Blyth Market Square circa 1960

[Phodgetts]

I've uploaded a massive picture of the James Abernathy 1853 Proposal which you can view here in high resolution in various sizes.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/51893012@N05/10214139324/sizes/o/in/photostream/

I've uploaded other maps / plans that should also be of interest.

Enjoy

P

[Bill_r]

Do not remove the photograph under any circumstances.  It will be needed for evidence ! Have you seen the young girl sitting on the front nearside mudguard of the 'bus ?  Must notify Elf and Safety - give them something to do trying to trace the bus driver to prosecute him, they might be so occupied in that quest, they will leave the rest of us alone.
Getting back to the photo it is part of the town's history.  I could not believe the numbers standing watching,and presumably similar crowds all along the route; whatever it was.  Mention of the railway bridge/Regent Street, that would be the bridge just north of the railway station, yards in fact ?

Hi. Pityackafromblyth,

It's possible the driver may have been my father-in-law, he worked for Allen's up until 1934 (I think).
His name was Sam Heir and he lost his right ring finger in an accident. If you are able to zoom into the drivers right hand and see if his r/finger is missing it might assist the H&S in securing a prosecution. lol.
I showed the photo to my wife without saying what I thought about the lady leaning out of the side window near the front(possibly handing a leaflet out) and she said it looked like her Mam. It may not have been her of course.

It's a great photo though. Great memories.

[pityackafromblyth]

Bill_r,  Great that something connected with your family has shown up here - probably similar to what the tide brought up at highwater - Blyth beach of course.
I know Roots is a site for tracing family, etc. but what is posted about Blyth, its old inhabitants,the history of the town, the old industries, its wartime anecdotes(Both WW I & WW II), and various other matters and subjects, it makes us Blyth lot look like the centre of the Universe.  But being Blyth folks, we just got on with life.

[zephyrsky]

I've just joined this forum, and have loved following this thread.
I lived in Blyth from 1936 to 1958. My parents left Blyth in 1966 but returned 1988 and I visited them there until Mum died in 2002. So I share many memories with some of you - especially the swimmers 
That last photo , of the library and Hedley Youngs, much time spent there. I once had a holiday job there, selling hankies!
re the market square, who remembers Harper's fish shop? now round the corner I think.
Sadly I don't have any photos to share, except for a painting of my g.g. grandfather's ship  The Messenger.

My great grand parents owned Harper's My Nana gave me bits of info before she passed away but I never knew much since it closed when my dad was a young boy in the '60s.
She worked as an assistant in the shop and that's how she met my grandad John Alexander Harper.

My Nana gave me this picture of the shop in it's early days, it's a photo of a photo so not great quality. The man is my great grandfather Thomas Harper who I know nothing about, unfortunately, other than he possibly came from New Hartley.

[TriciaK]

zephyrsky - welcome to the forum. There are several threads about Blyth history on here which I find fascinating.
I used to go shopping for fish at Harpers in the 50s, so might have met your relatives. I don't think the shop closed, because I also went shopping in the 90s with my mother, and the fish shop was around the corner, opposite the side of the church.

[zephyrsky]

Thanks for the reply I'm also quite fascinated by Blyth's past; I love seeing old photos of the town.

That's wonderful that you probably met them, Tricia, I feel quite disconnected to my family and their past so it's nice to know they're remembered.

I too remember a fishmongers being there up until a few years ago, not sure of the name but it wasn't run by my family, I don't think.
I could be wrong about it closing as Harper's in the '60s, I just know my grandfather died in '67 and I don't know if it stayed open much longer after that. However, there were other brothers to keep it running (one I remember was called Cecil Harper) so I'm not certain.

- Suzanne

[pityackafromblyth]

zephyrsky, I went to Blyth Grammar School in the 1950s.  A pupil there, 2 years below my form, was connected with the family.  I cannot remember his Christian name, but he was known as "Fishy" Harper.

[blythian]

I've uploaded a massive picture of the James Abernathy 1853 Proposal which you can view here in high resolution in various sizes.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/51893012@N05/10214139324/sizes/o/in/photostream/

I've uploaded other maps / plans that should also be of interest.

Enjoy

P

I would love to see that superimposed onto a current map of blyth, not just to see the scale, but to see what wouldn't have.

Just done it myself, using Plessey Waggonway/Road as a marker, looks like we would have lost half Ridley Park and Woodbine terrace wouldn't exist.

[zephyrsky]

zephyrsky, I went to Blyth Grammar School in the 1950s.  A pupil there, 2 years below my form, was connected with the family.  I cannot remember his Christian name, but he was known as "Fishy" Harper.

Thanks for the reply My dad has mentioned that nickname before but he didn't go the grammar school. It could possibly be my uncle David.