I am pretty sure the team lined up for the photo. Presumably the photo was taken at the football field where they played so it looks like it was on the field next to the school, part of which by the 1950’s were allotments.

My comment should read .... the number(s) printed... Not .... the(s) printed...

Yes, it's next door to the Northumberland Arms. What is now the "Game On" games shop and was a florists for a while.

I don't know of any other and I never had to pay for any tiles.

That's a lovely photo! Reminds me of my childhood, hanging on the gate, waiting for the 'tankie' so we could wave to the driver.

In one of Evan Martin’s books, he says that Easton Homes was built in 1907 and was named after Emily Easton who financed the building of the 12 cottages as well as St John’s Church. She was a director of the Bedlington Coal Company, owners of the ‘Aad Pit’ (Bedlington ‘A’ colliery). The cottages were built for retired miners who had worked for the company for least 50 years.

Back in 1960 Ken Russell made a remarkable film about mining in Northumberland called The Bedlington Miners' Picnic. John Gibson was a Bedlington miner in the 1960's working down the pit and making a decent living. He was also the real life star of a Ken Russell documentary film - The Bedlington Miners' Picnic in 1960. One of the photos taken was of John Gibson, of Bedlington, going work, at Pegswood Colliery, on his bike along Shiney Row. With one photo Ken Russell posted he added some info saying the miner was - 'on his way back home from his shift' but my view is that the miner is cycling out of Shiney Row, onto the main raid, to make his way to Pegswood Colliery. This is the photo, with the Dr Pit in the background, with some of the info that went with the photo :-

They are leaning against the "Modern"[!!] MC3 Gathering-Arm Joy Loader. This Machine made mincemeat of loading out a 14'x10' arched roadway full shot lasted out of the solid strata. In my Bates' gallery there is a pic of me in an Eimco 625 Mechanical Shovel loader..loading a full shot onto a conveyor belt. I had to continuously drive in,track back,skew,then empty the bucket onto the belt. With the Gathering Arm Loader,you just swept in at the left side,driving in inchy pinchy,and the floor was cleaned up,all you had to do next was track back,skew, drive in at the right side,and the arms on the spade at the front,just gathered like a human being would,and lifted tons of stones onto the belt in an hour! The machine was about 6 feet wide,so it was a very efficient machine. It became out-dated when they brought in the Joy Continuous Miner [JCM],Hence the bracketed ! mark in my comment at the start!

Noo THAT!..was one hell of a job,doon the pit,the Bulls'sHead..["BULL'SHEED"],Driller was a canny weight,so with a Nine foot drill in,and drilling into solid stone...ye needed arms like Garth,[a pit saying!],that's hoo Dinper has arms like this in the pic!![He is drilling into the Coal Seam on this Pic.]A "fast" [Stuck!] drill has caused many a broken arm or shoulder,when reverse torque spun the machine out of your hands and twisted your arms etc!

Doctor Pit banners. 1948 banner on left. 1960’s banner on right.

Doctor Pit union men in 1960’s. Andy Fairbairn in middle at back. Anty Thompson on extreme right.

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Dr Pit in 1912 with the surface workers posing for the photo. Note the guy on top of the headgear next to the “pulley wheels”. This old winder house was for the steam driven winder and was replaced with the electric winder in 1921. So there was loss in production, the new winder house was built behind the old one and the electric winder commissioned. The pulley ropes from the old winder were then passed through to the new winder to the electric winder and the old winder house with its chimney was demolished. (Information taken from James Tuck’s book “The Collieries of Northumberland”) We know that any photo of the Dr Pit showing the white brick built winder house was taken after 1921.

And a slightly clearer image from Graeme Ogle - Bygone Bedlington Facebook group.

Just a stab in the dark here, but this looks very like Eileen Brown (nee Purvis) the vicar's daughter and Dr Brown's wife. I never dreamed she would might have been a cyclist - but maybe before the Buckfast Tonic Wine (as a medical requirement, of course).

Sorry, I've no idea about No 34. Not sure about No 5 either - looks more like her sister. About how old are these children?