Can you help?
I am almost certain that this is Phumphreys Jam & Icing sugar factory in Mandale Road. Thornaby. (This information was kindly provided by Robert Dicken)
Mandale Road Thornaby-on-Tees. The ceramic tiled property was part of Pumphreys Jam and Icing sugar factory. The property on the left corner was Barclays Bank (corner of Robert St) The building to the right of Pumphries was Mr Reynolds Ironmongers shop. (This information was kindly provided by Robert Dicken)
Pumphreys factory Mandale Road Thornaby makers of Lemon Curd, one could smell the lemons when passing the premises. My sister Nora had her first job there in 1955 aged 15 yrs on leaving school (This information was kindly provided by Philip McNeill)
This looks like Mandale Road in Thornaby – just to the east of the Town Hall – and I think the low modernistic building used to be Pumphreys Sugar Works. (This information was kindly provided by Julian Herbert)
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
Picture Stockton Archive 
This picture is the jam factory I lived in the street behind called Stephenson Street in the 1970s. I can remember the factory in operation I also remember the shops on opposite side of the road, the bakers the newsagents also Dickens which went on to Portrack Lane now too they have gone
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Between 1849-51, I think there was an orphanage or workhouse in Portrack Lane. I heard talk of it and recently found this site: https://www.workhouses.org.uk/Stockton/
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There was also an orphanage/workhouse in Portrack Lane. It won’t permit me to post the site but it says: “In 1849-51, a new workhouse was built at a nine-acre site on Portrack Lane, Stockton.” I heard this mentioned among the many stories my Father told.
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Yes this is Mandale Road, Thornaby-on-Tees. The buildings you have identified are correct. The aroma from the jam factory was strawberries in the summer.
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An ancestor of mine, Anna Macro, came from Italy, met my (great?) grandfather in London and they travelled north. She came from an engraving picture framing family which she carried on there. I believe they opened two shops in Mandale Road.
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My husbands Uncle, Arthur Douglas, worked at Pumphreys, he used to leave his home in New Marske every Sunday, after tea, to light the boiler ready for the Monday morning shift. 🙂
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My Mother Norma Connor and her close friend Maureen Bartley (their maiden names) met when they were age 14 circa 1943 when they began working at Pumphrey’s where they made cake decorations. They are still great friends! They knew Jenny Oates and a group of these friends used to gather at my parents’ home and reminisce. My aunt, Enid Connor also worked at Pumphrey’s during the same era. She had a scalding accident on her legs involving jam, I believe. She lived an active life to a good age.
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Know your mum well, worked with her at Pumphreys, remember a lot of girls who worked there, brings back happy memories. My name was Ethel Thornton till I got married, many happy days then. Ethel Lowther.
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So good to hear from you, Ethel, and I’m so sorry I have only just received an email from this blog and read your post.. My Mother, Maureen (and my Father, Cliff Taylor, who started at Head Wrightson? and became and international engineer) have passed away since I wrote my comment above. They all were great story tellers and picture painters to recreate their memories which I loved to hear. My Mother told me all about the group of girls, reeled off all your names and the fun you all had together. I wish you much health and happiness and thank you very much for replying.
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So good to hear from you, Ethel, and I’m so sorry I have only just received an email from this blog and read your post.. My Mother, Maureen (and my Father, Cliff Taylor, who started at Head Wrightson? and became and international engineer, an artist, published poet and pianist) have passed away since I wrote my comment above. They all were great story tellers, lovers of life, long distance cyclists and recreated their fond memories which I loved to hear. My Mother told me all about the group of girls, reeled off all your names and the fun you all had together. I wish you much health and happiness and thank you very much for replying. With bountiful blessings to you and yours.
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My father Reg Clark passed away last year at the tender age of 93. He worked there for 40 years, I remember dad taking me with him on deliveries around the Dales. I remember clif Ashmond and the other guys dad used to work with. A long time ago for sure, my mother used to bake up a storm at Christmas time!
Cheers Rob Clark
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The Cliff Ashman you mention was my cousin, and he was the transport manager of Pumphreys. He sadly passed away some 9 or 10 years ago.
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Hi Rob,sorry to hear your father has passed away. I worked with Reg at Pumphrey’s he was lovely, a right gentleman. I worked in the offices for 15 years from 1965 to 1980 I got made redundant when the transport depot closed and I think it was only another year before the whole factory closed. Happy days, we had some laughs over the years. I was always sneaking through the factory on some excuse or other to see everyone and your dad of course made the marzipan it was delicious, fresh from the mixer. I used to bump into him over the years as we both lived in Hartburn. He used to tell me about going to Canada to see you. I think it must be over 10 years since I had seen him last and he was still cheeky as ever, still driving and chuffed to bits about it. I am sure he must be sadly missed by you and your family. Best wishes Barbara Berry (Mallon)
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Hi My dad worked with Reg in the almond dept Jim Bartley. I remember going down with him on a Saturday morning to move the almonds around in big water vats. I sat in a white tray and floated at the edge! It was thrilling! Then I loved to have a ride in the lift with the metal gates. My mam worked there (Rita) she was on “the Plant” during the war years and just after. Dad chased her and they got married. Years later I did my stint there working under my dad! I packed the marzipan dad and Reg made. Happy days.
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Hello Sandra I met your Dad a couple of times. My Dad was Laurie Alderson and he worked at Pumphreys for over 50 yrs. He was Transport Manager when he retired in 1979. He was not a well man when he retired as he had a serious accident at work. The cables on the lift snapped and he came down two floors. Fortunately no one else was in the lift. He never fully recovered, and died in 1991. I wondered if you remembered hearing about his accident?
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Joan, my cousin Cliff Ashman was Transport Manager at Pumphrey’s though I think it must have been maybe before your dad…
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No, Laurie Alderson was Transport Manager before Cliff Ashman – I was working there when Laurie had his accident. Cliff Ashman took over temporarily when Laurie was off sick. Laurie did return but he never completely recovered from the accident. Cliff Ashman then became Transport Manager. I remember fondly all the people mentioned above. I worked in the Office Accounts and at the same time as Barbara Berry. It was a historic time as the Quaker Company was steeped in history and to a certain extent in working practice, especially in the office which was very much the old school type. I wonder what happened to the ‘Time Capsule’ which was buried towards the main entrance of the building! ? My time at W & M Pumphrey was memorable. I have lots more memories.
I have lived in the Cotswolds for a number of years.
Fond Working memories Margaret Allan (nee Halfpenny)
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I used to visit Mandale road every sunday to visit my grandparents – well, actually they lived round the back of Pumphreys in – i forget the name – could it be John st?? My mother worked at Pumphreys for a while when she was young – she was born in 1931. She was called Sheila Wilson – i remember her telling me she made little flowers, violets i think she said. She died over 2 years ago. I don’t know if her mother Edna Wilson ever worked there – but i do know she worked in a little newsagents on Mandale road in the early 70’s. I don’t suppose anyone is around to remember her now, she was a lovely woman. My granddad was always known as Jack wilson (john stanley wison really) —— i seem to think in his retirement years he worked as a watchman at Pumphrys – but i could have got that wrong. He was quiet well known in Thornaby, worked with the salvation army fundraising i think. I do wish pumphrys had old employee records somewhere it would have been nice to pick out relatives. My mother also used to mention a chocolate shop there too on mandale road – laceys?? Ring a bell with anyone??
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I would like to look up on an old girlfriend of mine who worked at pumphreys in the 1960’s…her name was Josie and lived in Thornaby…
I would be so pleased if anyone would can help…
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I used to buy fondant from them to feed my bees in the winter [the home of bridal icing sugar], Archer Street Job Centre was nearby where we went from Yarm School for them to help us get employment when we left school [and flaming useless they were too]
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When did this factory close please?
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Neil, I have a photo of your Nan’s shop and Barnard Street you can have. We lived in Barnard Street 1942-1964, and as a child I bought milk, bread and scones there daily. Mrs Crone had a grandson who lived in Mandale Road who was a pal, I think he was Tony Crone? another relation was Ray Costello.
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I have just noticed this reply… I would like to see the photograph you mention. The Crones and Costellos are my cousins.
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Hi Neal, I will ask the Library Staff to send you my e-mail address, your Nan baked beautiful rock cakes and my mother was forever buying them from her in her grocers shop. Tony Cone, Pat Crone and Ray Costello I knew very well indeed. Also Alfie Frost (My respects and R.I.P) and many, many others. Bob.
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Bob Wilson – your reference to Crones grocery shop, that was my Nanas shop and it was on the corner of Barnard Street and Queen St. Around the Five lamps there were other shops like Pacittos ice cream shop and Blooms carpet shop. Also a butchers called Toulsons.
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Reference to pig keeping in Thornaby mentioned in a post above by F P Mee. May I remind Thornaby residents of ‘BILLY’, who collected waste food in a wheel barrow pushcart around Thornaby in the 1940 – 1955 period: Billy [RIP] was Thornaby’s answer to Stockton’s famous ‘Giggy Moon’, both being two famous street characters who were respected by all. Billy’s full name was William Gibbons, his family had a butchers shop in Westbury Street, and his father it was rumoured was the former Mayor of Thornaby? How accurate this info is I don’t know. Another character was Old Mr Ayres k/as ‘Yabbo’ who lived in Spring Street, Thornaby, he collected scrap metal with a pram and walked miles each day doing so. Which reminds me, does anyone have a photo of the wood plaque erected on the terrace wall in Spring St, Thornaby, which contains a list of the five Spring Street WW1 dead. All five from one street, if not a photo does anyone have a list of the names?
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I lived on Cromwell Terrace and knew Jackie Ayres he lived with his sister who was blind . you always got a mug of tea when visiting with a spoon of condensed milk . I moved away a long time ago but always went to Percy Gibbons when visiting and miss my chats with Stuart since he retired . A different time and I miss them .
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The bank shown was Barclays Bank, next door to it in Robert Street was a side entrance into the bank. Directly over the road from the bank was a corner shop which calibrated truck diesal pumps, at the rear of this shop was their welding shop in which they did Alloy Welding. Further along Robert Street on the left you had an old guy who rented out handcarts for 5/- a day. In the far corner of Robert Street there was a builders yard. To the right and out of sight was the Laddercraft Joinery company, walking away from Laddercraft and back towards Mandale Road you had next to the bank annexe Pumphreys Boiler House building [shown] In Mandale Road, you had Pumphreys, Mr Reynolds Hardware Shop [Mr Reynolds was Britain answer to The Munsters or The Adams Family all rolled into one, what a wonderful ghost Mr Reynolds would have made!] Walking towards the Five Lamps from the bank shown you had 100 yards on the left the St Johns Ambulance Hall, Kaufmans Carpet Shop, then the Yorkshire Bank, whose main doorway was opposite Scots Paper Shop, next to Scots you had Hills the Bakers, formerly Jakie Fells Wet Fish shop, The National Canteen [closed] a TV shop, then the Queens Cinema. Shops came and went I recall Home & Colonial, Liptons, a printer and stationers and Dickens, also Crones grocery and sweets, then a pub.
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Does anyone have relatives who worked at Sheldon & Pearson’s around the 1940’s? Would like to know the names of the management at that time.
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My mother worked at Sheldon & Pearson her name was Annie Vincent ( nee Smales ) .
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On 11 March 1943 when, after 5 weeks without a raid, the sirens once again announced the coming of a Luftwaffe Air raid on Thornaby, Sheldon’s sweets suffered a great deal of roof, window and building damage when a Dornier 217 dropped two parachute mines. The first one exploded in Darlington Street at 23.31 hours. The second bomb scored a direct hit on the power station in Princess Street near the Five Lamps. This affected production at Head Wrightson Teesdale works for 24 hours, production was also affected at Kinnell’s Foundry, Allan’s Bonlea Foundry, the Saturn Oxygen Company and John Harpers. W & M Pumphreys’ sugar factory was badly damaged although this did not prevent them from despatching twenty tons of sugar products from the factory by the following afternoon.
The damage to housing in the area was enormous with five houses in Thornaby Road and the Brittania Hotel being totally obliterated in an instant. In total 541 houses in the area of George Street, Princess Street and Mandale Road were seriously damaged, of which 81 had to be demolished. George Street C of E school was also seriously damaged and would not reopen until April 1944. Three people were killed during this raid and a further 72 people were injured. Air Raid Warded Mrs Miriam Pugh (41) was killed on duty outside of the Britannia Hotel when it took a direct hit. The licensee of the hotel, Mr Devine, and his family of five all escaped unharmed although they had to be rescued from the rubble. Mr Robert Hornsby (76) was buried in the ruins of his home at 23, Thornaby Road and Mr James Lambert (69) of 6, St Peters Road was killed on fire-watch duty at the power station when it was destroyed. This was to be Thornaby’s worst raid of the war with a total of 550 people being made homeless. My family the Wilson’s were bombed out and the writer Robert Wilson dug out of the rubble by firemen. Source: Stockton Council War Diary 1939-19945.
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My mother and father used to own the china shop over the road from Pumphries, it was called Mackays selling a varied assortment of glass and china from 3 June 1960 leaving 1975.
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Jenny Oates is my auntie and worked at Pumphries. She still lives in Thornaby and is fit and well.
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My Mother talked often about your auntie, Sharon. Her name was Norma Connor/Taylor.
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Your auntie would also have known Maureen Bartley.
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My mam Sheila Ward nee Maine worked at Pumphries from about 1948 for four years. She made sugar flowers and in the summer picked the tops off the strawberries in the garage for extra pay. She worked with Betty Currie, Margaret Skerritt, Jenny Oates, Norma Moore among others. Life working at Pumphries was a joy. She has 4 sons and a daughter to her husband Lol Ward who unfortunately passed away in 1992.
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You are quite right about the flavour of bacon today Frank, the art of curing salting and smoking has gone. Pigs dont get the chance to root about outside or be fed from foodwaste like they used to. One way and another the Ministry of Food in recent years has messed up the food chain until nothing is the same. I dont think it is even called the Ministry of Food, some fancy name with so many offshoots nobody knows what they are doing.
When you entered Thornaby the aroma from Pumphries met you like the days of Rowntrees of York all swallowed up by massive combines from abroad. Our own identity has gone!
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Pumphreys’s – that brings back memories. We had our own pigs and Dad having his own truck would whilst doing jobs for Pumphrey’s pick up metal containers of waste, usually lemon curd or jam. Our pigs only ate the best and my job was to light the outside boiler scrub potato’s in a big metal bath with a yard broom then boil them until tender. They were so good I often took a couple opened them up and spread them with butter to eat. Once cooled I put them into another tub to be used over the coming week. We also boiled cabbage very lightly, pigs like some crunch and I chopped up root vegetables. This was all mixed with oats or corn and some of the lemon curd or jam waste and fed to the pigs. They loved it and on more than one occasion I was knocked over in their rush to get at it. During the war Dad was noted for his sweet tasting bacon and hams. Most pigs in wartime got fish meal and you could taste it in the bacon. He also collected waste from Sparks Bakery which we also mixed in the food. There was a government scheme whereby all food waste was put in separate buckets by householders then collected and taken to Darlington to be made into a concentrated food for animals, Dad would not touch it, he did not feed his pigs on rubbish. We got a ration of oats or corn meal from Maddox warehouse in Stockton for animal and chicken feed but luckily we got topped up from my Uncle Arthur Marsay’s farm plus root veg mainly turnips. Those pigs lived on the fat of the land but when the time came we had no problem turning them into bacon and ham’s, I can still taste it as I ate bacon every morning before school then work. Today’s rubbish, even the supposedly outdoor, is not a patch on that bacon we ate then.
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I worked at Pumphreys in the early seventies and remember Cliff Ashman, a dapper slim chap running round in overalls. I think he was in charge of transport, I also remember Lory Alderson, Jim Bartley in charge of almonds and sugar, Mr Jaret, factory manager known as Minter by the older hands and Jim Miller in charge of jam making.
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Graham, Cliff Ashman was my cousin, and a Hilda Curry who worked in the decorations ( icing ) department was also a cousin
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My dad is Jim Bartley, unfortunately on Sunday 9th Nov 2014 he died. He had many stories about the place and I really wished he had written them down…he told me once of someone plumbing the hot water tap to the toilet flush and someone nearly burning their backside!!!! Also when I was little I used to go down to the Mill on a Saturday morning and have a ride around in the plastic tub in the blanching vats!!!!
lots of names along with those you mention I recall, along with Walter, Derek Brignal and …someone Scott.
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Hello Graham Hughes, not sure if you will see this message but I’m new to computers and have just found this site regarding Pumphreys. Laurie Alderson was my Father and I remember all the people you mention in your post. Of course Dad is no longer with us but Mum only died two years ago aged 96. Happy days.
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My husbands grandma was an Edna Clasper who worked at the sugar factory about 1927. Am really pleased to see the picture. If anyone has any knowledge of her I would love to hear from them.
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Definitely Mandale Road – it is Barclays Bank on the corner of Robert st, and its still there but is a security company now. The modern building was the new extension to Pumphreys sugar factory, my mam was the comptometer operator in the offices there and we lived over the road from the main entrance on Archer Street. The factory was knocked down and Breeze motor company is in its place now.
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I think Jenny worked in the Sugar Flowers Department of Pumphries what a happy bunch they were! Margaret Halfpenny.
Jason Cooney I worked with your mother Mary at the time your father Kevin had the Carpet Shop on Mandale Road. MH
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This is the sugar factory, as I remember it, the owners were T&L sugar poducts(Tate & Lyle)
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My grandfather was a foreman at the sugar mill and I wondered if anyone remembers him. His name was Walt Huckle. Lesley Huckle
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Does anyone remember Clifford Ashman who was transport manager at Pumphreys also Hilda Curry of the decorations team. They are my cousins.
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I was absolutely staggered to see my old car in this picture. It”s a 1973 Cadillac Fleetwood reg. no. PLO 9L, and I bought it from a friend at work in about 1981. I sold it in I think 82/83. The car was originally painted dark metallic brown, but the new owner had it resprayed bright red. I remember often seeing it parked in Archer St, as in this scene.
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My interest in Pumphreys comes from researching my father-in-law”s past. His name was George Peterson and he worked there in about 1932 when he was about 14 years old and before he left to go to sea on the whalers. If anyone can give me more details it would be lovely. I wonder if there is a log of employees from that time? George was an orphan so we have few other leads to follow.
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Hi I”m Jackie, Just a reply to the lady who is Rita Walkers daughter, Andrea Edmondson. It was my mum Brenda Wright (nee Parker) who wrote that piece on here, (well I typed, she dictated, hah) Her name seems to be on the previous message though, and it looks like Alan Weallens has wrote that bit. Bit confusing really..! She always talks fondly of her time in Pumphreys, and the girls she worked with. Your mum must be the same age as mine, b1931. I will tell mam tomorrow the message you have posted on here; she”ll be over the moon. I have searched the internet for any photos of the girls who worked there at that time but I haven’t found anything as yet, only photos of the outside of the building, maybe a trip to the library is in order.
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I remember working in Pumphreys c.1936, I was Connie Burton at that time, I worked in the part which made the cake decorations, this was called the “posh part” in those days. My sister Irene also joined there before me. I will be 86 years old this month and have happy memories of Pumphreys as it was a nice clean job in those days.
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I am Rita Walkers daughter ( ref comment from Alan Wealleans 9/11/2004), and I can remember her telling me about Pumphreys, Ive really enjoying looking at the old pictures of Thornaby. My mam has just celebrated her 75th birthday and was quite excited when I told her about her name being on the internet.
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Does anyone know what was next door to the bank in this photo on the other side of Roberts street. I am an artist and currently have a studio space in this building on the top floor. It now has a computer shop in it and a signmakers/ graphics shop on the lower floor. I would love to see a photo of it from the late 1800″s up to the 1920″s as a ghost of a lady was spotted wearing a dress of the early 1900/ late 1800 period in the building tonight while we working late. We were listening to early jazz music which may have attracted her and she seemed friendly so we weren”t too spooked. If anyone has any information on this I would love to hear from you. feel free to contact me at bauhaus503673@msn.com.
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John Chadwick asked in 2004, What was on the other left-hand corner of Robert Street? Reply: On the other side of Robert St (Mandale Road frontages), there were two empty shops attached to Thornaby Town Hall, the first shop was the former WHVS Offices that issued ration books during the war, it was always empty and in the shop window there were old posters and WW2 faded leaflets gathering dust, there was another office/shop attached to it that was always closed, these shops adjoined the Town Hall, inside Thornaby Town Hall a corridor to the right passed them, the building was empty for some 20 years, in the late 1960s the former Town Hall upstairs offices were rented out, maybe because it was the town hall building it was being kept empty and retained for future council use, but this never transpired. Bob Wilson, Five Lamps, 1941-1960
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I am cuurently building up a collection of photos from the streets from the old end of Thornaby, Anderson Road, James St, Cuthbert St, Short St etc…any one that would like to email me any I would be very grateful. paul.jefferson2@ntlworld.com
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Hi just came across this and noticed you mentioned Short Street. I lived in number 13 Short Street along with my mam and dad and two brothers Stephen and Nigel Barron. We lived there until 1971. Happy Days.
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Nigel? Was his nickname Bagger
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I was just wondering if anyone has any photos of people that worked in the iron Foundry in Thornaby. I”d love to see some. I can remember the Yorkshire Bank on Mandale Road 1968. as I used to go there every Thursday with my mam and I got to go in the greasy spoon a couple of doors down from the bank for a bacon sandwich. That”s going back thirty years and it only seems like yesterday. I remember really clearly. but how different it looks now
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Does anyone remeber The Clock & Watch shop on Mandale Road?Ive been trying to locate a photo of it.
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HI, my maternal family lived “BACK” Mandale Road, and I am looking for anyone with old pictures of Mandale road, especially of the wood work place the back streets of Mandale road circa 1975. Some good photos of the fair and anything you may think some one who is searching might like to see.
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The property on the corner of Mandale Road and Robert Street was then, when this picture was taken, the Midland Bank.
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The home of Pumphrey”s Bridal Icing Sugar. Mandale Road.
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In the comments of Brenda Wright(nee Parker), she worked with the ice decoration team and mentions a Hilda, this lady was my husband”s aunt. Her name was Athalinda Hilda Morris and was well known in Thornaby for her cake decorations. Her sister worked at Phumphreys with Elizabeth Annie Morris.They lived in Gladstone Street round the back of the drill hall.
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Yes this is Pumphreys as a child my grandma lived just up the street a bit, the front was a wool shop * back Mandale road* and I remember walking past as a kid! My unc worked in the lino shop!
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The building is the Pumphrey factory. Immediately after demob from army national service I worked for a while at Laddercraft Ltd which was then situated behind Pumphreys. If a machine fault meant that some jams were labelled wrongly we were offered the jams at half price. —Everyone bought some!
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I worked in Pumphries from 1946 when I was 15yrs old until 1956. I would walk there from Diamond Road. I remember Sue Scott was in charge of the “icing decoration team”. I worked with a Rita Walker and Maureen Bartley for many years. Izzy, Edna, Jenny, Olive and Hilda were in the team but had worked there years before us.
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Hi you said you worked at Pumphrey’s from 1946 to 1956 and worked with a Hilda, among others. Would that Hilda have been Hilda Curry ? If so, she was my cousin.
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I wonder if the ‘Olive’ you mentioned is my Nana
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I am almost certain that the first building on the corner of Robert Street, and Mandale Road was the Yorkshire Penny Bank, then Pumphreys, and the last building at the end was where Reynolds Hardware shop was.
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Yes defo this is mandale road to about north east is Mandale Triangle and opposite was New Street now Supreme Knitwear.
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