BERWICK ADVERTISER, 5TH MARCH 1925

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BERWICK’S NEW BRIDGE

For the benefit of our readers we give this week a composite photo view of the Tweed valley looking up the river, and showing the view which will be obtained when the new bridge is in position. We also give below a plan of the bridge and its approaches, which will enable the public at a glance to understand the line upon which it is taken, and the properties which will have to be demolished to make way for the approach roads to either end of the bridge.

As already stated in these columns, the new ferro concrete bridge being built, is one of four spans, the longest span of which is that between the Walls at the New Road, and the fishing bat just above the Old Bridge. This span, which is believed to be the largest span of any ferro concrete bridge in existence, is no less than 360 feet. The other spans get less as they go towards the Tweedmouth side of the river. In the original plans for the bridge it was intended to have ornamental stonework facing up the piers, but this was cut out in the revised estimates, and as a result the bridge will be one of what we might term “open work design.”

In comparison with other modern bridges, the design cannot be said to be out of place in this stretch of the river where there are three crossings, and in fact, as it signalises the modern idea in construction, the Tweed valley at Berwick will now possess what few towns possess, an existing comparison of the work of Jacobean builders, the work of builders plying their tools under the direction of the great engineering genius, Stephenson, and the modern work of Messrs Holloway Brothers, London, who have practically made history as bridge builders in France and Flanders since the war.

The only stone work about the bridge will be the parapet walls which will be executed in Doddington stone. The estimate for the erection of the bridge and its approaches was £160,000, which left for contingencies £8800. Since the estimate was agreed to, however, there was an additional £600 allowed in the estimate for erection, owing to workmen having to be paid at a higher rate of pay than was estimated. This has been agreed to by the County Council and the Town Council of Berwick.

Royal Border Bridge early 1990s. Ref No. BRO 515 377

The actual work in the erection of the bridge was started in the second week in January this year, and though floods have in a measure hindered the work since, it is expected that the bridge will be completed within the time specified, viz., 2½ years. The bridge will be on a gradient of one in fifty-one, rising towards the Berwick side.

The total length of the bridge will be 1,405 feet, with a width of 46 feet, made up of a 30 foot roadway and two footpaths, each 8 feet wide. There will be two river piers in the bridge and three land piers, all composed of mass concrete, the foundation level generally being from 15 feet to 20feet below the river bed. The remainder of the structure consists of a simple decking supported by columns.

The main stand consists of an arched rib, which is 10 feet 6 inches deep at the springs, and about 7 feet deep at the crown. these ribs are in the form of a hollow box form their springing point to approximately a third point of the span, leaving the centre portion solid. Four of the ribs are transversely across the bridge, each two centre ribs being 5 feet wide, and the side ribs 3 feet 6 inches wide. From these ribs a series of uprights of varying dimensions are carried up to support the coping, which consists of transverse beams 7 inches wide by 20 inches deep. The longitudinal beams connecting the uprights are 10 inches wide by 36 inches deep. The structural members of the remaining arches are in comparative proportions.

THE APPROACHES

The plan below shows where the two new roads branch off from the Tweedmouth end of the New Bridge towards the Five Arches, and also through the field behind the West End, where the Housing site will extend shortly. The main south road sweeps through the housing site at the point where the Rangers F.C. have their field now, and the line runs through the old properties at the top of Kiln Hill, and through the Knowe Head. So far as the approach road at the Tweedmouth end is concerned, it only runs from the corner of Town farm stackyard and the Commercial Inn to where the bridge ends behind the Union Hotel on the high ground. Outside of the bridge scheme, however, it is now proposed to cut away a big portion of the Commercial Inn and the properties abutting on the Meadow Field, and also a portion of the Meadow Field itself, to straighten out the main road on the west side. On the east side of the main road, a strip of the Brewery, a strip of the yard of the Angel Inn, the properties from there to, and including the Queen’s head, will be demolished to bring the line of the road in conformity with the west side. This, of course, is a scheme of road improvement and does not come under the Bridge and approaches estimate. The dotted line on the plan shows the line of the reconstructed road from the Queen’s head to the Knowe Head.

At Berwick side of the river, as will be seen, the entire north side of Golden square is to go.

New Kids on the Block!

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Back in October, Northumberland Archives was lucky enough to attract two fantastic new Archive Assistants – Jemma and Helen. (Hang on – has somebody let Jemma and Helen write the intro?) We asked them to interview each other to find out how they’ve found their time settling into their new roles.

Jemma: What do you enjoy most about being an Archive Assistant?

Helen: I am enjoying how interesting the job is. I have been surprised at the variety of material we hold here – it means that every day I learn something new or come across something that piques my interest.

I’m also enjoying the social side of the archive – there is a lovely atmosphere behind the scenes and everyone has been supportive and keen to pass on their knowledge.

Jemma: What have you found your interests are when working with such a range of archive materials?

Helen: I have found I am particularly drawn to people’s personal testimonies from the past. Reading a letter or a diary, which sometimes mix an account of momentous events in the world with the everyday news of, for instance, what is for dinner or what happened at school or work, feels like a little bridge is created to the past.

Outside of work I write fiction and I am finding it quite inspiring to read people’s stories from long ago and get a little insight into everyday lives.

Jemma: What has been your biggest challenge when working at the archives?

Helen: The biggest challenge has not so much been any singular thing but everything! There is so much to learn that I feel we’ve had to accept not being totally sure what we’re doing for a little while. It has helped to hear more experienced members of staff saying that they are still learning even after working here for years.

Jemma: What was the most surprising/unexpected find for you here?

Helen: When we first arrived we were encouraged to search for anything we fancied looking at just to get used to using the catalogue. I looked up Ovingham, the village I was brought up in, and was interested to discover that we held a newspaper article about a poet who had lived in Ovingham. The article itself was interesting – written in the 1930s it was about Dora Greenwell a poet who was particularly known for writing hymns and who lived in the village for some time in the 1840s – but perhaps more interesting to me was the volume that the newspaper article was stored in. When I went to get the article out I discovered that the clipping was actually in a scrapbook about Ovingham made by a woman, Eliza Charlton, who lived in the village throughout the 20th century. Her entries started with articles and photos about the village school and progressed through various local events to pieces on the WI in the 1980s. I was delighted to come across some names I recognised in the latter part of her scrapbook.

Jemma: What should the public know about Northumberland Archives that you didn’t know about before working here?

Helen: They should know that we have a huge amount of items in our collection so there is bound to be something that interests them. On a pragmatic note, they might be interested to know that they can access Ancestry and Find My Past on the computers here for free and that there’s a lovely café in the museum downstairs!

Helen: How has the reality of working in the archives differed from your expectations? Has anything surprised you?

Jemma: I didn’t expect to be able to physically access so many materials daily and I think this may have been the biggest surprise to me, as well as the enormous amount housed here that is accessible to the public. I knew this would be an interesting job, I just didn’t realise how fascinating it would become.

Helen: What attracted you to work here?

Jemma: My interest in history has always been there from school, but recently my interest in local history has increased massively after starting a family tree. I soon found myself wanting to explore more than just the names in my family history and I wanted to find out about their houses, their towns and their livelihoods. It was this that made me really want to help and be a part of someone else’s journey.

Helen: What is your favourite part of the archive – what have you found most interesting?

Jemma: My favourite part, or place, in Northumberland Archives is the strong rooms where they store all the documents and items. I find the rooms peaceful, as is the search room where the public can access. An aspect of the Archives that I’ve found the most interesting is the information on coal mining – be it maps, photographs, transcripts or diaries of those who have worked in a Northumberland colliery. Having family who have worked in collieries in this area and specifically in Woodhorn colliery itself, makes every bit of information surrounding this topic interesting to me and it feels a little bit personal too.

Helen: Is there anything you’ve struggled with?

Jemma: Learning how to approach different family histories when customers request help was more difficult than I anticipated. More times than not it isn’t straight forward and sometimes people are starting from the beginning, with no previous family knowledge and so it becomes a bit of a hunt. However, when you help someone from this starting point it feels like you’ve made a real achievement.

Helen: What are you looking forward to mastering?

Jemma: The organisation and work that goes into the full process of obtaining documents to them becoming accessible to the public is extensive. The staff here are excellent and because of the hours of work and enjoyment that goes into each collection, everyone has their own little interest or expertise in an area. I’m really looking forward to carrying out each bit of this process and then from there developing my own area of knowledge…which would be around Northumberland’s coal mining history (my Grandad would be proud).

BERWICK JOURNAL, 5TH FEBRUARY 1925

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BERWICK WAR MEMORIAL

“Berwick Journal” Fund Opens Today

5,000 SHILLINGS REQUIRED AT ONCE!

The Sacred Duty of the Town and ITs People.

IN FLANDERS FIELDS THE POPPIES BLOW

BETWEEN THE CROSSES, ROW ON ROW,

THAT MARK OUR PLACE, AND IN THE SKY

THE LARKS, STILL BRAVELY SINGING FLY.

SCARCE HEARD AMID THE GUNS BELOW.

WE LIVED, FELT DAWN, SAW SUNSET GLOW,

LOVED AND WERE LOVED; AND NOW WE LIE,

IN FLANDERS FIELDS.

………………………………………………………………

IF YE BREAK FAITH WITH US WHO DIE,

WE SHALL NOT SLEEP, THOUGH POPPIES GROW

IN FLANDERS FIELDS.

“Berwick Journal” in its leader Column in the issue of this Paper of Jan.29, 1925, said-

“As regards Berwick’s Unfinished War Memorial; if we could afford it we would give the money still required-willingly and cheerfully; we would consider it a privilege and an honour to be allowed for any further reward than the happy satisfaction of having been able to complete, in all humility, so sacred a duty, so long overdue on the part of this Town of ours.

We appeal again to the Memorial Executive and to the Citizens to at once take the final and resolute step to complete the undertaking so that the Memorial under the shadow of the Service Tree may fittingly and decently stand this Summer, and for all time, worthy of our gallant Comrades. We are prepared to open the columns of “Berwick Journal” to raise a Fund to accomplish the end in view; and we are prepared to give 100 Shillings to such a Fund.”

A CITIZEN ON-THE PRIVILEGES OF CITIZENSHIP

Parade, Berwick, 1st Feb., 1925

(The Editor, “Berwick Journal.”)

Dear Sir, -Your Leader in Thursday’s “Berwick Journal” struck the right chord, and I hope there will be a quick and generous response to your Appeal.

Like you and many others, I am profoundly disappointed that our War Memorial is still unfinished, and that the sum subscribed so far is not only in adequate for the purpose but is even insufficient to liquidate the amount already spent.

Berwick’s War Memorial Ref: BRO 426/445

Many of us have already subscribed- (some of us as much as we can afford, some of us much less than we can afford)- but whether we have subscribed well or poorly the need to complete worthily the Memorial is obtrusively insistent.

Hitherto, I had regarded it as a privilege on the part of the Town to establish Memorial to our Heroes, but it looks as if the Town now requires its sense of Duty stirred- a distinction not to our credit.

But from whatever point of view the matter is regarded, I hope your effort will be crowned with success, and as an earnest of that wish I enclose 100 Shillings to your Fund. Yours truly John Brough.

MAYOR’S MESSAGE

The Worship the Mayor of Berwick-upon-Tweed (Ald. Thos. Wilson, J.P.), writes us-

Dear Sir, – With reference to the note in your issue of Thursday last that you are prepared to open the columns of the “Journal” to raise a Fund to complete the Berwick War memorial, I have pleasure in accepting your offer. The War Memorial Committee are extremely anxious that our Memorial should be completed as soon as possible. Tenders have been received for the necessary work, and it is hoped that instructions will be given within the next few days for the work to be out in hand forthwith.

I trust that the inhabitants of the Borough will respond to the Appeal, and that through the Fund you propose to open the money required to complete the Memorial will be raised without delay. Yours faithfully Thomas Wilson, Mayor.

SHERIFF’S SUPPORT-Berwick, Feb.2, 1925

Dear Mr Editor, – Your announcement in “Berwick Journal” last week, – re Completion of Berwick War Memorial-about opening a Shilling Fund through the medium of your Paper, is a noble proposal, and should get the same generous support as you had in your War-Time Efforts for Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Funds.

I have pleasure in subscribing 200 Shillings. Yours truly Henry Stuart, Sheriff.

POSITION OF AFFAIRS

We are informed that about £250 is wanted- that is 5,000 Shillings; and it works out at only about 4d or 5d per head of the population of the Borough! Surely Berwick-upon-Tweed is not going to allow this our overdue Duty to remain any longer overdue. Let us show at once that such is not our intention; and that we mean to have the Memorial complete and in decent, proper and perfect order this Summer.

FIRST LIST

We shall give in next issue of “Berwick Journal” the First List of Subscribers to this Fund, which we have opened, and we trust it will be such a 1st list as will at once make it manifest and clear that the money required is going to be fully forthcoming, and that speedily. We hope with the Mayor that “the money required to complete the Memorial will be raised without delay.”

One thing is certain that if the same sort of generous support as was given to the War-Time efforts made by us, (as referred to by the Sheriff in his letter above), is given to this Appeal, Berwick will soon be in a position to complete what must be very close to the heart of every good citizen.

SACRED DUTY

“Many of us have already subscribed,” as Mr John Brough points out in his letter to us, but that is not preventing patriotic citizens like Mr Brough from expressing themselves as ready and willing to do all they can. That’s the spirit we like. “He who gives quickly gives twice” is an old proverb; and it never had more force than in this Appeal which we make to the Public today. If there be any who may not have yet subscribed, the opportunity now presents itself; and if there be those who having subscribed will join others now in doing more we shall be grateful, and theirs will be the happy satisfaction in helping to the final accomplishment of a sacred Duty which rests on our Town- rests on evry man, woman, and child.

Berwick’s War Memorial with railings

THE CHILDREN’S CHANCE

This is an opportunity for the children-our future men and women-to share in the completion of the Memorial; and thus, to have for all time the proud and fragrant memory that they, too, helped to rear the Town’s Monument to the gallant lads who saved and made secure, for the youngsters, the Homeland. We invite the practical co-operation of parents and guardians and teachers in this direction.

ALL THAT IS WANTED.

Collecting cards may be had on application at “Berwick Journal” Office, 25 High St. Berwick. Every penny given goes to the Fund; all expenses are borne by the Promoters, so that all that is required is for the People to do their share-the early realisation of the money required.

It is up to Berwick-upon-Tweed to see that before Summer arrives, the War Memorial standing at the top of Castlegate, under the shadow of the Service Tree, is fitting and perfectly completed, so that it may stand for all time worthy of our gallant Comrades to whose memory it is reared.

TWEED IRON WORKS-STOKOE FAMILY

During the past weekend, what may be correctly termed that last link in a family connection with a well-known local firm, recently dissolved, was broken when Mr Jos. Stokoe, of Foundry House, Tweedmouth, completed his last duties for the firm-Messrs Robertson and Coy., Tweed Iron Works, better known as the West End Foundry- after 46 ½ years faithful service. The name of Stokoe has been associated with Tweedmouth, and the above-mentioned firm for well over half a century, and no family was more respected, or held in higher esteem. The father Mr Jas. Stokoe, who retired 12 years ago and died at Hexham a few years later was with the firm for 45 ½ years, in the important position of manager. Mr Thos. Stokoe, son, completed 41 years with the firm, and also had an official position for the greater part of his long period of service. Mr Jos. Stokoe, the last to sever the long, honourable family connection at the past weekend, was also in charge of certain departments of the works and was looked upon as a trustworthy servant by his employers. We often hear and read of long service records with business firms, but for a family record with one firm the Stokoe’s will take some beating. The have seen the works in all its stages. In the height of prosperity, when large numbers of men were employed, and young men looked upon it as an honour and the first step to a successful career in life, to serve their apprenticeship in any section of the industry at one time carried on. Their productions have gone all over the world and made a name for the firm and its workmen second to none in British industry. But keen competition brought the dreaded and long looked for depression on the whole place, and for the last few years the usual activities began to languish and die until the firm was reluctantly compelled to cease their operations all round and close the doors. Many have served the firm for long periods, but for a family record, the name of Stokoe stands well out in the foreground.

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