Blyth History.

[AlisdairGB]

The mother of a friend served in the RAF in Blyth, ( she was part of the Rescue Launch Admin ) and she reckons she was living in huts further south, near Gloucester Lodge farm.

However, she was only in Blyth for 8 months, and had a billet in Belgrave Terrace for some of that time, and now has dementia so her memories are a bit hazy. My friend, who lives in Nottinghamshire , will look into it with her.

( Just a thought that there may have been more than one site ...?)

[AlisdairGB]

When do you remember them being there PYFB? I have cropped out a section of an old postcard of the area dated 1959 and there is no sign of the huts in the field by the band stand. Unless of course the houses down there are blocking the view of the huts.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/51893012@N05/8867395122/sizes/k/in/photostream/

I think that shot shows Link House , discussed on another thread

[TriciaK]

The mother of a friend served in the RAF in Blyth, ( she was part of the Rescue Launch Admin ) and she reckons she was living in huts further south, near Gloucester Lodge farm.

That's where I remember them. And I think they were eventually occupied by civilians, until they were taken down.

[Michael Dixon]

 I watched the Queen's coronation in 1953 on a TV* in one of the buildings (single storey) of the
 local Royal Artillery (TA) camp that was adjacent to the Wellesley Nautical Training School.

 Before this time the unit used a building on Blyth Quayside ( near the Dun Cow).

 Some years after,  the unit moved to premises on Cowpen Road, facing Cowpen Cemetery.
 I think then the vacated site was cleared and had detached houses with large "picture" windows
 erected.

 (*TV- I mention the TV because it was sort of special, as it projected reversed images onto the back of a screen that we viewed from the other side)
 
 Michael

[AlisdairGB]

 Before this time the unit used a building on Blyth Quayside ( near the Dun Cow).

 Some years after,  the unit moved to premises on Cowpen Road, facing Cowpen Cemetery.
 I think then the vacated site was cleared and had detached houses with large "picture" windows
 erected.

The "Drill Hall" on the corner of Dun Cow and Plessey Rd - formerly Market Street - has only recently ( about five years?) been demolished , and is now a vacant, grassed site ( I think that's where the Drill Hall was )

The site on Cowpen Rd is still very active as a TA ( gunners ) unit

[Bill_r]

Drill Hall Photo.

[Phodgetts]

Just had word back from one of my old timer Blyth 'moles' who had this to say about the Nissen huts;

"The huts you are speaking about were situated just behind Gloucester Lodge farmhouse,  a bit further south east from the Mermaid cafe".

Since that fits in with comment made about Gloucester Lodge I'll accept that that is where they must have been. I have scoured my photo collection I haven't got one which covers that area! 

P

[blythboy]

Was it this Linkhouse camp on the following map?

http://gis.durham.gov.uk/website/k2p/viewer.htm?XLABELCOORD=432010&YLABELCOORD=579840&K2PSINGLEPRN=%27N23757%27&LABEL=%27Beach%20Bandstand%2C%20Blyth%20%28Blyth%29%27

[pityackafromblyth]

blythboy, Just had a look at the map you have put up - the nissen huts I recall were opposite Beachway, ie the short stretch of 'road' leading down to the beach, and at the northern end of the promenade, where the 'posh' house(s) were.  That field has now become Elfin Way. After the huts were demolished, I think the field became a small holding, before eventually becoming the site for the static caravans; and then a housing development.