Bank Top Garage - another successful Prestwick business

Bank top Garage, Prestwick is a member of the Bosch Car Service network which is a national network of independent garages. Each garage is well established in its own right and aims to keep its premises neat and tidy with clear Bosch Car Service signage, uniforms and equipment. Alan Armstrong owns the business with friendly staff, trained to fit or replace quality parts.

THE GOOD GARAGE SCHEME FEEDBACK....................

Helpfulness and attitude of staff 99.4%

Quality of contact about vehicle 98.9%

How pleased with standard of work 98.3%

General satisfaction overall 98.3%

 

Average of the above 98.7% 

Customer Comments

They are always available to give advice.
22/07/2014

Helped me after a traumatic experience with another garage. 100% to this garage.
06/07/2014

Have been using this garage for over a year now. Excellent service - staff all very polite, helpful and reliable. I am very happy to continue using the service.
23/06/2014

Extremely helpful and honest staff with a 'Can do, Will do' attitude!!
12/06/2014

After a botched repair by another garage, Bank Top did a first class job at a reasonable price.
21/05/2014

I used this garage on recommendation - about 3 years ago - and I wouldn't go anywhere else now. Their service is excellent, the staff are efficient, helpful and friendly - and as a female driver, it's hard to find a garage to trust. Bank Top staff explain what's wrong, and will show you faulty parts replaced. They're the best garage I've used in 24 years of driving; totally trustworthy.
23/07/2013

I've used this garage for years. A good, honest service is assured. Highly recommended.
10/04/2013

Always very helpful; nothing too much trouble.
09/04/2013

Always excellent service.
27/02/2013

Have dealt with this garage for years and always had excellent service.
03/01/2013

The Snowball Murder

George Hunter, a pitman, has been executed at Morpeth for the murder of another pitman, named Wood, at Dinnington, on December 19 last. The two men had been out shooting together, and on coming out of a public house about dusk Wood began to throw snowballs at Hunter, who thereupon threatened to shoot him, and immediately did it. The jury recommended him to mercy, but the authorities did not interfere. On the day of the murder the prisoner had signed a memorial praying for a pardon for Richard Charlton, who was then under sentence of death for having shot his wife in the same village. 

 [from The Argus newspaper, 5^th June 1876]

The famous ‘Snowball Murder’ of 1875 occurred on a snowy winter’s night as four miners, including the above-named George Hunter and William Wood, were exiting the White Swan pub in Dinnington after a day’s shooting. A couple of the locals were engaged in a friendly snowball fight and Wood decided to partake by hurling missiles at his colleague, Hunter. Not best pleased, Hunter threatened to shoot Wood if he didn’t stop. “Stop heaving and clotting or I’ll fire,” to which the perpetrator replied, “Oh, you’ll not fire, Geordie!” The gunman duly delivered his threat and felled his pal there and then. He fell by the churchyard and soon expired – his funeral the following Sunday attracting 1,500 attendees.

George Hunter was found guilty the following spring after it was revealed that he had a history of errant gunmanship. He was hanged at Morpeth on 28^th March. 

with thanks to North East History Tour

Planning application submitted for Prestwick East Farm

A Planning Application has been submitted for Prestwick Livery stable. Condition 1 of the planning approval in 2005 indicated that the permission expired in 2010. The current application is to have this condition removed and to make the Planning approval for the livery stable permanent.

See here

Potholes on Prestwick Road

Let's see if the County Council can swiftly repair the potholes near the cemetery and on the corner near the airport boundary which were reported 24th June 2014.

Potholes now repaired on 8th July ...... Thank you Northumberland County Council

Prestwick Pete

 

And Prestwick Pat

 

Countyfile presenter, Adam Hanson's connection with Prestwick.

Adam will be a familiar face to most of you, presenting the BBC’s Countryfile series. He’s also been seen on Lambing Live with Kate Humble and can be heard on Radio 4’s On Your Farm and Farming Today.

He has been a dedicated supporter and friend to Useful Vision since the charity's beginning. 

‘When my late nephew Ben lost his sight, it brought home to me the challenges facing families with a visually impaired child. Finding suitable leisure activities, accessing information, and learning about the latest equipment and technology aids was often an uphill struggle. Ben was the inspiration for Useful Vision which was set up in 2005.

Since then Useful Vision has become the lead provider of events and activities designed specifically for vision impaired children and their families in the North East.

I am delighted to be its Patron and support the work it does’.

 USEFULVISION Supporting blind and partially sighted children in the North East

If you would like to know more or would like to donate CLICK HERE

S- Fix site redevelopment approved

PONTELAND: NEW HOME APPROVED AT NOTORIOUS EYESORE

By BRIAN TILLEY 

Published at 07:35, Wednesday, 04 June 2014.  Hexham Courant.

ONE of Ponteland’s most notorious eyesores is to be replaced by a modern house.

At the second time of asking, John and Catherine Robson have been granted permission to build their house on the derelict Old Plant Yard at Prestwick Village.

Although planning officers advised councillors to turn down the application, Northumberland County Council’s west area planning committee gave it the green light without demur.

The committee was reminded that an application for a house on the same site last year had been refused consent as it was considered inappropriate development in the Green Belt.

It was also decided the site was unsustainable and the proposed house would have had an adverse impact upon the visual amenity of the surrounding area.

This new application was for an only slightly smaller house in the same location, so planning officer Joanne Wood recommended refusal for the same reasons.

However, committee members heard there were no objections to the proposal – but there were 10 letters of support.

One supporter said: “ I, like many others, support this application for a family home, which would replace an unsightly, dilapidated, industrial blot on our beautiful landscape

“Prestwick is full of family homes which have their beautiful vistas spoiled by this eyesore.

“A new house would be a welcome addition, and dramatically improve the view.”

Despite the recommendation from officers, Coun. Ian Hutchinson, of Haltwhistle, said: “I cannot see any reason why this should not be approved.”

Corbridge’s Coun. Mrs Jean Fearon added: “Seeing what is there now and the lie of the land, this can only be an improvement.”