Kenton Bar Estate - A Blast from the Past

I have already alluded to dens in a comment in the post 'Leeches Pond(August 2009):The vietcong tunnel and den complex was as I said built by the posh kids from the top and designed by a mastermind who's name I forget. It was painstakingly constructed with a huge front room sized mainchamber with a corrigated iron roof totally concealed under peat cut from the swamplands. You accessed via a small hole leading to a tunnel which led to the main chamber(The entrance hole also cunningly camouflaged with a peat clump. I seem to recall that it was only discovered after a tractor drove over the complex and collapsed the roof, the tractor dropping into the hole and rendered useless as a tractor,and the den rendered useless as a den...' aside and of interest: mensforth recommended reading: The Tunnels of Cu Chi: A Harrowing Account of America's "Tunnel Rats" in the Underground Battlefields of Vietnam(by Tom Mangold and Tom Pennycat) Nevertheless I think that the subjec

Dear friends & followers of the blog, a must have for your coffee table:- Twentieth Century Architects - Ryder & Yates The first ever comprehensive account of the outstanding work of Ryder and Yates has been chronicled in this new book by Tyneside architect Rutter Carroll. Formed by Gordon Ryder and Peter Yates and heavily influenced by Le Corbusier and Berthold Lubetkin, the practice dominated the development of modern architecture in the North East of England from the early 1950s, where their visually astounding modernism put them in stark contrast to their contemporaries. Structured by building type, the book attempts to reveal the principles of design particular to the practice of Ryder and Yates. It tells how, from its formation in Newcastle in 1953, it quickly established a reputation for innovative and highly individual buildings situated almost exclusively on Tyneside. Discussing key works in the Ryder and Yates portfolio such as Norgas House and the Engine

This is a great photo of a snow clad Ryal Walk courtesy of Suzanne Burke AKA fancythat Kenton Bar Pyramid Appreciation Society

the ditch has been mentioned here and there on the blog for example in the post'the ha-ha fence May 2010'...it ran alongside Hartburn Walk bungalows betwixt them and Kenton Bar school and continued further east to the bushes near St Cuthbert's school...but why was there a ditch?...what purpose did it provide, eh?...what was it all about?...the bit by the school has long gone, now levelled, but Im not sure about the bit going towards St Cuthberts...must go and check sometime...we used to try to dig tunnels along that bit for some reason I recall, but they always collapsed...hmmmm...

Yeah – I know it is slightly ever so off topic but our newest and dearest contributor, “fancythat” has donated this picture of her good self with the said Kenton School Tie. Just look at the lovely knot – tied to perfection as if the tie was made of the finest silk and hand crafted by Valentino himself. Look at the lovely unblemished skin with no carbuncles on chin nor cheek. Enjoy fellow Kentoners…..

154 people like the 'Kenton Bar Estate A Blast from the Past' facebook page but to my knowledge only 1 has actually posted a comment on the blog proper! Why is this so? Have they/do they actually look at the blog proper? Its a shame as it would be great if more people contributed, so come on you lot, pull your finger out-or at least comment that you are a facebook blog fan who reads the blog proper-what do you think of it!?

This photo shows the interior of the Kenton Bar Newsagents about...30-32 years ago...that is to say 1978-1980...the interior of the shop looks shabby, chaotic and dark...fancythat is in the front behind the counter!(guess you were 16-18 fancythat?)...thank you for the photo!

I am speechless with joy...let's leave it up to the comments...click x2 on the images for a bigger image so you can see the photos and read the article... Thanks to Rutter Carroll, friend of the blog and author of the book 'Ryder & Yates' for providing us with this magnificent artifact... Kenton Bar Pyramid Appreciation Society

Noble knights of castle Kenton Bar... I have utterly fantastic news! We now know that there exist new colour images of the 8th wonder of the world, our beloved pyramid taken by Ryder staff in the 1970s... We now know that there exists an article from the Northern Echo 1964 showing photo's of models of Kenton Bar Estate together with Sir Gordon Ryder and one Councillor Cuthbertson... We now know where they are and how to get them thanks to kind and noble friends of the blog... Needless to say I contacted the master immediately for orders and instructions, and his was in seventh heaven and ecstacy of joy...indeed the Noble Master himself is now also on the case, and has arrived back on these desolate shores of horrible England and is leaving no stone unturned,working tirelessly as am I your humble servant, the ghost of Mensforth to achieve our goal... the die is cast, the lure is baited and now we can but wait oh my brothers, wait with fingers crossed with baited hooks... All I can

Hello all, thanks to the kindness of Ryder Architects and also Rutter Carroll we have been successful in obtaining this photo...click on the picture to see a much BIGGER picture! the 3 geniuses who designed and built our beloved Kenton Bar Estate are all visible... Rutter has kindly identified the staff as follows:   Reading left to right, D.Walton, M. Newton, Peter Yates , JD Thwaites, ML Kubick, FE Nicklin , JG Ryder , R Williams, GWD Harris, PT Green, M Ayoubkhan. Thanks to Peter Nicklin for giving us your contact at Ryder... Shades, Can you identify the one you remembered who showed you around now?... Kenton Bar Pyramid Appreciation Society

Kindly donated by fancythat... fancythat said: 'THE SLIDEY...at Reestones place with the incredibly dangerous swings in the background..which were eventually removed as anyone passing had to duck for fear of being hit.People in the photo; me standing, all the cooksons,Carolyn at the front, then michael,debbie and lindey trying to push in...' The problem with the swings that I presume fancythat is talking about was that as you swung out on one you would swing out into Studdon Walk footpath which was a main thoroughfare to and from the shops...Suzanne suggests thats why they were removed which is interesting...but why so the slide?...note also the flats on stilts to the right where the other row of shops was intended to be built underneath but never was...(I will up a photo of the flats soon)also in the background Kenton Bar Primary School is visible...tantalizingly, the pyry is just around the corner to the right of the flats on stilts and is not visible... note also how in thos

Hello mein goot friends! Well, I have good news and bad news... Re:'I dont know if Ive mentioned this before but somewhere on the face of this godforsaken earth there exists a painting of the 8th wonder of the world painted from the bottom of the ramp looking west up toward the Pyry.. The BAD news is that Suzanne thinks her mam threw it out!(sob sob :( however there is hope as apparently 'It(the painting of the pyry) was highly commended in the competition and a pic was published in the evening chronicle 1971...'...so noble Mensforth(ghost of) will pursue that line of enquiry you can be sure!...Interestingly Suzanne also reveals that 'the painting was done as a protest to the concrete jungle that is kenton bar!' Gordon, Peter and Ted Nicklin would turn in their graves! I beg to differ of course! Now some more good news...Suzanne has sent us this photo of another painting her mam(Jose )did which is fantastic...it is of the front room of their house on Reestones Place

fancythat: thanks for replying so prompty...I'm so excited with your positive comment! No I was not the one who likened Jon Cragie to a rodent-that would have been the master, El Patron...I am the ghost of mensforth, his late humble servant(It's a long story...read more posts on the blog to find out more! and... Look at the top of the blog and click on the links to find out more about me and the master... If you can get us a copy of the painting it would be absolutely brilliant-we will put it on the blog straight away and if you can get a photo of the pyry or anything else from your dad we will be delighted to publish it on the blog! When you say: 'I think it may have the Pyramid in the background.If she does,nt have the painting I know she has at least a photo of it.' do you mean the painting or the pyry?... best wishes, Menforth(ghost of)

fancythat! Listen!... check out this post: http://kentonbar.blogspot.com/2010/05/painting-of-8th-wonder-of-world.html (I've copied it below) 'I dont know if Ive mentioned this before but somewhere on the face of this godforsaken earth there exists a painting of the 8th wonder of the world painted from the bottom of the ramp looking west up toward the Pyry...it won a competition I seem to recall...I was only a kid at the time, but can remember it was painted by Jocie Burke(Suzanne and Russell Burkes' mam-they lived in Reestones Place) This needs to join the list of 'mission impossibles'-someone to try to find Suzanne or Russell and see if they've got it!-maybe we could get a photo of it and up it on the blog?(Friends Reuinted?...facebook?...) fancythat, do you remember this? please please please reply and let us solve one of our mission impossible's on the blog! Do you, Steven or Russell or you mam have the painting? If so please please please email/reply eit

This was a “mobile shop” that used to be situated at the bottom  of  Thirston Way tucked in to the parking space next to the garages backing onto the YWCA building in Dugdale Road. I have no idea if the person who owned the shop was actually called Joanne or even if it was mobile as it never seemed to move. This mobile shop had a peculiar aroma – not a bad one but distinctive. Kind of like groceries, potatoes, sweeties and cleaning agents all mixed together. I seem to remember the van was blue and was basically open all day and until late into the evening, long after the VG and so on had closed. Anyone else remember this?

Here are 2 photos I took looking south east and due west which mark the grave of our beloved pyramid...here if one was to dig down one might find little grey tiles, the bones of our beloved pyry...as noble shades commented on his blog which partially inspired the master to create this blog: 'It was on two levels and the upper level featured a four-sided large square pyramid structure, covered in small 1” glazed grey ceramic tiles which I was informed cost a Penny each (old money). The Pyramid was probably about 18’ high and about the same square, tapering in about 6” or so at the base, forming a sort of concrete skirt, presumably so that moss didn’t creep up it from ground level.' (http://iangrey.blogspot.com/2006/05/valley-of-kenton-bar-kings.html) Shades I hope you do not mind me using this wonderful piece of descriptive narrative on the masters blog...anyway this photo makes me so so sad...see what they replaced her with, foul foliage and ghastly greenery...how dreadful...t

Hi – I unashamedly stole these from Friends Reunited. These clearly show the “Ha Ha” fence, the bungalows and the oval structure on the side of the school. They also show Mr Pyle the teacher and some kids – I only recognize Fergy. Mr Pyle looks about 15 years old on this picture.   Tantalizingly JUST behind the school is the beloved pyramid – oh where is she?