The Christmas tree standing in the middle of the Market Place in Bedlington has just been subjected to a senseless act of vandalism. Whilst walking up the street last week, a group of our finest young ladies were seen by a couple to be trying to rip off the lighting strings. After remonstrating with these young ladies and asking why they were behaving in such a mindless way the couple reported their encounter so an inspection of the damage could be carried out. This has now been done and several strings have been damaged with the result that none of the lights in those strings work now. Great start to the festive period!
width="336" height="448" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display:
block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" />

The point is that these lights along with the tree and other displays have all been bought by the parish ratepayers of West Bedlington who now face a possible extra cost for damages. That will undoubtedly include the parents of the very people who have caused the damage, as well as the rest of us of course! Hopefully the CCTV cameras in the Market Place will have caught the people involved and restitution can be sought once the culprits have been identified!

This beckons a further question concerning public Xmas lighting in general. Having just read a report which outlines the facts that in an age and an area where energy impoverishment is a real issue, agreements on carbon neutrality and energy price inflation are all factors can we really justify such displays of extravagant use of energy? No doubt the first council who takes this argument to its logical conclusion will be accused of unnecessary Dickensian austerity!
height="336" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0
auto 20px;" />

The report also mentioned the fact that whilst our rural areas in the North and West could well be in darkness soon the prevalence of criminality in the South East of the county could well be a reason why the lights stay on here. Maybe I should rejig the first two paragraphs..................

London will have its new leisure and sporting centres and even though the people of Bedlington don't expect anything as grand as that, a gesture will be nice in an age where we, as a country, are hosting an Olympic Games.

It is beginning to look like all the pressure is starting to pay off as leisure provision in Bedlington, or the lack of it to be more exact, was debated at the South East Northumberland Area Meeting last night (16/11/2011). Members seemed to accept the fact that Bedlington has been overlooked for far too long, 30 years was mentioned and this blogger would say 40+ but let's not squabble over a decade or two! It was a little galling to hear some members say that when in fact they have been responsible for that neglect, but hey that's politics and a different blog!

Using a Bedlington Forum commissioned feasibility study done by KKP in 2010 as a base, a NCC sponsored meeting took place with interested parties which was acknowledged by all as being very positive. There is now an NCC initiative looking into this subject with most of the interested potential users being represented. The possible High School development at Bedlington Station was singled out as a potential site for community involvement in sports by the NCC executive member for Customer Relations and Culture, Neil Bradbury. Don't know how popular that might be with the Bedlington community because when it was mentioned at a Forum meeting as a possible solution there was very little support for such a move, the call for a stand-alone centre being unequivocal!

One other possible site was also mentioned, Gallagher Park, and there are already moves afoot by the Friends of Gallagher Park to build on their recent success of the BMX track. They asked the Bedlingtonshire Development Trust to carry out a public consultation and assess need and suggestions. The Trust immediately targeted all of the local schools and other local organisations as well as asking members of the public to fill in questionnaires. The main reason for targeting the schools, as the Trust pointed out, is that the school kids will be the principle users of anything which might be constructed over the years to come and they should have a large say in what type of development is delivered there. With over 3500 replies to date and more coming in daily the Trust is busy collating all the information. To date there are 43 separate and individual suggestions and no prize for guessing what suggestion has come out top! FoGP and the Development Trust are keen to state that they are looking for the most viable and sustainable suggestions to take forward.

Bedlington might have waited a long time for something like this and it has to be accepted that it will be a long and difficult journey but with the right will and resolve there is no reason why our children shouldn't be able to use a modern and innovative facility on their doorstep, we have paid enough in for others over the years!

Written by Kevin O'Hara, conservation officer at Northumberland Wildlife Trust

Where do they all go in winter? - Part 1

Recently I felt the first twangs of winter; the 'first frost' gripped my garden, the chickens came skidding out of their ark, and I had to break the ice on their drinking water. I really like those first days, when we still have some daylight left to enjoy the wonderful colours and smells. I take the camera and binoculars with me when I walk the dogs, keeping an eye out for winter thrushes or other visitors. The clocks have altered and we start the long haul of winter - not until February will some real light return to the sky, and warmth to the sun.

It is during these months that we wonder where, exactly, many of our resident wildlife species go to survive the coldest and wettest days of winter, especially those that are more delicate and less mobile.

Looking a bit closer at this new EU deal which has been heralded by most all the mainstream media as a 'Euro Saviour' it would seem not only are the exact details missing so is any realistic probability of its success!
The increased firepower needed is to be made up of extra contributions, by whom, the countries needing the bailouts? The BRICs have been mentioned but given the recent history of one European fiscal crisis after another I wonder if anyone in their right mind will jump in and provide the huge amount of cash needed. Mr Osborne emerged saying the UK would not be contributing, really, what about our 'aid' to our closest euro neighbour and also the fact that the UK makes up a percentage of any IMF fund. Germany has now capped its losses in the EFSF effectively releasing them of being guarantor of last resort, just what an investor will be looking for, never mind the 20% of guarantee attached to any future losses even after swallowing a 50% loss????? Can this be made any less attractive? Oh yes it can, let's get some leverage on the loans! This is akin to anyone asking the bank for 10K to buy a car and the bank saying don't just take 10K take 50K and buy 2 and have a holiday. At some point in time we arrive at payback time and putting that off is what has got us in the mire in the first place! We can always pay it off with a new credit card of course except that has an ever increasing rate of APR!

Underlying a Greek rescue is the 50% haircut banks and bondholders will be asked to take. Accepted by banking spokespersons (IIF) yet still needing ratification by the banks themselves, who as we all know are famously magnanimous, this deal will immediately call into question if not accelerate the processing of the CDS they hold. The question which needs to be asked is why have they bought 'insurance' only to ignore it and accept a 50% write-down? The plan is to half Greek debt by gearing up the loan fund? This is string theory for quantum fiscal mechanics! If anyone thinks Greece will be in a good position with a debt to GDP ratio of 120%, as this plan expects in 2020, then they need to apply to be an EU Commissioner! Greece is already slipping on present austerity commitments and state asset sales, ramping up the expectations to insurmountable heights can only have one conclusion!
Looking at the French question, Sarko looks to have lost his fight to get French banks recapitalised by anyone or anything other than France herself. He might be grinning like a cat that swallowed the cream but reality in this case will be like a sledgehammer! When France does have to do its own housekeeping it must ultimately call into question the French AAA rating because the only way they can achieve that will be to sell sovereign assets! Course he might win the Chinese over with his Gallic charm, I would just wonder what will have to be given away to get them to the table in the first place, possibly the next IMF headship?
Berlusconi might think he too could look with a degree of surety towards another election but even if the EFSF bazooka, or the SIV as will be created now, was capitalised up to the hilt for all Euro countries in trouble, Italy would need the whole lot for itself. Madness!
The whole initiative looks to be a way of extending the crisis to get over impending elections and not just those within Europe! The politicos and their acolytes will now be deployed in Summit after Summit saying they are working on the final, final, final details while the rest of us mere mortals look on in total disbelief.

The Bedlingtonshire Development Trust have produced a YouTube video which they hope goes viral. Aimed at promoting themselves and the Town the video uses the recent Bedlington Heritage Guide and has people standing in front of world renowned landmarks with a copy. They have people taking part in Italy to Egypt, from New York to Paris, from Switzerland to South America, from Japan to Germany and many other destinations in between.

A spokesperson for the Trust said, ''We hope everyone appreciates the fun element in this but there is a serious message as well. This is about the first time we have had anything positive to promote our Town with and we are going to use it! ''

Asked if he thought local Bedlington landmarks could compete with the likes of what is on the video the chair of the Trust said, ''Well at least ours are built straight, not like that one in Pisa, how they got that through building regs I don't know!''

The Trust is not only using YouTube they have set up a Facebook page as well and hope to get more people involved with the project. ''We need to get our youngsters involved if we hope to see any real improvements here and if their preferred medium is Facebook and YouTube then that's places we have to target.''

One thing is for sure, Bedlington isn't hiding its light under a bush anymore! Seems it's today Northumberland tomorrow the world!

To view the video......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqecpk6LpFk

The Bedlingtonshire Development Trust has held their first computer training session working with UK Online. These free courses are for Bedlington residents who need a bit of help and advice to get the best value out of computers with particular relevance to the Internet. Seniors and the unemployed are the main targeted groups but the courses are open to anyone who wants them. It is hoped to run them every Monday 5.00pm- 8.00pm at the Salvation Army in Bedlington and include modules on opening e-mail accounts, internet safety and online searches.
The training is being delivered by volunteers within an informal atmosphere so no 'techy talk' and learners can progress at their own speed. The Trust hopes to deliver additional training once interests have been identified by the learners themselves.

Anyone wanting more information or to enrol on a short course:
Phone 0797 008 5060.
Or e-mail.... bdt@bedlington.co.uk

Last Saturday, 25th September, Bedlington's latest addition to community support, Leading Link, opened the doors to its new home, The Lodge. This is the new building just inside the gates to the St Benet Biscop's school in Bedlington. After taking 2 years to gather the necessary backing and finances everyone was delighted with the end result.
Local MP Ian Lavery cut the tape and officially opened the building. He acknowledged how welcome the arrival of Leading Link is to the people of Bedlington and also urged the community to support the not-for-profit business and make use of the building's facilities.

A full afternoon of activities followed with taster classes in Zumba and 'Just Jhoom', toddler sessions, proggy mat sessions, 'Knit & Knatter' sessions, a new breakfast cafe, sponsored bike ride in partnership with WatBike, art and woodcraft sessions, a mobile skate park, children's themed parties, acoustic music evening and table top sales to mention just a few!

The whole day was run by the Youth Ambassadors, a 50 strong group of trained young people who volunteer their skills and time to Leading Link.
Leading Link's main focus will be in youth and adult involvement and leadership. They will be offering an adult volunteer course to run alongside the Youth Ambassadors which will include training on health and safety, first aid and skills training including art, drama, film and radio, cooking and sport starting this November.

Looks like Leading Link will be hitting the ground sprinting never mind running.

Congratulations all round!

A strange and unfortunate sequence of events, which would baffle even the detective powers of Mr Sherlock Homes, seems to have deprived the people of Bedlington from a piece of their heritage, namely the whereabouts of the Grade 11* listed Hartford Hall gates. Mentioned several times at Community Forums and Parish Council meetings there is obviously a feeling of affinity abroad in the Bedlington community concerning these gates. Little wonder when anyone considers their lineage.
Made by the Coalbrookdale Company for and exhibited at, the Vienna Exhibition of 1873 itself a forerunner of the great exhibitions which followed, these gates represented the best of design and manufacture of the time. They were probably fitted to the entrance of Hartford Hall, built circa 1807, prior to or during the major restructuring works carried out at the Hall in 1875. They then survived several changes of owners, two world wars and not least the impositions of a Ken Russell film crew in 1969 to finally be bequeathed to Wansbeck District Council and through them the people of Bedlington. WDC and NCC then became involved in a project to redevelop the Hall into the Clubhouse for the Bedlingtonshire Golf club and also make it a centre for sporting rehabilitation. When that project hit the buffers the site was sold to Ho Sanderson a developer. His plans for a housing development had to include renovating these gates to their original specifications.
Putting on a deerstalker and armed with a magnifying glass my understanding of events from here on in is; enter English Heritage who agreed to some grant funding towards the costs. They also insisted these gates had to go to a specialist company in North Yorkshire for the work and once dismantled off they went. The company, Chris Topp, immediately started the work however events back at the Hall conspired against them with the bankruptcy of the developer and the result even this initial work was never paid for. It seems the Administrator for the now bankrupt Hartford Hall Estates ltd seized all assets including the funding English Heritage had paid for the gates project resulting in no money being paid for any work done to them and the company now holding the unfinished gates as a sort of collateral for unpaid invoices! Not a very inspiring tale in a week which saw us celebrate our heritage!
English Heritage are not happy, NCC planners are not happy, Hartford Hall Residents association are not happy, the company holding the gates themselves are not happy and many members of the Bedlington Community are not happy with the ensuing stalemate. Hopefully a resolution can be found but in the words of the immortal Mr Holmes, ''This looks like a two piper, Watson!'

The official unveiling of the portrait bench in Gallagher Park took place today, September 10th, commemorating the lives and contributions made to Bedlington by Dr John Brown, Mary Weightman and Sir Daniel Gooch. Family members spoke of their pride in seeing Dr Brown and Mary Weightman honoured in this way and David Cowans from the Bedlington Historical Society gave a brief presentation on the early life of Sir Daniel Gooch.
This event was the culmination of the Sustrans 'Connect 2' project which was funded by National Lottery and has been responsible for the new cycle lanes in and around the Town. Other speakers included Northumberland County Council Civic Head George Todd and chair of East Bedlington Parish Council Alex Wallace. Bryn Dowson spoke on behalf of Sustrans and James Turner on behalf of the Big Lottery who also officiated cutting the ribbon.

A special mention was made to the Friends of Gallagher Park, a community group committed to increasing the range of facilities in the Park. Friends of Gallagher Park, or FoGP as they are colloquially known, made up the small shortfall in funding by enlisting donations off East and West Bedlington Town and parish councils. Even the weather held off and there was a good turnout of people to see and hear what has been achieved by Sustrans and their Connect 2 project with regard to the Bedlington area.

Let's hope this is only a foretaste of what could be achieved in Bedlington with the right will and community spirit in future.

This week we look at one of the more interesting characters from South East Northumberland's history. But can anyone cast any more light on why he had his unusual name?

Billy the Whaler was one of Newbiggin's real old notable characters.

Here we have two photographs of Billy. On the right, we have Billy at the sea front. On the left, he is seen posing with two Newbiggin fisher-lasses, Bella Jefferson and Ann Wake Jefferson.