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.
