Blyth Market Square circa 1960

[Phodgetts]

Thank you for sharing the painting with us GNL 


I also have a wonderful photo of the Blyth Link House. Not sure of the date or photographer. It might be late 1800's but more likely early 1900's. I'd say before 1910 though, unless someone else can tell me otherwise.

Enjoy the slightly different angle.

P

[Gen List Lass]

Where do you get them all Phodgetts? Love this view from the beach. I was told you could buy hot water at the house door for making your tea for your picnic.

Another photo I'm looking for is one of Newsham Manor before it was pulled down in the late 1870's.......... :-))

Gen in NBL England

[Phodgetts]

Oh... I have my sources as they say! Can't say any more than that hehe. Trade secrets an' all.

Generally it is the older folk of Blyth giving up some of their secrets. Many of them have old pictures often passed down for their parents and grand parents. They have little idea that the images are worthy of interest to modern generations. Some aren't aware of the significance of the images they have. I have my little 'underground narks' who wheel and deal for me. Sometimes it is the surprise and coincidence that throw up the best pictures. They turn up in the least expected places.

I am also more than willing to freely share these pictures with people, but as is often the case with a website like this one that copyright has to be dealt with carefully. I am not in it for commercial gain, just general interest and enthusiasm for my home town drives me to seek out and share what I can. Most of my items and books / ephemera have cost me a small fortune, but I love to learn about the old homestead. It was quite a happening place with many world firsts. If only it were the case now. Perhaps with a few forward thinkers and investors it could take it's place on the world stage again, but alas, modern policy seems to have neutered the place along with the rest of Britian. Sounds like my soap box is coming out again so time for me to shut up.

How about a view from the Link House to the South Harbour circa 1902 or very soon after?

P 

[Phodgetts]

Also, returning to the theme of the Market Place / Square. On the 16th October 1904 there was a terrible fire that engulfed and destroyed some lovely buildings on Waterloo Road. Nine businesses and three offices were lost and the damage estimated to be in the region of £30.000. The modern day equivalent of £2,642,462 as at June 2012. It makes me wonder if there was an arsonist about, because not many days after that, on the 26th October 1904 there was a fire that destroyed Wallace's drapery shop on Seaforth Street, Chisholm's shop on Turner Street and the Maypole Butter Company 's store. Nothing was left standing of the three buildings after that fire! Of course, the fires might have been attributable to heaters of some sort given that Blyth could be a bitterly cold place when an East wind was blowing.

Anyway, my point to this topic is that the buildings on Waterloo Road were repaired and rebuilt. This next photo I have is of the completed 'new' buildings. I assume it would have been taken circa 1905 or 06.

Enjoy.

P

[Gen List Lass]

Keep the photos flowing Phodg! Love to see them.

Don't think anyone will worry about copyright as they are so old and they are being shown for academic interest.

Gen in NBL England

[Phodgetts]

Keep the photos flowing Phodg! Love to see them.

Don't think anyone will worry about copyright as they are so old and they are being shown for academic interest.

Gen in NBL England

Don't be quite so sure about copyright. I know for the old stuff that it is often not a problem, but I have been warned before despite the non-commercial / academic aspect of my postings. It is a mine field. If in doubt........ don't post! Such a shame as I have loads of stuff I'd like to share, but it falls within the last 30 - 60 years or so and is governed by facsimilie or electronic reproduction, even in long forgotten titles that few people know about perhaps as recently published as the 1970s.

I'll have a rumage through my stuff and see what else I can share, without worries.

P

[Phodgetts]

This one I can share with you, and I think you will like it.

What is the significance of the picture?

The newly installed statue / bust of Lord Matthew White Ridley. If you look closely at the wee lads, the statue is cordoned off and is looking very 'fresh'. The date? 1909. This is a wonderful and unusual view of the park too, with the railway in the background and railway cabin on the embankment, the sidings full of wagons.

Sadly, the bust was stolen in 2008 after 100 years of standing on the spot. I have no idea what has happened to the bust since, whether it has been restored or left in it's dire state after the metal theft.

Lord Ridley, died in 1904 at the age of 72. He was a distinguished politician and home secretary between 1895 and 1900 and the family seat is / was Blagdon Hall, Cramlington.

Enjoy. Hopefully Michael will add a trivia angle later. 

P

[c-side]

You're right, I do like this one. 

I've always known that the railway ran along the back of the park - you can see the lines on maps - but I've never seen it in operation, so to speak.  There's always been trees hiding the industrial bit.

Christine

[Phodgetts]

To give a completely different aspect on the previous photo, I managed to stitch together two old pictures taken from the High Light. Dating exactly is difficult. The East Pier is in the process of being extended, so it is prior to 1907 when the pier was completed and the new lighthouse atop the pier end was built. However, Ridley Park does not even look to have been started to be built which dates this picture to pre 1904 when the park was opened. Perhaps out of shot to the right, the park house is being built. One thing that can be said for certain, is that the 1902 lifeboat house down in the south harbour has been built and what looks like the Rushforth Shed is standing next to it. Two buildings in isolation in that corner of the newly developed South Harbour.

Again the sidings look very busy, and the common reference point for both images is the tall cabin alongside the tracks. Just a shame that the old mortuary cannot be seen just off the very left edge of the picture. Anybody want to see a picture of the 'bunker' like building that was the mortuary?

Enjoy this one for the time being.

Ignore the image title, I haven't amended the date on it since endeavouring to date the harbour works and various buildings in association with the park. The image is pre 1906 for certain.

P