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I need some help. I hope and expect we will soon see a community response to this dangerous time we find ourselves in at present. Lots of local people and organisations have been working to put a network together so the most vulnerable in our community have the support they will need. There is one group which particularly worries me. These are elderly people who have been living independently and therefore not necessarily on any list of vulnerable adults. I want to make sure these individuals are included in our efforts! Please if you know any elderly folks within my ward (Bedlington West…..Bishops Meadow, The Chesters estate, Meadowdale estate , West Lea, Red house Farm, Hazelmere, Netherton Village and Shields Road) who might not have needed help previously and were able to look after themselves but may find the current and ongoing situation difficult please let me have names and addresses. Do not post publicly but rather send me their/your names and addresses to: [email protected] or phone me on 07779983080.

Unfortunately I have no idea. It was installed within Facebook on my old Windows Vista Desktop PC and it still keeps it's dictionary up to date but the version/release number is not displayed anywhere. I said above it was four years ago but I think it's more like six + years as the stats show I have played over 4,000 games. When I switch on my Windows 10 PC I will see if that gives the version number. Don't hold your breath, I'm struggling to get out of bed at the moment - my diary is more like Ann Franks = Day 1 Hid - day 2 Hid - Day 3 Hid........................

Had to give the Scrabble up about four ago - involuntary reflex actions of the legs kept knocking the coffee table and destroying the board. Changed games and now play an online version of Scrabble = Words_With_Friends and the board stays intact.

Big shout out to a company with a big heart.I was asked on Tuesday if I could try and help as one of our schools was running out of hygiene supplies. At work on Wednesday I went to see the factory manager. After explaining the situation his reaction…………..”if we have it take what you need!” Hats off Sir you are a gentleman.Left work with a car full of supplies! The company………..Greggs! One of our biggest local companies helping our small community! When this is over we will remember…………….

Offend - never. I remember when our youngest was born, a Tuesday tea time, I was in such a hurry to get to the pub as we had a darts match that evening I forgot to phone, from the hospital, the in laws to let them know they had another grandchild. Only remembered when i was half way to the pub so I had to stop the car, find a phone box and ring them. By the time I got to the pub the match had started - and I had been replaced.

Always wet your toothbrush folks.

Had to wet the brush to rub it in............. I was still getting a little bottle of milk or orange juice at school at the time! One thing I do remember........quite a few kids used to pass out at assembly and I asked my old man why? "Poor buggars haven't got enough to eat!". Nostalgia isn't always rose tinted!

Home quarantine, days 6-10: Keeping the home-fires burning in 2022. There are two more behind me. #Winning at social isolation!

Was this it??????

h Hells bells Canny lass......I almost remember that. Little round tin with pink powder in........

Anybody remember a capaign in infant schools in the early 1950s to promote good hygiene? Or maybe it was just Netherton? At the infant school we all had to have a toilet bag with a soap (in a proper soap box), a toothbrush and toothpaste (Gibbs dentifrice - small round tin with a pink block of something that tasted like Germolene ointment), a comb and a face flannel. These bags hung on our coat pegs and during the morning we were lined up at the few sinks to take turns at being instructed in their use. Now's a good time to bring a bit of that back - the soap and hand-washing. Good on ya Greggs! How about a few pasties for the nursing staff of the area.

Thanks for the tip! I had a look at this in the app store but there are several different versions. Which one do you have? Mind you, we have a third dimension to the game here. We have the English version of the game and we toss a coin to decide which language we use for the game. It can be very interesting as the most common letter in English is E but here it's A so there aren't enough A:s to go round if we choose his language. Also, his language has three more letters so the O:s and the A:s have to double up for the missing letters. It doesn't help that Y is a vowel here, either but it does make it a lot more fun!

Sorry Eggy! I was being facetious and making light of a very serious subject. Sorry if I offended. Of course there's a risk, not just to the baby but to all in the delivery suite, mother-to-be and midwives included. But giving birth, for quite a lot of people can be a very frightening experience - akin to dying alone. So, if one person can sit with the dying it seems reasonable that one person can sit with a woman in labour. I remember the time when fathers weren't allowed in the delivery suite. I also remember the time when their presence began to be allowed. They were not welcomed by many midwives who deemed them to be 'in the way'. However, ante-natal care has come a long way since then with many fathers-to-be attending pre-birthing classes with their partner. They receive an education there that makes them a valuable asset in the delivery suite, comforting, encouraging and assisting with prophylactic breathing techniques - time consuming work previously the duty of the midwife. Effectively they can release another midwife for more important things, maybe another birth occurring simultaneously. Then there's the experience itself to consider. For many it may be the only birth they can be part of. One child families, voluntarily or otherwise, are quite common. There's no re-run, no second chance. The risk of cross infection is minimal in a delivery suite as everybody, including the birthing partner, dad, mum, sister, best friend or doolah, is gowned- and scrubbed up and the air is changed every few minutes. Better than in a side ward or a four-bedder on the ward.

I have photo of Dr Pit football team of 1943/44 which beat Blyth Spartans in the Cup. Happy to make copy and send to you if you wish.