Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)

Nicknamed The Woody school, as it was mainly constructed of wooden planks. The school of our mate, Keith Lockey. Don't know when it first opened but it first appears on the 1951 ordnance survey map and it is not on the previous map of 1938.  Destroyed by fire in 1969. When the replacement school was built, opening in 1974, it combined with the grammar school to be Bedlingtonshire Community High School.   

Men from the Dr. Pit Colliery formed Bedlington Mechanics FC in 1949, initially playing in the Northumberland Miners Welfare League before entering the Northern Combination in 1952. They won the Northumberland Minor Cup in 1954 and were league champions the following season which enabled them to be promoted into the Northern Alliance where they remained for the next 8 seasons. Home games were played in the centre of the town at Millne Park, the land was owned by Jimmy Millne, a successful local businessman and he provided a very generous arrangement with the Committee. However, in the early 1960’s there was a dispute and the Mechanics had to relocate to the “A Pit” Welfare Park at Bedlington Station. Sadly, crowds dwindled and income fell to such an extent that in 1963 they were forced to disband.

All photos shared by members that have posted these photos on Facebook sites - Bedlington Remembered, Bygone Bedlington & Sixtownships

Don't know the exact year the school was built. I would assume there would be some colliery rows built when the colliery was due to start production. The Durham Mining Museum does not have a year against when the colliery was opened but it does have 1982 as the first year coal was output. The First Edition of the OS map of the Cambois area held on the National Library of Scotland is 1859 (published 1865) and there is no colliery or houses. The Second Edition - 1896 (published 1898) shows the colliery, many pit rows and the school etc. 

A number of local teams have played at the Welfare Park. This album is to hold any team photos of any team that played there in the year the photo was taken.

Class photos

Often referred to by the locals as 'The Old School' or 'St. Cuthbert's School'.

Images from @graeme  from an old book - In Commemoration - Of The Jubilee - Bedlington Equitable Industrial Co-Operative Society Ltd. 1861 - 1911

Opened 1955 or 56

All initial photos and comments from HPW. (added into the Album by Eggy).
Comment from HPW - credit to Russel Hogg for enabling me to capture the Pit Surface photo's,without whom it would never have happened.