Blyth History.

[Annied22]

I'm a hobby bookbinder and I've recently rebound some copies of "Fraser's Comic Pictorial Almanac". I'd heard of it, but I'd never actually seen a copy before. The paper on which it's printed is very cheap and cheerful and so dry and brittle, bits break off at the drop of a hat. That together with the fact that only 6,000 copies were printed makes it worth preserving. I doubt there are too many other copies that have survived and it has historical value. The 1883 one is incomplete, but 1884 - 1887 are intact. Bound in with the almanacs are the first 9 copies of "The Poet's Album", also published by John Fraser, running from July 1880 - March 1881. Included in them is a biography of John Bryson. The book doesn't actually belong to me, but I've taken pictures of the biography and printed it off as I have a friend who I know will be very interested in it. If anyone here would like copies let me know and I'll be happy to email the files.

I'm quite curious about Billy Thompson, who as far as I can make out was a member of the local "Board" and worked for the Gas Company. He certainly came in for some stick in the Almanacs!

(If anyone happens to have a copy of the 1891 Almanac, I would love to see it as it's mentioned in a diary a great great uncle wrote.)

[Phodgetts]

Fascinating Ann, thank you.

For everyone's interest here is a photo of John Fraser's little shop with his Blyth & Tyneside Comic Almanack clearly advertised along with his Blyth Scribe.

P

[Annied22]

You're welcome. Great picture and a bit of a shock, I wasn't expecting it to look quite so ramschackle! Any idea of the date? The first edition of the Almanac seems to have been 1883 and that sign looks quite well worn, so I'm guessing early 1900s.

[Annied22]

Looks like the Almanac went from strength to strength, from 6,000 copies in 1885 to 10,000 in 1887. Here are a couple of adverts, the first from the 1883 or 1884 issue, the second from the 1887 one.

[Phodgetts]

Wonderful, thank you for sharing! 

P

[Annied22]

That "Something worth knowing" looks decidedly dodgy!

[peteloud]

I am currently involved with a project on slavery in the early 1800s. This requires me to read a great many newspapers from Barbados of that period.

Imagine my surprise when I read in one of those newspapers of 1821 a report of the brig Williams of Blyth.  I am sure the people in Blyth involved with "Williams" know its history but I was surprised to see it reported in Barbados 200 years ago.
http://www.peterloud.co.uk/photos/Temp/1821%20Barbados%20Newspaper%20highlight.jpg
My apologies if an image of the report doesn't show, I'm having problems inserting an image.  If not just click on the link.

[belhay]

the toilets in Blyth are where the have always been   At the top of the market square or you could have gone to Morrisons supermarket on the site of the old railway station
Getting back to Newsham schools the Junior school was by the Black Diamond  The infants school
only took children from the railway crossing down Newsham road Isabella Colliery and Poets corner (Council housing) above the newsham lines went to Delaval school   New delaval senior did not close when Newlands opened  my brother was at New Delaval Senior in 1968 and Newlands had been open a long time then  the school at South Newsham only had a couple of class rooms It was an old school
used as the first year of Newsham junior  A private coach  picked you up and dropped you back at the junior school Newsham Miss Legg was the headmistress at South Newsham  around 1957  the Frost family had the shop opposite the Plaza at newsham and the shop at the top of Plessey road was owned by the Bassams Jenny Bassam being a Turnbull from the Bella Colliery

[garthwaite76]

Hi Everyone, I just picked up this "on this day" entry from the NUFC.com website:

1905 Blyth Spartans (a)
7-1(?-?)
Friendly
Howie 3, Carr 2, Rutherford, Bolton
scorer tbc
1,000
United provided the opposition for this charity match, played at a venue known as Crofton and situated across the road from Blyth's present Croft Park home.

Is anyone aware of this venue, as I've never heard of it. Presumably it's not Broadway, and I would have thought the school would have been present at that time on the South side of Croft Park.