10 thoughts on “Bench seating at Kennedy flats, Billingham 1965”
hiya
my sister was in the Billingham silver band linda jones and my cousin jim armstrong he played the big drum and i used to go to school with dave munkley we also used to go in kennedy gardens to play in the lifts mr stones always used to lime his garden every year kept it in good condition
My Dads Auntie and Uncle lived in Kennedy Gardens and I remember visiting them a child. Their names were Jo and Vinnie McDean. I think he worked on the Railways.
My Mams side of the family lived in Malvern Road and they were Witterings. My Auntie still lives there.
I have found a picture of the town square. In the photo is Prince Phillip.
Billy Hoyle was the chap from the Billingham arms, he looked after the cellar in the sixties. Sadly now passed away, but I do recall him being a professional footballer with Everton in his younger days. I lived in Mendip road at that time, wish I had 5p now for every pint I supped in the arms!
Hi Peter, yes indeed that is the right Charlton family. We lived in Pentland Ave from about 1942/3 myself and my 2 sisters Doreen and Joyce who sadly passed away last year my late father and mother lived there until the late eighties until their deaths. My father did play in Billingham Band, as I did myself and 2 of my daughters. Remember Bill Munckley who lived next door to my father and the Stone family very well, kept a lovely garden did Rob Stone.
Hello Bill, once again something you just said has me wondering; you say you lived in Pentland Ave back in 62/63. Did your father used to run Billingham silver band and he played the trumpet? As the Mr charlton I knew lived next door but one to BilP Monkley and Rob Stone near the Ochill turn beside the Pentland junior school kichens.
Good to see photos of Kennedy Gardens. I worked on these flats in 1962/3 (bricklayer), very handy as I then lived in Pentland Avenue. I can see our house on aerial photos, the company that built them was Tarmac Building who also were the builders for work carried out in the 1960s in the town centre which I worked on. The block where Harrison estate agents are, also worked on the Forum house built by Stockton builder Chas Tennant. Also used my skill on the extension to the Billingham Arms, the part that ran across to the bowling alley from the Billingham Arms which, by the way, was my second home in my teenage years – good pint of exhibition in those days. I remember when the beer went up to 2/0shillings real money in those days, there was talk of withholding our custom until they put the beer down again but the idea did not last long. If I recall, the first manager was a Mr Ramsden, and the guy who ran the bar was Billy, sorry his last name has gone, but he was an ex pro footballer for Everton I think – I can recall a photo he used to show to prove it. Good old days. I have lived away from Billingham for over 25yrs now but still have fond memories of the area.
Hello Bill charlton. I am living on Pentland at the moment, this be my 4th time now. Lived there since 1972, well I was born there, now currently living near Mendip. By nice to here back from you. L. Wennington
The communal heating building is now closed and the flats have their own heating building just outside on the corner of Pentland Ave. The heating building still stand now but is no longer used, probably wont be long before that gets flattened so if you live in the area Anon, best get out and take a photo quick.
I remember Kennedy Gardens in 1965, just as they were opening. All those people and yet it was usually as quiet as the grave and you hardly ever saw or heard anyone.Many of the residents in those days were out at work all day. The flats were heated – maybe still are – by a communal hot water heating system on Marsh House Avenue and it was always very warm, sometimes too warm and with lashings of hot water.Baths galore no problem! You could see where the feed pipes for the scheme ran up the centre of the Causeway, as in winter the snow above them always melted first. I remember the kitchen sinks having waste disposal units, very avant garde and accidentally mangling a few teaspoons in this way. For many months the scene outside the window was a building site as they built the Forum across the road.
We moved into Kennedy Gardens in March 1969 when I was two-years old. I can remember these seating areas – they were located at the end of the corridor on alternate floors . On the other floors, there were children”s play areas. On the ground floor of each of the three blocks of flats there was also a workroom equipped with work-benches, vices, etc., for the use of tenants. The flats also had their own mini launderette room. Whoever designed the flats seems to have given a lot of thought to the needs of its tenants.
Picture Stockton Archive 
hiya
my sister was in the Billingham silver band linda jones and my cousin jim armstrong he played the big drum and i used to go to school with dave munkley we also used to go in kennedy gardens to play in the lifts mr stones always used to lime his garden every year kept it in good condition
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My Dads Auntie and Uncle lived in Kennedy Gardens and I remember visiting them a child. Their names were Jo and Vinnie McDean. I think he worked on the Railways.
My Mams side of the family lived in Malvern Road and they were Witterings. My Auntie still lives there.
I have found a picture of the town square. In the photo is Prince Phillip.
LikeLike
Billy Hoyle was the chap from the Billingham arms, he looked after the cellar in the sixties. Sadly now passed away, but I do recall him being a professional footballer with Everton in his younger days. I lived in Mendip road at that time, wish I had 5p now for every pint I supped in the arms!
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Hi Peter, yes indeed that is the right Charlton family. We lived in Pentland Ave from about 1942/3 myself and my 2 sisters Doreen and Joyce who sadly passed away last year my late father and mother lived there until the late eighties until their deaths. My father did play in Billingham Band, as I did myself and 2 of my daughters. Remember Bill Munckley who lived next door to my father and the Stone family very well, kept a lovely garden did Rob Stone.
LikeLike
Hello Bill, once again something you just said has me wondering; you say you lived in Pentland Ave back in 62/63. Did your father used to run Billingham silver band and he played the trumpet? As the Mr charlton I knew lived next door but one to BilP Monkley and Rob Stone near the Ochill turn beside the Pentland junior school kichens.
LikeLike
Good to see photos of Kennedy Gardens. I worked on these flats in 1962/3 (bricklayer), very handy as I then lived in Pentland Avenue. I can see our house on aerial photos, the company that built them was Tarmac Building who also were the builders for work carried out in the 1960s in the town centre which I worked on. The block where Harrison estate agents are, also worked on the Forum house built by Stockton builder Chas Tennant. Also used my skill on the extension to the Billingham Arms, the part that ran across to the bowling alley from the Billingham Arms which, by the way, was my second home in my teenage years – good pint of exhibition in those days. I remember when the beer went up to 2/0shillings real money in those days, there was talk of withholding our custom until they put the beer down again but the idea did not last long. If I recall, the first manager was a Mr Ramsden, and the guy who ran the bar was Billy, sorry his last name has gone, but he was an ex pro footballer for Everton I think – I can recall a photo he used to show to prove it. Good old days. I have lived away from Billingham for over 25yrs now but still have fond memories of the area.
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Hello Bill charlton. I am living on Pentland at the moment, this be my 4th time now. Lived there since 1972, well I was born there, now currently living near Mendip. By nice to here back from you. L. Wennington
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The communal heating building is now closed and the flats have their own heating building just outside on the corner of Pentland Ave. The heating building still stand now but is no longer used, probably wont be long before that gets flattened so if you live in the area Anon, best get out and take a photo quick.
LikeLike
I remember Kennedy Gardens in 1965, just as they were opening. All those people and yet it was usually as quiet as the grave and you hardly ever saw or heard anyone.Many of the residents in those days were out at work all day. The flats were heated – maybe still are – by a communal hot water heating system on Marsh House Avenue and it was always very warm, sometimes too warm and with lashings of hot water.Baths galore no problem! You could see where the feed pipes for the scheme ran up the centre of the Causeway, as in winter the snow above them always melted first. I remember the kitchen sinks having waste disposal units, very avant garde and accidentally mangling a few teaspoons in this way. For many months the scene outside the window was a building site as they built the Forum across the road.
LikeLike
We moved into Kennedy Gardens in March 1969 when I was two-years old. I can remember these seating areas – they were located at the end of the corridor on alternate floors . On the other floors, there were children”s play areas. On the ground floor of each of the three blocks of flats there was also a workroom equipped with work-benches, vices, etc., for the use of tenants. The flats also had their own mini launderette room. Whoever designed the flats seems to have given a lot of thought to the needs of its tenants.
LikeLike