Ovalteeny

Thanks to rosco for opening up this topic (lighting the blue touch paper) and then standing back. It's always good to see the subsequent responses. Personally, I'd much rather read the ones whose glasses are half full (i.e. Foxy & Eggy) than those who are half empty. Sure there are always things than can be improved and Bedlington is lucky that there are still people who are concerned and care about the town, people who will organise and sort out issues, people who will stand against the establishment and try to make changes for the greater good and for the wider majority. But all these things take time and effort. Whingeing will not change anything.

So, moe19 and rosco, if things are that bad and you are so unhappy with the town, then vote with your feet and try to find somewhere better, somewhere that will make you both happy and proud to live.

By the way, we all pay our "council tax" to Northumberland County Council and not Wansbeck, that changed something like a decade ago. 

See photo of an article from The Morpeth Herald of 20th. June 1908. The opening statement of the 1908 AGM of the Wansbeck League states that the meeting was held at Bedlington Royal Oak (The Blue Bell).

Whilst looking into the history of football in Bedlington over the years I have discovered that Bedlington United were a formidable team at the start of the 20th. Century. They actually played in the top local League (The North Eastern League) against the Reserve team from Newcastle, Sunderland, Middlesborough, etc. Reports state that their home ground was at Hollymount, but on checking old maps it's difficult to see exactly where. However, John Reed has confirmed that the pitch was just off Front Street East, where Hollymount Square was eventually built. If you look at the 2 attached Maps (1 from 1920, the other from 1938) you will see on both that there is a football ground down Church Lane. Does anyone know anything about this ground and who might have played there. You can clearly see the new housing developments of Haig/Beaty Road and Millfield on the 1938 map (and not on the 1920 map). I'd appreciate anyone asking their older relatives if they can throw any light on this query regards this Church Lane football ground.

So now there's no F in Rediffusion.......

Yeh, Eggy, I exchanged a few comments with Mal Jovi Hemsted on FB and I confirmed that his Dad Billy went to Westridge, the year behind me and that the family have been involved with Bedlington CC for generations. I remember Billy Senior, playing Cricket. If I'm not wrong both Billies (Snr & Jnr.) worked for Redifusion. Wonder if anyone can confirm that?  

If you take out The Beatles and the Rolling Stones, then I had (have) most of them. Whilst I liked The Beatles & The Stones I thought their music was too accessible on the radio, so I generally bought artists who those 2 groups were inspired by. Hence me being more into Amriecan music, specifically Rhythm & Blues + Soul. 

Whilst doing some research I found this photo in a local newspaper from 1950 and have summarised what was reported.

Football Fans from Bedlington Station have formed a Newcastle United Supporters Club, so that they can charter buses for all home matches and certain away games.

Ninety of these ardent United Supporters made the decision when they attended a “presentation supper” in Bedlington Station Social Club. Frank Brennan the Newcastle United and Scotland international was invited to be the guest of honour. Brennan was astounded when he was presented with an electric clock, as a thank you for his time. Whilst he protested, saying he did not deserve the gift, the crowd chanted “Good Old Frankie”. 

Whilst doing some research at Woodhorn Archives, reading old copies of the Blyth News, one particular sporting item from 27th. August 1949 caught my eye. Bedlington 2nd's were playing against Broomhill in the Alnwick & District League (Div. A). The Bedlington team batted first and were all out for a measly 4 runs. The only 3 batsmen to score runs were R.D. Cole (1), H. Laws (1) and D. Routledge (2 n.o.). In reply the Broomhill team scored 6 for 0, taking just 2 overs to complete their victory. So; the question is "Does anyone know if this is a record low score for a Bedlington Cricket Club side, or has there ever verb a lower score ?".

I agree with Eggy1948 that the Wakes had the Pork Butchers on The Oval Shops. I'm not at all sure if they also had another shop in Newbiggin. 

Merry Christmas to the people of Bedlington, wherever you may be. I sincerely hope you all have a great Christmas and wish you a very healthy, happy and successful 2018. 

11 is Bob Storey,

I beleive that the football is Bedlington Juniors FC, circa 1962 or 63. The lads that I recognise are all 3-4 years older than me. I played a few games for the club when I was 16/17 in 1964/5ish. The Chairman was Bob Storey (back row, 3rd, from right). The only other non player I recognise is Bob Dodds (in between the 2 players on the back row, at the right). The goalkeeper is, I think Brian Richmond, Ronnie Phillipson is in the middle row to the right go the Cup and then I can name Kinglsey Wake (front row far right) and I think the lad 2nd. from the left could be Alan Wilkinson (a kind of wild guess on my part). I also think, though not positive that the lad in the back row, far left was called Wakenshaw.

Definitely the Station Park.  

CL, my daughter spent 3 months in Peru about 5 years ago (as part of her 2 year "Gap Year"). She lived with a Perusian family learning Spanish for some of the time before going on to Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca etc. If you'd like to make contact, then let me know and I can let you have her e-mail details etc. She's currently working in Bedford, about to re-locate to Winchester but taking another 8 weeks break to travel to Japan / Bali / Thailand / Cambodia in June. She's a bit of a wanderer.

Agree with Stu Green, the competition was called The Medals.

Derek Jefferson, lived near the Terrier pub, went to the Whitley Memorial then the Station Modern and was an imposing Centre Half. From school he went to Ipswich Town and then to Wolves.  

Eggy, not only are you a whiz with the photos & numbering but you can draw as well. I bet you refined your talent when working all the boring hours at The Monastery.

Eggy & Pete,

I don't ever recall Bedlington Mechanics FC playing in anything other than Red Shirts (with white sleeves) and White Shorts. Looking at this b&w photo with the footballers coloured in I would hazzard a guess to say this was probably in the 1940's (maybe even War-Time or could be TA Reservists) and that most of them are Bedlington lads. Perhaps the footballers may have been amongst the ones who started Bedlington Mechanics when they were formed in May 1949.

Hi Bedlingtonian,

  thank you so much for this info, I had found the FA Cup results for the Mechanics FC, but hadn't looked for the subsequent ones for Bedlington Colliery Welfare. I also wasn't aware of the final table for the Northern Alliance for 1959/60. Great info.

Hi Pete,

  I can also remember Danny Peary, but am struggling to recall Matty Fernoney. But thanks for your continued contribution.

Thanks 4G for the correct spelling of Millne

Thanks Pete for your recollection. The name Bob Fulbeck rings a bell, big centre half. I think he was from Ashington as I remember he would be picked up on our way to Amble or Alnwick by Dixon Jordan who was the main driver for his own coach company on away match days.

Someone else on Face book has recalled the name Heslop.

My brother remembers a match at The Station Welfare against Newcastle United Reserves (or A team) in a County Cup Semi Final, where he went straight after school and he thinks that Frank Clark was playing for the black & whites

With the permission of their Chairman - Ronan Liddane, my brother (wor Allan) and I have decided to help clarify the history page on the Bedlington Terriers FC web-site. Allan and I both believe that the first 2 paragraphs that refer to the early years, especially regards Bedlington Mechanics FC, aren’t quite as we remember.

As our Grandad (Sep Kidd) was Chairman of The Mechanics, wor Allan and I went to nearly all the home matches and a great many of the away fixtures when we were growing up in the 1950’s and into the 1960’s. 

Wor Allan and I contend that Bedlington Mechanics FC played their home games at Milne Park, certainly through the mid-1950’s to the early 1960’s. The land was owned by local entrepreneur Jimmy Milne and he rented the land to the football club. We think that when Jimmy Milne sold his store to Blyth Co-op, then the football ground was also sold, later to become the Vulcan Place Car Park and The Mechanics then had to re-locate to the Station Welfare Park. We are not sure exactly when this happened, so we would appreciate anyone who is able to add more details of the move.

We are pretty sure that they kept the name Mechanics for the first season or so at The Station Welfare. If you look at the records for the FA Cup from 1959 to 1962-63 season Bedlington Mechanics featured in the Qualifying Rounds. 

Other men who we can remember that were on the Committee of Bedlington Mechanics FC throughout this period in question were Bill Ward (who went on to manage the club) and Mr. Pearson (the cricketer Ken Pearson’s dad). 

Bedlington lads who all played at some stage that we can remember were Billy Pearcey, Harry Routledge, Ronnie Philipson, Fenwick McLean and maybe some of the lads from just after this period like Michael Metcalfe, Ronnie Day or Michael Third may also be able to help.

So, this is an appeal to anyone else that can remember the local football of the mid 1950’s to early 1960’s. Please help us if you have any recollections, stories or tales of those years. You may have to ask your own Dad’s and Grandad’s to see what they can recall. Any photos will also be very welcome.

Hi Symptoms, now I like all sorts of musical genres, but keeping on the Bluesy theme side of things, my favourite BLUES albums of 2106 have been, (in no particular order) :-

• Tedeschi Trucks Band - Let me get by
• Joe Bonamassa - Blues of desperation
• Matt Anderson - Honest Man
• Jack Broadbent - Portrait
• Coiln James - Blue Highways
• Mike Zito - Make blues not war
• But if you like your blues with a British Rock feel have you listened to Frankie Millers Double Take. Worth reading up on Frankie Millers life and understand that he has been completely disabled for the past 20 years, but Rod Stewart asked if he had any old tapes lying around and they discovered loads of unrecorded stuff. So they asked several singers/musicians to choose a track and they then used modern technology in the studio to create duets with Frankie. The end result is very, very good and highlights what a great singer/songwriter he was and what a huge loss to music he has been since his health took such a sad turn for the worse. 

Now I must try and get a download of the Stones "Blue & Lonesome".

The Test

The phone rings and the lady of the house answers, "Hello."
"Mrs. Sanders, please." "Speaking."
"Mrs. Sanders, this is Doctor Jones at Saint Agnes Laboratory. 

When your husband's doctor sent his biopsy to the lab last week, a biopsy from another Mr. Sanders arrived as well... We are now uncertain which one belongs to your husband. Frankly, either way the results are not too good."

"What do you mean?" Mrs. Sanders asks nervously.

"Well, one of the specimens tested positive for Alzheimer's and the other one tested positive for HIV. We can't tell which is which."

"That's dreadful! Can you do the test again?" questioned Mrs. Sanders.

"Normally we can, but MEDICARE will only pay for these expensive tests once."

"Well, what am I supposed to do now?"

"The MEDICARE Helpdesk recommend that you drop your husband off somewhere in the middle of town”. “If he finds his way home, don't sleep with him!”

Three dogs were sitting in the waiting room at the vet's when they struck up a conversation. The Yellow Labrador turned to the Black
  Labrador and said, " So why are you here? "

  The Black Lab replied, " I'm a pisser. I piss on everything....the sofa, the curtains, the cat, the kids. But the final straw was last night when I pissed in the middle of my owner's bed."

  The Yellow Lab said, " So what's the vet going to do? " " Gonna cut my nuts off " came the reply from the Black Lab. "They reckon it'll calm me down."

  The Black Lab then turned to the Yellow Lab and asked " Why are you here? "

  The Yellow Lab said, " I'm a digger. I dig under fences, dig up flowers and trees, I dig just for the hell of it. When I'm inside, I dig up the carpets. but I went over the line last night when I dug a great big hole in my owner's couch."

  " So what are they going to do to you? " the Black Lab inquired.  " Looks like I'm losing my nuts too," the dejected Yellow Lab said.

  The Black Lab then turned to the Great Dane and asked, " Why are you here ? "

  " I'm a humper," said the Great Dane. "I'll hump anything. I'll hump the cat, a pillow, the table, fence posts, whatever. I want to hump everything I see. Yesterday my owner had just got out of the shower and was bending down to dry her toes, and I just couldn't help myself. I hopped on her back and started hammering away."

  The Black and the Yellow Labs exchanged a sad glance and said, " So, it's nuts off for you too, huh ?”

  The Great Dane said, " No, apparently I'm here to get my nails clipped!"