Berwick Advertiser

BERWICK ADVERTISER, 1ST JANUARY 1925

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THE PASSING OF NED CUTLER

AN INTERESTING LINK WITH THE PAST BROKEN

In passing of Edward Martin, or “Cutler Ned” as he was perhaps best known, Berwick has lost an old standard and a link with the past. Ned, who was never the same after the death of his wife in 1922, has been in failing health and very feeble for some years and has been practically an invalid for a considerable period. He died on Saturday at the age of 94.

Some fifteen years ago “Ned” was going strong and never missed a day at his accustomed stance outside the shop of Messrs Redpath and Son, drapers. High Street in fact was not complete in those days without “Cutler Ned.” The old man was ever ready for a “crack,” but no matter how much he talked or how long the yarn was that he was prevailed upon to spin, his cutler’s wheel never ceased to revolve merrily.

High Street, Berwick-upon-Tweed. c.1900. Ref: BRO 426/294

Many a time he told his inimitable angling stories to his acquaintances, the emery wheel meanwhile filling in the gaps with a steady “bizz.” How often he told of a big fight he had with a heavy sea trout just below Canty’s Bridge and ultimately lost it. If his auditors were not mistaken, the grinding wheel was wont to give an extra angry “bizz” when this unfortunate ending of the story came.

He used to tell with great glee, of how he once put a number of Spittal men on their guard that Temple, the bailiff, was watching them as they passed down the river en route to the “babbin” while Ned was fishing from the Pier. Temple, who was a bit of a tough nut, threatened on the occasion that he would throw Ned into the river, but the old hearty laughed in his face and told him to get on with the business.

There were few, if any, could come up to Ned at wielding the rod, either on Tweed or Whitadder. He prided himself that he knew every inch of either stream from Ellemford to Berwick, where trout were likely to lie. He scorned the use of waders for many years and candidly told other anglers that he had no use for such new-fangled notions. Twenty years ago, he could be seen whenever he had a slack day, casting a line as true as a dart with a long rod from the bank.

Royal Border Bridge, over the River Tweed, Berwick-upon-Tweed, c.1900. Ref: BRO 426/569

It was rather fun to the youngsters to stand a little way behind him and hear him reasoning with himself quite audibly how best to get a big fellow to rise, which he knew was there, though not a movement showed on the surface. Ned was a born angler, there was not the slightest doubt about that. Times came when even his attention to business gave way before the call of the tinkling of waters over mossy stones.

Ned was not a native of Berwick, though he might almost have been counted as one. He was born in 1830 and for a time worked in Glasgow, where he met his wife. The pair decided on a runaway marriage, the popular vogue in those days, and in 1851 they arrived at Lamberton Toll, and there were made one through the instrumentality of the Priest, William Thompson. The certificate is in the hands of the family to this day. It is the usual Border marriage certificate and is certified at the end as follows: “Married by me on the 3rd of January 1851-William Thompson.”

There were eight children of the marriage, four sons and four daughters, all of who are in good positions in England.

Ned had a host of good stories always ready to tell of people and happenings in Berwick up to fifty years ago. The high times old angling cronies had in Mrs Tim’s and Taffy Jack’s hostelries were well worth preserving, but as the families of the worthies who used to foregather are still in the town, silence is best.

GLENDALE PLOUGHING AND HEDGE CUTTING COMPETITIONS

The interesting ploughing and hedge-cutting competitions promoted by Glendale Agricultural Society will be held at Doddington, weather permitting, on Thursday, 8th January, when it is anticipated there will be keen competition in all classes. There are five classes in all for ploughing, prizes being offered for work done by any type of plough, swing ploughs and wheel ploughs. Special prizes are also offered for best start, finish, and two classes for hedge-cutting and laying, and all the North- country experts are certain starters.

THE STORM ON THE BORDERS

FLOODS AND DAMAGE BY GALE

Though Berwick and the surrounding districts got off comparatively lightly in the great storm of wind and rain which swept the country at the weekend, other parts of the blast, and damage was done in several occasions.

The Tweed rose rapidly inconsequence of torrential rain in the West country, and at Melrose it was said to have risen like a wall of water. Many portions of low lying haugh and fields abutting the river, were under water and scenes at the caulds and salmon ladders were such as not to be readily forgotten.

At the river flood gauge near the Chain Bridge the water rose to about three-quarters of an inch below the abnormal mark of the flood of some seven years ago. Numbers of spawned salmon, sickened by the density of the flood were noted about the shallows, turning on their backs. Large quantities of fencing and fallen timber were washed down the river, to provide a welcome Yule log for the poor, who were out by times to see what was going. The Tweed got above its banks in the vicinity of Horncliffe and Norham and flooding took place.

Union Chain Bridge, c.1900’s. Ref: BRO 426/1137

The river was at its highest flood level in the early hours of Sunday morning, and it is still running big and red.

Monday night saw a repetition of the gale, though rain hardly fell in such quantities. A stiff breeze was blowing about eight o’clock in the evening and this steadily freshened until it blew a gale towards midnight. Some damage was done to old properties in the town, slates and chimney tops being shaken from their fastenings. Wireless aerials too came in for a rough handling with the blast. A heavy blast of rain laid the wind considerably ere morning.

BERWICK JOURNAL, 4TH DECEMBER 2024

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CHRISTMAS SHOPPING

Hints to The Public

Shop early-shop now. It is to your own advantage; and it enables the shopkeeper to do the very best for you. Xmas is at hand. Therefore, place your orders at once, and you will get the best results. The wise house keeper will do this, and save trouble and disappointment.

Lists of Xmas presents should always be prepared early.

Shop early-you get the best choice, the best attention; and the most comfort. You can make leisurely choice by shopping early.

Custom of giving and receiving Xmas presents grows each year, and therefore, out Local Shops should be alive to the fact and give special attention to this.

Our Local Shops would be well advised to make a splash of colour for Festive Season. It greatly helps window display.

Early indications are that this Xmas will be cheapest for the past 5 years.

Dates and apples may be cheaper than for a long time. Nuts, with the exception of Brasils, should be cheaper.

Currants, raisins, and crystallized fruits may be considerably cheaper. Oranges will be plentiful and cheap at Xmas, as also will bananas.

Its so nice to give a present! Getting one is also pleasant! All the friendly faces shining round the table when you’re dining! Crackers, holly, laughter, folly! Being absolutely jolly! All that’s best in us revealing, that delightful Christmas feeling.

HANDSOME GIFT TO BERWICK BOWLING CLUB

We herewith reproduce a photograph of the handsome silver cup which Mr John Riddle, of Tweedmouth, presented to the Berwick Bowling Club at their annual meeting in the Old Hen and Chickens Inn, Bridge Street, on Wednesday night, 26th ult. It was remarked that the recipient of the cup was also a “Riddle” (Mr R. R. Riddell), the President of the Club. There was no riddle about the matter. The president, being of the dental profession, was one of those “calls” of most of our gastric diseases, while t’other was a descendant of a long line of Tweedmouth engineers, who made riddles, among other things, for tillers of the soil. Mr John Riddle is a reminder to Tweedmouth people of a worthy stock, that has over two centuries growth in their midst. His object in presenting this cup to the Berwick Bowling Club, was a reminder to them of his late eldest brother, Samual, who, until his decease a year o’ two ago, was, for many and many a year, a stalwart supporter of the Club, both on and off the green.

BERWICK ADVERTISER, 2ND OCTOBER 1924

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BORDER MEN AND THEIR BUSINESSES

Berwick Journal and North Northumberland New Special Series

MESSRS KNOX BROS., ELECTRICIANS, BERWICK

“Light, and yet more Light!” That is the cry in these modern times. People cannot get too much of it – some dearly love the dazzling glare of the spot light – but the poor, old out-of-dater, and others, who lived the simple life in far off by-ways, still stumble and stave their toes in the darkness.

But there is a good time a-coming for these dear folks. No more need they nurse their knees in the dim light of the ingle neuk, or pore over the prophets and proverbs of the auld, auld book by the flickering blink of a smoky, ill-smelling, greasy oil lamp or the uncertain glow of the tallow dip. There’s a good time coming, John! Messrs, the Patent Lighting Co., Ltd., New Broad Street, London, have invented and put on the market, a new electric lighting plant, which can be rigged up quite handy in the back yard, and provide ample light for 20 to 30 watt Electric Lamps.

These are great days of progress! One could not have credited such a thing, even a few years ago, but there it is! A few miles from the centre of old Berwick town, just a step beyond the bounds at Canty’s, Mr Robert H. Knox, of Knox Bros., Electrical Engineers, Bridge Street, Berwick, demonstrated this most clearly. Mr Knox is the sale agent for the North of England and the South of Scotland for the Patent Lighting Co. He has had installed in a small bungalow on the banks of the Whitadder a standard electric lighting plant for demonstrating purposes to possible clients.

Knox Bros, Electrical Shop, Bridge Street, Berwick dated 1959. Ref: BRO 1250-134

The main features of this plant are simple, in fact, they are actually, what one might describe as “fool proof.” The owner of the installation needs no mechanical knowledge, whatever the generating system, like the humble bee, gathers its electric current in a simple automatic way. A standard, made of special, hard creosotic wood, about 16 feet high, is firmly planted in the ground, and supported by four strong steel “guys” to the ground. On the top of the standard is the dynamo, attached to which is a propeller, consisting of two blades, fashioned, from 3 ply mahogany, like the propeller of an airplane. These blades are about 3ft. square, and the span is about 8ft. Everything connected with the propeller is worked on the ball-bearing principle so that all that is required is a little grease, now and then, to keep them running.

Fitted to the propeller is a “governor”-vane. Like most governors we know, this governor takes care, when one gets the “wind up” rather nasty, that no pranks can be played by the propeller. When the wind rises to a speed of over 25 miles an hour, the vane is automatically thrown over and turns the blades of the propeller so that they are edge on to the wind. This allows the dynamo to work at a nominal speed.

The dynamo which works on a bevelled gear begins to generate on a wind of from 5 to 7 miles per hour – just the slightest of puffs. The dynamo is connected by wires to a Ventimotor Switchboard. This is an important part of the outfit. It is nicely proportioned and takes up little room, yet it is strongly made of iron and so securely fastened that inquisitive, little fingers could not tamper with it. The voltage is shown in a simple manner by colour bands, the white band showing when fully charged (30 volts). When the dynamo is out of action there is an automatic “cut off” which prevents the electric current, generated in the batteries, from flowing back to the dynamo. Thus, while preventing any mischance to the dynamo, it also provides a store of current for a windless day.

The batteries (12 cells) are also constructed on a simple plane. There is no occasion for testing with volt meters. Each cell has a gravity ball, showing clearly the state of the battery. These batteries are guaranteed a storage sufficient to supply a lighting system from 8 to 10 days with recharging. As there is scarcely a day passes without a capfull of wind, there seems to be no doubt of an ample lighting system. Calm days moreover generally occur when the light of day is in its plenitude.

The cost of these plants is estimated to be about £140. This outlay covers all the initial cost, and, thereafter, the upkeep is a mere bagatelle – a matter of a handful of grease each month. The lamps used are the ordinary 30 candle power type which with an appropriate reflector, has sufficient power to light a large room. Larger plants can be supplied, if necessary, but this stock size is more than ample for the farmer’s needs.

MR ROBERT H. KNOX

Mr Robert H. Knox, the sole partner now of Knox Bros., is a young Berwick man, who gives promise of going far in the electrical trade still at the dawning stage. Educated at Berwick Grammar School, Mr Knox in his school days showed a proclivity for football, favouring the carrying code. He, however, had little time to spend on Britain’s playing fields. Of a mechanical bent, he served his apprenticeship with the Berwick and District Electrical Supply Co.

Like so many more of our young lads, Mr Knox saw active service in the Great War. He was in the very thick of the fighting and came through many a ghastly carnage. Enlisting into the Machine Gun Corps, he was a unit in that desperate fight at Delville Wood on the Somme River. What a carnage was there! It was a death trap! Out of the whole company that went into that fight, only 17 survived the day. Robert Knox was one of those, shall we say, lucky ones, who came through. But he did not come scatheless. He found himself transported to hospital in the south of England. There was more adventure awaiting this Berwick lad. He was transferred, after recovery, to the Tank Corps in 1916. In 1917 he was back once more in the holocaust, this time at Cambrai. In November 1917, came that stupendous feat of arms, which spell bound the nations of the world. The “impregnable” Hindenburgh Line was battered and broken through by the attack of the “Tanks”. Mr Knox took part in that engagement, and in that heroic achievement. What an experience to come through! But Mr Knox does not care to dwell upon that. He says he prefers to forget the war!

Returning to civil life again, he completed his electrical training with the Supply Co. at Berwick. But he had still to adventure in life, this time in business life. He started the business of an electrical engineer in partnership with his brother Douglas, as Knox Brothers in Bridge Street, Berwick, in March 1921. The partnership was split, however, two years ago, his brother going into the motor trade in London. Mr Knox is now sole partner and has gradually developed the business to its present high state of utility. He specialises in lighting, heating, and power electric plants, and at present, he has the contract for the installation of the electric light plant in the buildings of the Liverpool and Martin Bank in Hide Hill, Berwick, which are under reconstruction. Mr Knox is the official agent in the North of England for the C. A. V. Coy., Ltd., Acton, London, and, in his works, repairs C. A.V. batteries and fits new plates. He makes a feature of the equipment of Wireless sets of all kinds, and being an expert in that branch of electricity, the novitiate in the “listening in “pastimes is in safe hands when he trusts Mr Knox for his crystal or valve set. Mr Knox will only rest content when he has positive proof that the best possible results are obtained. In his premises is an experimenting wireless call station – official call No. 5IP – on which he makes frequent tests for wave lengths, etc. A tireless worker – from early dawn to dewy eve – he is ever at the beck and call of them he serves. With him the old saw is gospel truth – “It is never TOO LATE to MEND!”

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