Alan Lockey

Once again everyone, MANY THANKS for your kind wishes. You TRULY are a remarkable crowd, and Keith spoke very highly about each and every one of you. Needless to say, I am struggling very hard to come to terms with Keith's death. Last week was a terrible week for us. It was my mother in laws funeral on Wednesday 18th, then the bombshell with Keith on the 20th. March hasn't been a great month for Liz or myself. HOWEVER, life has to go on for us both, and we have very fond memories of our departed loved ones. It IS a fitting day for Keith's funeral, April Fools Day. He sure was blessed with a brilliant sense of humour, and I'm very fortunate that I have witnessed it all my life. Let's face it, with a face like his, he NEEDED a sense of humour :-) SORRY BRO, but I had to have the last word. Gonna miss you immensely. Alan

Many thanks everyone. I will keep everyone informed about the funeral, as soon as we know when and where it is. Alan Lockey

That's a great shot of the Pipers foxy. Sadly though, it's shot down my theory of where i thought Moldens was :-( Looks like my bro isnt as stupid as he looks.....and he sure looks stupid ! Yes bro. Wards DID have the contract for all the Bedlington schools photo's.

Thanks Symptoms. Ironically, the shot's that youve put in your attachment are actually my shot's that i took a couple of years back. It's kinda chuffed me that theyve made google images :-))))) I'ts the one at the furnace bank that i'm more interested in. I / WE spent many a happy day playing in and around the bandstand, and it would be great to find a few...even one...shot of it.

I know weve discussed this on the phone bro, but im STILL convinced the shop / shops we are on about was just BEFORE you got to the Northumberland arms....ie, just after the Monkey. Thanks to the rest of the people here, the names of Feasters and Moldens do ring a big bell. I just cant remember them being around the corner from the Northumberland which is what you are saying. I KNOW the florists shop WAS something else before it became established as a florist, but what it was i cant remember. Another thing to think of bro. Why would we go there for our school trousers ? As so rightly pointed out by Canny Lass, they were the suppliers of Westridge's uniforms. It's a time machine we need :-)))

Lets hope someone can clear this up. It's doing my head in. My first record...although our mother bought it for me, was The Allisons song entitled, Are you Sure....YEP, thats an oldie for sure :-((

I watched him being interviewed today, and the interviewer asked " How does it feel to be playing the first game at home in Manchester " He replied " I'm a bit disappointed. I prefer playing away " ;-)

Just wondering if anyone out there has any pictures of the Bandstand that used to be on the grassed area near the furnace bridge....opposite the Halfpenny woods. Ive hunted hi and lo for shots of this, but cant find any anywhere. It used to be quite popular in the 60's, mainly with the salvation army playing, but i do remember a group playing there once, and it was very busy, and very noisy. ALSO, can anyone tell me when the bandstand was demolished ?

The Music Box saga is a bit puzzling bro. I am 99% certain, that when the Music Box opened ( 71/72 ? ) it was upstairs, a couple of entrances along from the cobblers shop. I moved away from Bedlington in 1976, and ...again, i am sure it was still upstairs then ,filled with wall to wall singles, albums cassettes etc. It then changed to a boutique, still being run by Sylvia and Janet.... i THINK, and there were a " few " records available too. I can vaguely remember it being downstairs, (which is now the cobblers shop ), but when that change was made, i really have no idea. I can only summise they changed premises between 76 - 82 ? Like yourself, i bought all my records from there. I even bought the Osmonds record for you...remember ;-) As for them moving to Blyth, again, i cant remember that. As youve said in a previous post, Blyth had a very well established music shop there, and it was probably too big for the music box to compete with. BUT....i wouldnt like to say off hand.

Sniff...sniff. The memories have just come flooding back. The worrying part about that clip is the fact my bro STILL walks like that.

GEE THANKS MALCOLM. Ive just had Keith on the phone. He thought Mike Mercury was the lead singer with Queen :-((( Seeing we are on the topic of kids programmes, heres a little, but true story. Many many moons ago, i was at the Black Bull in Morpeth with my two mates, and we got on talking about old programmes we had watched as kids. Sitting directly behind us were 6 BIG bikers, the type mothers dread their daughters bringing home. I happened to mention a kids prog called Four Feather Falls. My two mates said they had never heard of it. One of the monsters behind us stood up and said " WHAT ! Youve never heard of it "...." it was brilliant " ! We spent the rest of the evening, bikers included, having a brilliant laugh. The manager of the bar was keep shaking his head in disbelief. Come on now, im SURE you all remember Four Feather Falls ;-)

Dont say you werent warned Malcolm. Why do you think i moved away so young ;-)

Somewhere in the back of my mind i'm sure a spectator died after being hit by one of the racers, hence the meetings ended. It's not surprising really. The only thing between the spectators and the riders, were metal stakes with tape in them,to mark out the track for the riders to follow. Health and safety wasnt very well thought out in those days ! As for Doyles shop bro, i know we did go there for some " specific " thing, but i cant remember what either. One thing i clearly remember about Doyles shop, was the vast array of different flavour sherbet. Ive never seen so many in one place.

Keith. Am i right in thinking that the track meetings above the hairpin bend were finished because a spectator was killed during one of the races ?

I'll have a pint of stones Malcolm, and a vodka chaser :-) Looks like our sanity might be under scrutiny again bro :-(

YES BRO. This was Brad Pitts first ever film. He played the rockface. I'm SURE someone will correct me if im wrong, but i THINK the film was called " The Rockface v The Bald Ageing Munchkin " ?

Two more shots of the commemorative plaque at the Halfpenny woods. The last time Keith and i climbed the steep bank to see the plaque, we were young and fit. It was quite comical to see us two trying to get up there at our ages, and even more comical trying to get back down. If anyone had been there with a camcorder, they would have won £250 on youve been framed !

To brother Keith and other Keith. The story i was told, was the huntsman was indeed chasing a fox. It jumped over the cliff, and safely into an overhanging tree, whilst the rider and hounds fell to their death. Like all "folk lore " tales, im sure it has been fabricated as time has gone by. Somewhere in the back of my mind, i tend to remember the name of GRANT being the rider who perished. Whether this was his surname, or christian name, i really cant be certain. Another thing i seem to remember from this tale, was this " GRANT " had something to do with land ownership in Bedlington and was on the local council....but DONT quote me on any of this. Im SURE someone will find the truth, and make me look a fool :-(((

I remember the " pit heap " very well. My brother and i saw it every day when we looked out of our bedroom window at Terrier Close. A sad, but true, tale about the pit heap. We had relatives living in Rothesay Terrace at the time, and went to visit them quite regularly. However, after the tragic Aberfan disaster, my mother refused to visit them any more for fear of the same thing happening. So sad. Thanks for the memories and the shots Malcolm

SORRY FOLKS. Ive got a sneaky feeling i may have posted this picture in the wrong place. Should it have gone in the History Hollow section ? Guess im trying to run before i walk :-(

HI ! I can name EVERY player on here....except one. This photo has been passed to other people on the photo, and they cant identify the " stranger " either. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance