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Messages - MHM

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Northumberland / Re: Blyth Building, what was it?
« on: Friday 17 May 13 18:58 BST (UK)  »
Michael,

Apologies for the delay, my mam worked at Harry Riches for some time, her best educated guess is that Riches was a fruit/veg shop from 1952/53 until around 1968, when Harry became ill and his catchment area became less due to demolition of nearby housing.

I used to go to the shop from around 6/7 years of age till 9/10 years. In terms of years this was 1965 until he closed in 1968.

When I first asked my mam she said there was a second shop on the main road into Blyth but couldn't recall where, looks like the 13 Waterloo Road telephone entry you found?

She also said that the Regent Street cafe was there long before Riches, pre World War 2, she remembers them having nothing to sell!

She also remembers the ice cream being made in a building in Gladstone Street, more or less opposite the Volkscentre (formerly the Beetle Centre), she couldn't remember when it moved from Gladstone Street.

Hope this is helpful.

Malcolm


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Northumberland / Re: Blyth Building, what was it?
« on: Tuesday 14 May 13 14:40 BST (UK)  »
My Mam worked at Harry Richies when I was around 8/9 years old. I walked over on a Sat morning for a treat usually 'sweet cigarettes', candy sticks these days.

Seghini's shop/cafe was next door (to the south) and on the junction with Burt Street which has almost gone now.

I remember the door being on the corner junction of Regent Street/Burt Street.

The shop on the other side of Riches was a cobbler called Bullen's or Bullan's, it had it's own special smell.

Hope this helps.

Malcolm

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Northumberland / Re: Blyth Building, what was it?
« on: Wednesday 28 December 11 16:25 GMT (UK)  »
Hello,

I’ve found this quite by accident, I have some information that might be a help to you.

Blyth Tool Hire - prior to this it was a monumental sculptor on the ground floor and the first and second floors were occupied by a judo club - Jono Kata with a canvas floor and a kendo club - Bujutsu Kai with a polished wood floor this work was completed by the club members.

My dad was heavily involved in all these sports. He cannot be exact with a date but it was a judo club from 1963, quite an unusual sport for the time.

The sculptor was Kell, the brother of the business has just died very recently, I remember as a little lad looking at the head stones and so on, I would have been 7 or 8 at the time so around 1965.  Kells were there before the judo club.

I used to walk past the front of the building which was an 'old fashioned' shop front with quite a low window with a display of headstones and vases.  The woodwork was painted green

We entered the club by the back gate and then the back door, the lighting wasn’t fantastic, it was always very dusty.  I remember running up the ‘open’ wood stairs with my friend to get away from the headstones!

Funny really once we were upstairs we quite forgot about the gravestones downstairs.

I hope this helps a little.

Malcolm

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