Blyth History.

[TriciaK]

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
Other ports were to be blocked with deliberately sunk vessels.

[Yossarian]

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.
 

[blythboy]

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.

[blythboy]

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"

[annedonnelly]

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.

[pityackafromblyth]

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.

[pityackafromblyth]

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.

[annedonnelly]

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.

[annedonnelly]

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