Blyth

[pityackafromblyth]

Bebside inhabitants.  Remember Lance Wood who owned the Bebside Inn at one time; and who had his 'pop' factory somewhere over the road.  Was discussing this with a relative, and I was then reminded of Mr. Wood's sand business was also based somewhere in that area.  Sand was removed from Blyth beach in great quantities, and eventually there was ructions about that.

[rentaship]

Lance Wood did live in the houses across the road from the Bebside Inn. His pop factory was up the road in the old pithead baths, after the pit closed, but uncertain whether it existed or where it was before then. I remember the sand biz too but where it was actually situated I cannot recollect. Much of the sand came off the beach just at Seaton Sluice. Now you would have to take it from a quarry or dredge it at sea.
Peter

[Michael Dixon]

 First abodes in Bebside Colliery were the pit official's houses (still standing) then Front Row ( both sides up to about the High House) Then West Row, running into pit yard.
Front Row changed to Front Street, extended up to school ( which became welding shop. West Row changed to Errington Street.

Lance Wood's buildings were in Errington Street.

See maps on Northumberland Communities web site which show "Cowpen High House" ( in area that is later to be known as Bebside)
http://communities.northumberland.gov.uk/006829FS.htm

For Armstrong 1769 map, Fryer 1820 map and Greenwood 1828 map.

My Dixons were parachuted in from Haltwhistle to work in pits in 1930s. All of them except my father returned to Cumberland. So other Dixon in area are not mine unles ..??

To me a child, the farmer was called Liddle, with him on the farm and his wife living in the most modern part of Front St, a couple of doors west of Butchers general shop.


Michael

[rentaship]

You are right about the farmer. They retired, to a house a couple of doors up from Billy and Elsie Butchers shop but their name is still somewhat unclear. Little or Liddell.? The electoral rolls I have clearly shows Little at the farm and also at Front Street.  Is Liddell an older name or........? Maybe someone can shed some light on this.

There was also a caravan to the rear of the farm that was let out. Tenants are shown as Jane G Stephenson and then Thomas and Kathleen Stoddart. If I am right the later couple moved to the Nixon Street area of Blyth. He worked on the buses.

Note your comments on Dixon. Was Tommy and Mamie Dixon relatives of yours? My grandparents were friends of theirs.


Peter

[sillgen]

Topics merged so that we keep all the Blyth lads and lasses together!
Andrea

[rentaship]

Ah Walter Willsons. Thats another chapter for me. Aunt was manageress at the Newsham store until it closed. Can't remember the date but will ask her. She is now in her late eighties. Mum used to be manageress at the Cowpen Quay branch in Regent Street whilst my father managed the Cowpen Quay and Walterloo Road Branches. Other branches he managed were at Ashington, Seaton Delaval, Bedlington Station before finally retiring from the Ashington Branch.

Peter


quote author=pityackafromblyth link=topic=513630.msg3695639#msg3695639 date=1297511422]
I stand corrected, blythboy.  Newsham is the centre of the world but only between the 2 level crossings. What was the name of the corner shop, just over the road from Newsham Junior school, where we used to buy our ice lollies ?  I was looking at a site re the Black Diamond, which is up for sale.  One advert for it quoted, "Strippers on a Sunday" Black Diamond centre of the world '
And we used to go to Walter Willson's, next to the top crossing for broken biscuits.

[blythboy]

My goodness, I haven't heard the word "pop" for ages and Wood's pop to boot. Sadly, this Bebside area is now covered with the only thing to be built in Blyth now, houses.The odd major manufacturer would be much better to see.

I can remember buying pop there on the way to Humford Wood's baths. The bus fare from Malvins Close was enough to buy a bottle, particularly if you climbed over the fence to get into the baths and saved a bit more.

I was in Blyth last week to see my Mum and it does not get any better. I was at the Woodhorn Museum and as ever it was a great experience. However, as I’d finished looking up what I wanted and having some time to spare I went to look at the records collection and discovered that they had in stock the class registers for Morpeth Road School between 1911 and 1965. Now this was my old Infant and Junior School and I wanted to look at the names of all the people I was at school with, many of which I have forgotten. After filling in the form I was informed that the 75 year rule applies and whilst I could look at those from 1935 and earlier the rest were protected to preserve the confidentiality of the individuals in the register. Amazing really, there is more information in the ‘phone book and much more on all of the social networking pages. Whether Al Qaida could benefit from knowing the identity of my friends from way over 40 years ago, or dubious loan companies exploit the fact that I was absent during some days in the 60’s is hard to figure out. However, why list records in the catalogue if you cannot use them?

It was a nice day and I decided to walk back to the town centre through the Queen Elizabeth II Park and could not help but notice that every single light on the path had been trashed, 30+ standard lights totally vandalised. On crossing the railway, I saw on the lamppost that dog fouling could be punished by a fine up to £1000; a short walk up the road towards Ashington meant that I was forced to detour around circa £250,000 worth of uncollected fines in the first few hundred yards. Then at the halfway point opposite a wooden bench was another notice informing me that this was an official public place and that antisocial behaviour and drinking in the street could attract a fine of £500. Something in the order of £1,000,000 worth of discarded bottles and cans were in the hedge along the road towards ASDA along with at least another £250,000 worth of doggie deposits. Blyth,Bedlington etc. are no better.

I live in Switzerland now and believe me it does not have to be like this, nor does it have need threats of fines to achieve this. The Swiss follow Robert Peel's principles and it works and does not cost a fortune

[HenryWood]

Sadly, this Bebside area is now covered with the only thing to be built in Blyth now, houses.The odd major manufacturer would be much better to see.

About all the houses being built in and around Blyth: I've not visited for years and years now but I keep in touch with relations down there and also take a peek at Google earth now and again. It was the vast sprawls of spreading housing that astonished me when I first saw the maps. Who lives in all of these houses? Where do all the residents come from? And more important, what do they all do?

The main employers (of men) in my youth were the mines, shipyard, harbour and staithes (with all that goes with them such as dockers, engineering workers, shipbreakers, tug crews, pilots, foyboatmen, shipping offices, Customs officers, fishing etc.) and then there were other employers in the likes of Bedlington, including an electrical firm whose name I forget. Every one of them gone to be replaced with houses. Is Blyth now a commuting suburb for the Newcastle/Tyne area?

As you say it would be good to see a major manufacturer moving in there.

[HenryWood]

To me a child, the farmer was called Liddle, with him on the farm and his wife living in the most modern part of Front St, a couple of doors west of Butchers general shop.

Michael

I'm not familiar with the period you write of but the name Butcher caught my eye. Would this have been Billy Butcher who opened quite a large (for its time) grocery shop in the purpose built shops on Cowpen Estate? There was a sad lack of planning concerning shopping when these estates were built and Butcher's certainly had a thriving business with a captive set of customers. There were a couple of other stores scattered along Cowpen Road and surrounding area such as Mrs. Eyre's (sp?) shop with her always smiling and charming daughter Eileen (I think?) and then the Co-op further up the road and a couple of shops/newsagent in the dip. After that it was trek into Blyth or catch Arthur Lovat's mobile shop (converted bus) as he toured the estate.