Blyth Market Square circa 1960

[TriciaK]

Good guess Gen 
Interesting there was a connection between Blyth and Denmark.

[wilsonhepple]

I don't know about a connection with Denmark, but I remember a connection with France..
Does anyone remember the French Onion Man.?
I grew up in Seghill during the late 50's early 1960's and I would often see him on the road from Blyth, heading to Seaton Sluice, Seaton Delaval, then onto Seghill.
His bike was a 'work of art'... piled so high with strings of onions, that you could barely see it as he passed by.
My Mam and most of the neighbours always bought a couple of strings of onions from him.
Mam was his last regular customer, so she always insisted he have a cup of tea and a biscuit before he continued his long journey back to  Blyth..
I never knew where in France he came from, but he told my Mam that a small boat brought him from France to Blyth Harbour, and they would return to the boat during the week for more onions.
Looking back now, after all these years, I imagine he didn't have an easy time of it, yet, I always remember how happy he was, and seemed so grateful that we always bought his onions.

[pityackafromblyth]

The Onion Johhnie, Monsieur..  They came from Roscoff, Finisterre.  The one who came to Cowpen Estate was Josef Tanguy.  In the late 50's to the early 60s he told us that they sailed into the Tyne with their small boat, rented some where to live, then with a van they would spread out from the Toon, the van laden with onions and bikes.  Josef's brother joined 'Les Flics' - the gendarmes in Paris.
Ah ha haa, zose oignions, skin them and you could eat them like an apple.  At least I did.

[c-side]

Are there any Rune experts on here?

P

I'm not an expert by any means but I have a book with the Runic alphabet in it.  There are one or two variations (possible writers idiosyncracies) so I haven't been able to translate yet.  No doubt it will not be in English anyway 

Christine

[blythian]

Just curious, but in some of the older photo's of Blyth Police Station, it shows a tower built to the rear of the building, what was this for/why did it dissapear? (My guess atm is the same reason the spires were taken off St Cuthberts next door, safety etc)

[Phodgetts]

Thanks for asking that question blythian. I have never paid any attention to that detail behind the police station. Are you talking about the high brick tower? I have just looked through my photo collection, and there was a huge brick built chimney at the rear of the police station. I had wondered if at some point it was a boiler room and chimney for the heating of the police station, but given the chimney stacks on the police station roof many of the rooms had their own fireplaces. So I have no idea what that big chimney was for. It reminds me somewhat of the big chimney at Grimsby!

The shadowy tall stack can be seen in this old clipping;

http://www.flickr.com/photos/flyeye/6038055074/sizes/o/in/photostream/

Hopefully others from the town will contribute.

P

[blythian]

Just discovered this photo on a disc at work...a kind of "What if this really happened" situation for me, first i've ever heard of plans like this...

[pityackafromblyth]

blythian, Go to the top of the class and claim a medal for what you posted above !   It is a fascinating map, and has been a significant find.  From that plan it looks like the proposed docks were to have been in the area where the south harbour is now.
Perhaps someone can overlay a more modern map over what you have posted;and also 'decipher' much of the writing which is indistinct.

[blythian]

Just looking at it i can make out the high light, it looks like it would be right through the centre of the park through croft field area and ends at the top of Coomassie Road/Masons Arm's corner... (judging by the gut which is Union Street today)

Probably way off, but just imagine if this had been constructed, our whole townscape would be different, the Town centre further south maybe...

[EDIT] Another plan, looking more at the railways in the town from a 2.3D view: