Yes, it is a real conundrum, isn't it ? Years back I learned that they had amalgamated(by Act of Parliament) but I think I learned the facts here, on Rootschat, that Cowpen (Quay) was more populous than Blyth. Blyth was a backwater due to the town centre being flooded by high tides until they rectified matters in the Bridge Street area. When young I always wondered why it was called 'Bridge Street.' I recall the square near the Golden Fleece and the end of the shipyard, in the 1950s and 1960s. Nothing on it, but looking at old maps here(Roots) you can see that it was a very old feature of the area. My grandparents were married in 1915, and it is recorded as Tynemouth. I thought that Blyth was possibly within the Tynemouth local government area. Incorrect - it had something to do with areas recording births, marriages, and deaths.
And, Michael Dixon, I do not post queries, then skip off to the working mens' clubs - where I live(Yorks) they are struggling as well as those in the North-East.
I was never a clubman when living in Blyth, although I did go in them now and again. I remember neighbours who would queue for the No.49 bus at about 6pm on a Saturday evening, so that they could get to the Big Club, off Regent Street, to ensure they and their wives had a seat. I will refrain from the oft used saying, - "Happy Days."
Perhaps here on this site, it might be an idea to start recalling the names/locations of the pubs and clubs in the area. Your starters for 10 : The Pineapple; The Globe; The Swan. Keep it gannin, lads and lasses. Nivvor forget what a canny toon Blyth was, and is.
