The Forsyth Image Collection

[Sleighbelle]

Wonderful photo collection! So many memories. The school photo is taken from the vantage point of the Radcliffe Club. Very nostalgic for me as I lived there for several years until I went away to college in 1968. I remember a young couple moved into the house across the road, next to the school. They had a baby girl who was quite poorly as I remember, a hole in the heart I think.
Also, anyone know the origins of the Douglas family mentioned in one of the earlier posts? My paternal grandmother's maiden name was Douglas. she married Token Guy.

[templesam]

Quite right Alan , deffo Centre Row, possibly Larry Browns car in the foreground.

[Coquet]

Many thanks have updated the descriptions!

[Coquet]

Here's another large panorama. A nice overview of a large patch of our local territory.

Left to right: Part of North Broomhill - ^Togston Barns^ - Togston Hall - East Togston Farm - ^ Warkworth and Castle^ - Radcliffe - Amble and Amble Caravan site ( with the parked draglines in front) - Kirkwell Cottages - High Hauxley and Hauxley Hall - Coquet Island - Low Hall.


I wonder how many tons of coal have been extracted from that landscape!


http://www.fusilier.co.uk/hauxley_no...anorama_8.html

[Coquet]

Here's another large panorama. A nice overview of a large patch of our local territory.

Left to right: Part of North Broomhill - ^Togston Barns^ - Togston Hall - East Togston Farm - ^ Warkworth and Castle^ - Radcliffe - Amble and Amble Caravan site ( with the parked draglines in front) - Kirkwell Cottages - High Hauxley and Hauxley Hall - Coquet Island - Low Hall.

Just looking at the old maps. The solitary brick building in the left hand picture must be East Togston Drift.

[Alan J.]

That solitary building was in the middle of that field as far back as I can remember, it was pretty ramshackle and disappeared during the opencast. Perhaps the photographer knew what it was as the Forsyths farmed that land. East Togston drift would have been just out of shot, if it was still there, as it was on the South side of the colliery railway, the line of this can be seen on the photo.

[Coquet]

Originally Posted by Alan J.

That solitary building was in the middle of that field as far back as I can remember, it was pretty ramshackle and disappeared during the opencast. Perhaps the photographer knew what it was as the Forsyths farmed that land. East Togston drift would have been just out of shot, if it was still there, as it was on the South side of the colliery railway, the line of this can be seen on the photo.

You're right Alan. I think I was seeing an elevated platform immediately behind the building I thought was the railway line. It's probably just an effect of the long distance shot.

After having another look, that mystery building is on the map. Also possibly another one straight south of it.

[Coquet]

I think this set joins on the left with the one above?


http://www.fusilier.co.uk/hauxley_no...anorama_2.html

[Coquet]

Originally Posted by Coquet

I think this set joins on the left with the one above?


http://www.fusilier.co.uk/hauxley_no...anorama_2.html

That road? it must be the road to the beach? was it straightened out later?

[hollydog]

No, it is the beach road bottom of picture, the road above it is a coal haul road that no longer exists it goes north past Radcliffe on the big panorama. The blue van has just turned right after coming along the small old road behind the hedge after crossing the railway by Togston East farm and Radcliffe.You can work the road out from the large panorama which has Togston East farm on it.

I have just e-mailed you to say that panorama joins the big one you have done!
great work btw

[Coquet]

Originally Posted by hollydog

No, it is the beach road bottom of picture, the road above it is a coal haul road that no longer exists it goes north past Radcliffe on the big panorama. The blue van has just turned right after coming along the small old road behind the hedge after crossing the railway by Togston East farm and Radcliffe.You can work the road out from the large panorama which has Togston East farm on it.

I have just e-mailed you to say that panorama joins the big one you have done!
great work btw

I've found the roads again on the latest batch of images, two images joined here:

Low Hall with Chevington Drift

And that top road, I can see now, is heading in a different direction to what I thought.

I'm sure the Drift is visible in the distance in that one as well. (just visible!)

[billconn]

Originally Posted by Alan J.

The pole with the footholds was obviously designed for someone to climb for some reason. There was also a similar one at the end of the Amble caravan site near the old sandpit, we used to call it the "Totem pole". It was a concrete construction, the one on the Hauxley links is wooden. They may have some connection with the coastguard rescue teams.

The pole used to be right next to a wooden observation post which was raised on wooden legs to a height of about 20 feet. As children we had great fun in climbing up it and used it as a fort, there was another one beside the Newburgh pit heap, and again it was a great source of fun for us all, including the lads from Sea View. I have great memories of Sea View as all those children from there went to school with me at Radcliffe and Amble Secondary.
I lived in 9 Centre Row until I enlisted in the Army in April 1965.
Have nothing but great thoughts of Radcliffe and all the residents.

Bill Conning

[Coquet]

Originally Posted by billconn

The pole used to be right next to a wooden observation post which was raised on wooden legs to a height of about 20 feet. As children we had great fun in climbing up it and used it as a fort, there was another one beside the Newburgh pit heap, and again it was a great source of fun for us all, including the lads from Sea View. I have great memories of Sea View as all those children from there went to school with me at Radcliffe and Amble Secondary.
I lived in 9 Centre Row until I enlisted in the Army in April 1965.
Have nothing but great thoughts of Radcliffe and all the residents.

Bill Conning

Hi Bill welcome to the forum.

[Alan J.]

I remember Larry Brown having that Cortina now Templesam, I see it was an E reg that would make it about a 1967 model.

[hollydog]

Originally Posted by Coquet

You're right Alan. I think I was seeing an elevated platform immediately behind the building I thought was the railway line. It's probably just an effect of the long distance shot.

After having another look, that mystery building is on the map. Also possibly another one straight south of it.

I am told by a sage in Bay View that the brick building was the explosive store for the shot firing - stored safely away from any other buildings.

[Derilda]

Where was Coldrife Drift? There would be a similar store for explosives as it would not be sensible to 'have all your eggs in one basket'. It would be unlikely, in those times, to consider them to be terrorist targets. They would only think of safety and keeping drift explosives in an economic way. We all know that sometimes safety took a back seat to winning the 'black gold'.

[leslie]

Behind Dands Farm next to pond where we caught newts ( a No No now) was a barred entrance to a drift mine, next to it was a Brick Carbide store , we used to nick some !

[Coquet]

That building appears to have left some sort of scar in that field.

I thought it might be a power line pole but there is no shadow like the poles in the two fields to the east.


https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=amb...gl=uk&t=h&z=20

[just william]

hi there,
what great photos to have a look at. after looking at them
iam a little confused,could someone help me out?

on the 1911 census for a member of my family tree.
george harbottle, coal miner. living at dandsfield place.
radcliffe. acklington.

daug marion harbottle age 9,plus other family.
is she called after a place or a marion/dragline?

please tell me its a lovely place near by.

regards, william.

[Coquet]

Not named after anything nearby unfortunately. As far as I am aware, the name is from the US manufacturer Marion Power Shovel Company, base in Marion, Ohio.