- Several dock workers on the quayside at Corporation Quay, Stockton, watching a large ship leaving the quayside, another ship is still at the quay. c1960s
- Two diesel cargo ships on the River Tees at Stockton seen from Corporation Quay looking south. c1960s
- Corporation Quay and the River Tees at Stockton looking S from the Quayside showing large cranes and two diesel ships. The quay was opened in 1876 and closed in 1967
- Five large dock cranes on the quayside at Corporation Quay, Stockton .c1960s
I was 6 years old in 1939. Probably in 1938 I was taken to the Quayside by my Aunt Ida, wife of Will Grainger (Joiner, Builder and Undertaker of the Blue Post Yard). I can recall seeing a German ship flying a Swastika.
So it was a real thing then? My Great Grandfather was one of the men that used to do this.
I have just found this page and noticed Bob’s comment about my grandfather Jim. My mum Thelma told me similar stories about the difference in money for finding bodies. My mum told me of one story where he dragged one body to the other side which nearly took his finger nails out and which eventually had to be pulled out be crane.
Thelma also told me that he also saved people’s lives too, producing an Evening Gazzette article which dedicated a whole article to this.
My Father was involved in a scrapyard in Thornaby after the War which processed wartime scrap and we had a Colt 45 pistol which we played with as kids, it was heavy and took two hands to hold it up! mind you I was only 7 years old and we were never allowed to take it out of the Scrapyard
You”re right Gordon, there was a 2/6d difference from Stockton and Thornaby, but I knew it as 7/6d and 5 bob. Jimmy knew the river, if a body went into the River at a point and could not be found. With knowing the River and its underwater currents, Jimmy was there days afterwards waiting for the body to resurface probably a mile from where it went in.
I used to meet my fathers ship when she sailed into Stockton. She was the Northumberland Coast and was owned by the Tyne Tees Steam Shipping Company in the early sixties.My father who was Bosun told me two stories which I believe are true. One concerned “kelly”s Ferry” which ran workers across from Thornaby to Stockon and vice versa.If he found a body in the river he would always drag it to Thornaby side as he got five shillings there as opposed to two and sixpence from Stockton. The second concerned a missing lady of the red light type.She was known to frequent the quayside plying her trade to lonely sailors.She was reported missing and when after a week my dads ship slipped her moorings the unfortunate lady floated to the surface.It transpired she had fallen in whilst the worse for alchol and the poor soul had drowned.
I think the Quay was finally closed when the Tees Barrage Was built. 1994-5.
Robert Harbron is correct, after the second world war,two, and three, vessels would berth at the Corporation Quay, each week. They were always loaded with scrap from Europe mainly armaments like guns. rifles, pistols, machine guns, etc. They were scattered all over the Quayside. Decommissioned, ready for the smelters.
Re Mr Crawford”s comment on scrap off-loading In 1946, when I worked at Imeson & Finch Ltd on the river-side a ship was off-loading scrap from Europe and two of our apprentices walked into the workshop carrying two American Browning 1/2″ machine-guns. The barrels were damaged but they said there”s dozens of them on rail-wagons waiting at St Johns Crossing. A walk along the quay and broken tank-treads, plates of armour even a smashed “Jeep” were either on the trucks or scattered alongside the rail-track.
I remember two big ships at the Corporation Quay. The “San Carlos” American, 1936.Loaded with scrap metal, which took 3-4 weeks to unload. This brought about the introduction of the spider grab. Prior to this, scrap had to be put into bucket tubs by hand, and shovel. The second ship was the “Tudor Prince”.a passenger Cargo ship in mid 1950s. She was a gem.
Phot taken by Jack Marriott.