Berwick Advertiser - 100 years ago Archives

BERWICK ADVERTISER, 2ND APRIL 1926

03/04/2026 by Northumberland Archives

CHAPEL STREET’S UNHEALTHY AREA

A letter was read at the meeting of the Public Health Committee from the Town Clerk of Wallsend, enclosing a copy of a resolution passes by that Council requesting the Ministry of Health to promote legislation, in pursuance of which the Minister shall be enabled to contribute to the cost of providing houses for persons displaced in pursuance of an Order made under Part 11 of the Housing Act, 1925 (relating to unhealthy areas) on the same basis as in the case of contributions made under the Housing (Financial Provisions) Act 1924, and asking the Council to support the proposal by passing a similar resolution.

It was resolved of that having regard to the suggested scheme for the clearance of Chapel Street unhealthy are, the Chairman and Sanitary Inspector be requested to interview the officials of the Wallsend Corporation on the matter and on that in the meantime consideration of the question of passing a similar resolution be deferred.

The Committee further considered the official representation on the Medical Office of health relative to the Chapel Street unhealthy area. The Borough surveyor submitted a plan of the area and suggested layout thereof, and it was resolved that a special meeting of the Committee be held to further the matter.

BIRTH CONTROL

A letter was also read to the Committee from Edmonton E. P. C enclosing copies of resolutions passed by that Council urging the Minister of Health to issue instructions allowing Medical Officers in charge of maternity centres to give information on birth control in cases which they consider warrant such information being given, and requesting that the Council support their efforts to secure legislation on the subject. It was resolved that consideration of the matter be deferred until next meeting.

DUMPING OF REFUSE AT OLD QUARRY

A letter was read from a member of occupiers of properties in Shielfield Terrace, Tweedmouth, calling attention to a nuisance at the Old Quarry, caused by the dumping of refuse. It was resolved (i) that the Borough Surveyor be instructed to communicate with the owner of the Quarry on the matter and endeavour to obtain control thereof, in order that the nuisance might be remedied, and that the Town Clerk be instructed to inform, the complainants that the matter is having attention.

PLANS-INCLUDING THE NEW THEATRE

On the recommendation of the Works Committee, the following plans were approved; – Six outbuildings at Northumberland Avenue by Mr John Ayre for various owners; alterations at 4 The Crescent, Spittal, by Messrs Gray & Paterson from Mrs Pardum; alterations to dwellinghouse at Marygate by Messrs Gray & Paterson for Mr John Smith; garage at Springhill by Mr J. E. Carr for Mrs Hinsworth; boarding at Castle Bridge by and for Messrs Symington & Sons, telephone poles at Warkworth Terrace for G. P.O.; drainage at 46a West End, Tweedmouth, for Mr. R. Younger; drainage at 75 West End, Tweedmouth, by Mr D. Watson for Mr A. Shwam; drainage at 74-80 Main Street, Tweedmouth, by Mr D. Watson for the Misses I, and M. Logan; Washhouse at 5 Blakewell Lane, by Messrs Gray & Paterson for Mrs Rutherford; drainage at 108 Middle Street, Spittal, by Messrs A. C. Burn & Son for J. Bruce and others; Theatre at Hide Hill, by Schofield, Southport, for Berwick Theatre Limited, subject to certain details being arranged by the Borough Surveyor with the architect.

DANGEROUS CONDITION OF CHURCH STREET PROPERTY

The Borough Surveyor reported to the Works Committee that statutory notices had been served on the owner and occupiers of certain property being Nos 35 and 37 Church Street, relative to the dangerous condition of the building, and that he intended to demolish a portion of it so as to render it safe. It was resolved that the Borough Surveyor be instructed to proceed accordingly.

OPENING OF MUSEUM

The Reading Room Committee reported they had considered the question of reopening of the Museum and had resolved that consideration of the matter be deferred until the next meeting of the Committee. They had also resolved that the Town Clerk be instructed to arrange for the removal of the relics of the Great War to the Museum, and that they be exhibited on the part of the wall indicated by the Committee.

In moving the adoption of the report of the Committee, Councillor Dickinson (chairman) intimated the Museum was now open 9 am till dusk.

Councillor Stuart seconded but did not get a chance of finishing his remarks before Ald Bolus rose to speak.

Ald. Bolus- I think the Council and the town are deeply indebted to Councillor Dickinson and Mrs Dickinson, who have done so much to renovate and make the Museum a place in which one can now be greatly interested. I am sure the council and people in genera appreciate the work which has been done (Applause).

Councillor Stuart- That is just what I was going to say. (Laughter)

PLAYING FIELD FOR TWEEDMOUTH,

PROPOSAL TO PURCHASE BLAKEWELL GARDENS

The business occupying the Council in Committee was the consideration of three reports of a special committee of the Tweedmouth members in regard to the provision of a playing field at Tweedmouth.

The reports of the Committee meetings were as follows:-

At the meeting on 18^th September, 1925, when there were present, Councillor Lockhart (Chairman), Ald. Brewis, Councillor Adams,, the Town Clerk reported that only three of the owners of property in the vicinity of the Meadow Fields had assented to the field, if required, being used for recreation purposes. It was resolved that the Town Clerk be instructed to ascertain at what price the northern-most portion of the fields can be acquired, and, if necessary, to offer the sum of £200 per acre; and to ascertain if the land in Blakewell Gardens can be acquired, and at what price.

At the meeting on the 27^th October 1925, when there were present, Councillor Liddle (Chairman), Ald Brewis, Councillors Adams and Hay, the Town Clerk reported the present position of the proposal to provide a recreation ground at Tweedmouth. It was reported that lady Osbourne did not desire to sell the Meadows but was willing to assist the town in any way she could. It was resolved that the Town Clerk be instructed to enquire upon what terms Lady Osbourne would sell the Meadow Field north of the footpath leading from the Main Street, Tweedmouth.

At the meeting on the 24^th March 1926, when there were present Councillor Liddle (Chairman), Alderman Brewis, Councillors Adams and Hay, the Town Clerk read a letter from the Agent of Ord Estate informing the Committee that the owner cannot see her way to sell the meadow Filed, north of the footpath, leading from Main Street, Tweedmouth and also one from the Agent of Blakewell Gardens, asking the Council to make an offer, which the owner would be pleased to consider.

It was resolved (i) that the Council approve of the proposal to purchase the Blakewell Gardens as a Playing Field for Tweedmouth, subject to satisfactory terms being arranged; (ii) that the District Valuer be requested to make a valuation of the Gardens and that the borough Surveyor be instructed to prepare an estimate of the cost of converting the Gardens into a playing field; (iii) that the Committee be instructed to report back to the Council.

On the motion of Councillor Liddle, seconded by Alderman Brewis, the Council resolved that the proceedings of the Committee be approved.

BERWICK JOURNAL, 11 MARCH 1926

13/03/2026 by Northumberland Archives

TWEEDMOUTH MAN’S CREDITABLE RECORD

FIFTY-FOUR YEARS’ RAILWAY SERVICE

The above photograph was taken at the Railway Centenary Celebrations last years. Mr Douglas, Tweedmouth the subject of our sketch can be seen on the left facing the camera. Mr P. Waite Tweedmouth is also seen standing in front of the engine.

Fifty-four years is a long spell out of a man’s life, and when this period has been spent in the employment of one firm or company it enhances the value of credibility service. This is the record of Mr Thomas Douglas of Kiln Hill, Tweedmouth, who has now the longest service of the footplate staff of the London and N.E.R. in their North Eastern area No.7, which includes the Depot at Tweedmouth. Mr Douglas was only 14 years of age when he entered the employment of the old North Eastern Railway Coy. In 18871 as a cleaner. He is now in his 68^th year and is still carrying on his everyday work with energy. After two years’ service Mr Douglas took up work as a Fireman, and in 1886 he be- duty as a driver.

In his long experience as a railwayman Mr Douglas has naturally had numerous experiences, but according to himself his most thrilling was in March 1886. At this time, he was acting as fireman on a pilot engine. On Monday 1^st March of that year, the pilot, who it is interesting to note, was also a Tweedmouth man named Patison, along with Mr Douglas received orders to take the midnight north express to Newcastle. On the way they encountered what the older members of the community will recollect was one of the most severe snowstorms the country has ever experienced. Huge snow drifts made the progress of the train difficult and slow. The largest drift was met near Amble Junction, and here it was found impossible either to go back or to go forward with the result that the driver and his fireman had to wait with as much patience as they could muster until the breaking of the day. Then they realised the seriousness of the position. It was not until the following day that it was found possible to clear the other line, and by this means some of the passengers were transferred to a relief train and conveyed to Acklington Station. Some of the passengers preferred to take their chance with the train in which they were travelling, amongst these being the late Marquis of Tweeddale, who was a Director of the Railway Company. The little company did not want altogether for food. Several rabbits were caught and made into a very welcome stew. It was not until the following Thursday that the line was cleared of the snow, and the train was able to continue its journey. Newcastle being reached without further mishap or incident.

A STRANGE COINCIDENCE

Another thrilling experience of which Mr Douglas still retains a vivid recollection was the great snowstorm of March, 1888. On that occasion when he reached Alnwick he was informed that the main line was snowed up. Shortly afterwards he received orders to take a special mail train from Alnwick to Newcastle, as the ordinary mail train from Berwick was already snowed up. “We went through several very heavy wreaths of snow,” said Mr Douglas in the course of conversation with a representative of the “Berwick Journal,” but ultimately wwe reached Acklington Station. Here we were brought to a stand still because by a strange coincidence the train in front of us was snowed up exactly the same spot as I was snowed up at two years previously. We remained at Acklington from the Monday night until Wednesday forenoon when they got the line cleared and we were able to get through to Newcastle.

Mr Douglas has a very clear recollection of the Morpeth railway accident of 1875 when five persons were killed, about 30 injured. The passengers on that occasion included a Berwick lady who was amongst the injured. On that occasion Mr Douglas was sent from Tweedmouth to Morpeth to help in working the carne, and the extraordinary feature of the accident was that neither the driver or the fireman of the wrecked train were injured. We had much longer hours to work in those days, continued Mr Douglas. 14 hours would have been considered a fairly short day, and often we had to work 161/2 hours. I have finished at 2 in the morning and been out again at 5 and carried on until 2 the next morning and then been back to work again three hours later. That pf course was only when there was a special rush of traffic requiring to be handled. We were paid differently in the old days on what was called the trip system. For instance, the journey from Berwick to Newcastle and back was considered a day. In those far off days Mr Douglas used to wonder if ever the railwaymen would get the then existing state of affairs altered. He considers that the railway strike of 1890 helped railwaymen considerably as it brought about a Government inquiry into the hours of railwaymen and the conditions under which they worked. Since then, the conditions have greatly improved.

A TERRIBLE GALE

Mr Douglas has also an interesting story to tell of the terrible gale of Oct. 1881, when between 200 and 300 fishermen lost their lives along the Berwick coast. It was a fine morning said Mr Douglas, but a terrific gale sprung up suddenly just about dinner time. We got our train to Heaton and prepared the engine for the homeward journey. When we went into the hut for our dinner, slates from the roofs were flying about like bits of paper, and tress and telegraph poles were falling all around. It took us six hours to do the journey from Newcastle to Berwick instead of three. It was not until we arrived home that we heard of the disaster that had overtaken the fishermen.

Mr Douglas is at present engaged on the Kelso line, which he says is sometimes known as “the one lung line” owing to the fact that so many of the old employees are employed on it. During his long career he has naturally witnessed many changes and improvements in railway administration, not only on matters appertaining to the wages and conditions of labour of railwaymen but also regard to the increased facilities afforded the travelling public. Like the majority of railwaymen, Mr Douglas is keenly interested in ambulance work, and for many years he has been Chairman of the Tweedmouth Branch of the London and N.E.R. Ambulance Corps. Mr Douglas is also well known at Tweedmouth as the Chairman of the Ratepayers” Association. He is a keen Burns enthusiast and has acted as President of the Tweedmouth Burns Clubb, and at the annual dinner has been frequently called upon to propose the “Immortal Memory.” He also takes a deep interest in Berwick Infirmary, and for three years was a member of the Committee of Management. Mr Douglas is a Trustee of Tweedmouth Scotch Church. His recreations are rod fishing and gardening. In 1923 Mr Douglas was presented with a handsome silver-mounted walking stick from the members of the Tweedmouth Branch of the Railway Ambulance Corps in recognition of his long and valuable service to ambulance work. Mr Douglas started work when he was 10 years of age, and for four years he worked as a salmon fisher at East Ord before joining the service of the Railway Company.

It is interesting to note that last year Mr Douglas was chosen to represent the Locomotive Sheds at the Centenary celebrations of the London and N.E.R. at Stockton and Darlington at which the Duke and Duchess of York were present. Our photograph shows Mr Douglas standing near his engine on that occasion just prior to the start of the procession of engines past the Duke and Duchess.

When Mr Douglas was a fireman, he was firing a through goods train from Tweedmouth to Newcastle. At Ashington Junction, on the main line, they ran into the rear end of a train of empty coal wagons, struck the van of that train and knocked it clean over a steep embankment. The van was full of pitmen living at Pegswood and travelling to Ashington to their work. The van toppled over and over, and when Mr Douglas went to the van, inside resembled a shambles with blood. He helped these men out one after another and found that although all had received bruises and were considerably shaken, none of them were seriously injured. It was daylight at the time.

In connection with the Railway Centenary, Mr Douglas received a fine bronze medal specially struck for the occasion. One side bears portraits of Edward Pease, Chairman and guiding influence in the management of the first public railway, and of George Stephenson, who built the first engine on the railway, and actually drove it on its historic journey on Sept. 27^th, 1825. On the other side is a figure of Vulcan holding in his hand “Locomotion No.1,” the first engine to be employed on a public railway, with, in the background, one of the London and North Eastern Railway Company’s famous 1925 type “Pacific” express locomotives.

BERWICK ADVERTISER, 4TH FEBRUARY 1926

06/02/2026 by Northumberland Archives

Howick Hall, the Northumberland home of Earl and Countess Grey, was partly gutted by fire early on Tuesday morning.

Earl Grey discovered the outbreak about 3am in a room above his bedroom. He gave the alarm promptly and saw to the safety of Countess Grey and his daughter, the lady Elizabeth, the only daughter at home. Countess Grey has been confined to her room with cold for several days, and she was found accommodation in the servants’ quarters in the west wing which, with the east wing, was saved from the flames.

Earl Grey, the lady Elizabeth, and the members of the household staff and estate worked heroically with the fire appliances available to save the Hall, but the flames spread too rapidly, and by the time the Fire and Rescue Brigade from Ashington arrived nothing much remained of the main hall but its stone walls.

FIRE FIGHTERS DELAYED

The Ashington Brigade under Chief Officer F. P. Mills had an unlucky experience. The fog was so thick they could only crawl along the roads, and the fire had been burning three hours at least when they arrived at the hall. Earl Grey believes that most of the valuable pictures and other works of art on the ground floor have been saved, but the drawing room, the breakfast room, the Chinese room, the Italian room, the library, the central and inner halls and eight bedrooms and dressing rooms have been destroyed. Classic volumes were saved from the library, and the Italian room, distinguished for its wood carving and panelling, was not involved in the conflagration before the major portion of its removable contents were placed in safety.

The utmost sympathy is felt for Earl and Countess Grey in the loss of their beautiful home. They had intended going to London on Monday, nut had cancelled their arrangements in view of the Countess’s indisposition.

It is singular that the Northumberland homes of families bearing the same distinguished names should both have been destroyed by fire. Fallodon, the seat of Viscount Grey Fallodon, it will be recalled, was burnt to the ground on May 2^nd, 1917.

Beside a water heating apparatus on the top floor, it is believed, the flames originated, and they had obtained a very good hold before earl Grey was aroused by the noise of burning material.

The butler, Mr J. J. Garlick, who has been at Howick only six months, and a chauffeur named Lowery, who were among the first to respond to the clanging of the alarm bell, tell how Earl Grey organised the fire-fighting force of the hall which included a manual engine and superintended operations in the removal of the more valuable works of art and furniture.

“t was amazing how quickly it spread. By half-past three the flames were right through the rook,” said the butler. The water supply was good and the hoses were brought to bear on the flames at every available point, but the destruction went on space until in a short time the whole of the top floor made a beacon light in a mist-enshrouded countryside, so that volunteers came streaming in from all parts of the estate. As soon as it was realised that the fire could not be brought under control Earl Grey directed the removal of the furnishings and valuables from the ground floor, and this work was accomplished with great expedition by members of the household staff and volunteers from the estate, and the villages of Howick and Craster.

“We might not have been able to have saved the contents of the ground floor even, “ said Mr J. Wright, the head gardener, “ only the two huge cisterns containing thousands of gallons of water, at the top of the house, came right down, and subdued the flames for a quarter of an hour or so, just long enough to give us time to remove the valuables,” He regretted that two beautiful tapestries in the inner hall were amongst the works of art lost, and it was hoped at one time that the Italian room, which was distinguished by notable carvings, might be saved. It was burnt out to a shell, however.

In the inner hall, destroyed by fire were two large pictures by Northcote- “The Disobedient Prophet,” and “Daniel in the Lions’ Den.” In other rooms were also valuable paintings and portraits, including Sir A. Calcott’s “Rotterdam”; Martin’s “Nymph Bathing”; Thompson’s “Lady Mary Wood as a Child”; the late “Earl Grey,” by Lawrence; “The Emperor Napoleon,” painted during the Hundred Days. The bees on the frame were taken from the Emperor’s Throne. Northcote’s “The last Sleep of Argyle”; Lawrence’s “The late Countess Grey, with Lady Durham and Lady E. Bulteel as Children,” and others.

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