Letters: April – May 2012
Tugboat
This photo was sent in by Ambler reader Rob Stephenson from Manchester who says he has been a regular visitor to Amble since he was a baby. Rob says “On going through a box of old photographs/postcards I found this one of a tugboat entering the harbourmouth, clearly before the end of the North Pier was coming away.”
No Pride or Respect
Amble seems to be suffering from extreme dog ____ left on streets and in public places. Why do people get dogs and not accept the responsibility of clearing up after them. The pier is smothered with it, the streets, even Queen Street and Church Street; today you would think that it was a dogs’ toilet. Walking the so-called lovely Braid (always a tip to those older residents born here) is one disgusting dog ____ depository. Leslie Drive is, it seems, a target, is it laziness, and it is getting worse than ever. Inability to pick up or just ignorance, they have no pride or respect for Amble or the people that have to try to avoid it. The dunes even the grass on little shore is full of it, animal lovers with no love for their environment or their town.
Pick up, bin it or take it home. I do not want it on my shoes and on my carpets.
Council, where are the dog wardens and why not more fines?
Peter Proctor Cannon
via e mail
Memories of the ALCAN factory
Re Alcan factory closure. Readers may be interested to know that I used to purchase from them, aluminium ingots to a German specification, for castings which we produced for Ford Motor Co. in Germany. The required amount per week did not all come from ALCAN, but they did supply part of our requirements for many months. The supply was usually put out to tender each month, because prices were so flexible, both up and down each month. This went on for approximately three years until our German bosses decided to start making them in Germany again, because there were signs of a cut-back in orders, and they were going to look after their own. Then, a few years ago, the firm in North Hykeham closed down. The demolition moved in and it is now just a muddy field. All the buildings have gone.
It is really sad to think that in the 1970s, we were shipping over 1000 tons of malleable castings per week, mainly to Massey Ferguson, Vauxhall, SAAB, A.E.C, British Leyland and British Rail (castings used in the laying of a new type of track to hold the rail) plus 150 tons per week of aluminium castings as well.
Happy days.
Fred Ellis
via email
Joseph Dawson
When clearing out my loft, I have come across a box on which there is a brass plate inscribed thus:
“Presented to
Joseph Dawson
by the
Members of the Dock Annual Club
AMBLE 1904”
I have no idea how the box came into my possession, I assume that some time in the dim and distant past, my mother may have bought it somewhere just because it looked so nice.
Photographs of the box are enclosed and, as it is well over 100 years old, I thought that any surviving members of a Dawson family may be interested in it and would appreciate any help you may be able to offer in tracking them down.
Geoff Cook
45 Oakwood Ave. Low Fell, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, NE9 6PR
Friendly Café
On Monday 27th Feb, the Friendly Café group that meet at the Trinity Methodist Church were very pleased to be able to give support to Amble Lifeboat by way of a cheque for the sum of £78.88.
The money was raised in the memory of Ella Cook, a founding member of the group, who had recently died. Ella and her husband Stan were very good supporters of Amble Lifeboat, and on the death of Stan some years ago the family gave support to the Lifeboat. Therefore, the group thought that it would be considerate to mark the memory of Ella in this way.
After the presentation the members of The Friendly Café were entertained by a choir from the Edwin Street First School Amble.
The attached photo shows John Griffiths presenting the cheque to Rodney Burge the Operations Manager Amble lifeboat station.
John R Young
Bede St, Amble
Thanks for Helping Dad
My father lives in Amble and is 83 he manages to get around with the help of an electric scooter. On Monday 19th March he was in Amble’s Queen St when he broke down and got very upset. A gentleman who he thinks was called John came to his rescue and brought him home. Not only did he bring him home but got 2 lads to bring the scooter home as well. I would like to say a big thank you to all concerned.
Sally Tyler Seghill
Cramlington
The dog mess in Amble and Warkworth seems to be an accepted thing to most residents. The streets, beaches, piers and dunes are covered in it. Even a walk by the river is spoilt with dog mess. It isnt moss you slip on while on your walk Biking too is a nightmare. The homes of these dog walkers I know are immaculate, so are their gardens. But they give a toss for public places. Yet they stand around talking of more benefits.
just seen the photo of the tug ‘AYR’ if it helps, she was built in South Shields around 1878 and to date the photo published, she sank in 1890 of Ireland, the following link shows more details and pictures, enjoy http://www.tynetugs.co.uk/ayr1878.html
The picture of the AYR entering the harbour is a later vessel to the one mentioned in the link. She was built by JP Rennoldson & Sons of South Shields in 1897 for the Ayr Harbour Trustees and came to Amble about 1926 when she was bought by the Broomhill Coal Co. to replace the paddle tug, PALMERSTON. She stayed until she was broken up in late 1949.
I am glad to hear there was a paddle tug in Amble!!I did remember it as a child in Amble and this has jogged my memory!!At present working in Australia near a port called Gladstone which exports Coal!!Lots of jetties and coal ships being loaded as well as grain and aluminium ore and the Great Barrier reef only miles away.Lovely town here and local amenities.
Any relation of ernie Rochester?
One of my best schoolmates,late 1930s
pleased that got cleared up, I didnt realise the noth pier light house was that old
http://www.tynetugs.co.uk/ayr1897.html that would be this one then
as a kid growing up in amble .i remember quite clearly the tug AYR pushing steamers olngside the wharfs to load coal. a very busy port in them days .i now live near the port of geelong in victoria australia.
my grandad went to seymour victoria as a reverend, in the 80s, he was a vicar in Amble, small world lol
Hello there W. Nelson, I think we could be related ! My dad was Walter Nelson, he had three brothers Bill, Jim, and Andy, I think you may be Uncle Bill’s son – Bill who went to live in Australia, and you also had three sisters Agnes, Margaret and Kate. Small world indeed !!
Leaping Woman
Location: Amble – Cliffs close to Cliff House
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 31 October (reoccurring)
Further Comments: A ghostly woman leaps from these cliffs, fading away before she hits the sea below.
Found this reference on a paranormal site on web, Having lived in Amble all my life I have never heard anything about this!!
Anyone ?? note date supposed to appear!
Given the date 31st Oct. Halloween – when Witches fly and the location, It has to be Peggy Gordon former owner of the Salt Pans. She kept her broomstick and cauldron in the porch and spent her live ‘brewing up’ trouble. Also, loved spirits.
mind u, in my younger days with a few mouthful of spirits, jumping in the harbour lol, damn you health and safety