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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Northumberland => Topic started by: pityackafromblyth on Saturday 09 October 10 14:51 BST (UK)
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Two things I am interested related to Blyth in the past, and if anyone can provide info. or point me in the right direction, I would appreciate it.
First item is a ship which went aground in Blyth bay(south beach area) in the late 1940's. My grandmother took me to see it when I was about 7 years old, so that would be about 1948. Help with the date, name of the ship. etc. would be welcome.
Second item concerns P.C George Mussell who was murdered at Bedlington about 1911. He had been stationed at Blyth, prior to his move to Bedlington, and was known to my other grandmother. She worked in a bakers in the town centre, and PC Mussell used to call in there whilst on duty. He was known to the girls as Geordie. My grandmother described him as a "fine, tall, young man". I have searched here on Northumberland page, but have not found anything re him. Being new to this I might not have been searching correctly. Hoping for info. re the two matters.
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Might this be him?:
Deaths Jun 1913
Mussell George B
age: 30
District: Morpeth
Volume:10b
Page: 459
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Yes, I think it is his death.
Some info and a photo here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/2791717.stm
The article is dated 2003 and they were looking for descendants - that would have been a good project for the Rootschatters. :))
There are a couple of other similar articles online. Try googling. :D
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The murder of PC Mussell was part of the Sun Inn murders in 1913, also killed was a police sergeant and the wife of the pub owner.There is a book called 'Bedlingtonshire' by Evan Martin that has a photo of PC Mussell.
Steve
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Thank you both, Ruskie and nort. I was a couple of years out re PC Mussell's death. I knew about the murders at the pub at Bedlington, and that he was a victim. My grandmother told me he used to call at the back of the shop for a cup of tea. If he was wearing his cape they would try and leave a floury handprint on the back of it, before he went back on the beat. Now and again they managed it without him knowing, and he would get a rollicking of his sergeant.
I will try the various other sites, etc., you mention. I have no family connection with PC Mussell, but through my grandmother mentioning him, and she having known him personally, I thought I would try and find out over what period he had been posted to Blyth.
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The book "Tough Times & Grisly Crimes" a history of crime in Northumberland and County Durham, by Nigel Green, has a detailed article about the murders of PC Mussell Sergeant Barton and Sarah Grice on January 27th 1913, with photographs of the victims, and the arrest of Jocker Amos .
Stan
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Just adding a wee snippet.....
Northumberland Communities website has a couple of photos on the policemen's funerals, within the Bedlington section.
communities.northumberland.gov.uk
Twenty second and twenty third in the gallery.
Michael
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Link to photos..
http://communities.northumberland.gov.uk/Bedlington_C4.htm
One funeral in Bedlington, other in Rothbury.
Michael
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I have just Googled "New Delaval", and having viewed the car-camera site, I have ended up in tears. :'( They have pulled down Newsham Junior School; Walter Willson's(just over the gates with a Police pillar standing nearby)has gone. As has the cobblers, and also Robson's cycle shop. We had to traipse down from the top end of Plessey Road, to Robson's for charged accumulators for the radio. I suppose nowadays, with them having acid inside kids would not be allowed to carry them. And who recalls Dodd's corner shops, one at each end of Plessey Road(even nos. side) You should have seen the queue of kids outside the bottom one, when sweets came off the ration. ;D I suppose Watson's paper shop, and Buglass's corner shop have vanished from the top end of Plessey Road. Used to go to the former for the Sporting pink on a Saturday night about 5.30pm with a treat for a Kit Carson or Buck Jones comic, as well. Old Man Watson was alright, but if the son was serving, all the blokes got their papers first, and any kids had to wait until the queue had gone, then we would be served. You will all remember The Plaza, but who recalls 'Tiny' Miller, the gateman at Newsham level crossing ? Hope aal thi above gets ya minds workin :D
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I remember all that as I lived around the corner in Delaval Gardens. Tiny Miller's son (Terry) was a mate of mine. Terry somehow got hold of a BSA rifle (slug gun) and we used to go to the red rocks for target practice - using a fishing float propped up on a rock - until we got caught with it. Terry lived in the house next to the bottom Dodds shop. His Dad would take us into the cabin from time to time. I worked for Fred Greener, delivering papers for many years. Used to meet the 6.02 a.m train and wheel the papers down from the station to the shop in the station cart. I got extra money for that. Played in the timber yard and went to the boys club. Used to slide down the pitheaps on an old piece of conveyor belt. Who remembers "the crane" with the shute on it on which we used to climb up or into the engine room? It was parked on rails for a long time not far from the school. There was an unused Presbyterian Church near the railway line which ran from Seaton Delaval / New Hartley to New Delaval Pit. It used to serve the mining families who lived in the pit rows (including my g grandparents) which by then had been demolished. Moorhens used to nest on the pit lodge and we played near the "yellow babby" stream. Robson's, the cyle shop, Walter Wilson's etc. have long since gone. Who remembers the night the Co-op bakery burnt down? My dad helped get the horses out of the stables while my Mum sat me and my brother on the post box. Mum had got us out of bed. In the Summer we walked or cycled up to the baths at Humford Woods - sometimes scrumping apples from the farm on the way! If you're interested a guy called Peter Loud who lived just on the end around from the same Dodds shop has a website and has photos of the schools. What was the name of the clothing shop? Was it "Symonds". The Doctors surgery was just around the corner. Drs. Baird and Milne. Happy uncomplicated days.
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Yes, Wilkinson, happy uncomplicated days, back then. I knew Tiny had a son, but could not remember his name. I think their was also a daughter. Was the shop not Ella Simonds ? It was big for the area, and at Christmas time, their were also toys displayed in the window. The crane near the pit heaps - it was our battleship, and the braver ones climbed out along the shute which stretched out inside the bullring. It seemed to stand idle and unused for years. I recall the fire at the Co-op as we were brought from bed and watched it from the top end of Plessey Road. As a result of the fire the new bakery was built. Mother's check no. was 10071.(for the divi.) Can you recall the pitch and toss which took place at the end of the heaps, near the yellow babby? We would be playing football on the cinder pitch at the end of the park, then you would see the Polis ride up on his bike, alongside the rail line, and the blokes would be running off in all directions. It may have been P.C. Ballance, as he was the local about that time. The doctors you mention were our doctors. New Delaval pit manager- Mr. Myers (?) who lived in that big house near the pit, and it was rumoured that he had a big black dog, which had false teeth. We al believed it. I can also recall motor cycle racing in the fields on the Horton side of the managers house. And there was also motor cycle racing on the beach at Blyth. I will leave it at that for now - it feels like I am in a time machine.
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The Newcastle Weekly Chronicle between 5 Oct 1872 and 25 Apr 1874 ran a feature called " Our Colliery Villages"
The 61st one done by their roving reporter , edition dated 3 May 1873" covered the A-Z of Newsham and New Delaval.
He writes about miners living in " old Delaval" brought in daily to New Delaval because there were not enough housing for them around the pit.
" Delaval has an nexcellant and well attended colliery school which Newsham has not. Newsham however has privies whereas at New Delaval the village schoolmaster is the only man sufficiently refined to be allowed such a luxury."
He also says ND is well lit as the colliery allows the village to use the pit's gas.
And that the " news room" is well used as " it has no rival on the spot to contend with in the shape of a public house, for there is not one nearer than the Black Diamond at Newsham "
And lots more.
But just to keep you New Delaval folk in check, be aware of what he wrote
( 20 Sep 1873) about my birth-colliery, Bebside, " Each house has it's own privy and ashpit at the rear and everything offensive is kept out of sight and carried away by the drainage. The backs of the stone rows of Bebside are in striking contrast to those of many of it's neighbours"
But he did not like the situation where the only access to the upstairs room was " by the old-fashioned and dangerous ladder"
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Newcastle library conveniently extracted each weekly article and reproduced them all in one book. "Our Colliery Villages"
Michael
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Does anyone know if the book "True Tales of Blyth" by Jim Harland is still available to buy? I seem to think I heard about it on RootsChat.
I mentioned it to my aunt and she said she knew the author but that's all.
Barbara
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Jim Harland used to play cricket for Blyth, and sing/act for the Pheonix Theatre in Blyth, and play cricket for the Phoenix cricket time, was a sports reporter (football) on local television- as well as writing one of the several books published about Blyth.
I have seen his book in local libraries and for sale at that bric-a-brac market on Tynemouth Metro Station platforms on Sats and Suns.
Michael
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There are currently (05/11/10) two copies on sale on *bay......
Here is one
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/True-Tales-Blyth-Northumberland-Local-History-/150503086975?pt=Non_Fiction&hash=item230aaedb7f
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Hi all, I have been in Touch wit Jim Harland and here is his reply, he has given me his personal phone number so if anybody is interested I will give you his number if you send me a Personal Message.
Malcolm.
Hi Malcolm, Unfortunately True Tales of Blyth and Other Places is sold out although it is available to borrow from North East libraries. My latest book is BLYTH Memories which came out four weeks ago and is selling extremely quickly. If your friend is interested in this one I can send it to her post free. It costs £9.99. Because of the interest in the new book I am being asked for True Tales by others but I don’t think I’ll run to a second edition as I am already compiling the 2011 edition of BLYTH Memories. Incidentally I have written a novel set in a ficticious pit village (Hartford) during the early 1930’s and it is almost sold out. There are only 14 remaining in my keeping – this one also is in the local libraries.
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I understand Jim Harland has just published another book in a similar style as the last one. Don't know the details but understand they are on sale in various shops in Blyth
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Whoops. Posted this at the same time as the previous post.
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Does anyone recall the RAF air-sea rescue launches which were based at Blyth, both during the war, and afterwards, possibly into the late fifties. If we were down at the beach, and especially the small beach between the piers, to see the launch come down the river, then pass the harbour bar, it would open up full power, and it was a sight to see. There was an article in the Mail on Sunday, "Live" magazine a few months back about the launches, and I think one featured, and which had been fully restored, had, in fact, been based at Blyth. It was a very good article with several colour photographs.
I also recall the tide tables, and the ship arrivals and departures lists, which were published in the Blyth News - Mondays and Thursdays?, because I am sure it was published twice a week in the 40s & 50s. When we were down at the beach in the summer ships seemed to be coming into harbour, and sailing out every half hour. But that might be my memory playing tricks. One collier was a 10,000 tons, and it looked massive compared to the usual ones. It may have been the 'Nairnbank'. We used to fish for poddlers on the Cambois side. Go across on the small ferry, and fish from one of the jetties near the Seven Stars Pub. I was told "when Aa was a lad" that the Seven Stars was the nearest pub in England to Norway. That gem of information has stuck with me all my life, but I do not know if it was true. Any observations, anyone ? Also we used to winkling on the rocks at Cambois. Those ladders on the sea side of the sea wall seemed never ending when you were 7-8 years of age.
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I think the pub that is claimed to be nearest to Norway is the one on the end of the main street in Newbiggin. ( where the buses turn around).
Malcolm.
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One of those launches went up in flames, exploded and sank. Quite when I do no know but I have seen a photo of the aftermath.
Philip
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Re the RAF launches, if you can turn anything up on the internet re the Mail on Sunday article, you will find it very interesting. It was about 4 pages with great photos on the refurbished launch.
Next point of interest : Does anyone know where 'Haughton Terrace', Blyth was. Digging into family history and there is reference to one member living at that address. I was wondering if it is spelled correctly, or should it be 'Horton Terrace.' ? The item I have come across refers to that address in 1924.
Thanks in anticipation.
Pityackafromblyth
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Hi. Haughton Terrace is next street over from Coomassie Road. Giomg up Princess Louis road.
Bill.
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Hi. Haughton Terrace is next street over from Coomassie Road. Going up Princess Louis road.
Bill.
Pityacka.
I tried to upload a map but it failed to appear.
My wife lived in Coomassie Road many years ago. If your going inbetween Charlton's bakery and what used to be Yorks fish shop up Princess Louise Road its the first street on your right.
Bill.
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Thanks Billr, after I posted my query, I decided to Google the name as spelled, and there it was still in existence. Some family member lived at Folly Road, Blyth, and that was a subject here on Rootschat 3 weeks ago. It is now called Park Road. After that he moved to Haughton Terrace, sometime after WWI., dying there in 1924.
Regards, pityackafromblyth.
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Hi we're new to the site and were interested in this thread as my daughter is researching the history of the building now used as a Spiritualist Church on Wheatridge Row. Does anyone know if this is the building that used to be a Presbyterian Church or have any history about it? We know the foundation stone was laid in 1928 by a Mr W Armstrong and there are a number of bricks on one wall with names on amongst them there is one for Monkwearmouth Church and the other Ferryhill Church.
Any information would be greatly appreciated. It started as a school RE project but we have both becoem very interested in discovering how the Spiritualist Church came to be.
Many Thanks
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I do not know where Wheatridge Road is in Blyth, but I believe there has always been a relatively strong following for the spiritualist movement in the town. When about 7-8 years of age, and stopping at my grandmothers, some of her sisters and friends went to the "spooky" meetings, at a spiritualist meeting place. Overhearing their conversations used to frighten me at times.
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Only recently someone has been on a Blyth connected site here, asking re the Donkin surname. Now I cannot find it. For that persons information, a Sgt. H. Donkin, from Blyth, fell in WWI. By Googling North East War Memorial Project, one will find a comprehensive site covering Northumberland and Durham; and covers the area by town and village, etc.,; also teachers who joined up, and which school they were from; railways workers, etc. Sgt.Donkin is listed under the Masonic members who fell, and he was from the Blagdon Lodge in Blyth. I came across the site whilst trying to find details of my grandfather who served at Salonika.
Hope someone spots the DONKIN connection, and alerts that person to this.
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PYfB,
The title of the query was "Early Records from Morpeth re Donkin "
You yourself contributed to it on 8th Nov. A search of either your own postings or those of Northumberland board, using search criterion of "donki" will reveal the thread.
Michael
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Thanks Mike. Still feeling my way around the computer at times. Been off it for 3 days, then the first thing I came across this p.m. on North'l'd page was Donkin. I put the info. there as well.
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Did you find Haughton Terrace? This is my first attempted contact so I am not sure how it works. If you wish to know I can give you the details.Haughton is the correct spelling. James2
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Thanks for the site with the memorials. It looks very interesting so will have to have a good look later.
Barbara
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I see that it is the Blyth Battery events day on May 21 - 22.
P ;D
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Reading through the replys, i had a aunt who lived on plessy road who was given i think freedom of the city (hope thats right) many years ago, her name was Alice Harrington, does anybody know about this or any article i can get.
thanks
sue
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She must have been very important if she was given the 'freedom of the city'. Blyth is only a TOON. In fact it is more important and better known than THE TOON. (ie Ne'castle)) I do not know the name you mention but someone may come up with information. Best of luck.
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susie wong, I think I may have jumped the gun with my last post, re Harrington. I believe, and I think I am right, there was a Harrington family who lived in the Plessey Road area of Blyth. A Frankie(?) Harrington was an electrician and he worked at the Crofton Pit, which was on Plessey Road, and boundaried by Park Road. I believe he and his wife had a corner shop in a street close by the Masons Arms, on Plessey Road. The shop was run by his wife. Children ? - I think there may have been a daughter.
I am 95% positive about him being an electrician at Crofton Mill Pit. Other electricians were a Frankie Irvine, a Tommy Laws, who was from Cambois, and various others, whose names I cannot recall at the moment.
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Hey all :)
Just thought i'd pop by an drop this link
http://books.google.co.uk/books?pg=PA1&dq=history%20of%20Blyth%20Northumberland&ei=v2cjTr2_Aoqx8QPAls2bAw&ct=result&id=-YoHAAAAQAAJ&output=text
Its a FREE e-book called The History of Blyth by John Wallace written for Baron Grey and printed in 1868 at John Robinsons Printers, 17 Freehold Street :P
It's a very intrestng read, for example, never knew of the Dutchwarship entering the harbour and landing, s on so fourth. As well as the history, the author goes on to mention the last names that have went extinct in the male line within Blyth during his life-time, thought it might be of interest :) Along with mentioning many Blyth vessels that were lost at sea.
He also goes on to give a little history of Bedlington and also at the end of the appendix, a short history of Cowpen (and the name dosen't mean a place to keep ya coo's! )
ALSO, i was very proud when i read it was a Blyth man and Blyth ship that discovered and claimed the New South Shetland Islands and kind of saddened that this bloke isn't as revered as Willie Carr, though he did discover them in a typical BLythian fashion...completely by accident, though i do feel there should be some sort of, monument, i suppose to what he achieved. Might not have been Captain Cook, but he's a Blyth bloke and he should be remembered for what he discovered.
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Hey all,
Just curious to know where Cowpen Lodging House was. My Patrick Costello was keeper of the one in Jarrow, but upped sticks and moved to run one in Cowpen, he's still in Jarrow in 1881 so i dunno when they moved.
Though i am more curious to know of it's location to, being a Blyth lad :D
Any help would be appreciated
Marty
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Marty,
On the 1891 ( 4237-91-11) Patrick and and family and 37 lodgers were in 33 Croft Street, Cowpen Quay, within the "township" of Cowpen.
When Cowpen ( Urban District Council) merged with Blyth ( Urban District Council) in 1907, Croft Street changed name to King St .
In 1960s I frequented King Street ( Coronation W M Social Club).
http://communities.northumberland.gov.uk/005986FS.htm shows 1897 Ordnance map including Croft St, running parallel to r/way line. ( The dotted line running to river side marked boundary between the parishes of Horton (Cowpen)and Earsdon(Blyth) )
1920 edition map shows street as King St.
Michael
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I was looking for information on the air-sea rescue boats that were stationed in Blyth harbour when I was directed to this RootsChat thread. After reading about the boats I came across the postings by Wilkinson & pityackafromblyth
The mentioning of Tiny Miller, The Simmons shop and Dr Baird brought back a load of memories. There were only three houses in Middle Street, Dr Baird's, the house of Ella Simmons and our house. Above our flat lived Tiny Miller, and the front half of the flat, partitioned off, was 'bottom Dodd's shop'. I now realise that our house must have been about the worst house in the area, but I didn't know it at the time, and it didn't bother me one bit. In those days an 'ootside netty' and a galvanised bath on a nail in tha back yard was normal. Although when I was 10 year old and we moved into a new council house it was undreamed of luxury.
Somewhere in RootsChat I have posted a map of Newsham & New Delaval, I doubt if I could find it now, but it's on this website of mine,
http://www.peterloud.co.uk/photos/Northumberland/School_Photos/School_Photos.html
The webpage also includes some photos of New Delalval Infants School and Newsham Junior School.
I could rabbit on for ages about old times in New Delaval, but I'd better get back to the research I'm doing on the air sea rescue boats.
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The above was your second post to this message board .
Your first post was made 2 Nov 2010, under the topic of " South Newsham, Blyth" . It was the 79th reply posting under this topic.
Clicking on you name will enable you to see all your postings.
Michael
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New Delaval.
I have seen an ordnance survey map from the 1930s which shows rows of miners' cottages to the west of Delaval Gardens. They would have been for employees at New Delaval pit. As a youngster in the early 1950s there was the colliery timber yard in the same location where the cottages once stood. The timber yard was encircled by the single track railway and NCB coal wagons were also stood there at times.
What I want to know is when were the cottages built, and when were they demolished ? If I recall the contents of the map correctly, there were 4 methodist churches within that area of New Delaval, besides the schools, which leads onto another query - there were no public houses in New Delaval, they were all on the east side of the LNER railway line at Newsham, ie the Black Diamond, the Willow Tree, etc. Who were the owners of the New Delaval Colliery, and also the land upon which the miners' cottages were built ? If there was a strong Methodist following in that area, would that be the reason for the absence of pubs ?
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Hi pityakafromblyth,
For Xmas I received a copy of "The History of Blyth". This is a printed copy of a Google scan of the 2nd edition of "The History of Blyth" published in 1869.
This printed version has many scanning errors so last night I started converting the Google scanned images into text to produce what might be a text 3rd Edition ;-)
I am sure it will tell me who owned New Delaval Pit, but I haven't got that far yet :-(
Check out this website, http://www.archive.org/details/historyblyth00wallgoog
From here you can read or download the book. I think that the pdf file is the most interesting.
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PYFB,
New Delaval Colliery sunk on a green field site in 1859. Initially owned by Seaton Delaval Coal Company. Initially called The Foster Pit ( My g grandfather's wedding cert in 1862, records his residence as Foster Pit, )
From 1927 to nationalisation in 1947 owned by
Hartley Main Collieries Ltd.
Normally as new pits were being sunk, housing, estimated to be sufficient to house the required number of workers, was simultaneously being built. However they only managed about 300 homes, for a pit that needed 600 men .
In 1873* 2-300 hewers were "trained" in daily from Seaton Delaval to make up the numbers.
*In the 3rd May 1873 edition of the Newcastle Weekly Chronicle, the reporter remarked that New Delaval had a library to keep folk busy, while Newsham only had pubs. But Newsham folk had " privies" whereas ND folk only had ash pits.
Streets around the pit head were South Row, Middle Row, North Row, New Row. And the earlier ones of Double Row and Sinkers Row ( where the shaft sinkers would have lived while sinking it, before moving on to do the next pit)
Info on ownership from Durham Mining Museum web site.
Michael
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Hi Michael, Pete and PYFB,
Michael you've beat me to it as I've got that information filed somewhere in the material passed down the family for four generations.
Yes PYFB your description of the area is accurate. I lived in Delaval Gardens (Pete lived across and down the street on the Plessey Road side - Hi Pete) and we often played in the timber yard. Several branches of my ancestors lived in the pit rows and Foster Pit is recorded on their certificates. Don't know exactly when they were pulled down but would think somewhere about the late 1930's./ early 40's. My Dad was a milk lad delivering milk for Ernie Harrington. Quote from his memoirs "When I was 12 or 13 (1928 ish) I was offered the job of delivering milk on a Sunday for 2/6d. He left me a 10 gallon can of milk at 102, New Row (Mrs. Delf) together with a hand cart and scoops (half pint and pint) and I delivered and sold the 10 gallons in the colliery rows. I did New Row, Stone Row and Middle Row. After I finished I walked to Blyth Dairy to collect my 2/6d and then walked back home. In the pit rows only dirt rows, a stand pipe every 10 houses and open gutters that took the water from the sidewalk made of builders bricks laid on their sides. The toilets were earth closets across the street and each house made a causway across the dirt road so a visit could be made without going over the shoe tops with mud."
I inherited a set of large scale plans of the pit rows passed down from my Grandad. I've lodged them in Blyth Library if you want to see them.
As for the pubs they were all on the Newsham side of the railway. At that time there was the Victory and The Big Club. The four pubs were the Black Diamond, The Newsham Hotel, the Miner's Arms and the Turk's Head. Later there was the Willow Tree. At the weekend all hell would break loose with fights in front of the Black Diamond. In contrast on the New Delaval and Horton side the non- conformist churches had strong followings. The Rechabite movement was evident. I have an illuminated Poster certifying that Robert Barker (my gg grandad) was duly admitted a member of the MacDonald Tent No 1391 Branch of the Northumberland District No. 52 of the Independent Order of Rechabites on the thirty first day of March 1889.
Rob
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Hi Folks,
Your recent postings are bringing back loads of memories.
Here is a map I cobbled together for reference.
I remember the remains of the old terraces, but they were well flattened by my days, 1950's.
Yeah, the timber yard was a favourite play-ground for us kids that lived along the Plessy Rd/Delaval Gardens backstreet. Another place is marked on the map as "Institute" between the park and the infant school. We called it either, Spuggies Hoos, or Spookies Hoos, I'm not sure which it was.
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Rob,
You say, "Later there was the Willow Tree", The Willow Tree was there in 1799, and probably a few years before that.
The book, History of Blyth, that I mentioned, records for June 7th, 1799,
". . . During a dreadful thunder storm which occurred on this day the electric fluid struck the house of Mr. Timothy Duxfield, farmer, opposite the “Willow Tree,” Newsham. Mrs. D. was killed; and her daughter Margaret was so much injured that she never regained her health, and died on the same day five years afterwards."
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The present Willow Tree was built in 1892, on the site of the original Willow Tree.
Michael
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Dreadful quality picture from an old cutting from an unknown newspaper. It is the original Willow Tree in Newsham. The remnants of the clipping state that the pub was demolished 1891 when a new pub was built on the site for a John Thompson. The pub sat alongside what was the Plessey Waggonway.
P
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I stand corrected on the date of the Willow Tree.
Rob
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Been absent from here for a few days, but have found the later additions very interesting with facts and memories. From the 1937 map, which shows the colliery houses still standing, I see that the fields/allotments near St. Bede's Church have no houses upon them, so presumably at some stage after 1937 the council houses must have been built either just before the war, or during the war. I may be incorrect, but in the late 40s, if my memory is faultless, that estate seemed to be complete, and not in the process of being built or extended. I believe a lot of the employees at New Delaval lived in that estate. I think one of the streets was 'Park Drive'. We sometimes camped within the old railway/bullring, at the start of the timber yard, and the miners going to and back from shift, would generally ask if we were alright. We were always on the lookout for their carbide 'droppings.' Did anyone recall the Cubs meeting at the old lamphouse (?) near the colliery ? After the end of the meeting the cubs would make their way home crossing the colliery lines, then through the timber yard to get back to New Delaval and Newsham. Health and Safety would have thrown a 1,000 wobblers today if they knew that kids of that age were walking through colliery workings. :o
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I don't remember the cubs being at the pit. I was in the 1st Blyth Cubs from around 1953-57, (approx), then they met at what was a Methodist Chapel at the top of Phoenix Street. By about 1956 we moved to the wooden hut at at St Bede's Church, (by which time I had reached the dizzy rank of Senior Sixer :-)
I remember pitmen walking past, with all their work clothes on, going to the pit. They would have made great photographs, but that was before my photography days :-(
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I have just found another map that I have of Newsham. I need to stitch it together with others for area and make a more comprehensive map. I think it is from 1865, but I need to check that.
P.S. I have found that I stitched this and others together years ago and have a version that includes Blyth and Bedlington, but it is very big.
Since posting this message I have found a load of old maps of Blyth, which you all probably know about, at http://communities.northumberland.gov.uk/Blyth_C14.htm#006714.
You have to excuse my jumping into the subject, but it's about 50 years since I left Blyth, so I'm a bit out of touch.
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Does anyone know who has a copy of the original of this photograph from 1894? The image that I have is not such good quality. I have a much better scanner and better image processing skills than average and would like to try and get a digital image of improved quality.
On it is my Gt. Gt. Grandfather b.1826. I also have another photo, taken at the same time, with my Gt Grandfather and his brother on it That could do with improving too.
There are a couple of other professional photos of Blyth trimmers around, one captioned "from David Barlow's Collection", but the trimmers are not named. Has anyone seen them with names?
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I have just received an email from Les Purvis who was a classmate of mine at New Delaval Infants in 1951, his father was the manager of The Plaza. He asked if I knew the date of the fire in the bakery at the Co-op. He estimated that it was 1950.
I can remember watching the blaze and seeing the stables burnt out. As I can remember the fire I suspect that was about 1951, when I would have been 5 year old.
Does anyone have more information?
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Peter, please check your private messages.
Philip
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Is this the other photo of trimmers that you have?
The image is titled Coal Trimmers Blyth 1894.
The top row left to right, I have 8 names for and I am hoping you might be able to match them up because the list doesn't quite match the photo;
Unknown, Wilson, T. Loud, Robson, Bell, E. Bell, Tait, P. Rutherford.
Middle row;
A. Rutherford, T. Robson, Ritson, Golightly, M. Harrison, H. Lee, J. Loud, C. English
Bottom row;
G. Wilson, J. Golightly, J. Wright
Philip
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Yes, this is one of the other photos of trimmers that I have, but I have come across a few others, although the others do not have names.
I have the two "Trmmers" photos that are here in RootsChat on my webpage at http://www.peterloud.co.uk/photos/OthersUK/Blyth_1.html
I'd now like to find out if anyone has managed to put names to the trimmers in the other photos.
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In response to the mention of the Willow Tree above, it was once managed by a famous musical family, the Cloughs, renowned throughout the world as innovators in playing the Northumbrian Small Pipes:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Clough
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Years ago I checked the family tree of the Cloughs and they lived at 2 Winship Street. I didn't see any reference to them living at the Willow Tree.
Tom Clough would often be accompanied by Jim Bainbridge on his fiddle, Jim lived a few doors down from the "Tree". He was my Aunt Mary's fiddle teacher. I have a fiddle made by him.
Aunt Mary's next door neighbour was called Tom Clough, and his father was also called Tom Clough. They were preachers at the Independent Methodist Chapel in New Delaval when I was a child, (1950's). I think that they were related to the musical Cloughs but I'm not sure how.
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I think it was Old Tom who managed the Tree back in the 1800s and this was mentioned in the book about "The Cloughs of Newsham"
There is a video about them here (the annoying flickering stops about halfway through)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5j2Z161Rzg4
I used to work with another Tom Clough, who retired from bus driving not so long ago and who was a descendent.
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Hi Skida, thanks for the you tube link. Thught it was a lovely little film and brought back a few memories as my grandmas back garden looked on to the Isabella colliery.
Barbara
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New Delaval.
I have seen an ordnance survey map from the 1930s which shows rows of miners' cottages to the west of Delaval Gardens. They would have been for employees at New Delaval pit. As a youngster in the early 1950s there was the colliery timber yard in the same location where the cottages once stood. The timber yard was encircled by the single track railway and NCB coal wagons were also stood there at times.
What I want to know is when were the cottages built, and when were they demolished ? If I recall the contents of the map correctly, there were 4 methodist churches within that area of New Delaval, besides the schools, which leads onto another query - there were no public houses in New Delaval, they were all on the east side of the LNER railway line at Newsham, ie the Black Diamond, the Willow Tree, etc. Who were the owners of the New Delaval Colliery, and also the land upon which the miners' cottages were built ? If there was a strong Methodist following in that area, would that be the reason for the absence of pubs ?
I believe there was also a pub to the west of the New Delaval Colliery called The Three Horseshoes. The last row of miners houses on the west side was called Sinkers Row. To the west of that was Robson's Farm and then The Three Horseshoes. The landlady's name was Mrs Cowan and she had a son called John. My relatives, the Chamberlains, lived in the miners houses at 77 New Row until 1935 when they opened a general store at 777 Plessey Road and the corner of Cosser Street. The mine was closed in 1955 so I'm guessing that is roughly when the houses were demolished, though there is a photograph of the derelict pit head still standing in 1969.
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Here is a segment of an old 1898 map which shows the New Delaval Colliery (aka Forster & Richard Pit) site quite nicely.
The field borders are still recognisable on modern aerial mapping. It makes for an interesting comparison.
One interesting point to make about the single track railway encircling the houses, is that quite a number of small residential places had these railways, either in standard gauge or narrow gauge. It seems that the lines were used to take coal and other goods in to the houses and return goods and rubbish out. The subject is touched on elsewhere on this forum.
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,388750.0/prev_next,prev.html
Enjoy.
Philip
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You might also like a bit of a look here;
http://www.peterloud.co.uk/photos/Northumberland/School_Photos/School_Photos.html
P
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colingrave, Yes you are correct about the Three Horse Shoes. I remember being walked up there by Grandfather on a Sunday dinnertime, probably the late 1940s. We walked up the path which was unmade and reddish. From maps I have seen since joining here it is the old waggon way, which went down to the harbour.The farm just down the road from the Three Horse Shoes ? A family called Robson were there in the 1940s. We had some connection with them through my Grandmother, and called in 1-2 occasions. Their daughter was called Helen Robson.
777, Plessey Road,Must have been the next block up from us, but I do not recall what you mention. There were Dodd's shops at the top and bottom of Plessey Road. Top one - opposite Beatrice Avenue, and the bottom one opposite Ella Simpson's(?) and near Dr.Baird's house. As regards top end of Plessey Road, I recall - Buglass's general shop, and then Watson's Newpaper shop a couple of doors away.
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A view of the New Delaval Colliery and brick works buildings from what was the gas works circa 1906.
P
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That map is quite fascinating. Three Methodist Chapels, St Bede's Mission and a Christian Lay Church. all within spitting distance. I suppose if you worked down the pit (or were dependent on someone who did) in those days, religion would be a useful part of your life.
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. . . . As regards top end of Plessey Road, I recall - Buglass's general shop, and then Watson's Newpaper shop a couple of doors away.
In the 1950's I always knew that general shop as Chamberlain's. Just beyond was, as you say, Watson's Newspaper shop.
When the Greeners took over the newspaper business I used do a morning paper round from there. Monday to Friday, I would deliver just over 100 newspapers up Newcastle Road, then along Laverock Hall Road and end at Etal Road at the council house into which we moved in 1957, from Middle Street, (The street of Dr Baird & bottom Dodd's shop & Ella Simmons).
For that paper round I was paid £1 a week. I thought that very good. A couple of years later when I got into underage drinking, a pint of IPA at the Newsham Hotel cost 1s 3d, across the road at the Vic a pint was only 1/1d. that was the price of 16 pints of IPA. That would be over £40 in today's money.
I also remember Robson's Farm. There was an conker tree at the bottom of their garden, my mates & I would go up there to get conkers. There was an apple tree in Dr. Baird's garden, from which I'd take apples.
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. . . . As regards top end of Plessey Road, I recall - Buglass's general shop, and then Watson's Newpaper shop a couple of doors away.
In the 1950's I always knew that general shop as Chamberlain's. Just beyond was, as you say, Watson's Newspaper shop.
When the Greeners took over the newspaper business I used do a morning paper round from there. Monday to Friday, I would deliver just over 100 newspapers up Newcastle Road, then along Laverock Hall Road and end at Etal Road at the council house into which we moved in 1957, from Middle Street, (The street of Dr Baird & bottom Dodd's shop & Ella Simmons).
For that paper round I was paid £1 a week. I thought that very good. A couple of years later when I got into underage drinking, a pint of IPA at the Newsham Hotel cost 1s 3d, across the road at the Vic a pint was only 1/1d. that was the price of 16 pints of IPA. That would be over £40 in today's money.
The confusion over names probably comes from the fact that the Chamberlain's youngest daughter, Nancy, married Godfrey Buglass. The Chamberlains originally lived at 77 New Row in the miners houses. In 1935 the family moved to the general store at 777 Plessey Road, but Nancy and Godfrey, who were now married, took over 77 New Row when the rest of the family moved out. There they had 2 sons, Geoffrey and Norman Buglass
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Phillip,
Thanks for the photograph of New Delaval pit.
My Great Grandfather John Common was a blacksmith there, my Great Grandparents lived at 64 New Row.
My Dad also worked at the pit.
Malcolm.
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Glad you like it Malcolm. Check your emails, I just sent you another picture of the pit. ;D
P
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Can anyone in RootsChat recall a ladies' hat shop which was on Regent Street, just yards along from Station Street ? There was a newsagent's shop next door to it. I have come across an old post from a member in Australia and she was trying to trace relatives (two sisters) who ran such a shop in Blyth. Just after the War my grandmother used to call at the shop on Regent Street with me in tow. There were 2 women in that shop, but obviously I cannot visualise them, nor recall their names. Perhaps this is the shop she is referring to, although more than likely there would have been other millinery shops in Blyth.
I have sent the woman in Australia a PM suggesting she 'refreshes' her query again, and also visit the Blyth History page here, where hopefully the information she wants may come to light.
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Yes, I can remember it but not the name. I will be texting my aunt later so will ask her (she is 86 so will probably be able to tell me) Now waiting for reply
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Sorry, the old lass has let me down. She could only remember the mens shop that was near there.
Barbara
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Barbara, Hopefully other Blyth folks will see this and come up with the answer. Whether there were 2 or 3 shops between the back lane of Station Street/Wright Street, and the front of Wright Street, I forget. But I do remember the Millinery shop, and the newsagents. I also remember the tops of the backyard walls which were covered with cement and broken glass set into it. To stop thieves and burglars ? Nowadays, you would not be able to put that on top of the walls - you might injure the wrong doers !!!!
In Wright street, opposite my Grandmother's backyard door, was the backyard door of Mrs. Taylor, and her daughter, Nelly. Those steps, on the climb-up to their living room, seemed steep for a youngster. Those houses in Wright Street must have been 2 up and 2 downs, like I grew up in in New Delaval.
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Which side of the street and on which corner? I will look through the pictures I have and see if there is one of the shop in question.
I had a brief look and there is an old picture of such a shop on Regent Street called C Pordum, Hatter, Hosier & (?) but it is a very old picture and not one from the 50s or 60s. It is now the site of the shop called Les Belles next to the Pullman pub.
If I'm barking up the wrong shop, give me a bit more detail.
P ;D
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I don't know if this might be correct, but I just got word back from one of my Blyth moles and he tells me the newsagents shop was Mather's News and the hat shop was owned by a Mavis Scott. The shop was called The Hat Box. Her husband was a certain Ronnie who was a North Blyth train driver.
Does that fit with anything you might remember or does it jiggle the grey cells at all?
P
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The name of Mather's newsagents shop rings a bell with me. As regards the women's hat shop, it was the late 1940's when I was taken there. Perhaps the shop changed hands sometime after that.
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This a bit more of what my mole told me.
" In the early days, when I was a tot, it was Soulsby's men's hat shop, managed by George Basset. I went to school with his daughter Audrey, now deceased. It was an order office for Sid Gunn, coalman, then a trophy shop. It then stood empty for a long while, then it was the ladies hairdressers."
My mole is in his 70s now and is a great source of titbits and stories about places and people. Of course some of the gossip has to be kept secret! :o
P
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I'm still not exactly sure if this indeed the correct location of the shop you are talking about, but nevertheless here is a photo of what was Soulsby's and the little shop next door. The building right most is The Pullman pub.
P
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I was born in the 50's and can remember Soulsbys', my grandmother used to go there and get a couple of caps (flat type) an appro to take home for him to try and then take the other back as he would never go shopping. I presume she did that for all of his clothes.
Nowadays some people don't bother they just take them and don't bother about paying. How society has changed over the years!!
Barbara
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Oops, lost the plot again. I was also going to say that when she was young my mother worked at the Railway pub next door. I also seem to remember that I went to school with a girl who lived in the same pub I recall their name was Thompson.
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Phodgetts, Your photo is near to where I am talking about, but it is the opposite side of the road. From the rail bridge(towards Cowpen Quay) there was a tobacconist shop, a butcher's, believed Shy's, then T.G. Allan, at the corner of Station Street. Going in the same direction, there was then the back lane shared by Station Street and Wright Street. From that back lane there were the shops, ie the Women's hat shop and Mather's newsagents. The hat shop was the one run by two women, who may have been the 2 sisters that the RootsChat member in Australia is interested in. The photo includes the sign on the pub - Railway.... , which was the Railway Tavern. Reference has been made to the pub in this thread in the past where it was confused with the Station Hotel, which was nearby. I believe Aspin has mentioned the Railway Tavern in here, it was where she met up with some relative who was a fisherman.
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Back to 'mole' then. I'm waiting for him to reply. Watch this space.
P
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These photos are from 1978, but may jog a few memories:-
(http://i1168.photobucket.com/albums/r495/AlisdairGB/RegentStr1978-1.jpg)
(http://i1168.photobucket.com/albums/r495/AlisdairGB/RegentStr1978-2.jpg)
I'll see if I can find more
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The Hat Box was on the corner of Regent Street and Waterloo Road. Will ask my folks if they have any other info.
Loved the Presto shopping trolley sign!
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AlisdairGB, Your second photo shows the exact area I am on about. To the left of Mather's Newsagent, there are two other shops, and one of those was the Millinery/Ladies' hat shop I was on about, ie in the late 1940s. I cannot make out the street name sign above Mather's sign, but am I correct as I stated previously, that it is Wright Street ?
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It's Maddison Steet.
Wright Street is the next street down ... (northwards ) towards Wimborne Quay / Traveller's Rest area
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Well, my two moles are older than Phillips, 83 and 81, they think the hat shop was possibly owned by the Dover sisters before Mavis Scott and Mavis didn't have any sisters, and that Ronnie Scott who is the husband of the late Mavis was in fact a South Blyth engine driver.
He is still around and drinks in the Top House
Malcolm
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My mole tells me there was a Ladies Clothes and Hat shop run by sisters and possibly called "Madame Soms". This was on Bowes Street and they also had a Kids Shop next door. I realise this isn't exactly the same location, but it is a bit of a coincidence that there should be two hat shops within a few hundred yards, both run by two sisters.
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The member in Australia says the family name of the two sisters (who had a hat shop) was Latimer. There is a post here on RootsChat which shows a census return for that family, but there is no 'Mavis' in that family. It looks as though there may have been at least 3 such shops in Blyth from what has been posted recently, ie the one I am on about, the one at Rgent Street/Waterloo Road area, and also the Bowes Street one.
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Blyth people, have a look at welcometosparta.com a website/forum for the supporters of the Spartans. They have published a few photographs of old Blyth(into the 1960s) which I have never seen before. There are also links to other sites posted, there.
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Some great pictures on there - thank you!
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Hoping someone here can provide the information. I have a friend who used to visit Blyth in the course of his work back in the 1960s-1970s. His 2 calls were at Redhead's sweet factory, and the second one was a wholesale tobacconist, owned or run by a Jimmy Hood. Does anyone recall where his place was situated ? My friend says it was on one of the main roads out of Blyth centre.
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The only tobacconist I know of was the little shop outside of the railway station which got demolished. I don't suppose it was a wholesalers though. The names I know were associated with that shop were Finlay and D Milligan. None of my family were smokers so the subject is one I have no real knowledge of.
I looked through the Newcastle telephone book from 1970 for a J Hood, in Blyth, but there is not one listed. I had hoped it would give an address.
P
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That very same phone book has these wholesalers listed;
Cruddis R T (Blyth) & Co. 7 King Street Blyth 3182
Mather J F 59 Regent Street Blyth 3170
P
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Cruddis also had a wholesalers on Cowpen Road (fits the description of "one of the main roads out of Blyth"
The building is now Scaramangas restaurant
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Thats right Alisdair. Cruddis on Cowpen Road, my friend used to work there around the seventies.
They use to refill the Ciggies machines in different pubs etc'
Sadly my friend died some years ago, so cant give any more details.
Dolly
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Surely he wouldn't mean Mathers as that would just be at the bottom of the street from Redheads.
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Scaramanga ( James Bond settled his hash) >> Cruddis (tobac wholesaler) >>> Cowpen Co-Op.
This was my mother's main shop in 1950s.
Street Trivia. When the two townships of Blyth and Cowpen merged in 1907, duplicated street names had to be
straightened out. The Cowpen " Croft Steet" was renamed King St.
Michael
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Yes Michael, and that Croft Street (later King Street) was the location of Blyth's very first railway station which opened on the 3 May 1847 when the extension from Percy Main to Blyth was completed.
P
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Thank you all for the information re the wholesale tobacconist, and you have hit the nail on the head. I have seen my friend this morning, and when I mentioned the name Cruddis, he confirmed that was the name of the wholesaler. He states that apart from tobacco the firm also dealt in confectionery. He says Jimmy Hood was a very keen gardener, and also a drummer, who played in a small band/group which performed at pubs and clubs.
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Does anyone remember Nurse Emily Gerard/Gerrard? she was the District Nurse and cycled all over Blyth to do her duties in the 50s and 60s. Lovely lady and a friend of my Mum. Her father's history was also something special I recall.
Greeting from CH
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Emily Gerrard , of course, she will be be remembered by hundreds seeing that she delivered dozens of the the Blythonions! As you say a well respected lady of her time.
Merry Christmas, Dolly
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Well another year gone by, and I have spent another New Year away from 'home'. I gather that New Year celebrations, first footing, etc., have gone by the way nowadays. So I am not missing much ? Where I live there was a caravan club meet, and some of them appeared in the local pub, and they were from the North East, so they livened up New Year's Day dinner time for us ex-pats.
But by the by, the reason I have come here tonight is ,... local Geordie words, NE words, etc. One word we used at Blyth was " sproach". eg. - 'let wi hev a gud sproach in this cupboard.'; or from an elder, ' what are yi sproaching aboot in the cupboards and drawers?'
I have looked in old dictionaries, etc., but just cannot find the word, "sproach."(or however spelled.)So does anyone from Blyth it being used within their family, years back ?
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Hi pityakka,
When I was small my mother always used to say we were "spoaching" without the r. Strangely, I just used the word before christmas when I reckoned my daughter had been spoaching in my wardrobes (for pressies) (She was out of luck though)
Barbara
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I have just looked on Internet for spoaching and it gave the exact meaning of "Timmy was spoaching for his Christmas presents"
Barbara
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The loss of the SS Flush occurred in Nov. 1919. It had sailed from Blyth with a cargo of coal, and the ship's first port of call was Malmo, where its cargo was unloaded. It then sailed 'in ballast' for Harnosand which is in the north of Sweden, Gulf of Bothnia. However, on the night of 19th-20th November, in a blizzard, the ship went aground on rocks at Aland Islands. All hands were lost, and the vessel wrecked. A list of the crew was in The Scotsman, dated 29.11.19 but some crew members were not listed. The names below are from an article in the Blyth News & Wansbeck Telegraph, and is complete except one name.
Capt. Brady. 1st Mate. Mr. Jones. 2nd Mate. O. Sorenson, of London.
Chief Engineer. ?? 2nd Engineer. Fred Ravenburn, Station Street, Blyth.
3rd Engineer. R. Wood, 73, Waterloo Road. Michael Sweeney, boatswain, 124, Nile Street,
Gateshead. Married. J. Sorensen, AB, 7, Charlton Street. R. McNeil, AB. 5, William Street,
W. Palmer, Boy, 35, Goschen Street. C. Langley, Boy, 10, Nelson Place. Jake Johnson,
Donkeyman, 6, King Street. Married. M. McIvor, Fireman, 31, George Street, single.
I. Kirten, Fireman, 26, Holmside Place. Single. A.F. Nadgreen, Fireman, 26, Holmside Place.
Married. T. Forster, Fireman, 19, Clive Street. Married. G.W. Loud, Fireman, 19, Clive Street.
Single. A. Coyne, Fireman, 79, High Street. Married. J. Langlands, Cook. GRainger Street.
Widower. J. Hunter. Messroom Steward, 37, Gladstone Street. D. Young. Steward, of North
Shields.
Re the 2nd Mate O. Sorenson, his surname is spelt like that, and also ' Sorensen' in two different newspapers. It is not known wether he was related to J. Sorensen.
J. Sorensen had served in the Danish and British Navies. In 1917 he was on the S.S. Kurdistan when it was torpedoed in the Mediterranean. It was en route from Blyth to Alexandria with a cargo of coal. Mr. Sorensen was in the ship's lifeboat when it was run down by a British minesweeper which was rushing to their aid.
Mrs. Coyne had previously lost two sons at sea, and then her husband in this tragedy.
J. Johnson was the only survivor from a ship lost in WW I.
Mr. Forster had served 4-1/2 years in the Army, and was stepfather to G. W. Loud.
In 1920 questions were asked in Parliament and are recorded in Hansard.
Part of the Flush's wheel and another item are in the Maritime Museum at the Aland Islands.
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Hi Pityakka, Ihave found your last message very interesting as my grandfather was in the merchant navy in WW1.
Very strange that he had a stepbrother with the surname Coyne and I am now wondering if they could have been related.
My grandfather was 15 in 1914 when he first went to sea. I am pleased I did not sail with him as his ships seemed to have had bad luck ( maybe someone had mentioned the word "pig" before the left. When I was young I was never allowed to call anybody a pig as it was bad luck when you come from a family of seamen!!
I have a piece a note somewhere of when his ship got torpedoed and the were towed into Messina for repairs. The comment was that the only casualty was some of the china.
Barbara
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Can anyone recall the large nissen huts which were on Links Road, same side as the Wellesley School and just after it ? They would be opposite the old bandstand area at South Beach. For some reason the memory of them came to mind just last night. I cannot recall how many there were. They must have been connected to Forces personnel stationed at Blyth in WW II.
I believe they were used to house families after the war, presumably due to bombed housing and the shortage of houses.
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I had thought they'd be on this shot of the area but I was mistaken. Were they on the site where the static caravans are in the shot?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36891793@N08/8601293958/
Lots more images on that Flickr page to reminisce.
P
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When do you remember them being there PYFB? I have cropped out a section of an old postcard of the area dated 1959 and there is no sign of the huts in the field by the band stand. Unless of course the houses down there are blocking the view of the huts.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/51893012@N05/8867395122/sizes/k/in/photostream/
I'll continue looking through other aerial shots I have of the area, but thus far nothing is coming up trumps. Looking forward to hearing what others say on this one.
P
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I well remember the buildings that PYFB is on about, I always understood they were used by
Military personnel in war time, then as he said people were moved into them, until they were no longer fit for habitation.
A large housing project is on going there now which is changing the area altogether, much for the better. Dolly
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Phodgetss, and Dolly, The first photo you posted shows the field they were in, ie where the static caravans are. The start of them was opposite the posh house over the road, which was on the end of the beach, and also at the end of the timber yard. (Wrights ??)
How many of the huts there were I do not recall. Certainly 2, but I would think there would have been many more, stretching further back into the field. Would they have been used during the war for RN personnel, ie due to submarine base ?
Quite a bit back, on World War Two Talk, (I think) I found a posting from a WREN, who had been seconded to Blyth base. She travelled north by train; was met at Newcastle Central; not told where she was going to; and travelled by jeep to Blyth, and found that the winter was very hard.
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I remember the Wellesley school, but not the nissen huts.
Later, probably just after the end of the war, I think they built some prefab houses on the same side as the dunes.
What I do remember are the huge concrete blocks on the beach, and a few concrete shelters. I was told, to stop the german tanks if they tried to invade.
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??? Well PYFB youv'e got me there? My better half can remember a couple in the grassed area which was later the swingpark, I only remember the sqare buildings around the Wellesley School, that closed about 2006. Hoping someone can produce a photo of these huts,
Dolly
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The mother of a friend served in the RAF in Blyth, ( she was part of the Rescue Launch Admin ) and she reckons she was living in huts further south, near Gloucester Lodge farm.
However, she was only in Blyth for 8 months, and had a billet in Belgrave Terrace for some of that time, and now has dementia so her memories are a bit hazy. My friend, who lives in Nottinghamshire , will look into it with her.
( Just a thought that there may have been more than one site ...?)
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When do you remember them being there PYFB? I have cropped out a section of an old postcard of the area dated 1959 and there is no sign of the huts in the field by the band stand. Unless of course the houses down there are blocking the view of the huts.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/51893012@N05/8867395122/sizes/k/in/photostream/
I think that shot shows Link House , discussed on another thread
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The mother of a friend served in the RAF in Blyth, ( she was part of the Rescue Launch Admin ) and she reckons she was living in huts further south, near Gloucester Lodge farm.
That's where I remember them. And I think they were eventually occupied by civilians, until they were taken down.
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I watched the Queen's coronation in 1953 on a TV* in one of the buildings (single storey) of the
local Royal Artillery (TA) camp that was adjacent to the Wellesley Nautical Training School.
Before this time the unit used a building on Blyth Quayside ( near the Dun Cow).
Some years after, the unit moved to premises on Cowpen Road, facing Cowpen Cemetery.
I think then the vacated site was cleared and had detached houses with large "picture" windows
erected.
(*TV- I mention the TV because it was sort of special, as it projected reversed images onto the back of a screen that we viewed from the other side)
Michael
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Before this time the unit used a building on Blyth Quayside ( near the Dun Cow).
Some years after, the unit moved to premises on Cowpen Road, facing Cowpen Cemetery.
I think then the vacated site was cleared and had detached houses with large "picture" windows
erected.
The "Drill Hall" on the corner of Dun Cow and Plessey Rd - formerly Market Street - has only recently ( about five years?) been demolished , and is now a vacant, grassed site ( I think that's where the Drill Hall was )
The site on Cowpen Rd is still very active as a TA ( gunners ) unit
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Drill Hall Photo.
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Just had word back from one of my old timer Blyth 'moles' who had this to say about the Nissen huts;
"The huts you are speaking about were situated just behind Gloucester Lodge farmhouse, a bit further south east from the Mermaid cafe".
Since that fits in with comment made about Gloucester Lodge I'll accept that that is where they must have been. I have scoured my photo collection I haven't got one which covers that area! :'(
P
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Was it this Linkhouse camp on the following map?
http://gis.durham.gov.uk/website/k2p/viewer.htm?XLABELCOORD=432010&YLABELCOORD=579840&K2PSINGLEPRN=%27N23757%27&LABEL=%27Beach%20Bandstand%2C%20Blyth%20%28Blyth%29%27
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blythboy, Just had a look at the map you have put up - the nissen huts I recall were opposite Beachway, ie the short stretch of 'road' leading down to the beach, and at the northern end of the promenade, where the 'posh' house(s) were. That field has now become Elfin Way. After the huts were demolished, I think the field became a small holding, before eventually becoming the site for the static caravans; and then a housing development.
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Does anyone recall the RAF air-sea rescue launches which were based at Blyth, both during the war, and afterwards, possibly into the late fifties. If we were down at the beach, and especially the small beach between the piers, to see the launch come down the river, then pass the harbour bar, it would open up full power, and it was a sight to see. There was an article in the Mail on Sunday, "Live" magazine a few months back about the launches, and I think one featured, and which had been fully restored, had, in fact, been based at Blyth. It was a very good article with several colour photographs.
I also recall the tide tables, and the ship arrivals and departures lists, which were published in the Blyth News - Mondays and Thursdays?, because I am sure it was published twice a week in the 40s & 50s. When we were down at the beach in the summer ships seemed to be coming into harbour, and sailing out every half hour. But that might be my memory playing tricks. One collier was a 10,000 tons, and it looked massive compared to the usual ones. It may have been the 'Nairnbank'. We used to fish for poddlers on the Cambois side. Go across on the small ferry, and fish from one of the jetties near the Seven Stars Pub. I was told "when Aa was a lad" that the Seven Stars was the nearest pub in England to Norway. That gem of information has stuck with me all my life, but I do not know if it was true. Any observations, anyone ? Also we used to winkling on the rocks at Cambois. Those ladders on the sea side of the sea wall seemed never ending when you were 7-8 years of age.
Yes, I not only remember the Air Sea Rescue Base in Blyth but was taken on board one of them one day by 'Uncle' Frank who was in Command of that Base. 'Uncle' Frank was not a family uncle but one of the best friends my Mam and Dad ever had. They shared lodgings in Hunstanton about 1930 during the depression.
I had been sent back to Consett where I was born in 1933, from about 1940 to the end of 1943 so it would have been 1943 when Frank and Dolly asked us to stay with them for the weekend in Blyth.
Frank was a typical seaman of old with so many stories for us nippers. He got his Master's ticket in 1930 when only 23 years old - youngest at that time to do so. When the war came they put him in the RAF!! Anyway he was a Squadron Leader acting Wing Commander when in Blyth. I cannot recall much more than the interior of the Air Sea Rescue boat and that only vaguely.
But I do remember well the night we were woken by German Fighters shooting down the Naval Barrage Balloons. The flames lit up the night sky. A woman across the street from us opened her front door and a bullet hit the stone wall next to the door.
Can anyone recall this incident at all? It must have been in the news at the time. If so what was the name of the street we were in?
I really came looking through the Dixon pages as am on the hunt for another one right now. John Dixon born about 1844/1845 in Haydon Bridge or Allendale.
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Not sure if this is of interest, but would like to say a bit more about 'Uncle Frank'. Frank Thompson was from Walney Island in Cumberland, and his wife Dolly was from Barry Island. After the war they ran two of the shelter cafes opposite the beach there. He was happier when a junior officer going out on the boats. With promotion and station command he had to stay ashore most of the time, but went out by air to see where the pick ups were and to guide the rescue launches.
At the end, he had to go across the North Sea and into Den Helder to take the German surrender for that town. I shall always remember how he described it as they came along side the quay where stood a big jack bootted German officer. Everyone on board kept their fingers crossed that the German troops there had been informed that it was all over. After that he went several times to Den Helder and became very friendly with a Dutch Family Kortekaas who had a bulb farm. In 1948 I spent three weeks with them.
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It is quite possible that this is on the quay side at Blyth. I've never noticed this before but that looks like one of the air sea rescue launches alongside behind them.
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Malcolm33, I am glad what I posted has brought back some memories for you, and of course, what you have added is brilliant. If you can 'delve' into The Mail on Sundays archives, or get a back copy of the magazine in which the sea rescue launches were featured, you will be more than happy.It was about a 4 page articles with colour photos. Try googling 'RAF Sea Rescue' and you might find what you want. I now regret having 'binned' the article as one of the launches restored was at Blyth.
"Blyth the centre of the world " ? Yes we Blythians knaa that, but thi rest of thi wurld disn't. ;D
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She's a beauty! ;D
http://historicboatcharter.co.uk/
http://wgadesign.com/geoffsworld/nostalgia/19_boats.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1262606/The-Spitfire-seas-rides-board-remarkable-WWII-rescue-boat.html
P
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Malcolm - you ask if anyone remembers the dramatic air-raid. I don't know if it was the same one, but one of my earliest memories is of being pushed in a push-chair by my Mam through the streets to her friend's air raid shelter on Plessey Road, and lights flashing all over the sky. It must have been early in the war, but after my Dad left to join up.
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She's a beauty! ;D
http://historicboatcharter.co.uk/
http://wgadesign.com/geoffsworld/nostalgia/19_boats.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1262606/The-Spitfire-seas-rides-board-remarkable-WWII-rescue-boat.html
P
She really is. Gee, but I wonder if this is the same boat Uncle Frank took me on board. Maybe I'll try some Hypnotic Regression:-) I do have a better memory of some similar boats that he was looking at each time we crossed from Barry Town to Barry Island through part of the dockyards. They were tied up there for a long time, possibly waiting for a buyer. U Frank used to talk about buying one and using it to go to Australia. Eventually he and A Dolly did make many trips to Sydney, but by liner and one of his daughters has lived there all of her married life.
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Malcolm - you ask if anyone remembers the dramatic air-raid. I don't know if it was the same one, but one of my earliest memories is of being pushed in a push-chair by my Mam through the streets to her friend's air raid shelter on Plessey Road, and lights flashing all over the sky. It must have been early in the war, but after my Dad left to join up.
Could be, but I think there were a number of attacks on the harbour. I'll see what I can find on the net about the air raids. Brian Pears might have some idea. When the Germans bombed Blackhill I remember it was all the talk of the town, and a few years ago Brian was able to tell me what night that was.
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Well I've had a look through Brian Pears' Index of Incidents in the North East but cannot find the raid we witnessed. - http://www.ne-diary.bpears.org.uk/Inc/Dindex.html
These pages make interesting reading and there are plenty of mentions of Blyth but mostly about ships that were sailing from Blyth and were sunk by Mines, E Boats etc.
One has to be so careful with the past. Here is a photo of a Zeppelin over Blyth in April 1915 but it wasn't!! They were photo pasting way back then. http://www.flickr.com/photos/36891793@N08/8519443334/
Nevertheless the photo of Blyth at that time is very interesting.
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I have just come across an old diary of mine which has two anecdotes relating to Blyth. The first relates to Newsham/New Delaval, and came from my grandparents. It was during the era of the national strike and depression. A professional footballer landed back home at Newsham bringing a football for the lads and men who were out of work, and he charged them for it !! I was told that the footballer was one of the Stephensons from New Delaval, and who played for Aston Villa. I think the name was Clem Stephenson; but I believe a 2nd brother may also have played for Aston Villa. Apparently the unemployed men congregated on Gallacher's (Dr.) Field, playing football and cards during the day and into the evening.
The second concerns PC George 'Geordie' Mussell, who I mentioned at the start of the Blyth History. My other grandmother told me that one Saturday afternoon PC Mussell was walking past the bakery shop where she worked, with a drunken woman en route to the Police station, and just as they passed the shop the woman's skirt dropped down to her ankles. They pulled his leg over that many a time.
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My Grandad , John Tom Smith , a miner who lived in Beatrice Avenue in New Delaval would never go to the beach because he said his friends had been drowned there. They had all arranged to go swimming but he was late, I think because he stayed behind to pick up his pay. I've just found this report of the tragedy which names all six of the young men drowned. All are from New Delaval and I recognise some of the names. http://www.dmm.org.uk/news19/9140822.htm
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I know that current can be a problem, but I think the sea is also so cold that cramps set in very quickly and once that has happened, unless help is close at hand, drowning soon follows. Drowning seems to be a very quiet affair, very different in real life to what we see on TV. No shouting and calling for help, just a slipping under.
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We swam regularly in the sea at Blyth but were warned never to swim in the part opposite the sand dunes, because of the currents. Many people had drowned there. Safest was "between the piers."
There was also a dangerous place on the sands, called , I think, Maggie's Burn, where there were quicksands. Once when riding a pony across there he sank in up to his belly - I got off and he managed to scramble out.
I used to help Joan Bailey exercise her beach ponies - great fun! Blyth was an exciting place to grow up, kids nowadays don't seem to have the activities that we did.
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It seems that there have been quite a few incidents of drowning at Blyth. When my grandad was young he was involved in trying to save someone at Blyth. I remember there was an article in a newspaper about this and the fact he saved people from a burning house in Blyth (quite a heroic young lad as he was aged 15 (1914)
when he went to sea in the merchant navy.) I cannot remember which newspaper it was in but there was a photograph as well.
His son was also involved in a rescue in Blyth harbour but unfortunately was not successful. For this he received a certificate from the Royal Humane Society.
Barbara
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Many years back, when we first started to sneak out for a drink, just under age by a few days ;D we were warned never to go into the Commercial which was opposite the Market Place, Blyth. The threats were so dire from our parents that we never went in to the pub.
But what is known about it ? I know it was a place for sailors and certain ladies. ;) :o
What is the history of the pub, and when was it built ? I know there was a Police box opposite it, almost, and was that so the Polis could drag the offender across the road to wait for the Black Maria(known as the meat wagon in our days) to get them up to the main station; or was the Police box a refuge for the Polis until reinforcements arrived ?
On another website I have found information about the pub, but details cannot be posted in here. ::)
But last week I was on a site which had a thread, " Favourite Watering Holes" and merchant seamen were mentioning pubs and bars all around the world, - Hong Kong, Singapore, South America, etc., and all 4 corners of the globe.
There amongst them all was - " The Commercial" at Blyth - and I quote, " The closest thing on earth to the bar room scene in Star Wars." :D ;D
Even after 1 week, everytime the remark comes to mind I still burst out laughing, and I never went into the pub.
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PYfB,
I am one up on you then. I also got the dire warnings never to go into the Commercial.
But I was tempted to enter to see the renowned Limpy Aggie and her Brown Ale drinking
lady chums. They were not beauties .Only went the once- not very exciting. This was circa 1958
Michael
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My Dad forbade me from going into any pubs in Blyth in the 1950s. That's probably why.
On the other hand, my best friend's father (Jim Young) was the ? owner of the Pineapple Inn, a public house on the corner of Regent St. and one of the side streets, in those days.
Amazing what your memory drags up.
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TriciaK,
Pineapple was on corner of Regent St and Bowes St. Nat West bank is today on that site.
It's claim to fame was that it was Blyth's smallest pub !
Michael
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Here is a picture of it post-closure. I was 18 in 1970 and was warned even earlier to go nowhere near this place.
Also attached is the Gladstone, where you could just about drink in school uniform as long as you had long trousers on and a few bob in your pocket!
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There's a list from PHodgetts on this link:
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=538497.20
Certainly no shortage of pubs!
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Interesting about the Pineapple, Michael, thanks.
Mr. Young was a very strict father , and ambitious for his 2 daughters who both trained to be doctors.
Another thing I remember about him, during WW2 he kept a shotgun in his garage, according to my friend it was to kill the whole family if the germans invaded.
I never forgot that :o
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blythboy, Thanks for the photo of the Commercial, just as I remember it. Looks like it was a Newcastle Brewery pub, due to the star hanging outside.
TriciaK, Thanks for the link to the pub list. I had seen it before on Roots but could not find it lately.
And as regards The Gladstone, where was Burt Street where it was located ?
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Burt street was in cowpen quay I guess near gladstone street????
Barbara
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It was opposite Beaumont Street and Wright Street on the East Side of Regent Street. Or from the Railway Bridge going North:
King St.
Soulsby St.
York St.
Clive St.
Burt St.
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Here is a picture of it post-closure. I was 18 in 1970 and was warned even earlier to go nowhere near this place.
Also attached is the Gladstone, where you could just about drink in school uniform as long as you had long trousers on and a few bob in your pocket!
Funnily enough my dad was just on about the Gladstone the other week, and he posted a blog about what he used to get upto here: http://upthedownescalator.wordpress.com/2013/06/03/crate-expectations/
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I've just been reading elsewhere (a WW2 forum) that there was a plan in the early 40s to dump thousands of tons of coal into the mouth of the River Blyth, either to stop the germans invading, or to stop them getting the coal.
Has anyone heard/ read about this? I don't remember it, though I was very young at the time.
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TriciaK,
I have not heard of planz like zat !
However here's some stats of Blyth coal leaving the harbour.
Exported coal broke thru the million tons mark in 1888.
1937= 6.6 million tons. 1938= 5.8, 1939= 5.8, 1940= 4.1
1941= 3.9, 1942= 3.9, 1943= 3.5.
In 1961 Blyth exported 6,889,317 tons. Blyth ( and Europe's)
highest ever total. It went downhill thereafter through efforts
of UK government policy decisions !
Plans to block the harbour for whatever reasons would have
had a major impact on the value of Blyth's commerce.
Michael
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Thanks!
Evidently this was part of plans for all major ports to defend against a potential german invasion, from 1940 onwards, until Hitler withdrew and invaded Russia instead.
There were huge amounts of coal, fuel oil and petrol stockpiled, which were to have been exported to Europe, before France fell.
So Blyth had all this surplus coal.
Another plan was for the Humber - to flood it with fuel oil and set it alight :o
Other ports were to be blocked with deliberately sunk vessels.
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Two personal examples of the renown of the Commercial. I was hitching down to Manchester and I got a lift off a lorry driver from Bury, Lancs. I revealed through the usual small talk that I was from Blyth, and he immediately said "Is the Commercial still open?"
He said he'd been to Blyth twice in his life, and both times he ended up in the Commercial, where he had a great time.
The second happened when I was in Scunthorpe. I was at a party and I got on talking to this older guy. He twigged my accent and asked where I was from. When I told him. he said, just like the Bury guy, "Is the Commercial still open?"
He lived down south when he was younger, and he worked on a coaster, calling into Blyth many times.
It was a popular place.
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Re the Coal Industry and Blyth
Google Huw Beynon, Andrew Cox & Ray Hudson, "The Decline of King Coal"
Ray Hudson is Professor of Economic Geography in Durham. His papers are readable, thought provoking and informative.
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Buried in my bookshelf for years I found "The Stars Look Down" by A. J. Cronin (of Dr. Findlay fame). Cronin spent many years working as a doctor in pit towns.
If this pre-First World war novel is not set in Blyth,then it is set in its twin. Fantastic story and available for Kindle for a couple of quid. Gives a bleak picture of life as it was but is inspirational as well.
The novel was apparently the inspiration for Billy Elliot and guess what the closing song in the musical is called "The Stars Look Down"
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The loss of the SS Flush occurred in Nov. 1919. ...
I. Kirten, Fireman, 26, Holmside Place. Single. A.F. Nadgreen, Fireman, 26, Holmside Place.
Married. T. Forster, Fireman, 19, Clive Street. Married. G.W. Loud, Fireman, 19, Clive Street.
Single. A. Coyne, Fireman, 79, High Street. Married. J. Langlands, Cook. GRainger Street.
The crewman listed here as "A.F. Nadgreen" is actually Artur Fredrik Uddgren my great-grandfather. As his wife's maiden name was Kirton I suspect that "I. Kirten" (living at the same address) is actually his brother-in-law Thomas Kirton, so my great-grandmother lost both her husband and her brother in the same wreck.
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Welcome to RootsChat, annedonnelly. Glad you found the reference to SS Flush helpful, re your relatives who were lost with the ship. I did find 1-2 mistakes in newspaper reports of the time, and possibly the mis-spelling of your relatives name was as shown in the papers. One person I was searching for was not even listed, and after much digging I found him.
If you visit www.wrecksite.eu and search for SS Flush 1919, you will find the 'page' about the ship and its loss. There is also a photo of the Flush, and also a maritime map showing where it went down.
About 2 weeks back on BBC 2 there was a Coast programme which was featuring the Baltic Sea.I watched it, and the cameras visited the Aland Islands, and their maritime museum. Parts of the Flush are on display at the museum. A beautiful area, in fine weather, but treacherous with rocks and shoals, especially in bad weather. The Flush went down in a very bad snowstorm.
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Just about to log off, when I have stumbled across a Land Valuation Map of Blyth in 1910. I don't know if anyone has already posted it or details in Roots.
If anyone is interested it is : communities.northumberland.gov.uk/00 The map is very detailed and shows a skating rink situated near the gas works.
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Thanks for the welcome pityackafromblyth. My aunt also has a copy of a report from a paper with a similar mis-spelling of Uddgren. Her version of the report doesn't have the addresses in so I couldn't definitely connect the Kirton and Uddgren until I saw your information.
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Just about to log off, when I have stumbled across a Land Valuation Map of Blyth in 1910. I don't know if anyone has already posted it or details in Roots.
If anyone is interested it is : communities.northumberland.gov.uk/00 The map is very detailed and shows a skating rink situated near the gas works.
Looks like the skating rink is exactly where the Mecca bingo is now. The exact link to the map is http://communities.northumberland.gov.uk/007490FS.htm
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Hi. This is for pityackerfromblyth.
You talked about PC Mussell.
His full name was George Bertram Mussell.
He was killed along with Sgt. Andrew Barton on April 15th 1913.
The incoming landlady Sara Grice was also murdered there.
So all three murdered by John Vickers Amos at the Sun Inn public house in Bedlington.
I researched the murders over many years and have a vast ammount of archive material relating to this tragic event.
Our group, and i am secretary has put a vast ammount on line at www.sixtownships.org.uk (http://www.sixtownships.org.uk) and have yourself a look there.
I am also interested in George Mussell so any information you would like to share would be nice.
There is a forum on our website too.
Look forward to hearing from you.
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jrd1955, Sorry I cannot add anything further re PC Mussell. What I have already mentioned in the Blyth history is the anecdotes from my grandmother. She was in her 20s when she knew him, as he was stationed at Blyth then. As I mention he used to call at the bakery where she worked(whilst on duty) and the girls would try and leave a floury hand print on his cape/back. And the second was when he had arrested a drunken woman, and as he passed the shop her skirt fell down to her ankles. She told me that after that incident they would pull his leg about it.
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One has to be so careful with the past. Here is a photo of a Zeppelin over Blyth in April 1915 but it wasn't!! They were photo pasting way back then. http://www.flickr.com/photos/36891793@N08/8519443334/
Nevertheless the photo of Blyth at that time is very interesting.
[/quote]
I was always fascinated about the Zeppelin over Blyth photograph, and after seeing the above quote began to think the incident was a fake. HOWEVER, have a look at BBC news on the web and they have several excellent 2mins.+ 'things' re WWI. Zeppelin over Blyth is one of them. It happened on the 14th April,1915, Zepp. - ZL9. The photo on the BBC clearly shows the Central Method. Church.,Blyth, with ZL9 above.It went north, dropped bombs on W. Sleekburn(2 casualties),then dropped bombs on Wallsend. In June, 1915, further raid on NE resulted in 17 men killed at Palmer's works at Jarrow.
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Yes, I understand, they added the image of a Zepp to the photo just to illustrate the report. These days they'd do CGI or a animated cartoon to do the same. I call it "fair enough". We do know the Zepp was witnessed by many people and Zepps were seen in the vicinity of Blyth on more than one occasion. One of the reports I read said that the onlookers were very calm and quiet watching it. No panic or people running about and shrieking. I could imagine it was dumbfounding for the times! A spectacle.
This is the image I have of an old cutting. Not very good, but enough to be able to see.
P
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Just picked up conversation about Blyth hat shop next to the newsagent on Regent St Blyth. Only 3 years late but I used to go there with my 2 great aunts Maggie Dover and Madeline Gray nee Dover - Maggie owned the shop - this would be in late 50's early 60's.
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Charism, Thanks for that post. Welcome to RootsChat. Since I posted the query re the shop, you are the first person to come up with details of the 2 ladies. I would have gone there about 1949-ish with my grandmother, who lived one street away from the shop. I think she just called in for a chat with the two women, although like most older women in those days, she did wear hats, so may also have been a customer there.
I stumbled across RootsChat one night, posted something in the Northumberland page, and being new to computers I did not realise what I had started, ie. "Blyth History" As a result there have been many threads and useful information added since then.
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My 2 great aunts would have been in the shop then- I went in late 50/early 60's.
The earlier post said something about relatives in Australia - do you know anything about them?
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charism, Afraid not re their relatives who went to Australia. There was no family connection with them. However, now that you have posted their names, it may jog someone's memory in here. I believe there are other regulars in the Northumberland page who are roundabout my age,and they might recall something connected with them.
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Sorry to post this , I have read the answers somewhere but I cannot find them. ???
In what year were the houses re-numbered on Bath Terrace ( I think between the 1881 and 1891 censuses )
And, What were he previous names of Bath Terrace. ( with dates if possible )
The first houses on the Street were built in about 1790, and by 1851 they were Bath Terrace, but before then the street had different names. As I said, I have read it somewhere ( I can't remember if it was on the world wide inter web thingy , or a good old fashioned paper book )
Thanks in advance
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Sorry to post this , I have read the answers somewhere but I cannot find them. ???
In what year were the houses re-numbered on Bath Terrace ( I think between the 1881 and 1891 censuses )
And, What were he previous names of Bath Terrace. ( with dates if possible )
The first houses on the Street were built in about 1790, and by 1851 they were Bath Terrace, but before then the street had different names. As I said, I have read it somewhere ( I can't remember if it was on the world wide inter web thingy , or a good old fashioned paper book )
Thanks in advance
Disclaimer: I know this only because Phogetts has posted them on the Blyth Memories facebook recently ;D
Old Names
Shields Road, Bath Row then Bath Terrace (hopefully Phogetts can confirm and reveal more :D )
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Origins of Blyth/Cowpen street names....
Someones comprehensive project on street name origins lies in the small cubby room on first floor
in Blyth Library, listing ships, celebreties, gold fields, etc
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That's interesting - thanks Michael.
Next time I go back ......
I must go though because my parents are buried there.
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Will the history of Blyth, the town itself, ever stop amazing us ? Blaydon Races song - "Coffee Johnny had his white hat on...." etc. Must have sung the song thousands of times and only last week did I find that Coffee Johnny was an actual person. He was born in Winlaton. His real name was John Oliver. He died at Cowpen Quay in 1900 at his daughter's home, and was buried at Winlaton.
If you search on google etc., and find the Winlaton link, he was a very colourful character. There is also information on that site re his descendants.
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I wonder that too Pityacka, Blyth being rather a small town, there has certainly been some amazing facts emerged from this sight alone!
Having spent in the past many many hours in Blyth Library, I still havent got half way round that little cubby hole Michael has mentioned.
Must try and rouse myself into going back and having another nose around, Ah happy memories of that cubby hole, I wonder if I can still use the cranky old readers they had in there then!
Dolly
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Will the history of Blyth, the town itself, ever stop amazing us ? Blaydon Races song - "Coffee Johnny had his white hat on...." etc. Must have sung the song thousands of times and only last week did I find that Coffee Johnny was an actual person. He was born in Winlaton. His real name was John Oliver. He died at Cowpen Quay in 1900 at his daughter's home, and was buried at Winlaton.
If you search on google etc., and find the Winlaton link, he was a very colourful character. There is also information on that site re his descendants.
There is a webpage which is entitled Ancestors of John Oliver but it only mentions his parents and father being Thomas Oliver age 58 in 1841 which would put his birth date around 1783. Unfortunately I cannot identify parents of Thomas or where he was born. My 6 times gt.grandfather was Matthew Oliver of Ryton who married in 1732. I cannot see a Thomas in his descendants.
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Re Coffee Johnny, have a look at www.gatesheadlibraries.com, and there you will find a lot of information about the man.
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Here is a good old saying, and I wonder if it is still used. " Ganny" Is it a Geordie word or peculiar to the Blyth area ? We used to use it in the 1940-50s. " Aa'm gaan ti see me ganny." i.e. grandmother. And an alternative use was when children were talking about an old/elderly woman, " She's an aad ganny." It was not used derogatively in such a way, merely like today, " She's an old age pensioner." etc.
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Here is a good old saying, and I wonder if it is still used. " Ganny" Is it a Geordie word or peculiar to the Blyth area ? We used to use it in the 1940-50s. " Aa'm gaan ti see me ganny." i.e. grandmother. And an alternative use was when children were talking about an old/elderly woman, " She's an aad ganny." It was not used derogatively in such a way, merely like today, " She's an old age pensioner." etc.
From the Geordie-English Dictionary
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Well I recognise all those apart from "Ganny".
We lived with "me Granny", always withan "r", during the war.
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Today, 19th November, is the 96th anniversary of when the SS Flush was lost with all hands in the Baltic Sea, near the Aland Islands. The majority of the crew were Blyth men and boys. They had signed on in Blyth.
I have posted in Blyth history re this tragic loss, and you will be able to see a list of the crew.
If you visit www.wrecksite.eu and search for SS Flush you will find detailed information about the vessel, and also a photograph of it. I do not think I have posted a photograph of the ship here in RootsChat.
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I'm 26 and still say "Ganny". Always amazed when someone calls their Grandma "Nana". For me that was my great gran, so i associate it as meaning old, not someone barely hitting fifty!
If we're going mention words you hardly hear, someone on FB said "Claggy" was becoming rare. I say it daily, along with "Clarty" and i often threaten people at least once a week with "Al skud ya lug!" or "Yark yer arse!"...i digress... ;D
[edit] Another one relevant to a few weeks ago "Muggy".
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I still sometimes uset claggy and clarty - eg "Divn't step in the clarts!"
A separate subject, I don't know if it's appropriate for this forum: Does anyone know how to get information about the Home Guard in Blyth during WW2? And whether there was an Auxilliary Unit in Blyth? They were a secret group trained to use arms.
I know a little bit about the Home Guard because a Grandad was a member and my Mum was a secretary in the office, but nothing abouthe Aux. Units.
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blythian, We used to say, " Aal 'dad' ya lugs." But as regards your second quote ... "Yark, etc." 100% correct. ;D
TriciaK, Your query re the Home Guard, - there may be something here in RootsChat on the Blyth page. In the past 2 years I have seen photographs of the Blyth HG. Connected with what I had seen was the surname Bell, i.e. Havelock Street, Blyth, electrical dealer (Albert Bell ???) He had some connection with the Blyth Home Guard.
The trouble with the internet is that it is a never ending, spinning library, and you can find out whatever you want. but you cannot always go back to square No.1. !!!! :)
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I can't find 'skud' or 'scud' in my dictionary, but I'm sure I heard it used in my infancy.
DAD. - A blow. The origin of this word is unknown. In Northumberland the word is now obsolete. He got sic a dad as he'll not forget.
But here are a few odd ones you may know.
DEAR KNAAS. Dear knaas what aa's gan te dee
DATAL MAN
DILLY
DOG-LOUP
FAALLEN WRANG
FAGGIT
FENKLE
GALLUSES
FERNIETICKLES
SKITTERS This is a good one to remember - just in case!
SKINCH
SKYET-GOB
TAGGAREEN The meaning of this has changed over the years. It was once the Taggareen man who had a floating shop towed in and around sailing ships in dock.
TOWSHER
TWANK
TOMMY NODDY.
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Pityacka - thanks for the the reply about the Home guard etc. I think ?Colin Durward from Blyth Barracks might know something , I've been trying to get in touch with him for ages, had given up.
Malcolm - where did you get that list from? :) The only ones I know are galluses, fallen wrang ( I think?) skitters, and definitely skinch, which I still occasionally use. I bet there's no equivalent in any other language.
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TriciaK, Try googling Blyth Home Guard, you might get a result there.
And old sayings, yes, - skinchies, with fingers crossed of course. Also - Yi'll get wrang, i.e. you will be told off.
There was also a song we used to sing when young, many, many years ago. " I wish I was a Polis, A big fat Polis. I'd stand aroond the corner and catch Jackie Horner."
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Malcolm - where did you get that list from? :)
They're all in The New Geordie Dictionary ISBN 0 85983 165 5 published by Frank Graham, 6 Queen's Terrace Newcastle NE2 2PL
I also have 'Advanced Geordie Palaver' - 'Larn yersel Geordie series' by Scott Dobson which is full of funny anecdotes, 'Geordie Songs,Jokes and Recitations' also published by Frank Graham, 1978,
The Geordie Bible by Andrew Elliott published by Frank Graham in 1971
and The New Geordie Bible by Andrew Elliott published 1977.
I doubt whether these could be read by anyone who was not brought up in the North East.
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Pityacka - thanks for the the reply about the Home guard etc. I think ?Colin Durward from Blyth Barracks might know something , I've been trying to get in touch with him for ages, had given up.
I'm a volunteer at Blyth Battery and can get a message to Colin if you wish - send me a pm.
Also I seem to remember John Saddler giving a talk to Blyth Local History Society on some outfit akin to the aux. units
Christine
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Thanks Christine, I'll send you a pm with my email address.
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Hi TriciaK
Ref your enquiry regarding the 'Home Guard in Blyth during WW2' I have a copy of a report sent to the 'Control and Report Centre' based at Broadway Circle Blyth dated 1940. The report lists various contacts of this group (including both my father and grandfather) and its my understanding that this centre formed part of the home guard setup in Blyth of which there were various groups such as the armed guards based at the shipyards on the river.
This building is still there on the roundabout of which most of it is below ground level.
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That's interesting, thanks David, I think I know the building right in the middle of Broadway Circle, my parents spent the last years of their lives that end of Broadway, next door to the Seghinis.
That's not where my Mum worked though, her office was on Cypress Gardens just before the junction with Marine terrace, coming from Waterloo road.
Or maybe that was ARP? I wonder what the difference was between ARP and Home Guard?
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ARP -air raid precautions. The ARP wardens were concerned sounding the siren when an air raid was notified, making sure everyone got safely to shelters, checking for chinks of light showing through blackout curtains, sounding the all-clear etc. They also logged bombings.
The Home Guard was part of the army defence.
Christine
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Hi TriciaK and others.
I have found a usefull site for info on Northumberland. This link defines Civil Defence
http://www.ne-diary.bpears.org.uk/Bck/BSeq_03.html#B16
David.f8
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The North East War Diaries are an excellent resource - done by the same person responsible for the very useful Northumberland pages on Genuki
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Christine and David - thanks for the interesting information - I guess we'll never know the details of Mum's place of work, or whether Grandpa was in the Home guard or an ARP warden, or whether my friend's father was really in an Auxilliary Unit.
The huge number of types of cover in Newcastle are surprising, but I think the shipyards were a major target. One of my uncles worked at Swan Hunter shipyard, my aunt and cousins were evacuated.
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I hope no-one minds me asking a more recent (history?) question about Blyth. I was in my local hostelry and for some reason the talk ended up with the question, 'what stood on the site that Argos now occupies' ie on the corner of Bowes street and Church street.
It's not that long ago but I can't for the life of me remember.
Was it something to do with the church?
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I shall defer to local knowledge, but research I have just done on various maps shows that this part of town was not even built and did not show on the 1895 map!
On the 1897 map, all of the area between Turner Street and Renwick / Morpeth Road was developed, and a school was built upon the site.
On the 1922 map the term school was no longer in use, but the building there, possibly a different one to the school, is described as 'Hall'. The outline of the building for the Hall is also different to the outline the school had, suggesting a new build.
The map of 1961 shows the Hall described as Hall (St. Mary's Church).
The 1983 map still shows the Hall as present, but the following map of 1993 shows a new building occupying the site, which I assume is the current structure.
Looking forward to other contributions.
P :D
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I had a look on Google maps and saw that Argos is just behind St. Mary's church. There's a small haberdashery (now closed down) across the road from the back of Argos which I remember going into in the 1990s, but can't remember what was on the Argos site at that time.
Later - had another look and the address of Asda is given as Ebor House, then found this link:
http://louis-johnson.co.uk/assets/images/property/prop309/property.pdf
So perhaps Ebor House was demolished to build Argos?
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I think Ebor House must have been the original School Master's house, and the building survived the various changes over the years on that patch of land. The house was at the back of the school, between the school and St Mary's Church. After the school was demolished and the Hall built on the site, the house remained. It ended up crowded in somewhat, but shows up nicely on the 1983 map at 1:2500 scale. I am so disappointed that I have no pictures of Bowes Street or Church Street that encompass this corner of the town we are talking about.
P
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I did wonder if this photo was of the Hall, but I'm not at all sure that it is. Need one of the old timers to come forward and say for sure. I wonder if this was the corner of Bowes and Arthur Streets?
P
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A segment of the 1897 map showing the school and the house behind it.
P
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By the way, Ebor House still stands, somewhat hemmed in at the back of Argos. You will be able to see it on Google Maps / Earth. Just to the right of the red car behind the church.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@55.127245,-1.5116575,150m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en
P
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And a link to Street View of the Ebor House;
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@55.1271784,-1.512137,3a,90y,72.02h,90.72t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sKyPOiC9XzUS4KkltRZcEUw!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo0.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DKyPOiC9XzUS4KkltRZcEUw%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D33.790943%26pitch%3D0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en
P
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Thank you all. From a simple question comes a mystery. I find all this fascinating.
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It seems the Hall, was St Mary's Church Hall, but I do not have a photo of it. I have been in touch with a local who might be able to help, but just waiting for a reply. Given it's Christmas it might take a few days coming through. Fingers crossed anyway!
P
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This is a segment of an aerial photograph of Blyth showing Ebor House and St Mary's Church from the south-west. Hopefully it will trigger memories for some. The image was dated 1962.
I hope to be able to share another image soon, but waiting for permission to use it, which shows the front of the building. Fingers crossed on that one.
For the time being enjoy this one.
P :)
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Well done Phil - how do you do it?
St. Mary's has many memories for me (I was married there) but can't remember the buildings behind it.
T. :)
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Permission has been granted to share this image of the Church Hall and Ebor House, this time a view from the north side showing the front of the building as it was, and Bowes Street, the date 1974.
Many thanks to Gordon.
Enjoy
P
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That is absolutely brilliant. I have to echo TriciaK's sentiments, just how do you do it?
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"how do you do it?"
Well, I have infiltrated a group of older people (by wearing a flat cap) at Blyth, mostly retired, and I grill them mercilessly, I torture them and threaten to burn their favourite slippers in front of them, and shine very bright lights in their eyes. It never ceases to amaze me what they eventually come up with, especially when their best tartan slippers are threatened! I am forever in their debt. They are one and all a priceless resource, and I am so grateful that they put up with my ever increasing demands for information and pictures. Secretly I think they are trying to get me hospitalised in a very special unit.
So, a very special thank you to the good folk of Blyth for putting up with me and answering so many questions.
P
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P. I take my hat off tp you for the many many contributions you have made to this site. I was born in Blyth, and lived here for nye on 80 years and you have enlightened me to so much that I never even knew about my home town, so yes we applaud you, thanks so much, Dolly
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I agree Dolly - I find my lack of observation of my home town shameful - I even had to walk up Bowes Street the other day to see what the building looked like now and I've passed it many times :-\
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Yes me too. I was totally stumped when asked the Argos question.
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The thing I hate most is that the numbers of people with the 'knowledge' of Blyth is dwindling rapidly, and I don't yet know everything I need to about the town........ You can only learn so much from books and maps, but that is finite. When the current older generation is gone, that will pretty much be it, because subsequent generations have absolutely no interest in the place like I do, and the older folk. It will all be lost...... :-\
P
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Ah but wasn't it always thus? Sad yes, but once we are gone there will always be a tiny few to carry it on. When they are gone the next generation will be saying the same things.
Alternatively, what about the generations who went before us? They didn't have the chance to put on record their thoughts, their stories or their images of the things they thought important. Yet here we are discussing them!
We are, thanks to people like you, keeping our, and because of the age we live in, a few older generations memories alive.
It's all on record, and now thanks to people like you and sites like this the interest will be sparked.
I understand what your saying but not all the history will disappear. There will always be someone!!!
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I hope you're right peeem.
I think Christine belongs to the Barracks, a local history group keeping the WW2 experiences of Blyth alive.
And you never know when you're going to find a connection - our eldest daughter teaches at a school in Berkshire and one of her colleagues is the grandson of Mr. Wilson, who was the geography teacher at BGS in my day. He married the Domestic science teacher (can't remember her name, ? Miss Hill?) They had been talking about Blyth for some reason.
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Good grieg - Mr. Wilson tried to teach me geography too!
Yes, I am a volunteer at Blyth Battery and Phodgetts has had a hand in some of our research there ;) I'm also a member of Blyth Local History Society and one of the latest project - research into the lightship which is the headquarters of the Yacht Club. Did you know that it's the oldest floating lightship of its kind in the country?
Christine
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A couple more images showing St Mary's Church Hall, aka National School building as it once was. You can just make out the twin peaked gables on the right.
Permission given by Dave Edwards as per copyright mark.
P
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And a little colour version of the rear courtyard of the building taken from Church Street, again passed on by Dave Edwards who believes the original photo was taken by a Mr. Jack Gaff.
I very much doubt we will manage to find any more images of the building after this.
Big thank you to Dave Edwards for sharing from his collection of images.
Enjoy.
P
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I have not looked at this site for absolutely ages (busy doing other things) but have been totally worth ngrossed in this thread. I was born in Blyth and lived ther until 14yrs when we moved away. Since I have been looking at my family history I realised how little I knew about my "home" town. By finding this site my knowledge has increased enormously and it's all thank to the well informed and very friendly people here. Once again many many thanks and a very happy new year to all.
Batbara.
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You can make out part of the school in this 1978 view of Bowes Street
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As an aside Ebor House was used by Blyth Town Council until moving to rented premises on the Quayside.
I would have been very surprised that this was a house, as there were no bathroom facilities in the building, nor a kitchen more than a scullery. It was described to us as a former Sunday School by the agents. The building is riddled with damp, and prior to BTC renting it it had been used by a financial advisor ( who went bust, ironically) and a funeral directors.
It isn't listed,** but the Council have it as one of the buildings of architectural and historic interest.
** EDIT It is listed, separately from the church.
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Sorry ... found another photo of Church Street, with the School just visible on the right.
In the left background is the Zion Methodist church, with the Co-op in the centre background
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Well done Alistair. What memories you lot stir up. Still resmbles todays Church St a little, but such a lot of our old building's are disappearing rapidly... The old Co op now houses 3 pound shops, and an Iceland store. It used to be a treat to take a walk down town, not now!
Dolly .
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Yes, it has changed tremendously - I find it difficult to remember what it was like before.
Seeing the old photos does remind me though - so thank you all for those
Christine
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The old Co op now houses 3 pound shops, and an Iceland store.
Just a correction for those who no longer live in Blyth. The old Co-op ( Northumbria House as was ) has one pound shop, Iceland and a bargain shop.
Not ideal perhaps, but I'd rather see the building occupied rather than empty, as it was for a couple of years, after two Co-op firms ( NE Coop and Anglian Coop) withdrew from the "store" .
I don't want to turn this thread into the arguments for and against any particular shop chain, but I thought I should correct any misconceptions about the buildings current tenants.
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Yes it's a strange old world aint it.
I asked about the Argos site because, as I said it had cropped up in conversation. Funnily enough that conversation had started because we were discussing the letters in the Leader newspaper and how you can't please all the people etc etc. It's not that long ago the letters were complaining about the empty shops and then all the charity shops and now all the discount/cheap shops!
I suppose we would all like the town centre to be the way it was but I think that sadly most towns are in the same position.
Anyway, if it doesn't change nobody will be able to ask "What was there before" ;D.
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Alasdair - your photos bring back memories - it's a more familiar scene now with the Co-op building at the end.
The shops on the left of the photo - I think one of those was Harper's fish shop (fresh fish not fried!)
I wonder if that's still there? It was originally around the corner opposite the Market Square, near Soulsby's butchers.
ps just found Harper's mentioned on onother thread, and someone (?Dolly ) said it was no longer there.
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I stand corrected Alisdair. of course there are the shops you mentioned, the other is the £1 shop
in the shopping Arcade.
Tricia is right Harpers fish mongers long gone, it is now a fish and ship cafe.
Dolly
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One last one from me, this picture of St. Mary's from the southwest, showing the original school building behind. An interesting picture that shows the church prior to being extended to its present form. Given the streets behind were built I dare say this picture dates to somewhere between 1897 and 1910, certainly pre WW1.
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Brilliant Ph , and I certainly hope it's not your last !
It's certainly taken from a different slant! Love the railing's around it !
thank's Dollly
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Those kids could have been some of my family a they lived in church street around that time.
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What is it about Blyth? ::) A little mining/shipbuilding town on the NE coast which makes the older residents so nostalgic?
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I think it is unique combination of things. The old mining communities worked hard together and played hard together. Everybody knew everybody else. There wasn't a lot of money around and folk shared and helped each other. When I think back to growing up in the village of Cowpen, it was a wonderful time, and our small community was fairly tight knit for the times. Mum's were home makers, dad's often worked together down the pit or in associated work. Neighbours popped in and out on a regular basis. All the kids in the street played together, generally nicely. A lifestyle that seems to have died out within the last 40 years or so. Perhaps the older ones can add to my nostalgic reminiscences. Northumbrians are also a very warm and generous natured folk, though I'd advise you never cross one! I don't think it is unique to Blyth, I think if you were to ask the folk of other mining towns in Yorkshire or Wales, they'd probably say very similar things. A shame that the community bonds are lost now, and little seems to draw people together. So many things seem divisive, splitting families up in the hunt for gainful employment and the like. Often out of necessity rather than choice. Many families seem to be parted by many miles and sometimes vast distances across the globe. Sad really.....
P
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Just discovered and visited blythtown.net and learned that the Police station is/has been closed, and the building will be put up for sale. Presumably it is a listed building and cannot be demolished. It would be a shame to lose such an imposing structure.
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I think it is now completely empty as the community police have moved to Arms Evertyne House.
They have been running guided tours around the old station - it's an interesting couple of hours - and I think they are prepared to continue doing so until the building is sold.
Christine
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I hope the Blyth History Society get to have an in depth tour of the place, and take copious amounts of photographs for posterity!
P
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Gordon went - I think he's been twice - and he never goes anywhere without at least one camera ;D
For anyone still living in the town - it's definitely worth going
Christine
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Wow, my first ever memory is of being pushed past Blyth Police station in my Silvercross Pram as a baby, it's such a distinctive building that the memory is so vivid.
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What is it about Blyth? ::) A little mining/shipbuilding town on the NE coast which makes the older residents so nostalgic?
OUR GREAT SENSE OF HUMOUR, AND BECAUSE WE CAN LAUGH AT OURSELVES.
Have Radio 2 on, and they have just played "There's a lighthouse stands across the bay," by Conrad Veidt.
And please do forgive me in anticipation of any criticism I may get, - but remember the old outside netties, which lasted until the 1960s ?? I once recall some wag, up in Blyth, of course, adapting the words to : " There's a sh*tehouse stands across the way." I bet Scott Dobson never thought of that line. !!!! ;D
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hi. I was just wondering if anyone can remember the crash at The Willow Tree, that took the toilet wall out? if anyone has any information or can find an article about it I would really appreciate it as I can't seem to find anything myself
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Lollipoplol, Welcome to Rootschat. I am sure someone will come up with the answer to your query here on the Northumberland page. It might help if you can post a rough date when it occurred, and what was involved - car, lorry, 'bus, etc. I lived at New Delaval until 1953 and it does not ring any bells with me.
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Is that the pub near the level crossing in Newsham, where the road forks - Plessey Rd. and Newsham Rd.?
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Yes, that's the right location. I'm sure there would be something in the Blyth News but we would need to know the date.
Christine
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Still know update re the road accident near the Willow Tree at Newsham ?? Someone must recall it.
On a slightly off-tangent I composed the following for some friends in Yorkshire, where I live, it is to the tune of Galway Bay as sung by Bing Crosby.
If you ever go across the sea to Geordieland,
Then maybe at the closing of your day,
You can sit and watch the moon rise over Cambois,
And see the sun go down on Whitley Bay.
To hear again the rattle of the coal trains,
The colliers in the harbour loading coal.
The music of the shipyard's evening siren,
And the roar at Croft Park when there's a goal
The wind that blows over the sea from Geordieland
Is perfumed by Broon Ale as it blows.
The women in the backyards at their poss tubs,
Speak a language that the strangers do not know.
The Tykes they came and tried to teach us their way,
They scorned us for being what we are.
But who wants to " eat all, sup all, pay nowt,"
And be known as the tightest in the bar.
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Still know update re the road accident near the Willow Tree at Newsham ?? Someone must recall it.
We still need an approximate date - then we could look in the local papers.
Christine
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I have done some asking around and the information that is coming back to me is this. The crash took place during 2007. After the crash the car was repaired and sold. The person who bought the repaired car owned it from 2007 - 2015 and it has been sold on again to a person in Cramlington with 205.000 miles on the clock, it is a 2001 registered VW Bora in a metallic slate blue colour.
One person describes the incident thus,
"The car went up Newsham Road like a bat out of hell and shortly afterwards I went through Newsham to find he had gone into the wall at the Willow Tree."
I hope this is the incident that has been asked about. All the fun of the fair!
P
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The rebuilt toilet wall can be seen on Google Maps here:
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@55.1123165,-1.5296545,3a,75y,197.52h,88.79t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sjWONmrih_i7NrLj0fx2bNQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1?hl=en
The Google Map image capture was March 2009, so the repair looks very fresh indeed.
P
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I have just been reading - 'Smell of Sunday Dinner ' by Sid Chaplin - " The Ring of Burnished Steel", he refers to what was hanging in every backyard in the olden days, i.e. zinc tin bath,the kipper griddle, AND the 'booler'. Was not the booler, called the 'gord' in the Blyth area ?
I took my grandsons to Beamish Museum a few years back, and there in the school yard for anyone to use was the 'booler' or 'GORD'. I am 100% positive that gord was the word used in the Blyth area.
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Yesterday, not having much to do, as usual, I spent some time looking at old maps of Blyth on the net. One map showed - Half Moon Inn very close to Links House (South Beach area).
Does anyone here in Roots have information re this old Inn/pub ?
I also came across a site something like 'England from the air' and found old photos of Blyth. One photo from 1930s - I was able locate my grandmother's home off Regent Street.
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I think there's a list of old Blyth pubs on this thread, or elsewhere on here . I remember finding the Pineapple, which my friend's Dad ran.
Otherwise no idea, sorry. My Dad absolutely banned us girls from pubs. Maybe they were very rough in those days.
I do remember the word "gord" - a kind of hoop which you booled along with a small stick. But never had one myself.
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TriciaK, I do not think that the Half Moon Inn will be in the list of Blyth pubs here in Roots. I have never heard the name before, and I suspect it may not have lasted into the 20th Century.
Thanks for confirming the word 'gord'. As I mentioned it came back to me as I was reading Sid Chaplin. I did have one made at the pit where Dad worked, as was a wooden sledge with metal runners. We used the sledge on the pit heaps at New Delaval, when there was snow, of course. ;D
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I had a look at the old maps too, and came to the conclusion that the Half Moon Inn would have been a dwelling within the complex of buildings that was Link House Farm. Back in the day people did retail beer from small premises. My own family in Birmingham made their own beer and sold it from home, and in time they called the room in their house Park Cottage Tavern. It was their house, not a purpose built pub or inn. It seems that the Half Moon Inn didn't last much beyond 1865, therefore well out of the bounds of living memory. Doesn't sound as if anything memorable happened there such a murder or some such to give the place notoriety and hence local legends starting about the place, so it is one of those things that has melted into history and been forgotten except for the mark of it on an old map. Perhaps it was one of the buildings in this old painting dating to 1896.
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A fascinating painting of Links House. I have been looking at "Blyth versus Cowpen" in Roots, where the list of pubs is. Link [sic] House is in the list followed by "Half Moon ?" so it looks as though there is a connection between the two names.
Elsewhere I have read that where a private house was adapted/acquired a liquor licence, that is where the term 'public house' sprang from. Similar to what you mention re your relatives.
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Having just Googled Half Moon Inn, Blyth, I was forwarded to 'Keys to the Past' and there is reference to the Half Moon Inn. It was shown on the 1st edition of the Ordnance survey map, 1865, but Keys to the Past stated that it had been demolished by the time of the 2nd edition of the map in the 1890s.
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Great research and info pyfb
P
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Yes, good detective work, pyfb.
And we sledged down the pitheaps at New Delaval - I think it was the very severe winter of 1947. Otherwise we hardly ever had snow at Blyth.
So where would Link House Farm have been in modern-day Blyth? Along the river towards Cowpen? I don't recognise the buildings in that painting at all.
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The winter of 1947 - remember going to New Delaval infants through the snow. A path had been dug through the deep snow and along to the school. What height I was then I do not know, but the snow was certainly higher than me.
Link House. I have always referred to it as 'Links' House, and I have been in the wrong. Link is the correct name. TriciaK, Link House still stands where it has been all these years. !!! Also found this morning that a planning application had been made for the site in 2009, I think, for a pub and other buildings. Nothing came of it. I believe the land and house have something to do with the Blagdon estate, and also the Ridley family. (Lord Ridley, etc.)
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This picture (from a different project) shows the modern day extent of the buildings at Link House in comparison to what was there in 1920, the lower map section dating to 1920.
Hopefully the coloured boxes are understandable without explanation. The Link House was just to the right of the red boxes on both images.
The Link House itself was on the same as site as the Coastline Fish & Chip restaurant.
P
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This next cutting of map dates to 1859, but was published 1865, and it shows a larger collection of buildings around the Link House ( in the red box ). Any one of the buildings to the left of it could have been the Half Moon Inn, but, I think given what I have seen of the extant buildings, it would either have been the little building between the Link House and those buildings to the left, or it would have been the left most and larger building of the group. I hope I have made sense.
In the 1896 painting, the Link House stands facing the road, Blyth being off to the right and the beach behind the painter. The buildings behind the Link House in the painting are possibly the ones that would have housed the pub, but of course, those old buildings might well have been demolished between 1865 and 1896 when the painting was done.
The second image is also of the Link House, looking towards Blyth with the beach on the right. The Half Moon Inn would have been out of sight to the left.
P
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Perhaps that's what we used to call Maggie's Burn?
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Once again I have learned something on this site, about Blyth - not interested in the rest of the world ! Thanks to your posts and maps,Phodgetts, I have just realised that Link House [notice I am now using the correct spelling] and Linkhouse Farm were two separate buildings. I always thought they were one and the same.
Tricia, I think that the old painting as posted does not shows Meggies Burn which is just further south and about opposite the cemetery.
Keep the info rolling in, as it keeps me busy.
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Hmmm. Maggie's Burn.
Two streams passed beneath the bridge at the Link House, one being the Ray Burn which originates in the fields close by Laverock Hall Farm, and Rayburn Court gets it's name from that stream. The other stream I am not sure about since on maps it isn't given a name, but it originates close by South Farm at Newsham and shows as a water course on all maps. They joined together just before they passed under the bridge at Link House and flowed into the sea, as they still do, passing through the square concrete topped culvert which is easily identified on the beach by the toilets etc. I remember that pipe being built replacing the old cast iron pipe that was there before.
There is a Meggie's Burn further south down the beach, half way to Seaton Sluice.
P
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I have posted some Link House stuff elsewhere on this site, so apologies if I repeat myself.
Anyway, my grandparents lived at LH during the war years and my dad (1933 - 1998) spent his childhood there. He told me that a Commander Kitcat, a bigshot at the submarine base, stayed there (I guess this information is declassified now). On one of the upper floors was a room called the ‘flag room’, in which there were musty old flags of many nations. My nanna would sell boiling water to workmen from the back door.
As for Linkhouse Farm, I was working in a video rental store in the late 90s, and a woman joined giving the farm as her address. I told her of my dad’s link to the Link House, and she told me that the farm is on the site by the garage that was built after the Link House was demolished. It is still there today, with a horse or two in the field, I believe.
I have a box with various bits and pieces from when my dad died, and I came across this card. My grandparents moved to Beaumont Street when the war ended. My grandad put up a small wood and felt ’porch’ to keep the rain off when standing at the front door, and it is still going strong today.
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Great to see dear old Blyth getting a mention here again.
That's a lovely photo of the Links house Philip.
Looking forwards to the August Bank holiday weekend when the Tall Ships are here, and have you seen our new swanky hotel on the Quayside,. Things are looking up a bit ..
Dolly
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I have posted some Link House stuff elsewhere on this site, so apologies if I repeat myself.
Anyway, my grandparents lived at LH during the war years and my dad (1933 - 1998) spent his childhood there. He told me that a Commander Kitcat, a bigshot at the submarine base, stayed there (I guess this information is declassified now). On one of the upper floors was a room called the ‘flag room’, in which there were musty old flags of many nations. My nanna would sell boiling water to workmen from the back door.
As for Linkhouse Farm, I was working in a video rental store in the late 90s, and a woman joined giving the farm as her address. I told her of my dad’s link to the Link House, and she told me that the farm is on the site by the garage that was built after the Link House was demolished. It is still there today, with a horse or two in the field, I believe.
I have a box with various bits and pieces from when my dad died, and I came across this card. My grandparents moved to Beaumont Street when the war ended. My grandad put up a small wood and felt ’porch’ to keep the rain off when standing at the front door, and it is still going strong today.
Beat me to mentioning gg granny and the water lol - Is the Beaumont Street one thats on the end? (Toward Lidl)
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I have a transcription of a document which mentions many of the folks living in Blyth around 1850. This is what he says about Link House
"LINK HOUSES
Situated here was the Half Moon Inn, which was run by Stephen LAMB, who was also a Gardener and Seedsman. In Link House lived the Rev. Robert GREENWOOD, Incumbent of Cramlington and Curate of Blyth. Also living at Link Houses at about this time was Benjamin SCOTT, who ran a school at Crofton Mills."
Christine
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Beat me to mentioning gg granny and the water lol - Is the Beaumont Street one thats on the end? (Toward Lidl)
[/quote]
No, it's at the other end, a few doors up from Keelmans Terrace, on the left.
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I was so pleased to see Blyth looking its best on Breakfast TV this morning, at the start of the Tall Ships race to Gothenburg. A beautiful sunny day there.
I think Blyth had had strong links to Gothenburg for many years, if not centuries. I believe there's a thread on here which goes into the history of Blyth's old Missions to Seamen hostel, which was started by a Swede?
My Dad's ancestors used to sail out of Blyth to Sweden, probably with coal. We have a painting of one of their boats, The Messenger. He was the Master, not the owner.
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Hi, I was at Blyth today, and I have never seen so many people here for years, it was indeed super weather. There was craft stalls, market stalls and the funfair, everywhere was busy. I did not go to the quayside as am keeping that for Monday, so hoping the good weather stays with us..
Dolly
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A very good coverage of the Tall Ships on both BBC and TyneTees. I think it was TyneTees which showed old black and white newsreels of Blyth in their coverage yesterday- British Pathe. As a result of which I have just had a look at their site. It is worth a visit. Search in there for Blyth, Northumberland and there are a good half dozen newsreels. Most of them without sound. However, there is one from 1938, with commentary, showing HMS Falconet being launched at Blyth. The footage is very clear and there are numerous shipyard workers shown in relative close-up.
But damned computers - I also searched Pathe for Northumberland, and there are quite a number of newsreels re the county. Looks like my chores for today have been kicked into touch, and I will be spending this afternoon looking at that content, and ending up being contented. :P ;D
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For any Keenlyside hunters, the Old Manse on Cypress Gardens is up for sale, the foundation stone being laid by Mrs J Keenlyside Jun. July 1901 to commemorate 21 years of ministry by Rev P. Peace MA (1885 - 1906).
The Mrs J Keenlyside Jun is Rebecca (i'm guessing) who married Jacob Keenlyside Junior (4x G Uncle) :) Never expect a house to have a foundation stone. :)
http://www.rookmatthewssayer.co.uk/properties/the-old-manse-cypress-gardens-blyth-499950-ref-7032719/#propertycontent
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I think that was the building that was used as the Home Guard office during WW2. My Mum worked there as a secretary for a while. We were living with my grandparents just over the road in Marine Terrace.
I don't remember anything about the Keenlysides though.
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Commercial Inn, Market Place. This has been mentioned before, including yossarian's anecdotes on page 18 of this thread. Does anyone have any knowledge of the interior lay-out; licencees, etc. As it was out of bounds to the majority of us Blyth teenagers, i.e. threats from our parents, I think it was the only pub I never visited in the 1960's. On another website I found reference and anecdotes as to what went on in there ! Rude, crude, and lewd is an accurate description, so I cannot mention it in here. :-X
I often wonder how it managed to keep its licence at the annual licensing session at the Magistrates Court.
I may have posted this previously - on www.shipsnostalgia.com there is a thread 'Watering Holes Around the World'. Bars in far flung spots visited by sailors whilst overseas, and there amongst them was the Commercial, Blyth, with the remark, " The closest thing on earth to the bar room scene in the Star Wars film. !!! ;D :o
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Sorry to take this topic off on a tangent, if mods want to delete I'll not be offended.
At my suggestion Blyth Town Council have agreed to fund commemorative plaques ( often called Blue Plaques, but they don't have to be blue) in Blyth.
There will be a consultation on where these plaques should be placed, either to commemorate a famous building or resident. The consultation will be formally announced soon, in the likes of the News Post Leader or NE24 magazine, but as people outside Blyth may not receive either publication, nominations may be made direct to BTC.
Letters should be addressed to Blyth Town Council, Arms Evertyne House, Quay Road , Blyth, NE24 2AS, or EMail info@blythtowncouncil.org.uk
Obviously we cannot guarantee that every nomination will be accepted, but I would hope that every nomination will be considered.
Thanks, Cllr Alisdair Gibbs-Barton
PS, obviously discussion on here about suggestions is fine, but you should contact the council for a suggestion to be considered.
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The Blyth dredgers - I know of the Cowpen, which was in the harbour from 1913 until 1964; and also the Cambois, dates unknown by me. Also the Cresswell, which I think was a later addition.
So can anyone provide a chronological list of the dredgers used by Blyth Harbour Commission ?
Just been on google and found a few facts, and the odd photo of the Cowpen. It is recorded that it shifted 15 million tons of spoil from the harbour in its time.
I can recall seeing the Cowpen sailing out of the harbour to dump its load. How far out to sea did it(they) travel in order to do so ?
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Sorry no idea Pityacky - I do remember a dredger though, in my days of playing on the beach and swimming (late 40s to early 50s).
It was always 'between the piers' which makes sense as it would follow the busy shipping lane from the docks. We swam further along, further south.
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There was also one called Crofton, wasn't there?
I don't know about the chronology of the dredgers but I think one of my friends did some work on them a few years ago. I'll ask her if she still has the info.
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A meaty question about the dredgers.
These are the ones I know of, but not in their chronological order, but close to it;
BHC No. 1 (a steam driven bucket dredger)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/51893012@N05/10294827063/in/album-72157641931957224/
The 'Viscount Ridley' built 1909
https://www.flickr.com/photos/51893012@N05/10294709155/in/album-72157641931957224/
The 'Blyth'
https://www.flickr.com/photos/51893012@N05/10294683826/in/dateposted-public/
An unnamed vessel converted into a dredger from HMS 'KITE'
The 'Cambois' pre 1907
https://www.flickr.com/photos/51893012@N05/10294867876
The 'Cowpen' 1913 - 1964 sold to Palermo. Broken up 1981.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/51893012@N05/10294656946/in/dateposted-public/
The 'Cresswell' described as a 'grab' built 1959 broken up 1992
https://www.flickr.com/photos/51893012@N05/11575028204/in/dateposted-public/
The 'Crofton' a suction dredger. Built 1963 Renfrew.
Another suction dredger which operated on the river during the construction of the ALCAN wharf was 'BEVERWUK 31' from Holland.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/51893012@N05/12119937153/in/dateposted-public/
There is no dredger stationed on the River Blyth now, and any work that is required for removal of silt etc. is all now contracted out. Or so I understand.
If anyone else can elaborate on the history of the dredgers I'd love to know more.
P
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Pictures of the 'Viscount Ridley' rather than just the drawing.
https://www.dredgepoint.org/dredging-database/equipment/viscount-ridley
And a picture of HMS 'KITE' before conversion to a dredger.
P
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Had a word with my friend who did the research 3 or 4 years ago. However most of it hasn't reached her computer yet and she couldn't find her notes! She does have info on some of them - lots of technical stuff and some dates. Missing out the tech. stuff -
Blyth
Built by William Simmons of Renfrew in 1892
Cambois
Built by Flemming and Ferguson in Paisley in 1895 – arrived in Blyth 1910. not sure about this - your photo says 'before 1907'
Sold to Tilbury Contracting and Dredging Co. in 1917.
Disappears 1927 – sold, scrapped or renamed?
Cowpen
Built by Ferguson Brothers in Port Glasgow in 1913. Worked in Blyth for 51 years, was sold to Italian buyers and sailed for Naples in 1964
Crofton
Built by Simons-Lobnitz in Renfrew in 1963. Replaced the Cowpen
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Thanks for those updates, etc. re my query concerning the Blyth dredgers. I will look into them a lot closer tomorrow - damned laptop is playing up, and I am now using an XP laptop to keep up with things.
I used to go digging for ragworm and lug worm west of the West Staithes, i.e. down from where the old hospital and alkali works were. On an old map that area was shown as a ship 'turning basin'. At certain times of the year, when very low tides were experienced, I reckon I was 200-300 yds off those staithes, wearing wellies of course. :P The top of what I was digging was pitch black, but 6-9 inches down it then became yellowish-sandy colour.
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http://www.keystothepast.info/Pages/pgDetail.aspx?PRN=N12075
We used to climb up to those wooden staithes, there were ladders up the side. Probably trespassing
but it was a dare!
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Re the dredgers - the huge boulder which stood on the lawn at BGS, outside the dinner hall, was not that dredged out of the harbour ? Whatever happened to the boulder after the school was demolished ?
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Isn't the one at the entrance to the sports centre the other huge boulder they dredged up?
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I wonder if the boulders had anything to do with a plan (mentioned in another thread) to block the harbour entrance in the event of a German invasion in WW2?
I had thought they would just dump tons of coal at the rivermouth, but maybe it was more than that.
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I was never aware that there were TWO boulders dredged up from the river, but I may be 'wrang' !I am sure that at BGS we were told (possibly by Mr.Rowlands, the History teacher, and I can still see him in his black flowing gown) that the boulder was from the Ice Age - the previous one, not 1962-63. ;D.
Perhaps when BGS was demolished they had a raffle for the boulder, and some lucky Blyth resident, or even ex-pupil now has it as a paper weight next to his laptop, or even as a doorstop. :) ;)
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I had totally forgotten about that boulder! Maybe it went to the same place as the stained glass window from the library - wherever that was ??? :'(
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The BGS boulder was supposed to be an " erratic " boulder deposited as the result of glacial flow from the Cheviots .
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A selection of rocks brought up from the riverbed.
P
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Cambois
Built by Flemming and Ferguson in Paisley in 1895 – arrived in Blyth 1910. not sure about this - your photo says 'before 1907'
Sold to Tilbury Contracting and Dredging Co. in 1917.
Disappears 1927 – sold, scrapped or renamed?
Cowpen
Built by Ferguson Brothers in Port Glasgow in 1913. Worked in Blyth for 51 years, was sold to Italian buyers and sailed for Naples in 1964
Crofton
Built by Simons-Lobnitz in Renfrew in 1963. Replaced the Cowpen
Hi c-side, note that the above dates you have were for the Viscount Ridley, not the Cambois. Devil in the details and all that. Check the photo of the rocks dredged from the river for details of the Viscount Ridley.
P ;D
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Not sure where my friend got the data - I'll mention it to her, thanks
C
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I'm no expert on stones, but those in your photo, Phodgetts, look as if they've been 'dressed' at some time. So not prehistoric.
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I'm no expert on stones, but those in your photo, Phodgetts, look as if they've been 'dressed' at some time. So not prehistoric.
Looks like Tricia knaas some technical terms. I would not know - looking at the photos, it looks as though they are dated tp the early 20th Century. But the ones in the photo/attachment from Phil, they are a bit smaller than what was at BGS.
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S.S. Flush, Ship lost in the Baltic on Wed. 19th November, 1919. 97 years ago, but when I posted details of the crew, (the majority of them were from Blyth) I noticed several surnames which I recognised, and wondered if they were relations of contemporaries of my age with the same surnames. My interest ? ----- My Grandmother's cousin was a member of the crew.
Three years hence, The hundredth anniversary of the loss, Will Blyth remember the tragic event in some way ?
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Nearer the time perhaps, but in the meantime if there is a particular building that is relevant to the loss, contact the Town Council with details and nominate it for a "blue plaque".
As an aside the Town Council and the County Council are jointly commemorating the deaths 99 years ago of 9 soldiers at Blyth Beach, with a floral design ( at the location of the bike race and the tall ships floral displays) We hope to have a service of remembrance at the beach on 24th August next year, the 100th anniversary of the loss.
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Yesterday on the tv programme, The Chase, one of the questions was - which is the Scottish colloquial term for going for some provisions [food]. One of the three choices was "messages". That is a term we used when I was young, when I was asked to go to the shops for some messages. The Co-op at Newsham was always referred to as 'the store', so we would be told to go the store for some messages, and be given a note of what was needed, together with the appropriate dividend number.
And as the Co-op was situated on Newcastle Road, at the junction with Plessey Road, the row of terraced houses going up towards New Deleval was known as the 'Store Terrace'
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This came up recently on one of the other forums I belong to (Gransnet). Discussing accents and dialect words. Messages were mentioned. Many Northumberland words were used in Scotland too, and vice versa.
I can still remember our Coop number 14546. I think our Coop was on Croft Road.
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TriciaK, I might have a look at Gransnet, just out of interest. I might be barred, being too young for such a site. :D I remember you as a prefect at BGS when I was ?? years of age. :-X
Christmas Greetings to you and your family, and any other RootsChatters who peruse the Blyth History page.
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I hope I wasn't too strict :)
I wish you would join Gransnet - there are a few men who post, but I think the women have scared them off.
They should change the name.
Festive Greetings to all from me too.
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TriciaK, A few more men to join Gransnet - no chance whatsoever, as the Geordie comedian, Dick Irwin said, "Geordieland where men are men, and a pansie is just a flower." Anyhow, joining a women's site I would never be able to get a word in, never mind post something.
As regards Dick Irwin, I had an LP which I bought 30+ years ago, "A Night with the Geordies at Balmbras." I loaned it out and never got it back. Still missed.
And on the same theme, - Dorothy Sandvid, Dorfy, she was from the South Shields area, born and bred there, but her column in the Shields Gazette (?), and which was later produced in booklet form was an absolute gem. I think it was titled, " A Housewife's Lot " and covered everything from normal everyday chores, observations, and happenings, and the jewel in that booklet was her observations on getting ready for New Year's Eve.
Hope everyone has a good and Happy Christmas, and the New Year brings health and happiness to all.
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New Year's Eve, Just sitting and thinking about the old times up in Blyth from just after the War. I must have been about 7 yrs old when parents and neighbours stayed up and first footed. It must have been a joyous occasion after the end of the War and all its worries. Also, a large Christmas Tree in Blyth Market Place. It may have been provided by the people of Norway, but correct me if I am wrong.
And what has brought these memories on ? Radio4extra - Old Year's Night - Scottish customs with James Naughtie- contributors mention the fact that even into the 1950's, Christmas Day in Scotland was a normal day for work and schools. And I remember that relatives over the Border would confirm this.
"Best of Aall for the New Year to you all. Peace in your houses, together with health and happiness, and prosperity."
PS. Wish Aa waas back up in Blyth, Cowpen, Bebside, or even Newsham for an old celebration as it used to be. And don't forget to open the back door to let the Old Year out, then open the front door to let the New Year Inn, and hopefully The Tall, Dark Firstfoot.
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Ah well, so we'll just have to manage without you on Gransnet, Pityacky :(
All the best for 2017 to all of you from me too.
Strange , I have so many clear memories of Blyth from those days, but for some reason, none about Christmas and New Year.
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In the past few days I have created a website with several old maps of Blyth and the surrounding area. http://www.peterloud.co.uk/photos/Northumberland/Blyth/Maps/Blyth-Old_Maps.html (http://www.peterloud.co.uk/photos/Northumberland/Blyth/Maps/Blyth-Old_Maps.html).
These maps are fascinating. It was interesting to see how Blyth area was mostly small populated places around mines, e.g. Isabella, New Delaval, South Newsham, Cowpen, Bebside, Cambois, the more I look, the more I find. It appears that these mine settlements expanded and joined up with the port to form Blyth as we know it today. In the process some of those mining communities disappeared.
Cambois was the biggest surprise. The were lots of houses and industries running all along the coast north of North Blyth.
(This is a copy of a posting I did under Northumberland,after I posted there I found Blyth History.)
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In the past few days I have just rediscovered RootsChat, History of Blyth, and just had a fascinating hour and a half reading through all the History of Blyth posts.
It reminded me of the Tall Ships at Blyth. This was my first return to Blyth for ages. Now I no longer have any family living in Blyth, so only rarely get back there. I left Blyth after school in 1962, but had a few short spells back there when my parents were still alive.
The Tall Ships, 2016 was a great disappointment and irritation. The harbour was closed off to the public and along at the Dun Cow it was all funfairs and pop bands. You could hardly see anything of the ships that were moored at the quay which was closed off with barriers. In the end I gave up and returned to Milton Keynes on the Saturday and missed the ships sailing.
(http://www.peterloud.co.uk/photos/Northumberland/Blyth/Tall%20Ships/Tall_Ships_Blyth_2016-w768.jpg)
More Tall Ships photos at,
http://www.peterloud.co.uk/photos/Northumberland/Blyth/Tall%20Ships/ (http://www.peterloud.co.uk/photos/Northumberland/Blyth/Tall%20Ships/)
Apart from limited access to the tall ships it was an interesting few days. Immediately I arrived I parked at the Jubilee Cafe, then along the beach to the harbour. I ignored the barriers at the harbour to find a small group guys, all of similar age, who had done the same. They turned out to be an internet photographer friend who I had never met, a guy I knew from junior school, a marine artist and another serious photographer. They were fascinating people. The next day, having climbed over the barriers, we met up again and stood together in the rain trying to photograph Dar Mlodzierzy arriving.
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That's a beautiful photograph - brought a lump to my throat.
I followed the Tall Ships story, but we're too far away for me to attend.
The Jubilee Café! Another memory.
I've written about this before on here - the seagoing tradition of Blyth is part of my family history. Several ancestors on Dad's side were masters of sailing ships trading to SE England, and countries around the Baltic Sea.
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I hope readers will forgive me for hogging the thread, three postings in such a short period of time might be disapproved of.
After reading through all of the other posting on this thread I had to search internet for, "History of Blyth". I soon came across, "COWPEN & BLYTH 1", by Philip Hodgetts,
http://www.davidheyscollection.com/page83.htm (http://www.davidheyscollection.com/page83.htm)
that name rang a bell. That was so good it inspired me to re-check my old photos of Blyth and to update my Blyth website,
http://www.peterloud.co.uk/photos/Northumberland/Blyth/Blyth_1.html (http://www.peterloud.co.uk/photos/Northumberland/Blyth/Blyth_1.html)
My old photos are not of high quality, I was a young lad with a cheap camera in the 60s. But this is not a photographic website, it's about history, so it is the content of the photos that is of interest.
The subject has given me a very interesting and enjoyable couple of days.
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Sorry for coming back here and resurrecting this thread, and the wholly enjoyable history of our illustrious town. Connected with the history of Blyth - then have a look the following - www.welcometosparta.com It is the official site of the Spartans. BUT that link will be vanishing from the web at the end of this season. If you go to the site and look for 'blyth spirit' you will find much information about Spartans, teams, etc. but also Blyth lads and players who went to war in WWI, and also went down to play for London teams just before that war, and during it.
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My father attended a Methodist service held in a one of a few houses at the bottom of the colliery rows at the Isabella in early 1920s I only remember a shop there that sold gas mantles no houses.
Does anyone know about the houses. There was also a row of houses to the right of the pit heap[now called the hill by some newcomers to Blyth] behind the railway line
I,m putting together a few notes on the Isabella to pass on to family in later years as my grandfather was 1 of 12 children as well as cousins living around the cowpen and Isabella collieries.
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Some years ago there was a lot of investigations done into the pit villages in this area. The first one to be done was the Isabella and it was the only one for which a book was published.
There is a copy in Blyth library which should answer a lot of your questions.
Christine
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I,m putting together a few notes on the Isabella to pass on to family in later years as my grandfather was 1 of 12 children as well as cousins living around the cowpen and Isabella collieries.
If you'd like some photographs to illustrate your notes, I have some I can share with you. I just need an email address from you that I can send them to. Also, Isabella got some discussion here on Rootschat a little while ago;
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=696016.0
P
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Where do all the Blyth words, accents come from ? In the last few days I have been watching - "Auf Weidersehein, Pet," on some channel. Jimmy Nail - Oz - " Aa divvn't knaa." I still use it, and I live down south, but the correct thing is, " I don't know. " or " I don't knaa."
So where does the word divvn't come from ????
And a few years ago, when Newcastle Utd. had exited from the FA Cup,the mag 'True Faith' covers 2 matches at Croft Park, -v. Bournemouth, 16/12/08. The contributors to that Mag, all Geordies, said they found the Blyth accent a bit to follow. They said our word for 'dog' was pronouced "derg", and a "throbbin' head" was in Blyth "a threbbin heid."
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I think that the differences in accents around south east Northumberland used to be clear when I was a kid, 1950s & 60s. When at school, (BGS), it was easily possible to tell the difference between people from Seghill, Blyth and Ashington. The differences were small. Some people would say "Aa divint naa", some "A divint naa". That "Aa" or "A" for "I" was significant. There were other similar differences. Now, with increased mobility, and many people not wanting to sound working class, that will be much diminished. Nowadays the only Blyth accent I hear is when I talk to myself ;).
I'm sure that serious studies on these differences in the accents have been carried out, decades ago. It would be interesting to read about the subject and cleanse my speech of posh bits which, over the years, have slyly slipped in.
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Anyone looking for South Row at the Isabella Colliery before 1960s should be looking for Double Row In the early 1900s it was mostly the Foreman, Deputy,sand such like that were housed there
Can anyone tell me where the word Bradish comes from. It was a partition wall at
the back door in the New Row houses at the Bella Colliery.
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belhay, The word 'bradish', I do not know where it comes from, but I know exactly what you mean. My grandparents house at New Delaval had a bradish next to the door in the living room, where there was also the old fire/range/oven. The scullery was separated from the living room with a door, and as you went through that door the bradish was on the right hand side, and the fire-range was to the left The bradish was about 2'6" wide and about as high as the door, if not slightly higher - grandfather's chair was at the side of the bradish - so no draughts from the kitchen. Sat. evening at 5pm, Sports Report on the 'wireless' (!!!) "Shush" from Grandad, whilst he took the football results and then to check his pools, hoping for the £75,000 win.
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". . . Sat. evening at 5pm, Sports Report on the 'wireless' (!!!) "Shush" from Grandad, whilst he took the football results and then to check his pools, hoping for the £75,000 win."
That takes me back to the early 50s. That is exactly how it was when we went to visit my Granny in 11th Avenue.
Thinking of 11th Ave. takes me back too. In those days council houses were superb with very well looked after gardens. The front gardens were hedged and full of flowers, the back garden usually had vegetables growing and possibly a few chickens. I can only think of four council houses that had bad gardens, two around the Oval at Newsham, one in Horton Place and one along Twentieth Ave. There must have been more.
That reminds me of a few families that neighbours regarded as anti-social. Now that would be a fascinating subject, "The problem familes of Blyth". Alas, that would be extremely unfair on their descendants.
The last time I drove around the council houses in New Delaval, (I lived in Etal Road, when it was newly built), was several years ago and most of the front gardens had been flattened to provide parking. It looked awful, but I can't blame the people who did it. What else could they do?
I still look back with fond, proud memories of all those council houses, with flower-filled, hedged and gated gardens, with which the owners were very happy. Why did Thatcher decide to sell off council houses? Here in Milton Keynes new houses are about the size of a Newshan pigeon cree of old.
. . . this is after one glass of wine, by the the time the evening is out I'll want to assassinate Teresa May, and many other Tories, including Tony Blair.
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Bradish
yes that exactly what I mean. My mother was from the Pans [seaton sluice] and used the word so I don,t know if it was local to Blyth
ours blocked the draft from the backdoor, which was warped, due to a WW2 bomb landing near the Bella pit
after the houses were modernised about 1957 a sink was put in under the window and the bradish was still kept Before then the water came from a tap in the yard and the lights were Gaslight, even the iron w11as connected to the gas outlet.
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Mentioning politics at the end of that last comment of mine has opened a can of worms. It reminded me of the most shameful thing I have done in my life.
Can you remember the 1974 General Election in Blyth when John Ryman was elected as MP? That was when Eddie Milne, a very good constituency MP, fell out with the Labour Party. At that election Eddie stood as a principled Independent MP. The Labour Party selected an Oxford University barrister, John Ryman, as their candidate.
I was a close friend of the step-son of Peter Mortakis, who was The Labour Party agent in Blyth. I met Ryman before the election. In those days I was new to photography and was flattered to be asked to take some photographs of Ryman for his election campaign.
When I met met Ryman, before the election, he struck me as a pompous person who was utterly out of touch with people of Blyth. However I wanted to prove myself as a photographer, so I accepted the challenge.
Peter Mortakis's son & I took Ryman around Blyth. We produced a superb set of photos to promote Ryman. We took him took building sites, the market, even to the river where we showed him with a proud granny, (with power station in background), who was watching her grandson fish. They were a superb set of photos. I can't claim all the credit, my accomplice, Peter's stepson, was brilliant. He could talk to all the Blyth folks with great sincerityand get them to co-operate.
My photos were very good. They made Ryman look like a man with a sincere involvement with the people pf Blyth. Ryman won the election by a very small margin. His winning, acceptance speech was the most nauseating I have ever heard.
Shortly afterwards Ryman & Mortakis were taken to court for not complying with laws on electoral expenses. They had overspent. I was a witness for the prosecution. I reluctantly had to amit that I had received a small payment from the agent. This resulted in Peter Mortakis being found guilty and barrister Ryman being found not guilty. In my mind, Peter Mortakis was a simple guy who was easliy manipulated by Ryman. The police never returned the negatives of the photographs that were used in the leaflet to promote Ryman. Fortunately I have a single copy of the flyer which we produced. It is very good. It was too good.
Eddie Milne was a very decent guy, and a good MP. His wife and my mother were friends. Yet I had been the key element in promoting Ryman and destroying Milne. The last that I heard of Ryman, many years ago, was that he was in jail for defrauding an old woman, or two. I have to be carefull what I say on this as it is secondhand onformation. I suggest that you Google "John Ryman", and see what you find.
So there it is, "the most shameful thing I have done in my life"'.
Yes, by now I have exceed my drinks limit, but feel better for my confession.
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I was looking through some old photos today and came across this shot from South Newsham. It is very good considering it must have been taken on a Kodak Brownie 127 in 1961.
(http://www.peterloud.co.uk/photos/OthersUK/1961-17 S Farm Newsham-w768.jpg)
Just before leaving school in 1962 a few friends & I often went over to South Farm and helped the guys there. For us kids the great thrill was being allowed to drive a tractor.
I can only remember a few of the names now, excuse me if I'm wrong. The guy on the left is Dennis Lisle, then can't remember. The nexy guy lived at the cottage at North Farm, then Ken Bullock and Wally Bell. One of the old guys at the front lived at the cottage at South Farm, but I'm not sure which.
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That's interesting about the various scandals in Blyth politics. I wasn't living in Blyth at the time (I was living and working in Hull and a member of the LP which has always managed to stay"red" there) but my parents were. My Dad liked Eddie Milne and switched to voting Independent at that election.
I'm sure he knew about the Ryman business because he was a solicitor. But never mentioned business at home!
And thanks for all those photos of BGS, especially the one of the teachers. I left BGS in 1954 and I remember many of those faces, they hadn't changed much.
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I am stuck down in England in all this stumer heat. Can anyone in Rootschat, being a member of the Northumberland page post a picture, video, or whatever, of the Blyth Harbour entrance, beach, and dunes, of those lovely, magnificent, and cooling sea breezes which would sweep in at the height of summer and give us some respite from the heat. AND, has anyone got a recording of 'wor' i.e. the Blyth foghorn ? I can still hear it in my memory, whatever it was, daa, ....... ?
Each lighthouse and foghorn had its own distinct sound/lighting governed by seconds.
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"I am stuck down in England in all this stumer heat."
Same here. I am roasting in Milton Keynes. It is too hot to sit out in the garden.
I have been complaining to a friend, who works & lives in Singapore, about the heat in in UK. He returns to Whitley Bay tomorrow, expecting fantastic hot weather. Unfortunately a cold front is coming in from the north tomorrow. Blyth and Whitley Bay will be 11°C colder than down here.
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Not family history more reminiscences but your mention of the foghorn at Blyth reminded me of bedtime when I lived at Morpeth and could hear the foghorns which my mother told me came from Blyth. Sound must have travelled a long way in those days! It was a frequent and familiar nightime sound.....
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I was watching Talking Pictures this afternoon(Freeview 81 'Glimpses') It showed Newcastle, not Blyth, in the late 1940's and early 50's - the shipyards, traffic in the Toon and on the river; women working in a womens' clothing factory; heavy industry - shipbuilding;armaments; huge dynamos;the Tyne full of ships; even the old tramcars on rails, which I can just remember.
The North East - what a place to have been from when ? -1800' ? to the 1970s ??
I will not go into politics or whatever, it was probably ruined by both the magnates and then the unions.
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Aa'm back again. The reason - " When The Boat Comes In" - I never watched the full series due to work when it was first broadcast, and these past 2 weeks I have found that the series is being shown on the Freeview Drama Channel on a Saturday afternoon, at 1p.m. (3-4 episodes together) I am realising that it was a classic.
Why I am posting here is - ...... Jean Heywood, born in Blyth, watching her reminds me of my Grandmother to a 'T'. Same mannerisms, voice, intonations, and the look in the eyes.
I believe Jean is still alive. It would be out of this world is someone could post in here details of her family, history, etc. Hope someone comes up with the facts.
As regards the father, Bill Seaton, another great actor. My wife reckons that I sound like him when I am in a fettle and lose my temper. [I do not have a moustache, though.]
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Ah, When the Boat Comes In. It always takes me back to when I was taking my firstborn out for a walk in her pram. We were down the quayside in Blyth and they were filming a scene down there. There was a small crowd watching. My little girl seemed fascinated by the lights and all the people and she just sat and stared. Well that was until they asked for quiet shouted action. That's when she decided to shout back. We were met by the loud shout of 'Cut' and a sea of staring faces. James Bolam though just stood and grinned as I slunk away.
Happy days.
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peeem, Thanks for that post. I always suspected that some scenes may have been filmed in the Blyth area. I have watched another 2 episodes today(broadcast 1976), and I had not ever seen them.
Were the Blyth staithes dismantled by 1976 ?
A relative who emigrated to Australia about 1960, returned to Blyth at some time, and photographed the staithes before they were taken down.
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I'm not sure when the staithes were demolished. I know the exact spot that the filming I mentioned was though. It would be near the edge of the roundabout at the bottom of Wellington St East opposite the sculpture. Or put another way, just a yard or to south of the south east corner of Eddie Ferguson House. The building they were standing outside of had long since been abandoned I think and it had been a blacksmiths. Around the corner on quayside was another entrance with (I think a coal yard and a stable), also long disused next door.
I think the filming was about a strike or protest of some sort because I remember them carrying placards.
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Hi, Google shows that Jean Heywood was born Jean Murray, 15 July 1921. Blyth. She would be 96 now if still living. Dolly
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Dolly, Yes, I had also searched on google re Jean Heywood. I believe she may still be with us. It would be interesting to know where she lived in Blyth as a child (Blue plaque material ! :)), and which schools she attended. My mother, born about that time attended BGS. Perhaps Jean also was a pupil there.
But if anyone can enlighten us re Jean with more facts, then we will all appreciate it.
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Dolly, Just spent 20 minutes on the web searching for Jean.('cos I've got nothing better to do with my time) It looks as though she is still alive. And, James Garbutt - Bill Seaton, who was born in Houghton-le--Spring in 1925, is still with us. Unfortunately, Edward Wilson, - Billy Seaton, died in 2008 in California.
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The various staiths at Blyth were demolished at slightly different times. The higher structures were known as the 'superstructure', and the sections in the water were the 'substructure'. The Blyth Harbour Commission owns the 'substructures' and they are now 'listed buildings'. The 'superstructures were owned and maintained by the railway company NER / BR.
The huge South Staith which was the town side of the river was dismantled during 1966. Shortly after that, the Cowpen Coal staiths were removed 1968, to make way for the Alcan terminal which opened 1971 and the first offload at Alcan took place on the 29 June 1971. Then after that the North Staith was dismantled during 1972, famous for the film Get Carter and Michael Cain which was filmed late 1970 and first shown 10 March 1971, the staith certainly all gone by 1975. The West Staith remained in use until I think 1993/4 and after the diesel locomotive depot was closed at North Blyth in 1994, the West Staith was removed 1996. The large Bate's Staith with it's carriages was dismantled June 2014.
P
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well well, good on her. Actually I never knew that Jean was from Blyth, at least we claim fame for something x Dont know if this is connected but there was a papershop in Blyth when I was younger (much) younger and a lady in there was called Heywood, but perhaps Jean was married, and that may have been where her Heywood came about. still very interesting blog Pityacker, Dolly
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When the staithes were being dismantled I asked one of the workman what was to become of the timber that was being removed . He said that as far as he knew some of it was to be used by a Swedish company to manufacture of matchsticks and some for the manufacture of fishing rods . It seemed more likely that some would be used to build or repair similar structures world wide .
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I remember those staithes well. They were one of our adventure playgrounds during those unsupervised childhood days of WW2.
I didn't realise that part of that TV series was filmed in Blyth - thanks for the information. We watched it when when it was first shown.
As for the actress's roots, I knew someone called Murray in Blyth who was a year older than me, so could have been from the same family. He was one of the few unfortunates who was struck by TB in ?1952. Murray was an unusual name in Blyth.
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Just been digging on www.fbmd.org.uk re Jean. Born in July, 1921 at Blyth. Her parents were : John E. Murray, and Mary E. Batey. They were married in the September 1919 qtr; Tynemouth Reg. District, which includes Blyth.
Other than that I can find no other useful information. Wikipedia, etc just shows what films; tv series, etc that she has appeared in.
Perhaps someone in Roots, familiar with the Census records, could find the parents listed in the 1911 census for Blyth.
I have found a Mary Ellen Batey, born 1900 at Blyth. who MIGHT be the above person.
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My Grandfather was Thomas James Murray 1899-1930; his family came to Blyth in circa 1891 from Whitehaven, Cumberland. A large family his brother was John William who married Rebecca Sailes so not us I'm sorry to say :(
There is a John Edward Murray aged 16 living at 86 Park Road with his family in 1911.
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fremund, Thank you for that. Sorry to hear that you are not related. But, as regards the Park Road details, I would bet my last penny on that being the person. In those days, not just Blyth, but most areas in the UK marriages were "local", between local lads and lasses. :)
And coincidences ? - Yes, Park Road, originally Folly Road, I have connections with families and relatives who lived there in the 1900s, [not Murray though].
We will wait and see who else comes up with pieces of this jigsaw relating to Jean Heywood(Murray)
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The Murray I knew was Ernest Murray. He lived on Newsham Road.
He did recover from TB ;)
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well well, good on her. Actually I never knew that Jean was from Blyth, at least we claim fame for something x
I have just been on Wikipedia - 'People from Blyth' There are 35 listed. 80% or thereabouts are professional footballers. !! William Smith, Mariner, who was the first to sight the Antarctic mainland.
Richard Been STANNARD, V.C. ; Tod SWEENEY, i.e. Col. Henry John SWEENEY, M.C.
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I seem to remember that a Col Henry John Sweeney was featured on This is your Life when Eamon Andrews was the host . After a distinguished career in The Pioneer Corps he was at one time in "charge" at the Battersea Home . Could this be the same man ?
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I seem to remember that a Col Henry John Sweeney was featured on This is your Life when Eamon Andrews was the host . After a distinguished career in The Pioneer Corps he was at one time in "charge" at the Battersea Home . Could this be the same man ?
According to Wikipedia, (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tod_Sweeney) it seems so :)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1310157/Colonel-Henry-Tod-Sweeney.html] Telegraph Obituary (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1310157/Colonel-Henry-Tod-Sweeney.html)
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Blyth/NE pits - under the sea. I know that they were prone to flooding, and that the pits had pumping machines. New Deleval Pit had their pit ponds filled with water pumped up from below- the ponds were a pale yellow colour. I do not know about other pits in the Blyth area, apart from Crofton Pit where Dad worked. He was an electrician, and when the pumps stopped working it was his job to go and rectify the fault with his "marra". They had to walk out to the coal face which was affected, sometimes a mile or so. As a youngster in the early 50s I can remember seeing his boiler suit/overalls having wet and mud stains sometimes up to his lower chest. His comment, in those days was,"Ay,the hewers and those earn their money when digging the coal out;but when things go wrong we are sent down to sort out the s**t.
The question is : where was the Crofton water pumped to, because as far I am aware, there were no pit ponds in the Crofton Pit area/Road area of Blyth.
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The coalminer's job must have been one of the most dangerous in the country. My Dad was involved in holding inquests (he hated it, so sad) and kept a scrap book of newspaper reports of deaths down the pit etc. I've still got it somewhere.
So what with mining and going to sea and even ship-building it's a wonder there wasn't a shortage of men in the area.
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TriciaK, Just seen your latest post. Re the inquests, a workmate with Dad was injured underground [at Crofton Pit]where his lower abdomen was cut open quite badly. Dad covered the exposed intestines with a towel or something, and they managed to get the injured electrician up and away to hospital. Fortunately he survived, but Dad feared the worst, and the only thing he was worried about was having to give evidence at an inquest. !!!
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Today, on BBC North East News it showed a service held at Blyth beach re the 9 soldiers who were drowned in the bay. on 24th August, 1917. Some had returned from the Somme. They were from Birmingham and had never seen the sea before. I think the tragedy is mentioned here in the Blyth History section. A fuller coverage of the service is to be shown on the North East news this evening.
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That's a sad story, pityacka - never heard of it before.. But we were warned only to swim "between the piers". To avoid the dangerous currents. (not that we always took notice. ???)
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I found details of the service and names of the drowned soldiers on the BBC website. The majority of them were 18-19 years old. They were from the Warwickshire Regiment, which relates to Birmingham.According to the BBC news, they were at Blyth on a training 'programme'or whatever the correct terminology is; and when they finished the exercise they were allowed to go into the water.Apparently, the tide was low when they went into the water, and that was the sole problem.From what I have gathered, seen, and learned from other things on the web - Blyth bay, when the water is low, can be very treacherous. I almost found out at about 14 years of age with a friend, and we just managed to wade ashore near the sewage pipes, with the incoming tide up to our chin and lips.
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Some reports of coastal dangers from tidal surge in Jan. this year:
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/north-east-tidal-surge-live-12448913
One refers to someone at Cambois.
Are tidal surges becoming more frequent?
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It is an entirely different subject, but storm and tidal surges are nothing new. England and the east coast suffered terrible tragedy in 1953, as did Holland when storm and tide combined to inundate low lying areas. Many people lost their lives. The problem back then was lack of communication, but these days we have the opposite, and messages and information can cross one country and the world in minutes and hours. Are there more surges? I'm not sure. Sometimes I suppose it can feel like there are more, but I couldn't say one way or the other. Regarding Blyth, it used to flood on the big tides and when storms combined with high tide, well, there are reports of property damage and loss of life going back 200 years or more, and lots of old photos showing the flooding as far back as the late 1800s. Being on the coast is to live cheek by jowl with mother nature, and she can be very demanding and destructive at times, regardless of whom and what stand in her way.
P
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Drama Channel [Freeview 20], I have just been catching up on the series, - "When The Boait Cums In." and there in the episode was a shot of a 2 axled flatbed 1920s lorry - with the name - Fergusons & Son, on the doors, and the Blyth Telephone No.: 328, I think, or I might have not remembered that correctly.
And as regards 'When the Boat ......' now that Jack has moved up in the world, all these business double dealings are getting way beyond me. One shot in today's programme, looked as though it was filmed on the beach at Blyth - the sewage pipe which was situated below the Coastguards Hut and the start of the promenade.
Could anyone view the programme I have referred to and download the Ferguson lorry, then post it here ?
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I am trying to date a photograph of a ship, Coronia, reg. Monrovia sailing up the river. The ship was built in 1970. A further clue to the date might be that the gasometer was still in operation. When did that cease working?
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Bonfire night at New Deleval- we used to go bonner raiding at the estate just beyond Plessey Road. towards the Plaza, etc. and S. Bede's Church.
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pityackafromblyth
Your posting has brought it all back.
I was part of the gang from the upper part of Delaval Gardens and the opposite bit of Plessey Road, in the mid 1950s.
Before the bonfire we collected loads of wood and stashed it away in various backyards and a few other places. Then we would make catapults, and go raiding. It wasn't that easy as other gangs, e.g. the Oval gang was bigger and rougher than our gang and all gangs made catapults and collected stones for throwing at raiders.
I can remember pinching some of the collected wood from the Store Terrace gang, the St. Bede's Place gang who stashed their bonfire wood behind the bakery and from the small gang at the bottom end of Delaval Gardens.
Nowadays Guy Fawkes is very tame, and probably a lot safer. I am amazed how we didn't have any nasty accidents. I can remember buying happenny bangers from the little shop near the pubic urinal by the Newsham Junior School. We did all sorts of daft things with them but usually just throwing them at each other. I suppose that you can't buy such things now unless you are 50 year old and that they cost £2.49 each instead of a happenny.
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I remember that gas tank. I used to write to my Dad, who was in the RN, and finish "I love you 100 times round the gasworks." It was one of the biggest things I knew.
And your mention of gangs - we had a 'dare' gang - very exciting. We had so much freedom, and Blyth/Seaton Sluice were ideal places for adventure. Parents weren't bothered as long as we came home for tea.
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TriciaK,
" . . . we had a 'dare' gang ".
Don't mention things like that, or I might be tempted mention some of the naughty things we young boys and girls were 'dared' to do.
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I believe and think that everything about Blyth has been covered and explained by all us old ones. - Pubs, [wish I was in the Ridley Arms, Station Hotel, Bebside Inn, Windmill Inn, etc. etc. with all the old company from those 60-70 years back, on Christmas Eve/Day, and of course New Year's Eve,Day, and New Year's night. What times we had without bother, fights, arguments or fall outs.] And all the other history of our town.
But here is the crux of the matter, question, Who will list all the fish and chip shops ??? I am going to start with the one just below the crossing at Newsham, and I forget the name. Then there was Cosomini's. One somewhere up Bowes Street, which was A1 Grade, but their fishcakes were superb.
Please list them all so that I can recall many a night out in Blyth, when instead of boarding the No.49 bus, we decided to stagger home via one of those eateries. :) ;) :D
P.S. DO NOT MENTION THE KAMGTONG.THAT IS ANOTHER TALE. :P :-[
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There was another fish & chippie in Newsham, in front of the other railway crossing. Was it called Morgan's? I can remember when a bagof chips went up from 3d to 4d.
There was another on Plessey Road, just past the bus garage, towards Blyth.
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There was Mary Tucks on the Broadway circle x
One-on-Coomassie Road X.
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Re the fish and chip shops, - 'Morgan's' rings a bell in my memory, and perhaps someone will confirm re that name/owner.
As regards the one near the Spartans' entrance, that is still going and gets rave reviews from away supporters who visit when their team is playing The Spartans. They post their comments in various forums re that fish shop.
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"near the Spartans entrance" on Plessey Road - that's the one we used to go to.
I don't remember the one on Broadway Circle, Dolly - that would have been nearer.
So when did fish and chip shops start to open and become popular? It must have been post-war.
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Thinking back to the fish & chip shops of the 1950s & '60s, reminded me another aspect of life that disappeared a long time ago, horse and carts.
I remember that in New Delaval, in the 1950s the store, (Co-op), butcher had a green horse drawn box van. I think the butcher's name was Arthur Harrison. A few times I was given a short ride, up by the driver. That was really exciting.
In summer there was an ice cream man came down the back lane in a horse drawn trap. We would get 'monkey's blood' on the ice cream from him.
In the the 1960s, by then living in a new council house in Etal Road, there was the fish man who came around on Fridays. I remember his call, to me it sound like "Cod 'n Horn", but was "Cod & Herring." Fish was very cheap in those days. I remember coming home from school for lunch of chips & turbot in batter. I can't afford turbot these days.
There were lots of ragmen with horse and carts. Give them a bundle of old clothes and kids would be given a balloon.
There was French Onion Man came around on his bike, with strings of onions hanging from the handlebars.
I'm sure that there were other horse and carts coming around. What can you remember?
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The fresh fish man. His call was "caller harn." Caller is a very old NE word,and possibly Scottish as well, meaning 'fresh'. 'Harn' is the old NE word for herring.
Horse and carts, milk, coal, co-op veg and whatever. I can remember them coming round New Year's Day in the later 40s and early 50s. The were offered a drink, glass at most houses. Many of those delivery men were 'stottin' and sometimes nearly legless by the time they got to the top end of New Deleval. As in those days, and tales we hear elsewhere, the horses and ponies new the rounds and the route back to the stables. :P
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What about the rag and bone man?
"Any old ragabo!"
I have a vague memory that he gave you a bottle of 'pop' in exchange for your donation.
pityacka - there's a song about Caller Herrin:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6r5dINsK-_k
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Tricia, Many thanks for that link, and also the other ones which followed on after I viewed your suggestion. Northumbrian songs and music, what can we natives say ? I once remarked to a work colleague, who was a Scot, and we were having a drink in the local down here in darkest Yorkshire. I said to him, " Jock, do you know the difference between the bagpipes and the Northumbrian pipes ?"He confessed that he did not know, but when I said, "There's no bliddy cat inside the Northumbrian pipes." He just had a good laugh.
And the Northumbrian Pipes - the Clough family of Newsham. Two or three occasions in the late 1970s, or thereabouts, at New Year's Eve, I was privileged to visit the Clough's then house in Cowpen Estate, and hear the pipes being played by the father.
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The fresh fish man. His call was "caller harn." Caller is a very old NE word,and possibly Scottish as well, meaning 'fresh'. 'Harn' is the old NE word for herring.
. . . . Northumbrian songs and music . . .
That brings it all back. The sound I heard was "caller harn". My saying ""Cod n horn" was me trying to put into words what I thought it might have been. Thanks for tying up that loose end.
I've never been particularly interested in Northumbrian songs, but here is a good collection of Northumbrian tunes, http://www.peterloud.co.uk/tunebook/tunebook.html (http://www.peterloud.co.uk/tunebook/tunebook.html).
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Re: chip shops and itinerant food sellers.
When I was a child living on Beecher Street, I waited every Wednesday evening for the arrival of me nanna, who would bring chips from Martin's shop, which was down near the Buffalo. The chips were sometimes only lukewarm, but we gobbled them down while watching The Dick Van Dyke Show.
My dad told me of a mushy peas seller who roamed the streets of Cowpen Quay selling only that when he was a child. Customers took a cup out and got a ladleful of steaming peas for a penny or so. Condiments were available, and my dad doused his peas in vinegar before devouring them. I have poured vinegar on my mushy peas since he told me this.
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Pityaka,
I am surprised that you do not instantly remember Morgan's chippie in Newsham. It had the most prominent site in Newsham. It was directly in front of the railway crossing when looking towards Blyth. Now there is a roundabout where it stood.
I think that there might have been another chippie in Newsham in my very early days. I only have one very early, vague memory of it. Do you remember the wooden hut where Jimmy White had his barber's shop, before he moved on to Plessey Road? It was next to the railway line between the crossing and The Black Diamond. Well, I think there was a chippie, a black hut, there, next to Jimmy White's. It must have closed around 1950, or soon after.
I was reminded by a friend, that there was another chippie down Blyth near Ridley park, perhaps on Briarwood Road. I have a very vague memory of going there once, probably around 1960, but it's all very vague.
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Re the chippy on Briarwood Road. The building still stands but I think it is not used now (not sure). It changed hands many times in the last few years but it seems it never made it.
It stands next to the back entrance of Bader Court.
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I can remember going to that chippy as a kid in the 90's after waiting an hour for dinner to arrive at the Ridley lol.
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Harry Cosimini had a Fish and Chip Shop next to Newsham level crossing .Shop still in business but no longer operated by the family . When Harry left his son Peter took on the business and ran it until he retired .Peter had a Fish and Chip Shop in Bowes Street before going to the Newsham premises . Cecil Thompson took over " Morgan's " shop having given up his former shop at the bottom of Gladstone Street , Cowpen Quay .There is now a Fish and Chip Shop in the small shopping precinct at was once the middle block of Elliott Street .
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Is it still used by youngsters in Blyth, nowadays, or has it vanished from our dialect/vocabulary/local sayings ?? And guess what it is ............... ?
Aa've got yiz aall skinchies.
Used many a time whilst playing games at the end of each row of houses.
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As I remember "skinch" you said it when you wanted to be temporarily out of a game. You crossed you fingers, said "skinch" and you were exempt.
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From the OED
Skinch: In children's games: a term used to call for a truce or claim temporary immunity from capture.
F. M. T. Palsgrave List Words & Phrases Hetton-le-Hole 42 Skinch, ‘Let be! I am not playing.’ When a boy wishes to stop playing at any running game, he shouts ‘Skinch’ meaning he is not liable to be caught and made prisoner.
Stan
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Aye TriciaK,
That is exactly how I remember it.
stanmapstone
It is interesting to see that it is recorded in F. M. T. Palsgrave List Words & Phrases Hetton-le-Hole 42. It would be sad to see these old ways of life disappear without a record.
I tell my grand-daughters about life being much more fun when I was a kid, (born 1946), and how there would always be lots of kids running around and playing together in the back lane. When we weren't in the back lane were were building forts in the timber yard, playing on the pit heaps or exploring the Red Rocks. Ahhh! that reminds me, there was Gamblers' Den at the Red Rocks. Do any Newsham lads remember that? We climbed trees, collected birds eggs, caught sticklebacks, frogs, newts anything. We knew the names of all the birds and a million other things.
Do kids still play, in groups, in back lanes, or is it all TV, videos and computer tablets. Now I am far to posh to even see a back lane :(
Ironically, it seems that those with most to contribute are those of us who have been exiled from God's own country.
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Many of you will not recall this habit - working man getting home from work, especially in the afternoon or evening, and then before, or after the tin bath, lying in front of the roaring coal fire in the living room to get heat and warmth into his body. I can recall my Dad doing this, certainly in the early-mid 50s. And when I was in digs in Yorkshire in the early 60s, I would do the same. One afternoon, after finishing at 2pm, landlady gone out, could not be bothered to eat; lie down in front of the coal fire and get warmed up. [January time] 4 P.M. knock on the door, work colleague calling me back to work. He disturbed my warmful slumber. :) :'(
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I would imagine that somewhere in the vast compilation of information that is Roots Chat the question of how Monkey's Island on the River Blyth came to be named has cropped up. Could anyone tell me, or direct me to a link please. Thanks :)
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As a Newsham, New Delaval, lad I never ventured to such distant parts, so I am not sure what or where Monkey Island was.
However, a while back I read a novel, "Lonely Road", by Nevil Shute, published by Pan Books, in 1962, which seems to be built around the isolation hospital on the River Blyth in that area, in earlier years.
It's reasonable read, but Blyth folks might find it very interesting.
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Thanks - I will hunt that book out :)
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I would imagine that somewhere in the vast compilation of information that is Roots Chat the question of how Monkey's Island on the River Blyth came to be named has cropped up. Could anyone tell me, or direct me to a link please. Thanks :)
The story goes, that a ship arrived at Cowpen Quay and whilst being emptied of ballast, in readiness to take on a load, a dead monkey was found among the ballast.
There is also much debate about where exactly Monkey's Island was. Later generations like mine swear blind it was Factory Point, but in fact the location was roughly where the Bates Loaders stood, aka Bucks Hill Point.
This old postcard is labled as Monkey's Island. This land was removed in 1932/3 to make way for the construction of the Bates Loaders.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/51893012@N05/16650324500/in/album-72157641931957224/
Bucks Hill from a slightly different perspective;
https://www.flickr.com/photos/51893012@N05/10217404016/in/album-72157641931957224/
I hope that answers your question.
P
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More reading material if you are interested, even my own comments relating to Factory Point being Monkeys Island, until I found the photographic proof!
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=308016.0
P
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Thanks a lot P - that's cleared up the Monkey's Island mystery. My late mother told me she was in the local infectious disease hospital with dyptheria - thankfully she survived.
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A Kindle .mobi version of that Nevil Shute novel, Lonely Road, that I mentioned can be found and downloaded as a torrent at,
https://thepiratebay.org/torrent/8038519/Nevil_Shute_-_20_books_(epub__mobi) (https://thepiratebay.org/torrent/8038519/Nevil_Shute_-_20_books_(epub__mobi)).
Lonely Road comes along with about 20 other books of Shute's
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I recall 'Posh' being used a lot as a child in the Blyth, Tyne area; however, how many have any knowledge of the origin of the word even now.
Looking back, It appears that those who used the word actually wished they were ... POSH
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Images of the vast array of horse drawn 'carts' of 'the '40's' and 50's travelling on the Blyth Ferry remain vivid especially the images of the horses struggling up the ice covered banks at both the north and south side of the river during winter.
Often, during severe winter conditions extra horses were hitched to pull the carts from the ferry and up the banks
Memories of hoses being frightened by ship's whistles whilst on the ferry are numerous with attending Milkmen attempting to calm their charges.
Does anyone remember or has anyone heard of the horse drawn milk cart that plunged into the river with the resultant loss of cart, contents and more horrifically, the horses.
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Brian Brown,
I believe the the origin of the word posh comes from the days when people travelled out to India by ship. To get a good view of Africa from your cabin porthole/window passengers wanted to be on the port side of the ship on the way out and the starboard side on the way home, Port Out, Starboard Home, or POSH.
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From the OED A popular explanation (still frequently repeated) is that the word is the initial letters of the phrase port outward, starboard home, with reference to the more comfortable (because cooler) and more expensive side for accommodation on ships formerly travelling between Britain and India. It is often suggested that the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company stamped tickets for such cabins on this route with the letters P.O.S.H., whence the word. However, no evidence has been found for the existence of such tickets.
See https://tinyurl.com/y7wyzxxp
Stan
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There's another explanation on Google - posh was underground slang for money. Not sure how it came to that, but fits in with the name of a character in Diary of a Nobody, written in the 1880s. Murray Posh, who was assumed to have loadsamoney. Sold hats.
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There are five definitions of Posh as a noun and as an adjective, verb and adverb, in the OED. One is slang for Money; spec. a halfpenny, a coin of small value.
e.g. 1830 Sessions Papers Old Bailey, 1824–33 VI. 590/1 He had not got the posh (which means money) yet.
Stan
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Re Posh
Thank you.
It does look as though there are quite a number of 'threads' to the many associated 'yarns' re the origin/usage of Posh ...
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I don't know if I'm doing this right but I posted this message originally in "Blyth, the lighter side" and someone has suggested that I might get more results posting in a proper Blyth thread. I am still very keen to hear that my memories of the "Timber Pond", situated way above New Delaval are not the product of a faulty memory. I suppose that looking back some maybe 65+ years means that fewer "witnesses" are now left, but comments on my original message would be greatly appreciated. Here is what I posted:
I was having a chat with a relation about our younger days living at the top end of Plessey Road and some of the "adventures" we used to have with ponds etc. (I am going back maybe 65+ years!)
I can distincly remember what I called the "Timber Pond", a kind of natural pond which lay in the middle of the Timber Yard above Delaval, the yard which I think mainly handled pit props for local mines. The banks of that pond were composed mainly of sawdust, obviously from the years of the sawmill cutting the timber and ejecting huge quantities of sawdust waste. Another big feature of that pond which I remember were the vast swathes of bullrushes growing around the perimeter.
The "Timber Pond", as I recall, had a great variey of "wildlife" - like sticklebacks and frogs - *huge numbers* of frogs, and I do remember collecting frogspawn from there, keeping them in a big jar in the backyard, watching them develop, then eventually watching the poor creatures die as we had no clue as to how to nurture them.
The other ponds nearby were what I called the "Pit Ponds" which were 2 brick lined "reservoirs" handling the discharge/effluence from the old New Delaval Pit which I think closed during my childhood living nearby. We are in agreement about the Pit Ponds (and the Yella Babby!)
(Another question: Did Evvie Chamberlain's shop sell carbide? For we would often discover small piles of carbide nearby the shop, on the side of the street/pavement where I think the miners may have filled their lamps. When we spat on such little piles of carbide they started "fizzing")
Now, the questions are:
1. Was there a "Timber Pond", because my relation simply cannot remember such a pond? Or am I imagining things having read "Wind In The Willows" too many times?
2. Another subject that came up was the "Fever Sink"! These were drain openings in the gutters of our streets which were covered by cast iron open covers with cast iron bars across them to possibly catch leaves etc. I suspect that nowadays they would be referred to as "storm drains" to carry rainwater away from the street surface. Again, the reference meant nothing to my relation but some very distinct memories of the "fever sinks" I do have was that during dry, settled weather, the water at the base of the drain became stagnant and the smell of them is what I believe led to the naming of them as "fever sinks". Also, following a wet spell when the drains had obviously been flushed through with rainwater, we often discovered frogs living in those same drains. I don't know how they got there but I suspect they probably fell into the drain and then could not get back out! And us boys, being boys, would drop stones from the roadside onto them and try to hit a frog!
Definitely *not* acceptable these days, but then we knew no better.
Any thoughts on any of these points, please? *Especially* the Timber Pond for I am sure that I did not imagine it.
Thanks in advance for any comments.
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HenryWood,
I clearly remember the 'Timber Pond' that you mention. In fact, there were two ponds there.
My friends and I would collect sticklebacks, red-breasties, frogs and spawn there. The ponds also had leeches which scared us a little.
I remember a time when we tried building rafts on the ponds. We used the trimmed logs which I assume were intended as sleepers for the narrow gauge rails for the tubs that came up from the pit. The rafts were not a success. We had to pile layer upon layer, at right angles to each other, to get sufficient buoyancy to support one of us. By the time that happened the rafts were almost cubes, and unstable. Amazingly, we didn't have a serious accident.
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Thank you, peteloud.
I am still trying to get my memories correct from a faulty memory. What I can remember is there was a kind of proper footpath running alongside that pond and if we were heading "away from home", i.e. heading maybe to Robson's Farm, Horton Church etc., we would pass by the "Timber Pond" on the left-hand side of that road.
So, I doubt if it was in the "middle of the timber-yard" as I first thought. Also, this footpath was a kind of red-dirt road. I have often remembered that, when reading books about the American South and reading of brick-red, dirt roads. That is the colour of that footpath that I remember. I think we often passed the pond by when walking up to the likes of Humford Wood Baths with our parents during the summer holidays.
My main memories of the Timber Pond are of exploring it as kids - where we had likely been forbidden to venture - and yes, the leeches come back to mind now and in our young minds they were very dangerous creatures!
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HenryWood,
It was as you said. The main track through the timber yard was a red track which was a continuation of Plessey Road. Before it reached the railway line, (where there was a Methodist Chapel), it turned right to the pit. Just before the pit it turned left to Robson's farm. The pond you mentioned was off to the left of that middle section. As I said earlier, there were two ponds, the path from the red track ran between them. The pond on the right was smaller and less interesting.
If, at the second bend in the red track, near the pit, you continued straight ahead, instead of turning left for Robson's Farm, you would come to the two 'pit ponds' which you refer to.
Where were you living at the time? Your name is not familiar, yet in the early - mid-1950s we kids around there knew everybody.
I presume that you have seen the photos of New Delaval Infant school at,
http://www.peterloud.co.uk/photos/Northumberland/School_Photos/School_Photos.html
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I believe the pond nearest to turn off to Robsons' Farm is now a feature of Blyth Golf club .
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I believe the pond nearest to turn off to Robsons' Farm is now a feature of Blyth Golf club .
Thanks for that, Cowpen Quay Exile - I've not been down that way for many, many years and though I've not physically seen the golf course I have "explored" it online. Quite impressive considering what was there before.
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There was the Tower Lodging House at the bottom end of Disraeli Street behind a row of shops on Regent Street . When it eventually closed it was the site of a joinery workshop and later became a garage and body repair shop . The back area of the building housed crisp factory viz :- Tudor Crisps .
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A recent obituary in the Guardian - Marcus Price, who was born and grew up in Blyth:
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/oct/10/marcus-price-obituary
I vaguely remember him - he was a little older than me .
He did well in his men's clothing business. Started in Blyth , then moved to Newcastle.
He had some famous customers, including
http://oldnovocastrian.blogspot.com/2010/10/newcastle-in-film-dont-look-back.html
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I have spent the last 40 minutes looking for videos of The Corries, and found them; which led to exploring all their songs and talents - which led to a video of them playing the Northumbrian Pipes. and which led to searches for the Northumbrian Pipes.
That turned up on Google( I think), Cloughs of Newsham, the renowned Northumbrian Pipe players for many a generation. In the 3 minute 'display' there are photographs of the family at different stages of the generations, together with photos of where the family worked and lived -The Willow Tree, The Isabella Pit, and Newsham Railwayway station.
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pityackafromblyth.
There is a book "The Clough Family of Newsham" published by the Northumbrian Pipers Society which has a lot of information on the Cloughs, their tunes and background. I have most of the Clough tunes in my book, "Pete Loud's Collection of Northumbrian & Tyneside Traditional Fiddle Tunes". http://www.peterloud.co.uk/tunebook/index.html (http://www.peterloud.co.uk/tunebook/index.html)
Tom Clough would play in the Willow Tree with Jim Bainbridge a fiddle player who lived in a cottage just up from The Willow Tree. The cottage became a motorbike shop in the 1960s. I have a fiddle made by Jim Bainbridge.
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I believe that Tom Clough was also great " spoons " player
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I’ve had a great couple of hours reading through the 45 pages of this thread. My grandfather came from Blyth, although his birth is listed as Seaton Delaval. He was Edward Giles Fryer born in 1897. So many of the words have filtered through the family even though I’m a second generation Australian! My great uncle Walter died when he fell down a mine shaft at Bedlington Colliery in 1958. Even though I’m a female, I was named for my great grandfather Joseph Fryer. Hopefully this year or next I’ll get over there and see what’s left of where they come from :)
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I have just discovered this site earlier today - " www.burradonhistory.co.uk " Possibly many members here on the Northumberland Page are aware of it. It is well worth a look - it also covers Northumberland, AND, - Blyth, Cowpen, etc with maps, photos, etc.,etc.
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My grandfather, George Oliver (1890- 1980) used to tell me that as a young lad he would play pitch and toss and when the "polis" turned up everyone would scatter, running into anybody's home to escape getting caught. Looks like many others were up to the same thing. Henry Waters I believe might be a great uncle. Anybody else related to one of these, "delinquents"? Article from Morpeth Herald 17 October 1891.
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I remember that in the 1950s there was an area in the pit heaps of New Delaval pit that was called 'Gambler's Den'.
When you walked from Newsham to Bebside on the New Delaval side of the railway line you came to the pit heaps on your left. Halfway along the heaps was an area where the pit heaps were red, I presume due to having been on fire. We kids called that area 'Red Rocks' and often played there.
In this area there was a depression where on a Friday evening men would gather, and we kids assumed, gambled.
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Mathers had two shops , both on Regent Street
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I have just found this site and wondered if the following was of any help to anyone.
Post 33 mentioned Harrington family possibly having a shop. Alice Harrington had a shop on the corner of William Street and Plessey Road which was a lending library. I THINK she had a daughter, Jean.
Ref. Post No. 90
Re the two shops in Bowes Street:
One was a ladies clothes shop and next door was the children’s shop. As far as I remember the mother ran the ladies shop and her son ran the children’s shop. I THINK they lived in Newcastle.
Another query was about fish and chip shops. Cosomini’s fish and chip shop was on the right hand side of Plessey Road going towards Newsham, just before the “first gates”. If I remember correctly George Morgan had the other fish and chip shop, possibly over “second gates”. When he sold the business he bought a newsagents further down Plessey Road on the corner of Bohemia Terrace opposite Broadway Field. (It is still a newsagents.)
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enaK, Many thanks for your post re the Harringtons. I was positive that there was such a shop, and also family in that area. My post did not furnish any further information re them until you have posted. Why the name Harrington sticks in my memory is because my father was an electrician at Crofton Pit, and amongst the names of his co-electricians which he used to mention was - Frankie (?) Harrington, and also Tommy Laws, who lived at Cambois.
I hope your post jogs memories of others here on Blyth History, and loosens a few more brain cells. :)
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Interesting post, enak.
I don't remember the Harringtons - what date would that be?
But remember the chippie we went to on Plessey Road just before Broadway field (on the right going towards Newsham.)
btw, when were the 'Avenues' built? Whenever it was, they were well built because they still look smart now.
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TriciaK,
If you check my website with old maps of Blyth,
http://www.peterloud.co.uk/photos/Northumberland/Blyth/Maps/Blyth-Old_Maps.html (http://www.peterloud.co.uk/photos/Northumberland/Blyth/Maps/Blyth-Old_Maps.html)
There is a map, c.1922 which shows the first few houses of First Avenue.
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Thanks Pete - that sounds about right. I used to cycle to BGS via the Avenues from Kingsway from 1947, and the whole estate was busy and occupied then.
Not really relevant, but we're currently living in an ex-council house in Tyneside, and the building quality and internal finish are superior to many privately built houses I've seen.
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A site which I discovered 2 days ago is - www.co-curate,ncl.ac.uk and searching I found "Blyth At War." During the First World War the Illustrated Chronicle published photographs of soldiers and sailors from Newcastle and the North East of England. These have been made available by Newcastle Libraries. There are dozens of photos of such men and details of what regiment, etc., they were in; and whether they were killed or wounded.
Related pages are : 'Cowpen at War'; 'WW1 Searchlight emplacments. Blyth' ; 'Kitty Brewster at War.' 'Blyth Submarine Base'; etc.etc.
The web address which I have posted above is correct, i.e. w.....ncl.ac.uk Note is it 'ac' before uk
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pityackafromblyth
I think that the correct URL for the site you mention is,
https://co-curate.ncl.ac.uk
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Can anyone provide information as to where the slaughterhouse was in Blyth ? I had a delivery job (on a bike) after school hours. I once had to go to the slaughterhouse to collect whatever for the butcher. If I recall it was on Plessey Road somewhere near Crofton Pit. The afternoon when I visited it, I could hear the cattle bellowing as if they knew what awaited them.
And as regards deliveries on the bike, the short straw was to deliver to ONE customer at West Sleekburn; pedal up to the chain ferry, disembark at Cambois, and ride to the customer's house; then pedal back for a late finish. >:(
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pityackafromblyth,
An amusing story from your younger days. I remember that corner of Union Street & Plessey Road that was dominated by Croften Pit, but I don't remember anything about a slaughter yard in that area. Was it to the right of the pit? That is hardly surprising, we New Delaval kids never went that far from home, especially into Blyth.
It reminded me of a temporary job I had in the job in mid-1965. I had just jacked in as an Engineer Apprentice with Shell Tankers to do a degree at Rutherford College of Technology and was waiting to start as a Technical Staff Trainee with CEGB at Blyth power Station. I worked as a bakery van driver for Newsham Co-op bakery. Usually the job was just delivering trays of bread to various Co-op shops around Blyth, but every now and again I'd have to deliver supplies to a cake making dept. in Elliot Street, Newsham. I can not forget the struggle I had to carry a 1 cwt, (that is about 50Kg), sack of dried coconut up the stairs to this baking outpost. I was the original six-stone weakling.
It is also interesting to think of salaries at that time. When I left school, BGS, in 1962, aged 16, my salary with Shell was £158 per year. I can't remember what I was paid as a bakery van driver, but it was age-related, and wasn't very much. But I do remember that a 21 year old van driver, or similar was paid, £11.50 per week, before off-takes. At the power station, I was paid about £18 a week, but that included 'dirty money' awarded for hours spent on particularly unpleasant jobs. Working at the power station was good. Many of the people there were very competent operatives and, I feel, deserved the good wages.
At that time a pint of Blue Star IPA beer in The Newsham Hotel was one shilling and three pence, across the road at The Club, Ordinary would be one shilling and a penny a pint. That is approximately 6½p per pint or 5½ per pint.
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The Harringtons were there in the mid to late 1950s. I can remember going with my Mam when she went to change her books. I spoke to my sister who said that the lady who had Harrington’s lending library was called Edith and the daughter was Maureen. I looked at some records and found that Mr. Harrington was called Francis.
Apparently Jim Morgan (brother of George) and his wife bought the shop the shop after the Harringtons. It was then bought by Dougie and Linda Brown and its name was changed to Baccy, Booze and Bullits.
A friend reminded me that the little shop on the other corner was called “The Beehive Store”. As far as we remember a Mr. Foster owned it and lived in the property behind the shop. He used to cook his own cooked ham, pork etc.
There was, and still is, another fish and chip shop on Plessey Road. It is near Blyth Spartans Football ground and Patterson House. When I was growing up a man used to run it. (A friend tells me it was one of the Cosimini family who had it.) When he sold up a couple called Frazer bought it. After them I think it was a young couple called Virtue who came from Berwick. It is now called Gino’s Fish Inn.
Pete Loud’s 1937 map shows the area known as “Little Grimsby”. I was always told the houses were built for fishing industry. Dalmatia was for skippers or captains and Bohemia, Columbia and Arcadia were built for he crew members. Don’t know if that is true. I remember the cinder footpath opposite the Plessey Road end of Broadway. We used to use this path, cross the railway bridge and walk along the path to First Beach. There were prefabs on the right hand side just before the bridge.
As you come up Plessey Avenue to the corner of Plessey Road on the left hand side there used to be a small general dealers. I think when I was very young a family called Hardy had it then the White family took it over. It then became John Turnbull’s until he retired and the shop was taken as part of the house. On the opposite corner, No. 1, Plessey Avenue, was the post office. In 1939 it was run by Mrs. Jane Turnbull, who was the sub-Post Mistress. Also at the address was Margaret Turnbull who I think would be the daughter. I remember Miss Margaret Turnbull, who was a teacher at Crofton Infant School, was sometimes behind the counter.
Keeping on the same side as the post office, if you walk down the line of semi-detached houses you come to a cut which leads from Plessey Road to Hedley Avenue. Just after the cut was the Slaughter House. At one time it was the site of the baths for Crofton Pit. Later it was opened by a plaster company and I think now it is Elco Auto repairs.
I can also remember how busy Plessey Road was when the shipyard hooter went for dinner time. To me it seemed as though the world was riding up Plessey Road on their bikes but there again they didn't have a leisurely break.
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Thanks enak - the late 50s was after I left Blyth. I was born in 1936.
I can remember Crofton pit, but not the slaughter house.
@PeteLoud - my oldest son , born 1962, got a job as an apprentice engineer for Shell in the late 70s. He changed his mind at the last minute, decided he couldn't stand the confinement.
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enak, Thanks for your post, and welcome to Roots. You have clarified 2 points for me, i.e. 'Frankie Harrington' looks as though Francis Harrington was known to his workmates as 'Frankie', unless someone else appears here and corrects me.
The slaughterhouse, thanks for the information re that. I always thought it was to the right hand side of Crofton Pit, when looking from the Joiners' Arms, i.e. the pub on Plessey Road, not looking from 'any joiner's arms.' :) ;) :D I do not know why the slaughterhouse/abattoir came to mind after so many years.
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I do not know why the slaughterhouse/abattoir came to mind after so many years.
It's something one can never forget. During the War when I was living with Aunts in Newmarket Street, Consett, I used to go to school by the back lane which has all gone now. Almost opposite on the other side of the lane was the Pig Slaughter House, and the Squeals and Screams can never be forgotten. Once past the back of the Co-op delivery buildings I had to pass the Cattle slaughter house. It was all open to the lane and you could see the poor creatures hanging from hooks still kicking. Then once or twice I passed a man carrying a bucket of blood. Another time our back yard door wasn't shut properly and some animals being herded for slaughter tried to escape into our yard. No it is something you never forget.
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I recall the slaughter house, it was, as has been said to the right of the pit as you looked from the road. As I recall now, there was a cut that used to run down to and along the side of it and the squeals of the animals could be heard. I've had a look on, Google earth and a cut can be seen, just below what appears to be a car yard; this might be the one I recall, as I would assume it was/is a right of way!
I remember on at least two occasions animals escaping and a bullock (I think) terrorising all and sundry up to Crofton infants, where a young WPC had to vault the school railings to avoid the "rampaging beast". ;)
:( Sadly the Joiners Arms on Coomassie Road has been a mini mart for a few years and I noted on my last trip to Blyth that the Masons on Plessey Road was closed.
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Malcolm33, and Pete E, Thank you for your input. As regards your's Malcolm, I was always glad that I never had to visit the slaughterhouse on any further occasions.
And your post Pete E, I mentioned the incorrect pub name. I said the 'Joiners' Arms', memory lapse. It shoud have been the Masons' Arms. The outside of that pub was covered with gold and amber tiles. Very impressive. Only went in there 2-3 times in the early '60s, and if I am correct the inside of the bar, snug,etc. were nicely furnished.
Bring back the OLD Days ? I doubt it, the old days started to disappear in the late '70s.
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Malcolm33, and Pete E, Thank you for your input. As regards your's Malcolm, I was always glad that I never had to visit the slaughterhouse on any further occasions.
Bring back the OLD Days ? I doubt it, the old days started to disappear in the late '70s.
You were lucky not to visit any others. Around 1947 we were encouraged to get a French pen friend by French School teacher and so I came across and met Jacques. We stayed in touch until he passed about 4 years ago. However I visited him and his family after I finished High School in August 1949, at Roanne which is central France. Jacques insisted on taking me to their local slaughter house where he knew someone who worked there. It was awful, much worse and put me off meat for a very long time.
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Malcolm - someone older than me on here ;) Well done. I see you live in Australia.
I also had a french penpal but never went to visit her, just exchanged letters.
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An update re the S.S. Flush which was lost in the Baltic, November, 1919, when the entire crew was lost, the majority of which were from Blyth itself. Today, I have received a message from someone who is connected with the Maritime Museum at the Aland Islands. In the spring they are hoping to dive to the wreck and take photos, etc.
More importantly, he discloses that there are 2 crew members buried at Mariehamn. One is the Captain (Capt. Brady), the name of the 2nd crew member is not know by me as yet. Hopefully he can send me details of the 2nd person. I will then post it here in Roots.
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Does SS mean sailing ship or steam ship? In 1919.
It was a dangerous job in those days, very sad story.
My ?GGGrandfather was master of at least 2 sailing ships out of Blyth. The Messenger was wrecked off Lowestoft in 1882. On the way back from Malaga. All crew rescued by breeches buoy.
They journeyed to the Baltic as well, as far as St. Petersburg.
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Does SS mean sailing ship or steam ship? In 1919. . . . .
Steam Ship.
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It was a dangerous job in those days, very sad story.
My ?GGGrandfather was master of at least 2 sailing ships out of Blyth. The Messenger was wrecked off Lowestoft in 1882. On the way back from Malaga. All crew rescued by breeches buoy.
They journeyed to the Baltic as well, as far as St. Petersburg.
MESSENGER, Official Number 43641, was built in Sunderland in 1862. 245 registered tons, A wooden sailing ship.
She was registered in North Shields in 1882 but her owner was based in Blyth.
She was caught in a storm off Lowestoft on 28/Oct/1882 together with at least 12 other vessels. Most people on board these ships were saved but there were some drownings.
She must have been salvaged, her register was finally closed in 1933. A tribute to her builders.
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C13281509
Her 1882 Logbooks and Crew Agreements are with Northumberland Records Office.These will give you personal details of your man and maybe a report of the incident.
Have your searched Lloyd's Captains Register? This should give details of your GGGrandfathers sea going career as Mate and Captain.
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Thanks Seaweed. I'll have to look up those links.
I'm not one who researches my genealogy on here , but I'm very interested in the history of the town my family comes from, and the roots of our connection with the sea.
Which I've always felt 'in my bones'
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You may all know about this but just in case you don't - we have a genuine historic vessel floating in South Harbour. A wooden light vessel built in 1879 as LV50 which is the headquarters of the yacht club.
A link to its website -
https://friendsoflv50.org.uk/
Christine
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We had a walk last summer along the part of the harbour behind the end of Regent St. It's looking very attractive.
We were looking for the pier entrance so had to drive a bit further south, then walked again. I think we passed the yacht club but didn't see the lightship.
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There was light on the RNYC HQ ship in 1965, but the light was gone in 2015 when I revisited the harbour.
http://www.peterloud.co.uk/photos/Northumberland/Blyth/Blyth_1.html (http://www.peterloud.co.uk/photos/Northumberland/Blyth/Blyth_1.html)
I am amazed that it is still floating. When I last saw the vessel it looked more like a large allotment shed built from any old scraps that were lying around.
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So interesting, Pete Loud. Especially , for me , the photos of the coal trimmers.
With a friend we visit an old age home in Newcastle most weeks (I should be there myself if I could afford it).
A few weeks ago I got chatting to an old man there who told me that as a young lad he used to work at Blyth staithes, loading coal onto the boats. I could hardlly believe it, but I think probably his longterm memory was intact.
I'll have to get back to him next week.
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Hi TriciaK,
He is probably too young to to have come across my ancestors who were coal trimmers on High Quay.
I don't know when the "Loud"s started as trimmers on High Quay. They lived in Neslon Place, but it must have been well before the 1890s. My Granny gave me a photo taken of a woman who I guess was my Gt. Granny Loud sat outside their house in Nelson Place. I don't think my Grandfather Loud was a trimmer. After WWI, when he served, and survived in Mesopotamia, he worked on the railways.
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My grandfather Matthew Harrison is the trimmer middle row of Pete Loud's photo. He moved from Percy Main c1890 when the staithes were built as the Blyth trimmers did not have experience of loading with the new equipment I was told. He was a first aider and became an inspector in St. John's Ambulance Brigade.
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Welcome to rootschat, Rick. Hope you enjoy it.
Christine
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My grandad James H Gibson worked at the slaughterhouse in the 1950s and early 1960s.I used to go there during holidays and he would blow up pigs bladders for football.He also drove a butchers cart for the CO-OP and would take me to the stables on a Sunday morning.I have a photograph of him when he worked in Shys butchers shop.
With regard to Harrington’s ,Shirley Harrington was my form prefect at BGS in 1961.I left there in 1964 when we moved to Sunderland.We lived on Plessey Road opposite the bus garage and I had a paper round at George Morgans.My dad Bob Gibson had use of his season ticket at NUFC when he did the extension on the shop and opened the off license.The shop was previously owned by the Davison family.
The chip shop on Plessey Rd was owned then by Les Fraser and his wife .They also had a daughter whose name I am unable to remember.I seem to recall that the parents were involved in a bad car accident.There was another chip shop in Robert street owned by Miss Edie Calder.
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Hello Roots Chatters
I have a request. Does anyone have a photo of the Thomas Knight Memorial Hospital, interior or exterior, that I could use for a blog post about the tonsilectomy I had there many years ago.
Thank you
Joe :)
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I had a tonsillectomy there too, I would 5 or 6. Also a much more serious operation as a baby, which saved my life.
I could be wrong, but I think the building is still there, changed to a Care Home.
Or maybe the same name, but a more modern building. Yes it's on the same site on Beaconsfield st. behind the library:
https://www.google.com/maps/@55.1270561,-1.5072041,3a,75y,122.23h,76.52t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1saoAjSvJRmL8nke_L1fB0hQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
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I too had a tonsillectomy there in the early 1950s. The only thing that I remember about it was that I was told that afterwards you are given ice-cream. I got my ice-cream, but it had completely melted. I felt cheated.
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Here is a link to the post (I receive no benefits from views). i hope my memory was accurate, and maybe someone could explain, or at least verify the bedsocks :D
https://upthedownescalator.wordpress.com/?p=1839&preview=true
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Yossarian, I believe this has been covered in 'Blyth History' here on Roots, and there will be photos included in the posts. However, if you google the name then you will find various things re the hospital. The first one I found this afternoon was a photo of it when presumably newly built -described as a scarlet fever hospital. Other entries on that google page show a link to the hospital in 'Burradonhistory......' I also had my tonsils removed there. Still remember being wheeled down the corridor to the theatre, and then the smell of the chloroform. Eventually waking up a few hours later, still the smell of the chloroform, and followed by the vomiting of yellow bile.
The ice cream + jelly were a bribe. :)
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Hi everyone - a newbie here, passing time indoors like everyone else. Fascinating to read this. I lived in Blyth for the first half of my life, before moving to East Anglia in 1986, and every page on here stirs a memory of some sort.
Specifically though, I thought I'd ask if anyone has any information regarding Wright Street Infant School as I've been unable to find anything at all on line. It's like it never existed. We lived in Salisbury Street until I was seven and WSI was my first school, starting in 1960 and moving to Crofton Juniors after that and BGS in 67. Wright Street had four classes, in age group order, Mrs Thompson, then Mrs Baker, Mrs Eadington, and finally Mrs Batty. I'd love to share some memories of it. The school was the last building on the left before Regent Street, opposite the Boy's Club. I haven't been able to find any pictures but I do have a team photo of a Boy's Club Football Team which is undated but from my father's age in the picture, I'd say late 40s. The school is the building in the background on the left.
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I seem to have made a pigs ear of inserting that photo and missed off half the team, including my Dad. But the purpose was to get the school in shot and that's there. Sorry.
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garthwaite76, Welcome to Roots and of course the Northumberland page. Do not worry about your minor mistake. The football team you uploaded is top class and very clear indeed. Mistakes ? I stumbled upon Roots one Sunday night after a few cans. I ended up starting Blyth History, not knowing what I was doing ! :) , and look how it has mushroomed. If you have read all 50 pages then you deserve a medal !
pityackafromblyth.
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Welcome to the forum, Garthwaite. The photo is very clear, I have no idea how to post photos.
I'm much older than you, I don't remember Wright St. school, but I do remember Crofton which is where I went to. Even running to school with a gas mask bumping on my back in the early 1940s.
Tricia .
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I went to Crofton from 1963 as we moved from Salisbury St to Newsham Road, Others from my class went on to Morpeth Road. Actually Tricia, there seems very little on line about Crofton from back then either, but it is still a school so there is plenty of more recent content. Crofton in the 60s was split into four years with A, B and C streaming. My four teachers in order were, Mrs Hayton, Mrs Younghusband, Mr Leask and Mr Lough. We satrted history and geography as completley new subjects in year 1, and French in year 2, although we had Mr Catieuax for that. Mr Humble was head master but he didn't teach. The third year was in a separate annexe away from the main school, off a field next door, off Kingsway, next to Broadway field, where we'd all troop up for football on a Wednsday afternoon. I could go on and on so I'd better stop.
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This is Wright Street School as was in 1979. I am not sure who the original photographer was and it is a poor image, but I thought a poor image was better than no image at all.
Enjoy
P
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I seem to have made a pigs ear of inserting that photo and missed off half the team, including my Dad. But the purpose was to get the school in shot and that's there. Sorry.
Hi Garthwaite, welcome to Rootschat :).
You haven't made a "pigs ear" of inserting the photo, it is just a bit too large to fit the page. You can slide along the grey scroll bar at the bottom of the photo to bring the rest of the photo into view.
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Oh my - thank you Phodgetts! That's really made my day. And thaks for that Jool - I hadn't spotted the scroll bar - doh!
Here are a few memories of Cowpen Quay in the late 50s early 60s. As I said we lived in Salisbury Street, which runs up from Regents Street linking up to Durban Street at the West end and parallel to the other terraces, each named after 19thc politicians (although I was oblivious of that fact until much older). The street was divided into blocks by Stephen Street and Balfour Street. We were in number 72, which was the middle block near the junction with Balfour Street. From the front door we had a fine view of hulking great ships under construction as they slowly emerged above the shipyard wall. I'm trying to think of the shops we had, there seem to be so many of them. An earlier thread mentions Mathers newsagents and I remember that well, on Regent Street. I think, you turned right towards the town centre from the bottom of our street and it was close by on the right. Also mentioned is a Butcher shop on Regents street near to Mathers. That would be Frails. They had huge carcasses hanging on hooks and sawdust on the floor. Herons jewellers was on the opposite side of the road. The corner shop we used was always known as Nellies. I think it was Parnells or maybe Parnley, - but always Nellies to us, and was on the North corner of Salisbury and Balfour Street. Although very small at the time, my Mam would send me to Nelies to do a "message". Another memory triggered on here and a phrase long forgotten. Over the road, on the South corner of Salisbury and stephen Street there was a Vaux off-licence where my Dad would buy be Tudor crisps displayed in an array of open card board boxes opposite the counter. On the opposite corner there was another shop that I struggle to recall much about except that it seemed dark and forboding, and there was an old woman who would sit behind the counter always next t a paraffin heater. I think she sold newspapers as there was one of those blue enamel signs outside with the News Of The World logo. I vaguely remember she sold things like brushes and pails and clothes pegs, things like that. On the end of Hamilton street on Balfour Street looking up towards Hodgeson's Road there was another general dealer called Lovatts. We rarely used that shop though so my memory of it are thin. There were also regular door to door tradesmen. A baker whose face i can see but whose name I can't remember, came round with a van which you mounted from the back where there was a small counter and the various pies and cakes were displayed behind. It had a very distinctive sweet smell, which modern bakeries don't seem to have. My favourite was the Greengrocer Lance Armstrong who would sell his wares from a horsedrawn van. The horse was called Beauty, and Lance would give us a ride from outside our house to his next stop up the road; so exciting over the bumpy cobbles for us kids. Enough for now but I might do another post with some recollections of the house itself if anyone is interested, (or just for my own nostalgic amusement - ha!)
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I should have also said "Welcome to the forum".
I'm glad the picture made your day!
If you want to see a lot of the images that are related to Blyth, do an online search for 'rootschat blyth' and then when the option come up at the top of the page click on 'images' and you will see all the photos of Blyth that have been posted to this forum. Many of them will stir memories for you.
Sadly one of our most informative members Michael Dixon, passed away. I was very fortunate that before he died he sent me all his Blyth pictures, notes and ephemera! Fascinating stuff to say the least, he had a wealth of information tucked away in his brain all about Blyth, Cowpen and Bebside and the surrounding area.
Enjoy your times here, the Northumberland crew here are wonderful.
I'll just attach one more image for your enjoyment. Pacific Princess 1964.
P
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Michael Dixon passed away? Condolences to his family, if they read this forum.
You never know these days, ( or any days). Especially for us oldies.
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Tricia - do you mind if I ask you a question? It could possibly clear up something I first wondered about almost 60 years ago. In the boys' play yard at Crofton Juniors (always a play yard, never a play ground), there was a long narrow brick built structure with a flat concrete roof and a door at each end, along the William Street side. This was always referred to as the "old air raid shelter", even by the teachers. I'd always questioned in my mind what possible use that building could be in an air raid. It was no less dangerous than staying in the scool itself or even standing out in the open - and probably even more so. It always seemed to me to be far more likely that it was just used for storage, but the label persisted. By the 1960s it was boarded up and full of debris and no-one ever went in there. Given that you have memories of going to school during war time, are you able to shed any light on whether it actually was intended as a shelter?
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As far as I remember there was only one playground in my days - boys and girls mixed. One favourite game was String Tiggy - got out of hand sometimes. And What Time is it Mr. Wolf?
It looks as if the William St. part was built later.
Many of us were a bit wild in those days, Dads away etc. We had a Dare gang and we once climbed up onto the Crofton school roofs and got chased off by the caretaker - great fun :)
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If the William St play yard was built later, then that would mean those out buildings were never air raid shelters. The boys play yard was from the Kingsway/William St corner up to where the Juniors joined the infants, which was separated by a high wall. It's easy to see on Google maps at the current school, and seems to be partly grassed nowadays. The girls' was off Kingsway on the back of the school and linked to a playing field where the third year annex was situated. A boys' toilet block was built at the Kingsway end, behind the headmaster's office, during my time there, and I once broke a window in that new extension when I put a football through it. I thought I was in for a caning for sure, but Mr Humble was ok about it, I must have been pretty contrite as he just said accidents will happen. A couple of times I didn't get off so lightly. One was deserved (if we're judging by the standards of the time), graffiti on a desk; another was just for not sitting still in a French class! Different times.
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Just been keeping an eye on the latest developments here. Thought I was a computer nerd/geek after so many years of self teaching. Then I see Phodgetts suggestion to garthwaite76 - i.e. google "rootschat blyth history" then click on the images. Even more gold nuggets and memories opened up for me after following the suggestion.
Thanks a million.
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Then I see Phodgetts suggestion to garthwaite76 - i.e. google "rootschat blyth history" then click on the images. Even more gold nuggets and memories opened up for me after following the suggestion.
Thanks a million.
If you're not back by the time the street lights come on, we'll come looking for you........
P ;D
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If you're not back by the time the street lights come on, we'll come looking for you........
P ;D
[/quote]
Aa nivvor gaan oot nooadays - price of beor and of course the lockdown. ;) >:( So divvn't botha gannin lukkin for Iz. [Good old Blyth taalk and spellin'] ;) :)
Just seen your link to Blyth adverts, had a look and found them interesting.
Regards to all, pyfb.
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Hi garthwaite76, We had these air-raid shelters at Plessey Road School too. One Ran around the play ground on the Forster Street side and I think I remember one on the Plessey road side but my memory fades. There was also a shelter built onto the side of the school which we entered from the school hall, it was being used for storage purposes when I was there in the sixties. If you get your angles right on Google earth street view, you can still see the one on the side of the school.
https://goo.gl/maps/pcKJJsDdz5q
It is the low flat roofed building abutting the school.
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I remember the Plessey road shelters. I lived in Percy street way back when and we used to play in them, much to the annoyance of the caretaker. The ones in the playground ran from the gates along Forster street and along the back back lane that joined Forster street to Percy street. The one on Plessey road ran from those gates to the top of Percy street with Harry Lowes corner shop opposite.
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I find it amazing that someone asked 2 quick questions 10 years ago could produce 52 pages of answers, more questions and memories of Blyth and viewed by over 114,500 people (and still increasing), the power of RootsChat!!!! Having ploughed through and thoroughly enjoyed reading everything I thought i would contribute something and also ask a question.
Being originally from Newcastle i would venture up to Blyth in my trainspotting days (mid 60's until the end of steam) and visit the 2 engine sheds that Blyth had, Blyth south and Blyth north (52F for those in the know). Blyth north being on the north side of the river meant a ferry ride to reach it, another enjoyable pleasure. I have attached a guide to get to the 2 sheds which no longer exist and most likely long demolished.
Secondly very good friends of mine (since teenage years) grandparents owned a shop (or shops) in Blyth. it was called Lockerbys Ltd. originally in Ridley Place, Newcastle they moved up to Blyth late 70's or early 80's so I am sure many people will remember them. Apparently they sold ladies and mens clothing and they think also bedding etc. It was located on the main street and a couple of shops, the mens shop was further up the road next to Stedman's the electrical shop. This is all from their memory so locations may be slightly out.
Would love to hear memories of the sheds and also who visited and bought clothing at Lockerby's.
Keep safe, regards Paul
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Greetings Paul
I shan't say anything much about the railway sheds on this subject thread, but I will tell you about a website that has all manner of stuff on it about the railways in the North East of England and some of it about Blyth and Cowpen / Cambois. The chap that set up and ran the website died a little while ago now, but I had great pleasure knowing him and writing a few lines for him myself. Try not to lose yourself in there, you will be gone quite some time! Perhaps you already know of it?
Lots of pages and areas to choose.
http://www.davidheyscollection.com/page83.htm
Enjoy
P
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Greetings Paul
I shan't say anything much about the railway sheds on this subject thread, but I will tell you about a website that has all manner of stuff on it about the railways in the North East of England and some of it about Blyth and Cowpen / Cambois. The chap that set up and ran the website died a little while ago now, but I had great pleasure knowing him and writing a few lines for him myself. Try not to lose yourself in there, you will be gone quite some time! Perhaps you already know of it?
Lots of pages and areas to choose.
http://www.davidheyscollection.com/page83.htm
Enjoy
P
Hello Phodgetts,
Many thanks for your reply and also the link to the website, have read part 1 of the Blyth story but there is so much more on the site that interests me. Many hours of happy reading, luckily I have the time now!!!!
Keep safe, regards Paul
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Some interesting posts since I was last on here. The photo of Wright Street school shows the land opposite where Blyth Town Boys Club stood, and was, going by the photo, only recently demolished. This building was, I believe, the irish Centre before it became a boys club. Jack Allen, who lived to a ripe old age, was in charge when I used to go.
That excellent photo of the Pacific Princess brought memories flooding back - not so much of the shipyard, or even Ford Consuls, but on the right there is a pillar where there was a side door to the Travellers Rest pub. That was my local back in the day, and one Saturday afternoon, somewhat under the influence, a load of us piled out of the bar into that very street for a mammoth snowball fight. Happy days.
My grandparents lived in Beaumont Street and on a Sunday evening, while we were down there for afternoon tea, my grandad would send me and my brother to 'Vauxies' on Salisbury Street for a bottle of Olde English cider, no questions asked (we were about eight and ten). I don't think the owner gave alcohol to kids willy-nilly, rather my nanna had primed him in advance that we'd be collecting the cider. I remember the owner was foreign, European I'd say, bald with a moustache. There were huge wooden casks in the middle of the floor and the shop had an unusual, but not unpleasant smell.
There was a corner shop just round the corner from my grandparents' on, I believe, Wright Street called Gaffy's. All I remember about this shop was a ping when you opened the door, it was dark inside and they sold bottles of pop with POP on the label - just like in the comics. I was used to Tizer, Jusoda and pop from Woods's at Bebside :)
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Hi Yossarian, I loved your post as it added some detail to my own memories of living in Salisbury Street which I had tried to set out in an earlier post when looking for detail of Wright Street School. The photo posted by Philip was most helpful but I've yet to hear from anyone with memories of actually being taught there. That photograph is the first I've seen. I was almost beginning to believe I'd imagined my first three years' education as there is nothing I can find on the internet to prove it actually existed!
I too noticed that the buildings opposite were demolished, no doubt soon to be followed by the school itself. I think i might be a bit younger than you as the Travellers Rest was certainly closed by the time I was old enough for pubs. The Gladstone Arms was the place to get served without being asked awkward questions, although I was turfed out of the the Sydney on Cowpen Road on more than one occasion by an angry deputy head from the Grammar, hunting down lunchtime absconders, (the red school blazer and tie apparently a matter of conspicuous indifference to the landlord: business is business).
I have quite strong memories of the Boys' Club in Wright Street, although only as a small child; I was never a member. My Dad was a member in his youth, and after him two maternal uncles were strongly associated in the late fifties and through the 1960s, and they used to take me in there for a bottle of pop and and a caramac on saturday mornings. Jackie Allen was running the club then and he was a family friend. The elder of my two uncles was club secretary and had a small office in there with a telephone, which was impressive to a six year old. Let me try an recall the layout. The front door, (blue and heavily panneled), led onto a corridoor. On the right was the cafe/bar with a counter and the room was filled with a full size snooker table that I could hardly see over. The cafe was attended by a guy called Walter, who was ever present and seemed to have been there forever. Opposite, (so on the left as you entered) was the office area. I seem to remember there being a small library of some sort which led on to the actual office at the back. Beyond these rooms, to the left at the back, was a workshop where there was always some half finished project set out, a canoe being polished being the standout when I think of that room. The smell was distinctive, modelling paint and turps, and I found it quite oppressive, dark and somehow threatening, although without any rational reason. Back in the corridor, and a flight of stairs led to the first floor dominated by a dance hall and a stage, the space seeming huge at the time but given it was in a terrace block, probably wasn't. The abiding memory of this part of the building was being allowed to speak into a PA microphone used for dances, or more often Saturday night Bingo. The Bingo sessions were a favourite of all my mothers side of the family except for perhaps the younger of my two Uncles, still a teenager so not the Bingo type, who had the job of babysitting my brother and me, while everyone else "went down the club for the Housey". I'm probably at a safe enough distance in time to recount how he would always have a girlfriend round and leave me and my brother watching TV while they went upstairs to "look for a book to read". This must have been around 1962, as I remember clearly one girl bringing a copy of an LP saying "you have to hear this, its so good". That was the Beatles first album. We were allowed to stay up late on a Saturday, and sometimes he'd even take us to meet my pareants as the club came out and we'd stand in the queue at Martins fish shop, just around the corner on Turner Street, for fish and six pennorth with "scramptions", left open, with salt and vinegar, the steam billowing off the food in cold night air.
Incidently, not sure if you noticed, but Jackie Allen is in the picture of the football team I posted. Far right standing, with the cap at an angle and arms folded. No sign of the familiar pipe though. Maybe that came later.
Another chord struck in your post was "Vauxies". I referred to that as the Vaux Off-Licence in my post, but you're quite right - I remember now that it was always Vauxies. I'm struggling to remember a distinctive smell but if pushed it would make me think of that aroma you get from an empty beer bottle left standing. The crisp boxes were arranged along either the floor, or a low shelf; my favourites were plain with a small blue waxy wrap of salt which you sprinkled on yourself, or Beefee. And the owner - yes - as soon as you said foreign I was there; bald, strange accent - I picture him in a grey shop coat, but I definitley remember the same person.
I'll leave you with another picture, this is my Dad, who is also in the football team photograph, sparring at the Boys Club, which seems to have been taken from the Blyth News.
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My dad Bob Gibson began his railway career at Blyth in February 1940 aged 19.I have his diaries from 1942/1950 giving an account of his shifts as a fireman,detailing engines/drivers and shift patterns.He spent most of his time at North Blyth .My Mams’ brother Jimmy Pattison was also a driver.I have a list of drivers and firemen and their engines from North Blyth.My grandparents lived at 63 Cowpen Road next to Morpeth Road school so we used to go to South Blyth shed on the way.My uncle became a signalman at Crofton Mill after he got TB.I used to go to the cabin frequently.He moved to Freeman’s Crossing at the power station before becoming a florist in Bedlington.My dad became shed foreman at Sunderland in 1964 and after a brief spell at Hartlepool moved to March Cambs before retirement in1984.
I can recommend the rail online website.There are lots of Blyth pictures.
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I’m wondering if anyone can help I’m doing my family tree and I’m looking for information regarding my great great grandma she was originally from tynemouth but lived in Newsham
Her name was Isabella Walker Wilson born 19/5/1907 but passed away in Newsham in 1993
I would just like to know more about her and the area she lived and who her parents were I’ve found a file I think her mother is a Barbara Robson and Barbara’s parents were Joseph Robson and Margaret Walker from seaton delaval and blyth way
Also my granda said that they’re was shipliners down on blyth port owned by the Wilsons can anyone confirm this for me please
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Hi garthwaite76. Your description of Blyth Town Boys’ Club is exactly as I remember it - including Walter, the permanent fixture behind the counter, who took my weekly subs. When I used to go there was a pin table in the corner on the left just as you came in the door. I never really saw much in the way of traditional boys’ club activities, as I was rarely there through the week - but every Friday night I was upstairs at the disco, gawping in amazement at the multi-coloured bubble projection machine, which was as good as owt on Top of the Pops. We also all laughed at the glowing dandruff on our shoulders when the UV light was on. I shook my spindly legs to such classics as Shotgun Wedding by Roy C and Silver Machine by Hawkwind (but I sat down when Puppy Love came on). If I had a little cash on me, I’d sometimes nip around the corner to the Leisure Centre (formerly David Gillis), where there were more modern pin tables to play on. I remember that was operated by a bloke called Walter, and that early Elvis was almost constantly playing.
I too wore the Tenax et Fidelis badge on my school blazer (Headmaster Mr Lloyd, with deputies Mrs Black and Mr Hay (the Maj)) . I never went into the Sidney Arms while at school, but I did get served at the Forresters Arms, which later became the Kitty Brewster. My time at school was like one long Kes film.
I remember Martin’s chip shop - and how everyone said it was the best in Blyth. If I remember rightly, it had a wooden barrier in front of the counter for the queue to snake around. On Wednesdays, me nanna from Beaumont Street came to visit us at Cowpen, and she’d fetch bags of chips from Martin’s chippy. For some reason I remember watching the Dick Van Dyke Show while eating them - either quite warm or almost cold, depending on the punctuality of me nanna’s bus. Great photos by the way.
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Ha! yes it was the Maj who used to chase us out of the Sydney. He was a constant mence, lost count of the detentions and common room bans we had for playing three card brag!
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Re S.S. Flush (covered in this- Blyth History) Today I have received an email from a member of the Baltic Underwater Explorers. They have managed to dive to the wreck. They located many items of machinery, and they were surprised to see so much. However, due to the presence of algae(in the sea ??) it was not favourable for photography or video. They are planning to dive again in the autumn, hoping that conditions will be much better for photos., etc.
Concerning the crew list I published here - the captain when the ship left Blyth was Capt. Brady. I have since learned that the Capt. when the ship was wrecked was either Swedish or Norwegian, and he is buried on the Aland Islands. It appears that the vessel changed owners whilst at Malmo, Capt.Brady replaced for whatever reason, and the Swedish ? captain took charge.
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I went to Crofton from 1963 as we moved from Salisbury St to Newsham Road, Others from my class went on to Morpeth Road. Actually Tricia, there seems very little on line about Crofton from back then either, but it is still a school so there is plenty of more recent content. Crofton in the 60s was split into four years with A, B and C streaming. My four teachers in order were, Mrs Hayton, Mrs Younghusband, Mr Leask and Mr Lough. We satrted history and geography as completley new subjects in year 1, and French in year 2, although we had Mr Catieuax for that. Mr Humble was head master but he didn't teach. The third year was in a separate .annexe away from the main school, off a field next door, off Kingsway, next to Broadway field, where we'd all troop up for football on a Wednsday afternoon. I could go on and on so I'd better stop.
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Oaker, I have just seen your post, and the reference to Castiaux, I am sure that there was a Miss Castiaux, a teacher, at New Deleval Infants School, when I was there MANY years ago.
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Hi, I went to PLR in 57 then Crofton juniors. Mr Castiaux was our teacher in 4b, great french teacher. I don’t know about his wife. I remember Mr Leask lining up dozens of kids and caning them all for playing on the school field after it was newly seeded. Can you imagine that nowadays. I got the class prize in 4b presented by Eddie Milne, a Buffalo Bill book then I went to Newlands. I keep looking on these sites for info on the Harper family. I’ve just received Blyth Memories number6 which is brilliant. Jim Harlands books are really good
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I remember the smarties for french bingo. I embarrassed myself one day when I refused one because my mother had told me I was getting too fat! Yes Mr Castiaux was stil teaching 4b when I was there in the early sixties. He had the classroom in the far corner off the hall. And Mr Leask was very free with that cane. An old strip of bamboo with a bit of black tape around the end. He gave me one stroke for fidgetting one day. Another day I got two for drawing on a desk. I remember thinking at the time that deserved that, aand my Dad agreed, but then fidgetting?? What was that all about? He was actually a decent old bloke though, just different times.
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They were all good teachers, in the year I was in 40 out of 42 kids in 4a got into grammar school. Mr Humble was headmaster, aptly named mr Blyth was the one armed caretaker.
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Little triggers of memory - I'd completely forgotten Mr Blyth - funny how the brain can bring it back after thousands and thousands of days having passed without that particular person being conciously recalled.
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I remember music lessons, 11 year olds in the early days of the Beatles singing, Blaydon races, Bobby Shaftoe, The Minstrel Boy, De Camptown ladies sing dis song, Green grow the rushes oh, Oh Adam Bucham Oh. And hymns.
One day at Newlands they let us sing Sloop John B and we were so enthusiastic you could hear it all over the school.
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The song I remember best from Crofton is Lillibullero - we had no idea what it meant and certainly no notion of any political association. As far as I can recall no-one ever gave any background or explanation. But the tune was rousing and we'd sing out at the tops of our voices.
As for the hymns, I always associate "Glad That I Live Am I" with Crofton Juniors. It always made me feel good, the line about blue sky just somehow uplifting. And most oddly, whever I hear it I think of dinosoars. I recall singing it in assembly then going straight into Mrs Hayton and history lessons. Those lessons began with being shown how dinosoars roamed the earth under blue skies millions of years ago. She would show us fossils and pictures of tropical swamps with Brontosoaruses and Tricerotops, and I must have been carrying the tune in my head. It still works, I can't hear the tune without thinking of dinosoars and whenever dinosoars are mentioned, I hum the tune. Doing it right now! :-X
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Onward Christian Soldiers, got us stamping our feet. Also stamped feet at Essoldo Saturday morning pictures when the cavalry arrived. It was 6d in and if your ticket number came up on the screen you had to stand on the stage and get awarded a free pass for the next Saturday. I saw a picture in one of Jim Harlands Blyth memories books of the Denver stagecoach, it cost 3d for a ride around the back lanes with a dozen other kids hanging out of the windows and roof, his horse was called Silver I think.
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Essoldo pictures were brilliant - I never won a free ticket - Seghini's Eskimo Pies at the interval.
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I never heard of seghinis Eskimo pies. My favourites in summer was frozen grapes and some custom made ice lollies with bits of fruit in them made by Mr Morgan at his paper shop on Plessey road. Also frozen jubilees could last for ages in your desk, but you had to keep lifting the desk lid up to suck them. Winkles in a newspaper cone could last for ages but you couldn’t pay me to eat one now. Gob stoppers are probably illegal now, some were massive and changed colour as they shrank. I wonder how many kids choked on them. Pomegranates were only available in autumn I think but I loved picking seeds out with a pin. Also monkey nuts.
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Ha! Eskimo Pies were little fluted pastry cases filled with ice cream with a chocolate lid. They used to sell them at the Essoldo and you could buy them at Seghinis ice cream shops (I think here were two shops). I remember fruit in the ice lollies, round fat tub shaped with two sticks for extra support, orange or strawberry - although we used to get them from Bethams on Broadway Circle. Plessey Road wasn't on my way to school. There was also a bakery on Broadway Circle that used to sell penny loaves from their back door behind the shop that we'd eat hot on the way to school. The taste was fantastic and the smell of teh new bread- oh God it was gorgeous!
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The Seghini family was famous in Blyth for introducing ice cream just after WW2. They probably still live there as the older Seghinis lived next door to my parents on Broadway, near the Circle.
Mum died in 2002.
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I knew of the Seghinis, just never heard of Eskimo pies. There was a little chap on a bike with an ice cream cart on the front , I think he was called Martino. Ordinary cornets were about 3d and sugar cornets a bit more. We called the red sauce Monkey juice for some ridiculous reason. Ice cream vans killed off a lot of that sort of trade.
Why was the area across from the power station called Monkeys Island. What is a monkeys as in, I don’t give a Monkeys.
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Sorry about the question, I looked up origin of I don’t give a monkeys, and it’s not appropriate for this forum.
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We called the red sauce Monkey's Blood. You have to wonder where that came from!
And yes Martino - Whenever someone turned a bike upside down we'd say he was selling ice cream. Presumably because it reminded us of Martino's bike. Ridiculous!
I have a vague memory of a red shop on Park Road with a strange triangular entrance door, that sold home made ice cream that I used to love, especially in a sugar cone. It had it's own distinctive flavour that I've never come accross again. I'm thinking that that would have been a treat on the way to Ridley Park paddling pool.
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Favourite Saturday outing was to a shop we called the Comic Shop on the way to the chain ferry. It was run by two lovely ladies, I think called Dot and Maggie. You took 3 comics in and got two used comics back. I wish I’d kept all the early Spider-Man daredevil Thor Hulk etc comics I had in the sixties, they’re worth a fortune. I’d read all the James Bond books by the time I was 14.
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You've got me on that one Oaker - can't recollect the comic shop at all - obviously not somewhere I visited. I was never into the "boys" type of comics, (with the exception of Roy Of The Rovers). I always went for the funnies, Beezer, Topper, Beano etc which my Grandma bought for us every week.
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I read Victor, loved Alf Tupper, scruff Runner who always beat the posh bloke. Gorgeous Gus who came on a football field for 10 minutes and scored the winning goals. Hotspur, Eagle. Lion. I read everything I could get my hands on, We didn’t have a tele till I was 11, watched it at grandmas, I even read my sisters Bunty.
I feel sorry for kids nowadays, glued to their phones. I suppose it’s a form of reading.
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I'm busy with a blog post about my childhood on Beecher Street in Cowpen Newtown. There was/is only one side to this street, yet the door numbers are all odd. This throws up the question of whether there was an 'even' side that was demolished before I was born (unlikely), or perhaps that side was planned, but never built (also unlikely). I deliver stuff around Blyth and I've noticed that the numbers on single sided streets always go up in single increments, 1,2,3 etc. I think the most logical guess is that the flats were numbered this way simply because it was the norm.
By the way, if anyone happens to have a photo of old Beecher Street that they would allow me to use in the blog, I'd be extremely grateful.
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Yossarian, Your post caught me eye having grown up at Cowpen estate.
Look in Northumberland>Blyth Street Name.. This was started on Friday, 24th June, 2011. There are 3 pages re this subject, and Beecher Street is mentioned. You may find what you are looking for.
I have googled 'Beecher Street, Cowpen' hopefully looking for old maps. There are some. One was on Pinterest, but I could not explore/enlarge that map, as I am not a member of that site.
Best of luck.
P.S. A modern map of that area has surprised me - in my time, below Beecher Street, and the others, was a field, and the sewage works before you gained access to the river bank. It seems as though all that area has been developed into commercial premises, etc.
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With regard to the comic shop over by the Travellers Rest, here is a piece I wrote following the death of Stan Lee. I did hang onto those early issues, and I still have eight or so.
(https://imgur.com/a/EFvz9g3)
Way back when I was in my early teens, there used to be a second-hand magazine shop at the Ferry Corner next to the Travellers Rest pub. In the window there were sleazy true crime mags hanging from a line by bulldog clips to tempt those who had a weakness for scantily clad women, but for my friend Stephen and me, the treasure lay inside the shop against the back wall.
This was a large table that was piled high with dozens upon dozens of American comics - and all were available at 2p a pop. Spider-Man quickly became our favourite, and we scooped up as many as we could find. Stephen had issue number nine, but the earliest I could manage was 17. I loved the stories, not only because of the fabulous enemies Spidey would fight (Dr Octopus, Kingpin, The Lizard, The Vulture and The Green Goblin to name but a few), but Peter Parker's home life was also interesting. He went out with Gwen, and later Mary Jane. His friend Harry, whose father is The Green Goblin (spoiler alert), became addicted to prescription drugs, and of course Flash, the boorish jock who bullied 'Puny Parker', but idolised Spider-Man (man that was frustrating - the number of times I wanted Parker to just deck the big-headed get - but he couldn't or he'd give the game away.
(https://i.imgur.com/AcDzPGr.jpg)
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Can any of you Blyth experts help with this one, please?
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=841440.msg7077200#msg7077200
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Quiz time! What is this long-since-demolished building? I know, because I was there when my dad took the photo, but I'm sure a lot of you will recognise it too. The image is a photo I took of a slide projected onto a screen. THe trouble is that the bulb on my dad's old Gnome projector is about as bright as a 40-watt tulip bulb. I have a box of colour slides from the early sixties, and I'd like to upload some of the important ones, like the building in the picture, for posterity. I checked out a 'slide to JPEG' converter, but it seemed quite expensive for something I'd only use once. Any suggestions?
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Found the following online, no idea if it works. Apparently some scanners will also copy slides to digital.
If you have only a few slides, you can use smartphone and tablets to turn them into photos. In order to convert slides to photos, you can set a white background for the slides first.
Step 1: A white light with a paper can be used as background. You can also use a tablet with white color. For using iPad as light source, you can enable Guide Access under “Settings”> “General” > “Accessibility” > Guide Access to disable touchscreen input.
Step 2: Set a secure tripod or make sure a steady position with scan box with smartphone. When you need to convert photo to text, convert photo to PDF or convert slides to photo with smartphone, it is very important to take a perfectly aligned photograph.
Step 3: When you set everything in a good situation, you can convert slides to photos by scanning the slides now. Some additional scanners application is helpful to turn slides and negatives to photos with ease.
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Am I remembering this correctly?
I was strolling around Blyth today and came to the corner of Sussex street and Plessey road. There is a cafe there now but I think it was once a ships chandlers or somesuch. Anyway it struck me that there used to be a statue of a sailor above the door to the shop.
Was I in the correct place or was it somewhere else, or am I just mistaken?
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I am surprised that there has been no reply to that last query, is 'aall wor' Blyth contributors asleep ?
But today I have just found the following song, "The Blyth Sailor's Farewell". It is sung by Johnny Handle (High Level Ranters). Johnny Handle at The Bridge, 10th April, 2017. It was written by James Anderson, c. 1875. I do not know about Mr. Anderson, but will be googling him.
It seems that the song is on an album "Morpeth Lodgings" Quote : by the 2nd half of the 19th century the collieries in south Northumberland were reaching deeper and more productive seams, and Blyth expanded as a coal port. As steam superseded sail, so the collier brigs became safer cargo vessels. AND " Many sailors settled in the town as the journeys were also faster."
Quite a while ago I was looking at a census for Blyth in the late 1800s, and was astonished at the number of men giving their occupation as sailor, mariner, etc., etc. Then a few minutes the penny dropped in my brain, "Yis, yi daft bugga, Blyth was a harbour and port." :) ;) ;D
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Back again after googling Mr. Anderson. Plenty results - he was as popular as Joe Wilson, but his fame has not matched Wilson's. James Anderson died at Cowpen Quay on 14th March, 1899, aged 73 years.
Two of his songs, which I have found, but have not heard any recordings of are :
"Aw'll nivvor gan drinkin' i' Blyth onny mair." which resonates with me. :)
"Aa wunder what canny aad Blyth 'll say noo."
pityackafromblyth.
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I am surprised that there has been no reply to that last query, is 'aall wor' Blyth contributors asleep ?
Sadly our numbers have dwindled, and I have been having a bit of a medical emergency myself and am now recovering from surgery. Thankfully I will be ok, but more operations will be needed in the near future. Thank goodness for the RVI and the amazing teams they have there!
I hope you're doing ok along with the other surviving members of us on here.
Best, Philip
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My grandad James H Gibson worked at the slaughterhouse in the 1950s and early 1960s.I used to go there during holidays and he would blow up pigs bladders for football.He also drove a butchers cart for the CO-OP and would take me to the stables on a Sunday morning.I have a photograph of him when he worked in Shys butchers shop.
With regard to Harrington’s ,Shirley Harrington was my form prefect at BGS in 1961.I left there in 1964 when we moved to Sunderland.We lived on Plessey Road opposite the bus garage and I had a paper round at George Morgans.My dad Bob Gibson had use of his season ticket at NUFC when he did the extension on the shop and opened the off license.The shop was previously owned by the Davison family.
The chip shop on Plessey Rd was owned then by Les Fraser and his wife .They also had a daughter whose name I am unable to remember.I seem to recall that the parents were involved in a bad car accident.There was another chip shop in Robert street owned by Miss Edie Calder.
Hi, I think the daughter was Lesley. Weren’t they Scottish ?
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Mike - the only location I remember fondly from your post is the chip shop on Plessey road, the one near the Broadway area. we used to live on Kingsway, opposite Croft Park, and went there often. Can't remember the owner's name. only the food!
I left Blyth in 1954 but still live quite close.
Philip - sorry to hear of your health problems - I've had my ups and downs too but still plodding on.
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I recently visited Blyth, my first visit for two or three years. While up there I received a copy of a photo of Class 2, Newsham Junior School. I am fairly sure that it is from 1956 and one of the same set that I already had on my website.
http://www.peterloud.co.uk/photos/Northumberland/School_Photos/School_Photos.html (http://www.peterloud.co.uk/photos/Northumberland/School_Photos/School_Photos.html)
A small number of the faces look familiar but I am not so sure that I want to risk putting up incorrect identifications and annoying people. Check it out and see if you can identify anyone.
While up there I found out a little about a little remembered Newsham fish and chip shop. Next to the railway crossing, between New Delaval and Newsham, on the Newsham side, there were two or three black wooden huts in the 1950s. I don't know for how long before that. I remember them, or at least one of them, because that's where I had my haircut by barber Jimmy White before he moved to Plessey Road. Another of the huts was a fish and chip shop run by someone on my mother's side of the family. I was told that he had a horse and trap and would take it down to North Shields each day for the fish. The horse was stabled in a stable at the back of Top Dodds' shop on Plessey Road.
My visit Blyth was a hassle. When I was passing through I was bursting for a pee. I felt sure that there would be a public toilet at the bus station. I found a locked up toilet near the bus station. This was at around 5pm on a Thursday. So I thought that there must be a toilet in that new mini shopping mall. I couldn't find one there either. I ended up peeing in some bushes in the car park. How can a town not have an open public toilet in its bus station or in its shopping mall? Or was there one there and I just missed it?
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My trip to Blyth also reminded me of another Blyth activity, leek shows.
My grandfather on my mother's side was a very keen and very competent gardener. He was particularly good at growing leeks. He was good with other veg, and flowers too, but of those I have no records.
In the 1930s my grandfather was a member of the Newsham, Black Diamond Leek Club. The family tale is that he won the Leek Show Prize ten years in succession so the committee decided he was unbeatable and made him a judge and told him he couldn't enter again. For these pub competitions he was awarded a gold medal. They were real hallmarked gold, with his inscribed initials, name, date etc. They are probably worth a few bob just for their 2021 gold value. I assume that there were other more useful prizes.
His medals seem to have been passed down to his daughters and grand-daughters. I have one of them, from my sister, and have photographed another.
(http://www.peterloud.co.uk/photos/OthersUK/Family%20issues/Leek%20Club%20Medal%201933_4387-h600.jpg)
(http://www.peterloud.co.uk/photos/OthersUK/Family%20issues/Leek%20Club%20Medal%201933_4389-h600.jpg)
(http://www.peterloud.co.uk/photos/OthersUK/Family%20issues/Medal%201935a_0744-h600.jpg)
(http://www.peterloud.co.uk/photos/OthersUK/Family%20issues/Leek%20show%20medal%20-1935_0741-h600.jpg)
Are there still local Leak Shows with valuable prizes and prestige, or is local pride all about having a very big telly and a new SUV ?
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I'm a hobby bookbinder and I've recently rebound some copies of "Fraser's Comic Pictorial Almanac". I'd heard of it, but I'd never actually seen a copy before. The paper on which it's printed is very cheap and cheerful and so dry and brittle, bits break off at the drop of a hat. That together with the fact that only 6,000 copies were printed makes it worth preserving. I doubt there are too many other copies that have survived and it has historical value. The 1883 one is incomplete, but 1884 - 1887 are intact. Bound in with the almanacs are the first 9 copies of "The Poet's Album", also published by John Fraser, running from July 1880 - March 1881. Included in them is a biography of John Bryson. The book doesn't actually belong to me, but I've taken pictures of the biography and printed it off as I have a friend who I know will be very interested in it. If anyone here would like copies let me know and I'll be happy to email the files.
I'm quite curious about Billy Thompson, who as far as I can make out was a member of the local "Board" and worked for the Gas Company. He certainly came in for some stick in the Almanacs!
(If anyone happens to have a copy of the 1891 Almanac, I would love to see it as it's mentioned in a diary a great great uncle wrote.)
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Fascinating Ann, thank you.
For everyone's interest here is a photo of John Fraser's little shop with his Blyth & Tyneside Comic Almanack clearly advertised along with his Blyth Scribe.
P
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You're welcome. Great picture and a bit of a shock, I wasn't expecting it to look quite so ramschackle! Any idea of the date? The first edition of the Almanac seems to have been 1883 and that sign looks quite well worn, so I'm guessing early 1900s.
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Looks like the Almanac went from strength to strength, from 6,000 copies in 1885 to 10,000 in 1887. Here are a couple of adverts, the first from the 1883 or 1884 issue, the second from the 1887 one.
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Wonderful, thank you for sharing! ;D
P
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That "Something worth knowing" looks decidedly dodgy!
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I am currently involved with a project on slavery in the early 1800s. This requires me to read a great many newspapers from Barbados of that period.
Imagine my surprise when I read in one of those newspapers of 1821 a report of the brig Williams of Blyth. I am sure the people in Blyth involved with "Williams" know its history but I was surprised to see it reported in Barbados 200 years ago.
http://www.peterloud.co.uk/photos/Temp/1821%20Barbados%20Newspaper%20highlight.jpg (http://www.peterloud.co.uk/photos/Temp/1821%20Barbados%20Newspaper%20highlight.jpg)
My apologies if an image of the report doesn't show, I'm having problems inserting an image. If not just click on the link.
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the toilets in Blyth are where the have always been At the top of the market square or you could have gone to Morrisons supermarket on the site of the old railway station
Getting back to Newsham schools the Junior school was by the Black Diamond The infants school
only took children from the railway crossing down Newsham road Isabella Colliery and Poets corner (Council housing) above the newsham lines went to Delaval school New delaval senior did not close when Newlands opened my brother was at New Delaval Senior in 1968 and Newlands had been open a long time then the school at South Newsham only had a couple of class rooms It was an old school
used as the first year of Newsham junior A private coach picked you up and dropped you back at the junior school Newsham Miss Legg was the headmistress at South Newsham around 1957 the Frost family had the shop opposite the Plaza at newsham and the shop at the top of Plessey road was owned by the Bassams Jenny Bassam being a Turnbull from the Bella Colliery
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Hi Everyone, I just picked up this "on this day" entry from the NUFC.com website:
1905 Blyth Spartans (a)
7-1(?-?)
Friendly
Howie 3, Carr 2, Rutherford, Bolton
scorer tbc
1,000
United provided the opposition for this charity match, played at a venue known as Crofton and situated across the road from Blyth's present Croft Park home.
Is anyone aware of this venue, as I've never heard of it. Presumably it's not Broadway, and I would have thought the school would have been present at that time on the South side of Croft Park.
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That position is now Kingsway - we used to live there. there was a short row of flats. built in the ?1930s
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Thanks Tricia - thats something I never knew.
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Hi Garthwaite, Ken Sproat in his book on the history of Blyth Spartans writes on formation in 1899 Spartans played on a ground, at Percy's gardens near where Cypress gardens and Middleton street intersect. In 1901 they moved to the North Pit ground (bates) that pitch which was known as the "Spion Kop" is now covered by Chestnut Avenue and Poplar Avenue.
In the 1905/06 season, Spartans played at a ground that was, directly over the road from the southern end of Croft Park. They played at this ground for only one season, as the area had been earmarked for development and it was at this ground they played the charity friendly against Newcastle. He says the western halves of Hedley avenue and Hunter avenue and the northern portion of Shotten avenue cover the site.
In 1906 Spartans moved to a ground called, Thoroton cottage, now covered partially by Broadway circle and the western end of Princess Louise Road, before moving to their current home Croft Park in 1909.
Kens book is available from the Spartans online store
https://bsosc.myshopify.com/collections/all?page=5
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Thanks Pete,
So helpful.
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Does anyone have any old photos of South Newsham area? Photos are hard to come by.
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There was a Methodist church, a reading room, a few cottages, a school and terraced 'rows' by the way.
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I've just done a blog post about my mis-spent youth, playing pinball at the Leisure Centre on Regent Street. Does anyone remember it? It was David Gillis prior to being an amusement arcade, and Taplows afterwards (that didn't end well). I recently saw a photo of the centre online - it would be great to post a link to an image of it, and if anyone knows where that image lies, this is the place to ask.
Anyway, here's another slice of Blyth History from my own memory bank :)
https://upthedownescalator.wordpress.com/2022/01/10/pinball-wizardry-not-quite/?preview_id=1972&preview_nonce=945ac53030&preview=true&_thumbnail_id=1977 (https://upthedownescalator.wordpress.com/2022/01/10/pinball-wizardry-not-quite/?preview_id=1972&preview_nonce=945ac53030&preview=true&_thumbnail_id=1977)
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Thank you so much for posting this photo and info on John Fraser.
I’m just starting out and believe I’m related to him.
I have one photo of the shop and one tiny photo of my grandmother Elsie, who I think was John’s daughter.
My father may have been John’s grandson.
My brother was named after John Fraser.
My father had a bookshop/tobacconist/stationery too, and I am in publishing and comics.
Could anyone point me to John Fraser’s family tree or further info so I can join the dots?
Thank you
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Hi @Annied22
Would you be able to photograph any pages of a Comic Almanack for me ?
I’m curious as to what the content was like.
We’re they individual cartoon panels or comic strips? Ie. Illustrated or were they just text?
Thank you
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The Queen's ||Jubilee is not far off, but who can remember the day that she acceeded to the throne.)
It was 9th Feb. 1952 and I was a pupil at Newsham Junior School. I remember 2 teachers being Mr. Carr, and Mr. Hebron.
On that morning we had just entered class and the register was completed, and then.... the Headmaster entered our room, declaring that we all had to go home as HM the King had died.)
I forget how many days school were closed, but the following year on Coronation Day there was a street party at New Deleval opposite the old school. It was a damp wet dat in Blyth.
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Hi everyone.
I have compiled a blog post relating to Blyth, and I was kindly given permission to use a photo of the Gladstone Arms in the article. It is quite a long piece, which I think would benefit from a second image to break up the text. Ideally, I'd like a segment of street map showing those nine pubs that stood outside the shipyard gates in Blyth. I have no idea regarding the availability of such an image, nor on copyright issues, so I'm wondering if anyone can help me on this.
Thanks for reading :)
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I thought you all might like to see this old photo dating to the 1880s! Portrait of an unknown woman taken at the Blyth & Tyne Photographic Institue on Sussex Street at Blyth. A William Anderson Hunter (originally of Alnwick) owned and operated the studio, he was there on the 1871 census aged 37 and living with his wife Wilhelmina aged 27. At that time they didn't have any children. Wilhelmina was from the West Indies, so I'm guessing there is quite a story to be told about William, his travels and how he met and married Wilhelmina. On the 1881 census the couple, still childless were living at number 8 Sussex Street, described as a 'house & shop' and Wilhelmina was a Tobacconist. They did have a 'niece' of William's living with them. I'd love to know more about the couple.
P
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The same William Hunter had a photographic studio for a short time at Belford. He married Wilhelmina Kelly at St George's Squ. London Oct-Dec 1866. I found several people with his name, perhaps it was a family name handed down. Curiously there was a William Anderson Hunter baptised in Jamaica in 1855 but parents names are not given. They both seem to disappear from the census after 1891. Wonder what became of them.....
Belfordian
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Hi - it's me again, and on the same old mission :D
Once again I'm looking for a photo that someone may be kind enough to allow me to use in a blog post. I'm looking for anything to do with coal hoppers (trucks, as we called them).
I'm putting a lot of stuff from my childhood and teens down for posterity, and this particular post is all about illicitly riding on the coal hoppers that ran from Bates' to the Bella in my early teens. It's not something I'm proud of, and I shudder at the thought of the danger I was putting myself into, but it was part of my growing up (and I had plenty of confederates alongside me).
I also detail another trackside activity from that era that I was never responsible for, the tipping of coal trucks (as we called it). This was carried out by adults who needed money for beer at the weekend. They would run alongside the truck and somehow turn the lever that opened the hatch in the floor, allowing tons of coal to spill on the line.
I believe it's important to give a warts and all account of growing up at that time (1970s), and a suitable image would make the piece complete. I have uploaded the post with a free-to-use image of a Gronk diesel shunter with the black and yellow chevrons, that used to give me excited butterflies when I saw them appear under the bridge on Cowpen Road, but I believe that posterity would benefit from something more authentic, particularly a hopper with the grab bars and that handy steel step that helped us aboard - colour or monochrome.
Anyway, thanks for reading, and please get in touch if you can help.
Joe
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Re pictures of Bates coal waggons.
Look up Batess on the Durham mining museum website, many pictures there.
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Death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, ... did she ever visit Blyth ? I recall that she did visit Whitley Bay, which was quite some years ago.
Lying in bed on a night and before going to sleep, and searching my brain for family memories, I realised that both my Grandmothers lived through the reigns of 6 sovereigns - Victoria; Edward VII; George V; Edward VIII; George VI; and then Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
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Here on the Northumberland section there is a new subject, posted by Belfordian, - Church Street, Blyth. There are 2-3 links in that post which relate to old maps. Curiosity on my part - I linked on one and found that there was a Blyth Ferry just on the south side of the Dun Cow pub. About the 1850s, prior to the High Ferry (chain ferry), and the 'middle' ferry (?) which took you over to the staithes near the Seven Stars pub.
Another gem discovered regarding Blyth. :)
The links in this were posted by Jon_ni. Apologies from me and many thanks to Jon_ni
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As I understand it, there were three fords across the river at Blyth. The three ferry crossings basically matched the old fords as the river was dredged to allow for larger ships to enter the harbour. Originally the High Ford at High Pans, the Middle Ford at Cowpen Quay and the Low Ford at Low Quay, they became the High Ferry, the Middle Ferry and the Low Ferry respectively. Once upon a time a long time ago the River Blyth was described as a shallow trout stream, tidal of course but not deep. In our modern day we think of fords being dry at some point, enabling us to cross them, but back in the day most fords would have meant taking your shoes off and rolling up your trousers or hitching up your skirts with water depth varying from ankles to thigh deep.
P
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Back again as time goes by, -yesterday evening my memory recalled factories on the Cowpen Road into Blyth, i.e. on the left hand side of the road when travelling into Blyth - just below Hall's Dentist and the lane which led to the sewage works. There were 2 or possibly 3 factories there. One which I remember may have been 'British Celanese' ?? [I might be wrong]; and also ' Town Tailors' ???
Can anyone clarify this for me re those 2 names I have mentioned ?
I do know that sometime in the later years, 70s or so, one of the factories was owned by AudisNoble, and that factory produced plastics, including 4 pint plastic beer bottles for filling at your local. :)
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I seem to think there was Vitapount factory, Town Tailors and Remploy. May be wrong as moved away 1967. Maybe Brentford Nylons were there sometime after we left Blyth too.
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Can anyone or a moderator help ?
Have we lost TriciaK on this site ? She was a regular contributor here on Northumberland. Viewing her profile she was last active in 2022.
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Following on from an earlier request I made here a year or two back for any pictures of Wright Street School I just found this one. Taken in the mid 1980s I think.
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Any way I can get intouch with Jim Harland ? He might be a relation down the line !? I’m doing a lot of research on Robert cole Henderson and he married Hannah Harland
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Hi
I'm completing my family tree and need some help. My mother (Patricia Hogg) worked at Nutress factory in the early/mid 1970's on Bebside industrial estate. Does anyone know what the nature of this business was? i can't find anything online..
Thanks in anticipation.
Steve hogg
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Hair products -- shampoo etc (snippet image courtesy of Find My Past) -- Newcastle Journal, 1 November 1972