Berwick Newspapers – 100 years ago

BERWICK NEWSPAPERS

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BERWICK ADVERTISER, 3RD APRIL 1924

BERWICK NEW STATION

(FROM THE BERWICK DEBATING SOCIETY MAGAZINE)

Much ink has been spilt and hot air wasted over the necessity of having a new bridge over the river Tweed at Berwick, and while all are agreed that this proposal is of vital importance to the future development of the town, many differences of opinion are noted as to the location of the structure. The many expressions of interest in the scheme from all sections of the community is indeed gratifying and angers well for the future of the borough. This, however, regrettable that during all the discussions on the future welfare of the town, little or no comment has been made on the proposed new Railway Station at Berwick.

The front of Berwick Railway Station
An early 20th Century postcard of the front of the railway station

Rightly or wrongly, a traveller arriving at a town on his first visit, sizes up the importance of that town at the moment he steps off the train. It is, therefore, most essential that this ancient and prosperous Border town should have a railway station fitting the importance of the locality served. It will be agreed that the necessity of having a modern station at Berwick has been apparent for many years past. The low, dark platforms of inadequate length for modern through East Coast trains, the ill-lit waiting rooms and other conveniences, the acute curves whereby passenger trains entering the station from either direction are compelled to travel at a greatly reduced speed, and the “back street” entrance to the present structure do not give the town the status it deserves. The proposed alterations, is gratifying to note, will dispense with many of these very serios disabilities. Platforms are to be lengthened, extra waiting rooms introduced, and the acute curves minimised to such an extent that non-stopping trains will be able to pass Berwick at a much greater speed. No notice, however, appears to have been taken of the present station entrance, and no proposals have apparently been made whereby the new station will have the imposing main street entrance so essential to a railway station of first-class importance. Those of us who have visited Alnwick cannot fail to have noted the splendid railway station at that town. No necessity to enquire the way to the station at Alnwick, and no unsightly hoardings reminding us that “Boxo” puts a man on his feet, and that “Crushem” salts makes grandad an athlete of no mean ability. It is, of course, agreed that the proposals of the Railway Company are admirable so far as utility in railway working is concerned. Local trains will, it is understood, be started from a suitable platform for that class of train, thereby obviating the present method whereby passengers for different trains are frequently seen threading their way along narrow platforms among innumerable fish and luggage barrows.

Berwick Railway Station early 1900s. © Berwick Record Office – BRO 1636-10-013

Utility, however, from the viewpoint of the Railway Company is quite a different matter to the utility of the residents of the town served by the railway station. Representation should be made urging the necessity of having an entrance to the new station direct from the top of Castlegate. The plan obtaining at the present moment appears to be, a front street entrance to cattle docks, and a back passage entrance for the passengers. This order of things should, of course, be reversed in the new station. Another sore point to the artistic eye at Berwick Station is the disorderly array of shacks and huts of all descriptions which, in many cases, obstruct what would be one of the most beautiful views in this country. Some months ago, the writer was in conversation with a gentleman who had arrived at Berwick Station from the South at 4am on a beautiful summer morning. Glancing westwards from the train in crossing the Royal Border Bridge the sight that met his eye was the most gorgeous it was possible to imagine, and it was made clear from the traveller’s remarks and in all his travels which, by the way, extended to many countries, he had never experienced the thrill which he experienced on glancing up the silvery Tweed that morning. Now, Mr Editor, except from passing trains, how many of us have been privileged to view this most wonderful landscape. The placid silvery Tweed at high-tide, the surrounding country one mass of colour, away in the West can be seen the Eildon Hills and Hume Castle, while to the South, Cheviot and Hedgehope Mountains stand grim and forbidding. All this grandeur is. However, unfortunately obscured to the visitors at Berwick Station by an array of shacks built near the end of the Royal Border Bridge. In the building of the new station, it would be gratifying to know that these unsightly little buildings were to be removed with a view of leaving an unobstructed view of the river Tweed and surrounding country from the end of the platforms.

Royal Border Bridge early 1990s. Ref: BRO 515 377

Another anomaly in the present arrangements is the system whereby the exit from the goods warehouse and coal sidings also serves as the ordinary passenger exit from the station to the town, but this would, of course, be obviated if the Castlegate entrance were adopted.

Another very urgent reform necessary in the building of the new station at Berwick is the necessity of affording sufficient room for the standage of cars and taxis at the station entrance. At present the cars are obliged to line up any old how as near to the station portico as circumstances will permit, with the result that the turning of a car or taxi while foot passengers are passing to and from the station is a hair-raising thrill for the spectators who view the feat from a safe point of vantage. This, Mr Editor, is an antiquated and obsolete arrangement, suitable no doubt for ancient horse-drawn vehicles, but quite up safe for the present means of road transport using the railway station premises. In the new station we should therefore insist that the entrance from the town be made sufficiently wide to accommodate the large number of vehicles which meet all the East Coast express trains. Another item of importance, although not directly connected with the actual structure of the station, is the complete absence of a Sunday passenger train from Berwick to stations North. Can you name another town of equal importance so served, Mr Editor? Surely if towns like Kelso, Alnwick, and Hexham are worthy of a Sunday service, then, in an even greater degree, must out town need a service.

Another matter the visitor to our railway station must surely notice is the absence of train destination indicator boards on the platforms. The system adopted at Berwick, of lusty-lunged individuals bawling the destination or next stop of the train is, to say the least, reminiscent of the small wayside stations, and misleading when more than one train occupies the platforms.

I hold that the inhabitants of Berwick, who are justly proud of their town, should have a say in the very important work that is about to be undertaken at Berwick Station. Let us make it clear that any make-shift will not meet with our approval, and that our ancient town, which is one of the most famous on the great East Coast route, is well worthy of a railway station harmonising with the natural grandeur of the famous Borders.

BERWICK NEWSPAPERS

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BERWICK JOURNAL, 28TH FEBRUARY 1924

LORD ARMSTRONG SELLS LIFE POLICIES

It is understood, says “London Express,” that the peer whose life policies, amounting to £320,000, were sold by auction on Thursday for £104,910, is Lord Armstrong, of Bamburgh and Cragside, North Northumberland. He is a great-nephew of famous founder of shipbuilding and armament firm of Armstrong, Whitworths, on Tyne, at Elswick, and he was at one time a director of the firm. Lord Armstrong resigned that position in Feb., 1908.

Lord Armstrong did not succeed his great uncle in the title, but he was heir. First Lord Armstrong left a fortune of the gross value of £1,399,946, and by his will he bequeathed all his real estate, household effects as heirlooms, and all live and dead stock to his great nephew (who was created Baron Armstrong in 1903), and his heirs entail. Residue of the estate, after payment of a number of bequests and annuities, was left in trust to his great nephew for life, with the remainder to his children. Present Lord Armstrong took active interest in a number of ventures that were unsuccessful. He also interested himself financially in a number of syndicates, including an early wireless telegraphy undertaking, a drug and drink cure enterprise, mining and oil scheme.

Permission to sell heirlooms was given by the Courts to Lord Armstrong in 1910. The pictures and drawings realised £29,032. Further interest in his financial affairs was aroused last year when he announced that he was closing Cragside, famous Northumberland estate of the family, and was going to live at “The Cottage,” formerly the residence of his estate agent in the grounds.

There was considerable speculation (says “Graphic”) as to ownership of insurance policies for sums amounting with bonuses to upwards of £320,000 “on the life of a nobleman born on May 3, 1863,” sold by auction by Messrs H.E. Foster and Cranfield, of Poultry, London, realising in all the sum of £104,910. It was stated this is the biggest block of policies on a single life that has ever been offered publicly in London.

“Who is the nobleman?” people were asking for, even in these days of heavy taxation, a transaction of this size was so unusual as to give rise to curiosity. The auctioneers had not disclosed his identity. “He is travelling abroad for his health,” was all the information they gave.

I am able to say the nobleman is Lord Armstrong, whose great uncle, first Lord Armstrong spent nearly a million on the restoration of historic Bamburgh Castle, rare pile formerly the home of Tom Forster and Dorothy Forster, of Jacobite fame, frowning from an eminence over North Sea. Cragside, too, is one of England’s show places. It is built on a site of surpassing loveliness and was regarded by the old shipbuilder as the masterpiece of his career. It was into this heritage that the 2nd Lord Armstrong entered some 23 years ago.

For many years Lord Armstrong has been the patron of good causes in London and the North of England. His generosity was proverbial. He heaped splendid benefactions on Durham College of Science at Newcastle, which was then rebuilt and re-named Armstrong College, and he gave £100,000 to Newcastle Infirmary. He also gave generously to London hospitals. Appeals for help, and for personal assistance, were seldom made to him in vain.

His son and heir, imbued with the same philanthropic desires as his father, astonished his friends early in life by becoming violently Socialistic. The last time I heard from him he was Vancouver Correspondent of “Montreal Star,” and he told me he was working 10 hours a day.

It was in Feb., 1923, announcement was made that Lord Armstrong of Cragside, and Bamburgh, had gone to live in a “cottage” in consequence of burden of present day taxation.

I have been much surprised (wrote Lord Armstrong at the time) at the exceptional interest aroused by my closing the Mansion-house at Cragside, and retiring to the smaller house in the grounds which was for some years occupied by my late steward.

For many other landowners have been compelled from motives of enforced economy to adopt a similar course- where indeed they have not been forced to take the more drastic and tragic alternative of selling their ancestral acres, and thus in many cases severing lifelong associations with a district hallowed to them by friendships and mutual goodwill and by cordial relations with all classes of their neighbours.

The reason for the step that I have taken may shortly be stated to arise from the desire “to make ends meet,” a not unworthy ambition, though apparently one less esteemed by governments and public than it was in the old days before the war. Among the causes that have led to this decision I may enumerate the following: –

  1. The very heavy income-tax which takes 9s 6d in the pound (last year it was 10s 6d) off my rent roll, though that remains the same as it was in pre-war days.
  2. The tithe that I pay now amounts to about 1s in the pound, which is more than 100 per cent. Increase on the pre-war amount.
  3. Estate wages, which before the war amounted to from 21s to 26s a week, with house and coal, now reach from 42s to 50s a week, with similar perquisites, in spite of which increase I believe that my estate staff is less well off now than formerly.
  4. All rates have largely increased.
  5. Increased management expenses.

These items, together with the great increase in the cost of the necessary upkeep of farms and cottages, absorb most of the income from my landed estates.

The, with reference to my personal estate, my income from industries, in which I am largely interested, has roughly decreased since the war by two-thirds, while interest on mortgages has increased by 1½ per cent., and in some cases 2 per cent. I am further mulcted by the injustice of having to pay super-tax on my insurance premiums.

I would further point out with all these reductions from my rent-roll that charges on the estate for pensions and allowances naturally remain the same. It is for these reasons that I have been compelled to forego the upkeep of a large domestic establishment such as a house the size of Cragside entails.

An aerial view of Cragside, near Rothbury, and its surrounding area. This picture was taken in 1910, From the high angle it shows the Coquet Valley, Coquetdale. This photograph is part of a larger collection taken by local commercial photographer John Worsnop. John Worsnop took over the Rothbury based family photographic business in 1874. NRO 01449/541

I am aware that a similar complaints have frequently been published before, though they seem to have fallen upon deaf ears if one can judge by the immense number of begging letters with which I have been inundated since I made this announcement.

These appeals come from all quarters of the British Isles and the Continent, and are of a varied description. Some ask for gifts and loans varying in amount from a few pounds to hundreds; others propose that I should join them in mercantile adventures; and I receive invitations to set up in life young couples anxious to enter the state of matrimony-all of which present a pitiful though curious phase in human psychology.

In conclusion, I should like to add that I can see but little hope for landowners and their dependants, or for the survival of those honourable traditions which have for so long been associated with land tenure in this country, unless in the near future we have a substantial reduction in the burden of taxation.

Failing this relief, estates will, of necessity, be constantly changing hands. Though many of the new owners will prove worthy successors to their predecessors, in the majority of cases the estates will fall into the hands of land speculators who will care nothing for the welfare of the people dwelling thereon, while their sole object will be personal gain, thus bringing blight and disaster on our countryside.

North Northumbrians will be interested to learn that a new but flourishing company has been founded in British Columbia by Capt. Hon. William Watson-Armstrong, son of Lord Armstrong, aim of which is importation of high grade British manufactured good, and also establishment of import and export business with Ceylon, India, and countries of the Orient. The concern, which is registered under name of Messrs William W. Armstrong and Co., 912, Birks Buildings, Vancouver, has agencies for several, British firms. For 2 years Capt. Armstrong was on staff of “Vancouver Sun.” With him in partnership is Mr A. O. Barratt, also a Northumbrian. Capt. Armstrong, who was born in Oct., 1892, is now 31, and was an Officer in 7th N.F. He gained a First Class in Part II. of Historical Tripos at Cambridge. His University career was most successful. Previously he was placed in 1st Division of 2nd Class of Inter-Collegiate Examination in History, and in Part I. of Historical Tripos. He won Bowen Prize of his College for Modern History.

BERWICK NEWSPAPERS

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BERWICK JOURNAL, 31ST JANUARY 1924

BERWICK TOWN COUNCIL

On Tuesday evening, after the Town Council meeting, Mr Ralph Skelly, aged 86, the oldest Freeman of the Borough, was presented privately with the gold-headed staff of office by the Mayor, in the presence of the Sheriff.

Mr Robertson, the esteemed and highly respected Sub-Postmaster at Horncliffe, is resigning after holding the post for a number of years. Mr Robertson is one of the oldest and best-known regular visitors to Berwick Market every Saturday.

Inquirer- The match between Celtic and Newcastle United was played in Berwick Cricket Field on March 13, 1902. The event was to celebrate the coming of age of the Rangers’ Club. Celtic won by 4 goals to 2.

Owing to scarcity of fish Holy Island fishermen have had to put in their creels and start crab and lobster fishing.

Holy Island, The Castle and the Ouse
Holy Island Castle and the Ouse

Messrs Jas. McDougle and Sons, Bamburgh, are appointed Berwick to Alnmouth Distributing Agents for Alladin Lamps.

Belford Hall is to be sold in March by Belford and District Farmers’ Auction Mart, Ltd., instructed by T. Place, Esq.

BERWICK CASTLE EXCAVATIONS

Following upon excavations at Water Tower, at river-side end of Western Flanking Wall of Berwick Castle, work has been proceeding at and near the Tower higher up, also on westside, which adjoins Western Wall before it begins to descend to Tweed. This Tower is the Buttress Tower, which was of great strength built probably about 1280, in Reign of Edward I., when Berwick Castle was made impregnable.

REF: BRO 426/37

Excavations at Water Tower have laid bare solid foundations, the facing stones, of which the upper part of the Tower is destitute, being of fine quality. A fair amount of work has been done on the Buttress Tower, a narrow trench some 2 feet deep having been dug round the wall. Nothing, however, has as yet been disclosed except the important fact that the original facing stones are still intact below the surface of the ground. Work is proceeding and some more men may be detailed to Berwick from Norham.

TWEEDMOUTH NOTES

In conversation with a railwayman, a few days ago, I was told of one particular instance of how motor cars are nibbling at traffic over which the railway held a complete monopoly since the Wooler Branch opened up. Traffic in rabbits, eggs, and other farm produce, was collected at all stations, large 5-ton vans being on the passenger trains for the purpose of conveying these food stuffs to southern markets. Those days are gone. A fleet of large motors visit the farms daily and collect what formerly had to be carted to the sometimes far-off stations and placed in the vans provided. The cars take full loads to Newcastle, and return with empty hampers, etc., much time and unnecessary labour being saved by the motor service now firmly established. The railway company in consequence has lost a fruitful source of revenue by the innovation, for where they used to carry hundreds of hampers weekly at one time, they scarcely carry dozens now.

Tweedmouth Burns’ Club Supper was held in the headquarters, Union Hotel, on Thursday night, 24th Jan.,  a day before the actual anniversary, this being to accommodate some who had a wish to attend other Club suppers, which were to be held on the 25th. There was an attendance of 60 members and friends, the spacious upstairs room being comfortably seated. The hour for starting was 6pm and by that time the room was showing signs of animation, while the savoury aroma floating upstairs told that the host and hostess, together with their staff of assistants, were doing their share. It may be safely stated that Tweedmouth Burns Club is keeping up its fine reputation, and maintaining its high standard of intellectual efficiency, whereby the annual gatherings are made a success.

THE NEW BRIDGE: A PETITION

The Mayor announced that he had just received a petition regarding the proposed new bridge, and he was of the opinion that the Council should send it to the Bridge Committee for consideration.

Coun. Dickinson seconded the Mayor’s motion that the matter be sent to the Bridge Committee and this was agreed upon.

The petition read as follows:

To His Worship the Mayor and the Members of the Town Council of Berwick -upon-Tweed.

The owners of property in and adjacent to the main throughfares leading from the Old Bridge through Bridge Street and Hide Hill and those conducting business in that district have become greatly concerned regarding the position involved by the construction of a new bridge, and recent reports of the County and Local Authorities have not dispelled the uncertainty prevailing in their minds.

View of Royal Border Bridge and The Old Bridge

So far us can be ascertained from the two routes which are now engaging the attention of the Town Council, both of which emerge directly into High Street, no provision is made for direct access to Bridge Street or its vicinity. Unless, therefore, the Old Bridge continues to be an inlet and outlet of traffic, the immediate effect of carrying out such a proposal would be the isolation of a large and important part of the town frm a great volume of traffic, and, in the opinion of the parties concerned, have the following results:-

  1. A loss of business now on the main route in that area.
  2. The depreciation of the value of the property therein.
  3. An increase in the cost of haulage and transit.

In view of such opinions those who are commercially and financially interested or otherwise connected with the question of the new bridge, so far as the south eastern area of the town in concerned, are desirous that these matters shall receive adequate considerate.

Informal, but representative meetings have been held to consider the position, but, at the suggestion of his Worship the Mayor, the parties who thus met, readily acquiesced in the view that the immediate moment is perhaps inauspicious for laying the whole of the facts before the public at large.

At such a meeting held on the 18th January, 1924 the situation was reviewed and it was unanimously resolved as follows: –

“That urgent representation be immediately made to the Town Council when considering the route of the new bridge to give earnest consideration to the special and peculiar position of the southeastern area of the Town of Berwick, and to preserve, as far as possible its present trade facilities so as to mitigate any hardship which might be inflicted upon those connected with this area.” (signed,) J.W. Blench, Chairman. H.M. Young, Secretary.

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