Reviving an old thread here to mention that there is an open day at what is now the Stagecoach Stockton Depot on Church Road this coming Sunday, 8 April, 10am until 4pm. Free entry, lots of activities and shuttle bus from Stand J in the High Street. Details here; https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/north-east/depot-open-day .
I remember Mark Southern, he once brought an African boxer over and trained him, his name was Lawrence Rose. I think he lodged with Mark and I believe that in his first fight for him he got knocked out in the first round. The excuse given for his poor performance I believe, was he had been bitten by some insect and this had sapped his strength!
Wasn’t the Zetland Arms also known as ‘The Top House’? Half way along Barrett St there was also a boys club and gym, I remember having a couple of boxing lessons there. Not exactly lessons unless the key learning point was how to get your head knocked off by the son of the trainer. I remember a guy coming over from Africa who trained there before a fight with a local guy, Simba Rose was his name.
The Zetland Arms was at the south end of Barrett Street on the west side. The pub backed on to ‘Portrack Hospital’ separated from it by a narrow road which was used by the Council lorries to to remove rubbish from the houses on that side of the road (Not all the houses in Portrack had this facility). There was a large gap between the Zetland and the houses on that side of the road, which was used by the kids from Barrett Street area for playing, especially when the weather was poor. These kids included David Lewis, Frank and Tommy Bear, David Ellis and his brother and myself. The frontage of the pub had walls leading up to pavement which was also handy for protection when the weather was bad.
Does anyone remember a pub called ‘The Zetland’? It was situated in Barrett Street, and was demolished in the early 1960`s to make way for the new Municipal Transport Depot. I believe it was owned by Vaux Breweries.
This was one of the first steps in the obliteration of old Portrack, without any concern for the natives. The site on which this was built was a large open common, used by the local children to play football and generally mess about. Part of “The Common” as it was called was occupied by Skippies? yard which was basically forbidden territory. This yard faced the west end of another area which faced Watson street, and was a reasonably substantial building although constructed of corrugated sheeting covered in tar. There were a great many such temporary buildings on a smaller scale used by amateur gardeners, and men running samll business on the east side of Portrack and on a big stretch between Portrack and Tilery.
This view is earlier than 1970, because by then nearly all the Buses in the picture were in the Turquoise Livery of Teesside Municipal Transport. This view almost certainly shows the Depot very shortly after it opened in 1965.
Reviving an old thread here to mention that there is an open day at what is now the Stagecoach Stockton Depot on Church Road this coming Sunday, 8 April, 10am until 4pm. Free entry, lots of activities and shuttle bus from Stand J in the High Street. Details here;
https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/north-east/depot-open-day .
I remember Mark Southern, he once brought an African boxer over and trained him, his name was Lawrence Rose. I think he lodged with Mark and I believe that in his first fight for him he got knocked out in the first round. The excuse given for his poor performance I believe, was he had been bitten by some insect and this had sapped his strength!
The boxing gym at Portrack was run by Marky Southern – he lived at Browns Bridge, Newtown.
Wasn’t the Zetland Arms also known as ‘The Top House’? Half way along Barrett St there was also a boys club and gym, I remember having a couple of boxing lessons there. Not exactly lessons unless the key learning point was how to get your head knocked off by the son of the trainer. I remember a guy coming over from Africa who trained there before a fight with a local guy, Simba Rose was his name.
The Zetland Arms was at the south end of Barrett Street on the west side. The pub backed on to ‘Portrack Hospital’ separated from it by a narrow road which was used by the Council lorries to to remove rubbish from the houses on that side of the road (Not all the houses in Portrack had this facility). There was a large gap between the Zetland and the houses on that side of the road, which was used by the kids from Barrett Street area for playing, especially when the weather was poor. These kids included David Lewis, Frank and Tommy Bear, David Ellis and his brother and myself. The frontage of the pub had walls leading up to pavement which was also handy for protection when the weather was bad.
Does anyone remember a pub called ‘The Zetland’? It was situated in Barrett Street, and was demolished in the early 1960`s to make way for the new Municipal Transport Depot. I believe it was owned by Vaux Breweries.
This was one of the first steps in the obliteration of old Portrack, without any concern for the natives. The site on which this was built was a large open common, used by the local children to play football and generally mess about. Part of “The Common” as it was called was occupied by Skippies? yard which was basically forbidden territory. This yard faced the west end of another area which faced Watson street, and was a reasonably substantial building although constructed of corrugated sheeting covered in tar. There were a great many such temporary buildings on a smaller scale used by amateur gardeners, and men running samll business on the east side of Portrack and on a big stretch between Portrack and Tilery.
This view is earlier than 1970, because by then nearly all the Buses in the picture were in the Turquoise Livery of Teesside Municipal Transport. This view almost certainly shows the Depot very shortly after it opened in 1965.