Can you help?
If im correct …this picture is of the school on the green in Billingham …St Cuthberts ,where I spent all my school years and all of them very happy ..great to see the old place again …sadly,long ago demolished . Great site by the way (This information was kindly provided by Peter Sigsworth) 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
Stumbled on this site and have enjoyed looking at some names that occurred in my past. Some of the people were from my time in Billingham – Elspeth Fenwick, Richard Holt, Alex Ayton Mel Langford and others.
I started my school life in Chapel Road but it wasn’t long before we moved up to the school on the green. I always believed that they stopped caning girls when a girl in my class fainted. I think it was Lesley Cranks but I could be wrong! Mrs Crichton used to look after us in the large room upstairs if it was a wet playtime. She used to keep us all quiet by saying that she wanted to hear a pin drop, which she pretended to keep in her clothes and she would ‘drop’ the pin and we would all be listening for it. I too remember Mr Greener and the other teachers. We used to play stoolball on the field. I also remember Miss Gibson she would wrap us on the legs with a ruler in the Infants but she played tennis with us on the playground when we were in our last year so she can’t have been too bad! Happy Days!
I was a pupil of the old c of e from approx 1954 to 1958. Transferred from Tilery rd school, compared to which the C of E was paradise.
Remember Sweeting and Mrs Chapman .The head Mr Botcherby used to take us for arithmatic but used to divert to memoirs of the first war,for which I,as a nonenthusiast for sums,used to be grateful.
We used to have religious instruction on a Friday from Cannon Tim-Cannonball Tim as he was popularly known.He used to stand in front of the coal fire at the front of the class with his robe
raised behind him,warming his rear end and swaying slightly from side to side as if he was on the deck of a ship.
With his somnolent delivery and the warmth of the fire we had a job keeping awake. A speciality of Fiday school assembly,when the partition separating the two top classes was drawn aside and the whole school assembled ,was the occasions when some of the kids fainted,overcome by the heat generated by the two coal fires,one at either end of the room.It used to be a regular event to see Mr Greener moving through the assembly ,trying toreach a swaying body before it hit the floor – I don’t recall that any of the kids nearby tried to stop the collapse of their fellow pupils.
Remember one of Mr Sweeting’s pronouncements,that man would never reach outer space because we lacked the power to escape gravity.
Mr Sweeting also took games.Enjoyed running.and cricket-when Mr Greener set up the wicket diagnally across the yard,the fast bowlers had to take their run up out of sight ,along the
alleyway leading to the boys’ toilets,and come steaming suddenly round the corner like Fred Flintstone.
Fellow pupils – Derek Durham and his close buddy,David Stebbings,Tony Buston,Lionel Treloar,Lennie Whitfield,Bernie Cass-think that Li’s uncle -or was it his Dad? -had the
hairdressers on Station rd,just round the corner from the green-and still a hairdresser’s,
Best wishes to the old days..
Sadly we lost Kenny Waite just before Christmas.
He was a lovely lad Kenny. He and I did a Jive display to the Shadows at a C of E school Christmas party when we were 8 years old. Sadly missed RIP dear friend.
My brother, Harry, was friends with them. Derek Durham and Dave Stebbings lived across from us on Weardale Cres. I remember you Glenys.
A few names to mention from the 1955-1961 era; Catharene Percival, Jeanette Barlow, Calvin Fenwick, Michael Owen, Peter James, Brian Waterhouse, George Tinkler,
Neville Fenwick, David Jeffs, David Taylor, Elspeth Fenwick, Richard Holt, Janice Ayton, Alex Ayton, Freda Martindale, Elaine Petre, Melvyn Langford, Geoffrey Bell, Timothy Clayton, Alan Hope, Margaret Bell, Linda Brennan, Margaret Bond, Hilary Davies, Nancy Hil, Catharine Lewis, Jean Loden, Barbara Snell, Margaret Sedgley, Linda Twizell, Linda Winstanley, Geoff Hodgson, Celia Wardale, Jane Harrington, Kenneth Waite, Susan Blake, Christine Plant, Irene Jackson, Maralyn Middlemiss, Valerie Cook, Pauline Ramsden, Hilary Birtle……………and Glenys Wilson who has posted here (she played an angel in one of the Nativity Plays !!)
Hi Roger, Freda Martindale here (now Gowland). It’s nice to see this. What a long time ago. I am still living in Billingham. What are you up to? and what about Timothy ? You used to live in Station Road didn’t you ? Freda
Hi Freda, I had not seen your comment until today. Your memory is amazing. Yes 87 Station Road and spookily I bought 80 Station Road and lived there in later years (1984-1996). Now in Pickering, North Yorkshire. Did you see the Class photos that I posted here from the Infants School. Your good memory might be able to name some of the children. Brother Timothy is in Essex. I remember you from the School Plays……….Hope you, and yours, are well. Roger
Hi Roger, By this has brought back Happy Memories of school, I have met up with Linda Winstanley (now Newsome) and Catherine Wells (Harris) when I was working in Yarm (am retired 2 years now) are you still working I remember you living in Station Road near Billingham Motors the houses just past there. Not sure if you remembered Yvonne Percy she died in her early thirties and Christine Dick died 2006. You just cannot believe where the years have gone as we are all now in our 60’s good grief. We are living in Eaglescliffe, I moved here n 1977 when I got married. Would be nice to hear if you have met up or heard from anyone else. Take care, Hilary Patterson (nee Davies)
FAO Ann Martin: Do I remember Ann Millward, good question…..Can you supply me with an approximate date, albeit a year will suffice….As I have previously stated, I did spend quite a lot of my time in the Billingham area…sorry it has taken some time to reply…
Hello, sorry it has also taken me a while to catch up. My guess would be 1962/63
I went to the Infants School in 1957-59 and was taught by Miss Bateman (nice) and Ms Gibson (not so nice). The latter would smack us if we made a mistake reading out loud to her! I love the playground with the monkey bars and space to run around in. Wouldn’t be allowed now. Then the school on the Green, St Cuthberts. One teacher had a cane on her desk which she wielded daily to 7 year olds and loved the power. She once caned 12 kids, lined them up because they didn’t know who else lived in the Peddlers Caravan. It was the parrot! I was caned for smudging a line with ink; I wet myself! I was terrified of them both. Find it hard to understand how others had such happy days!
I agree with your comments about Miss Bateman (lovely) and Miss Gibson (unlovely).I went to both the infants and then on to The Green (leaving in 1968). The latter taught my mother when she was at the school in the 1940’s and Miss G was apparently not so nice then either. By the mid to late 1960’s they did not punish girls physically but the boys still got a slap/smack or the cane, depending on the severity of the offence. Ah, well, it’s all water under the bridge now.
I remember Miss Gibson, very strict but loved her music. I started in 1962.
With regard to the church school on the green I didn’t realise Miss Liverseed, Miss Gibson and Miss Bateman taught there before the Chapel Road infants school was built. Miss Liverseed was headmistress at Chapel Road in the early 50’s when I started school there. With regard to Miss Liverseed, she lived to the grand old age of 106. When she was 100 she wrote a book. The BBC interviewed her because she attended Queen Victoria’s jubilee celebration at Egglescliffe Church when she was 6 years old. I visited her often when she was in a nursing home in Billingham. Her mind was still as sharp as a razor. We had many happy chats about the old days at Chapel Road. I did a watercolour painting of Egglescliffe Church looking through Yarm bridge for her, and she was so thrilled. A wonderful lady.
These messages bring back many memories:
“Nearly always thrashed”; I was team captain when we beat Haverton Hill ‘B’ 2-1. Their ‘A’ team had beaten us 15-0 that year so we were full of ourselves!
“Life more straightforward”; Dirty Dick, an old flasher would periodically appear to chase all screaming and shouting into the schoolyard, but to my knowledge nobody was really concerned about him.
“Miss Liverseed”; I met another ex-pupil in Houston about 10 years ago who said she was 100 years old and attributed her longevity to a glass of gin every night! I’m trying it and so far it works!
“Greener, Sweeting, and canes”; these and I got together a quite few times and I still remember the red/white/red stripes they produced on my hands, but they were good teachers and we bore no grudges. I hadn’t heard about Mrs Greener – how tragic, she was a wonderful lady.
I have many memories of the Church School on the green. The top floor of the school building shown was used for domestic science lessons with Miss Hilary. This was after the boys had been doing woodwork classes – imagine ‘Elf and Safety’ today allowing that!
The game with Pop Sweeting and two boards was Stool Ball, the original name for rounders. He often took the class over to the Bull Garth on a Summer’s afternoon for a game. The Bull Garth was next to the Star Boot Co. and Bowman’s shop.
I used to sit next to Geoffrey Hodgson in Mrs Rutherford’s class. Geoff is right, we C of E’ers should get together to share memories. The sweet shop opposite the school was Cleveland Bakery, run by two elderly sisters. It was mysteriously open every Sunday for a few hours in the afternoon when all the other shops were shut.
Pamela Bilton (nee Dove), I think you were in my year at the South Modern. I was looking at the class photo just last year and your name was among the few I could remember. Must try to get it on the site, perhaps your memory is better than mine.
I remember going to Chaple Road infants, then on to St Cuthberts C of E schoo. The piture is taken from the corner of the green and Station Road, probably outside Bowmans. I remember just about all teachers mentioned above, also Mr Bowman, the red stamp where we used to get broken biscuits, a transport cafe over the road from school – Dodds I think the name was, Walter Wilsons shop and Welfords sweetie shop opposite school. I was born at No 33 The Green in 1952, good times when we were kids.
I started school in Chapel Road, I can recall Miss Bateman and Miss Gibson, Mr and Mrs Botcheby. At one point I was the dinner money monitor. I had a go on the big slide, can recall dinners arriving in big silver coloured dishes in a van, they were cooked somewhere else. The coal fires which the little bottles of milk were thawed out around in the winter. School sports day for the infants was on grass at the back of the shops on Station Road. Outside lavs and loo paper kept in the teachers cupboard along with the canes. Mrs Chrichton and her magic cloth used if you fell. And going to a shop on the row where the Black Horse is. I left when I was in Mrs Botchebys class to live in Bristol when I returned some years later the school was no more. I enjoyed my time there.
I remember being taught at the infants school at Chapel Road and soon after I started there in 1962 or 63 it closed? Then we moved to The Green. I think Miss Bateman continued to teach us for a while and then she retired. Miss Gibson then taught us, followed by Miss Botcheby in first year juniors. I seem to remember a Miss Richardson and later Mr Hislop or Heslop? teaching there. Mr Greener taught me for the last year or so and then I went off to Faraday Hall for a few months. In late ’68 I moved away and went to various schools over the next few years, eventually I settled in Leeds. I enjoyed my time at the C of E School, even allowing for feeling the cane on my fingers every now and then! Happy days !
I remember Mr Greener, his son Richard was also in my class.
I started my school life at the infants in Chapel Rd. Miss Liverseed was the headmistress and the other teachers were Miss Bateman and Miss Gibson. I lived over the road so I went home for my dinner.
Then went to the school on the Green. Mrs Botcherby was my 1st teacher, Mr was the Headmaster. Pop Sweeting took us for football. He always wore a gabardine mac? Great times with Mr Greener, bowled to him in the playground and took us all to the rec to play that game with two boards. Played football on the Green ‘jumpers are goalposts’ Great, great memories. All we wanted was Billing Beck the rec and the picture house on sat mornings. Pity we can’t all get together. Life seemed so straightforward then.
I attended this school in the last two years prior to its demolition in 1969. When I attended the first floor of the building housed the first and second year juniors in one large class. We were taught by Mr Heslop and Miss Hodgson. On the ground floor were the infants, the teacher being a quite strict Mrs Gibson. As mentioned the Headmaster Mr Iceton and staff room were on the right side of the building as shown next to the stairs on first floor. They had a coal fire in the rooms. Usual playground events included monokitty!!(Strange game where you took turns in teams of three or four to jump on the back of the other team then kick, knee, punch and bounce on them until they gave up and collapsed. Crazy but fun, played behind the building to the left of the picture in the small triangle between the fence and the building. There was a class for third and fourth years run by Mr Greener in the older building not shown. Assembly/dinner hall were also in this building. The boys toilets were at the back of this building outside. These used to freeze in winter. Mrs Criton was the “dinner nanny”. No bad memories of this building.
I remember the school on the green, went there 1935 to 1939. Miss Margot, Miss Lliverseed, Miss Batement I remember. Also school boys – Jimmy Gates, Gordon Green. Anyone remember me, Alan Hutchinson?
Yes I was at this school from 1935 to 1940. I remember Miss Bateman, Miss Rutherford, Jimmy Gates, Miss Margots. In 1940 we moved to Bishopmiddleham to escape the bombs.
This is the school I attended until my family emigrated to Canada in the early 50″s. It certainly evoked many memories. Ann Craig(Randall)
One function of the Billingham Church of England School in the Fifties was a Meeting place for the Local Branch of the AEU (Amalgamated Engineering Union) , as it was known. I remember that my Dad, along with many other men, in The Billingham Area were Members. Dad worked at Ashmore Benson and Pease (Later, Davy United, Whesso etc etc) at the Bowsfield lane works and Parkfield Works. On the nights of the (1950″s) Branch Meetings, in the St. Cuthberts School, Billingham. when he was working late, and unable to attend. I got the task of taking his Branch Subscriptions, paying them to The Local treasurer, in one of the classrooms, I think on the upper floor. I remember, passing through the metal gates and the building doors and concrete steps going up behind the doors. On other comments connected to St Cuthberts school. I remember Tommy Wells and his sisters very well. Last I heard of Tommy he was working for the old Stockton Corporation bus Company and Remember meeting Rita Bartley when I was at Stockton Billingham Tech, in Roseberry Road, Billingham. nice to hear that they view the website and contribute. I am now retired, and live, not too, far away, near Hull, in East Yorkshire. After living and working in other countries in Africa and Europe. The website link, was given to me by a good friend, resident in Stockton, and I do not believe a place, can exist for a former Teesside resident, to provoke so many, rich and varied memories of Teesside Youth.
How strange to find this photo after all these years.I did all my schooling there and at the infants down Sandy Lane(?)Left in 1958 to go into the boys army.Enjoyed playing shinty,crazy game.Cheers!
Tony – How are you? Do you remember another old pupil of the ole C of E, Terry Laing ? Yup,that’s me.
As your message on this web site is a few years old I hope you’re well and can get in touch.
Best wishes, Terry L
With respect to the following quote – “I also think that the shop Louise Whitfield refers to was known as the Red Stamp Store.” – I would add that the shop annexed to the school belonged to my father and his two brothers – John and Alfred. When John died in 1947 the shop was sold to Thompson`s Red Stamp Stores. I remember Mrs Greener at the school but unfortunately she became ill and died. I enjoyed being taught by her husband as well. If you were a boy you were almost placed into the football team straight away as there were hardly enough elible boys to make up a team. We were nearly always thrashed.
Hi Pamela (nee Dove). I remember you when you lived in Mill Lane , must have been the early “60s. If i remember rightly didn”t your father work at Billingham Motors, i think he sold me a car round about that era. The last time i saw you was at an Estate Agent in Norton High Street many years ago. I spent most of my time in Billingham ,even though i was a Norton lad ,as most of my “biker” friends were from that area. We used to meet on Sunday mornings at the Green, but that”s another story. There”s been a lot water under the bridge since those days, i sincerely hope time has been as kind to you as it has to me.
Keith Waller, do you remember Ann Millward of Billingham?
Yes this is the church of england school and I had lots of fun at this school
I lived in Billingham and attended St Cuthberts church, this is the church school on the green. I went to Billingham South from 1952-58. I used to know Pam Bothcherby, the headmaster”s daughter, as she and I went to Henry Smiths grammar in Hartlepool. Too many baby boomers to go to Grangefield Grammar in Stockton.
Yes, this is Billingham C.of E. School, viewed from Bowman”s shop on the Green. This building housed the Senior pupils until B”ham Campus School opened in 1961. Also the staffroom [names I remember include Mr.& Mrs Botcherby (he was headmaster), Pop Sweeting and Mrs.Rutherford] and Domestic Science/Craft rooms.
This is indeed the green school where I spent my happy school days, it is the only picture I have seen from a side elevation. I remember Mr Greener and Miss Gibson. We used to make a long slide on the ice which stretched half way accross and the whole school used to join in. I remember going to the church for assembly and playing rounders on the swing field.
I remember St.Cuthbert”s School on the Green at Billingham. I used to live in Grange Avenue and then in Mill Lane. I also remember Jack Bartley”s butcher”s shop in Mill Lane and Rita Bartley was his daughter.I also think that the shop Louise Whitfield refers to was known as the Red Stamp Store.I did not go to the Church school but went to The Billingham South Modern School in Belasis Avenue but I don”t think that I am related to Louise Whitfield (Nee Dove).The photo shown appears to be The Church School on Billingham Green. Which I think was demolished in the 1960″s.
Pamala Bilton, did you ever live in Langdale Road, Billingham? I lived in no 2 as a child and remember a Pam Bilton over the road.
I spent all my school years there also. I still keep in touch with my friend Shirly Taylor and Rita Bartley. I remember Sigsworth”s and Fletchers Boy”s from the store behind the school. Louise