A wide view of terraces on Norton Road in Stockton. c1985 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
A wide view of terraces on Norton Road in Stockton. c1985
Does anyone remember the Simpson”s from Swainby or Danby, if so please let me know.
HELLO TONY SCOTT, I AM TRYING TO PICTURE YOU NOW, I MOVED FROM SWAINBY RD TO ALVERSTON RD NORTON IN 1962, I LIVED ACROSS FROM GEOFF BLACKBURN AND KNOCKED AROUND WITH GEOFF, MALLY WOODS, MICK DEGNAN, TERRY O”CONNELL, JIMMY MANNION, ALBY HINDMARSH, AND LOTS OF OTHERS, WE ALL WENT TO THE CAVE DWELLERS CLUB IN STATION ROAD BILLINGHAM ON A FRIDAY NIGHT AND THE JUBILEE HALL ON SATURDAY NIGHTS, IF YOU REMEMBER ME GET BACK IN TOUCH.
Hello Margaret Craggs, bet your brother Brian could name everyone who lived in Kingston Street. Nice to see you on this site. Arthur
Yes the Craggs family still live in stockton except Brian who does live in Tyne & Wear, david had a stroke quite a while ago but the rest of the family are all in reasonably good health, its been nice to read all the comments from people who are ex tilery and i will enjoy reading any more that are posted.
HI DEBORAH, YES I KNEW ALL THE WILSONS,I WAS BORN IN SWAINBY ROAD AND LIVED THERE UNIL I WAS 16, THEN WE MOVED TO NORTON, IT WAS LIKE ONE BIG FAMILY LIVING IN SWAINBY RD, EVERYONE NEW EACH OTHER, AND MOST WERE RELATED IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. I STILL CLASS THEM AS THE GOOD OLD DAYS.
Hi Barry Parkin You mention Dennis Wilson he was related to my Mam. She would run the dance in the “Blood Tub” and one night in particular after Dennis(as was his usual behaviour)was in the process of getting chucked out for causing trouble he realised that it was my mam running the dance she dealt with him rather than the bouncers and he was teased rotten because she grabbed him by the ear and frog marched him down all the stairs while he apologised for causing bother in her dance.
Does anyone remember Tommy Mead who was a landlord in the Brown Jug I believe in the late 70s early 80s. His wife is Kathy.
Ray Buck. The Scotts you knew were a different family which I knew. Talking about the Brown Jug it was always a good night out. If you wanted trouble there was always someone who would accommodate you. Remembering one night a certain punter did cause trouble and later there was a fight outside. An hour later a woman was seen searching outside on the pavement. When asked what was wrong she said her husband had been involved in a fight and had lost his gold tooth. The next day Owny Carberry said that after the fight and the next morning it was like the “Klondyke.” Everyone was looking for that gold tooth. Happy days.
I HAVE BEEN READING ALL THE COMMENTS ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO LIVED IN SWAINBY ROAD, I WAS BORN IN No 70 NEXT DOOR TO FRANKIE SMART, RIGHT ACROSS THE ROAD FROM US WERE FLATS IN BLOCKS OF 4 AND I REMEMBER ON ONE OF THE BLOCKS THE FOUR FAMILIES WERE CALLED THE GREENS, THE BLACKS, THE WHITES, AND THE BROWNS, ITS NOT OFTEN THAT WOULD HAPPEN. I STILL SEE A FEW OF THE LADS IN FACT JOHN CARBERRY LIVES NEAR ME, SO DOES BRIAN RANSOME AND TOMMY SCOTT, I SEE COBBY CARBERRY, DENNIS WILSON, FREDDY NEWBY, ALAN (PUDDO) POWELL, BRIAN ALLISON, JOHN CALVERT, RONNY PATTERSON, TO NAME JUST A FEW IF I COULD CHOOSE WERE TO BE BORN AGAIN I WOULD NOT CHOOSE ANYWERE ELSE.
Hi Decca , Dot sends her warmest regards .She remembers you well.Dot lives in Durham now by the way.
to decca casey i was very young when i used to help tony gregg on the milk,and i lived off norton avenue,and use to knock around the melba bar quite a lot with alan brown, and geordie clarkson,jimmie mannion arnmarshes ,degnans ,jeff blackburn,and a lot more melba lads ,but dave hopkins we still see a lot of each other and are still good friends.as for sheila thomas it was what i would call puppy love which never mounted to anything she was a nice lass,but i knew a lot of people round swainby road and norton and ragworth, as you did in them days.I use to go to the amazon and use to walk round there with owny carbre and shammy.wasnt a drinker in them days so did not frequent many pubs .hope this has helped decca.
To Tony Scott, Shammy Thomas was a year older than me, he lived at 80 Swainby rd, we both went to the same school “tilery “never went to school together, never came home together but after school we were never apart, at that time I lived at 155 Swainby road, me and Shammy were best of friends with Tony Gregg, he was older than us and lived in the flat 121 Swainby road, when we were still at school Tony worked for the dairy delivering milk me, Shammy and my cousin George Thomas {both shammys and my cousin } would help out delivering milk up blue hall, when shammy left school he started work at Hargreaves tarmacing with his uncle Sammy, and if memory serves me right soll Dawson worked with him, at weekend shammy would nearly always treat me to the pictures as I’ve said we were hardly ever apart, when he left for London he would come back home and his 1st visit would be my home, I was then living at 1 Danby rd { Davy Hopkins } few doors away, shammy and me done every thing together and we would scream laughing at thing we would get up to l knew every lad in the road and most of their mates but you have me beat and I have always prided my self with not forgetting names and faces, wish I could see photo of you because I will rack my brain trying to see you down the old road, as for Davy Hopkins when we were all young lads we would sit on stockers steps or the steps over from the flat were Davy lived and we would talk for hours usually in that group would be {not at same time} Andy Littlefair, Ernie Littlefair, Alf Littlefair, their sister Ann, Mick Moony, George Thomas {my other mate not cousin } Davy McMaster, sometimes Jimmy Mannion {another great mate of mine}would come down sure I could go on, that’s the reason I’m so frustrated at not being able to recall you, please get back to me all the best Decca Casey
Hello, I see this comment was a long time ago, I saw my dad’s name and wanted to say hi. Shammy is my dad.
Hi Natalie, me and your dad Shamy were best mates, we had the greatest of days together. I’d not seen him for decades until he was up here visiting Suzie. I have met your mam also, I told her me and my wife used to be in London area visiting our eldest son at R. A. F Northolt. I was shocked when your mam told me her dad used to get his cheap beer out of nafi there! Small world. Your dad Shamy was the best of the best, I have just happy memories of our time together.
All the best.
Derek (Decca) Casey
To Ray Buck,in those days when i went in the Brown Jug at 17 years old with my uncle Franky Casey it was always the bar, and stayed that way,it was the best entertainment place around,as most of the people who drank in the Jug were mainly Swainby-Danby rd folk and from round about mount pleseant we all knew each other very well, its possible we have crossed paths in the Jug at some time, it was a great pub then, who did you sit with and can you rememeber any names from that time, look forward to hearing from all all the best Derek
To Tony Scott, youv”e got me beat Tony as shammy thomas was my mate for years before he went down to london, i also used to go out with tony gegg when he worked for the dairy, in fact tony gregg was my best man at my wedding, shammys sister was called suzie, sheila was shammys cousin and mine also, i thought i could remember the few lads who who would knocked around with us in the times your talking about as i knew every lad in the road both swainby and danby, but you have me beat, wish i could see photo of you, i remember david hopkins very well nice lad,when as young lads we would all sit together on someones steps and talk for hours, then later some great laughs in the brown jug when we got older, as iv”e said tony you realy have me beat, hope you get back to me decca casey
Memories – I remember Owny, he was a good laugh, he stopped me fighting the Thornaby hardman Solly Dawson in the amazing de dance I used to knock around Swainby Road with Shammy Thomas and used to go out with his sister Sheila not for long though. I used to work on the milk with a Tony Gregg who used to live in Swainby Road. My best mate was David Hopkins who lived in Danby Close he used to knock around with Trevor White. We used to have some good times down Swainby Road. I bet it has all changed now
I’m not sure if I’m on the right track here, Is this the Joan Scott has a brother Bruce, Known as Scotty, Joan the Daughter of Bessie Scott a sister at Portrack Hospital lived in Victoria Road, Norton, Bruce was a friend of mine until we went our separate ways once we started work and other interests took over, derek , Our paths must have crossed at some time as Lustrum beck was a great attractionI spent some hours in the top room of the Brown Jug in the early 60″s
To Joan Scott, hi Joan i dont recall a Colin Carberry do you mean Cobby, he is about same age as Cobby, all 3 you mentioned are my best mates all though we havn”t knocked around together for years, see Cobby every sunday when he walks passed my house, i used to live next door to Dennis Wilson in 155 swainby rd, cant even begin to tell you of the laughs iv”e had with those 3, me and Brian Ransom used to swim every day in the clay hole over the field as all the lads did, my dad signed the papers so Brian could join the army it was in the far east where he was nearly killed, when he came home after long spell in hospital he met my dad and asked to see me, i remember changing from my working cloths and running down to the jug to see him, he was so thin, but instead of recalling the bad thing that had happened to him he was back to his normal self finding some thing to make me laugh, Dennis never got any thing right when we would as young lads jump over the beck to see who would fall in 1st, it was aleays Dennis,he would then wringing wet say you all do it now, we never fell in, “thats Dennis all over ” Mary Oliver lived 4 doors away my uncle Franky lived with her, 4 of her kids are my cousins, and yes you are right no kids was safe from Marys nit picking, every person you mention have enriched my life with happy memories hope you can rememeber some more names sorry i cant recall you or your brother did you ever come down to swainby, perhaps you knew my sisters Sandra & Juli, hope to hear from you again all the best Derek
Derek Casey, I remember Colin Carberry from Swainby road, also Dennis Wilson and Brian ransom. Dennis married my nephew’s aunty, Christine. Do you remember Mary Oliver? She used to come to our house when we lived in Catholic Street off Garbut Street. We used to leg it when we saw her coming as the first chance she got she”d grab one of us to look our heads. No nit would dare get in our head were she was. My brother Brian always said it was her fault he had no hair. Lol.
To Lee Carberry, just a little foot note, please wish your mam well from me and Rita,i can remember the day your mam & dad married,it was a saturday afternoon and they were sat in the back room together { no lasses allowed in bars then }i”d walked in with my mates your dad was sat nearest the door your mam on his right, they looked a lovely couple a handsome man and bonny lass,hope youe mam feels well soon, give her our warmest regards, ps. Lee if you go onto the Gazette web-site { find a friend & message board} you will find my e-mail address as i”m always looking for old friends i worked with at the foundry i served my time at, hope to hear from you again all the best Derek
To Lee, yes i remember you walking through Stockton with your mam, you are the double of your dad, Hockey was a lovely lad, we worked together for about a year at J.T Doves and it was hard graft,me and your dad used to try and stick together serving customers and unloading lorries, every time we had a really hard spell i would say to Hockey ” all we need now is a lorry load of stuff to come in and its all hand ball” and sure enough a lorry load of Bartol, cement, and other stuff would turn up,i think its fair to say we both hated that job. Talking of your grandad just a few days before he passed away i went and visited him in hospital, i”d gone we Keith, your mam and dad came in and we all sat around his bedside, your grandad asked about my brother Leonard,before we left your dad asked if your grandad wanted any thing bringing in the next day, ask your mam if she can remember what he asked for as i can still remember after all these years it was a “Melon” by the way this was at a time when your mam and dad had not long since moved into their new house in Parkfield, by the way Lee didn”t you see some thing very strange in the sky one night? please say hello to your mam she”s a lovely lass, do you still live in Stockton all the best Derek
To Lee, Lee you haven”t told me who your mam & dad is i would love to know, i was talking to Cobby on sunday morning, i was in my front garden, Cobby goes for really long walks on sundays and nearly always passes my home in Billingham, its hard to get any gossip from him as he is always kidding on i asked him how far he was going today for his walk and he said ” Up by Carlton & left at the Azores, any way i will ask Cobby if he has any old photos of his dad, but please remember to tell me who your mam & dad are, all the best Derek
Derek , one more thing…I did meet Grandad Carberry but was too young to remember clearly.I don”t suppose you know anybody that has a photo of him by any wild chance? I have asked around for YEARS but have never found one yet and I”m desperate to see what he looked like.
Hello Derek, yep I am Hockey and Dots son.Course you will know Hocky died a long time ago now and life was never the same.Mam is still going strong though not very well.Oh, yes I have heard the stories and dad often mentioned you . I don”t see a lot of the family now but often think about them.All the best and thanks for remembering them !
To Lee,who is your dad then or your mam { Cathrine } all the Carbberys know me and my family, we go really far back, you will hear loads of stories about Owny and others but if you never met their father Owen you missed a real gentle man, many a time in my early years in the 60s at weekends i would often wake up to the sound of my mam & dads privets being cut, why Owen only cut ours to this day i dont know but my father loved and respected him, as i have said a proper gentle gentle man. If you read any of my coments you will know that the Brown Jug was my regular, it was then i believe a real family pub as folks had grown up together over the years { living in Swainby & Danby rd }i suppose,the only time i dreaded going in to the pub was when my brother Len turned up, iether Cobby or Owny would tell him some thing and you could hear his laughter all over the pub and i do mean all over the pub, me and Cobby have been great mates for most of my life, not because we knocked around together constantly, it was because when we were together we had great times, always great laughs, whether it was going along the beck ratting all day or over the farm shooting or just sat on some ones steps talking,as i have said i have known all the Carbberys all my life and haven”t a bad word to say about them, its just dawned on me are you Hockys lad!!! remember he”d had a son called Lee i”m sure, Hocky & wife were realy lovely quiet people, please get back to me and let me know which Carbbery you are, all the best Derek. ps. Cobby was at my front garden fence the other sunday calling me David Bellamy, as in all the years he”s know me he didn”t know i”d turned into a decent gardener, hope to hear from you soon.
Correct Derek. Bill was Superintendant at the Pipe Mill and later Manager. To Lee. Owny was known for his “dry wit.” One Summer he slept out in Dick Appleby”s Greenhouse. He said that in all that time he hadn”t grown a bit. Another was when stopped by the Police with his pram of scrap. The Policeman called him lazy and idle. Owny”s reply was, No I”m not lazy, could you push a pram of scrap up Derwent Street bank. He had some lead in the pram and the Policeman asked him what he was going to do with it and he said, Melt it down, make some lead soldiers and march them along to the scrapyard.
The blind piano tuner was one of the Scotts,another lovely family, no bother to any one, last time i heard any thing about him was some years ago, he was then tuning pianos for the stars, also the queen.Yes uncle Franky did work for Thompsons, as a kid he would take me over on the farm and spend hours shooting, and some times he would take me up to their big house on South Rd and i would have the run of the orchard, i ended up with belly ache a few time i can tell you. Remember Bill Hepple very well, if memory serves me right he was a foreman over the the steel mill { think i”m right }its a shame to see the Jug as it is now but times move on, same with the old rd { Swainby } not the same place and cetainly no characters, i”m afraid we wont see their likes again sadly, i could spend hours talking about the lads of Swainby & Danby rd, just glad i passed through this life with them, all the best Derek
To Derek Casey-It was great to see my two uncles Cobby and Owny mentioned in your stories ! Hilarious.Owny was a very well liked fella .He often used to stay with us and I would roll around laughing at the stories he and dad used to tell me.I miss Owny a lot.Not seen Cobby for many years now.All the family are real characters.
Decca. Thanks for the info on Mrs Oliver. It does sound like the right person. Uncle Frank would be the one who worked for Thompson on the Holme House Farm. The story of Barny and the brick was often talked about. The Quiz Master was Bill Hepple. He always stood at the end of the Bar nearest Larkhall Square. Can you remember the blind piano tuner who went in the Jug? Believe he went down to London. I think his surname was Stott or Scott. Lost his sight through being hit with a stone. It amazed me how he could negotiate his way about without his stick. You will never see so many characters in a Pub as there were in the Jug but times change.
To Bob Irwin,Mick Tippy is my uncle, you might remember his brother Barny Tippy, out of all the stories Owny Carbbery had their was 2 about uncle Barny, the 1st was when both were young lads there was some horses in the field, Owny jumped on one but it wouldn”t move, uncle Barny shouted to Owny i”ll make it move for you and picked a big brick up to throw at the horses behind, Barnys aim was off and he hit Owny right on the back of the head and knocked him out, that story always got the best laugh, the other story is for perhaps another time. i”ve known every one of the Allinsons since i was a bairn, got on really well with every one, the only person i knew of from the old road with any family conected to horses & training was Mary Oliver her son Billy lived in Lincoln { think } for a few years riding top horses but i dont think he actually was a jocky. By the way Bob who is your father-in-law, i wonder if i know him, as i have said i stopped going into the Brown Jug around 1980-82. Uncle Mick pops in to see my mother { his sister } every now and then. if you see uncle mick you see me as i have always looked like him, although i”m a casey iv”e always been more like the Tippys, hope to hear from you again Bob, if you look in the Gazette website message board you will come across my e-mail address, as i”m always looking for lads who i served my time with at J. Downing iron foundry, all the best Derek
Decca. Quite right with your remarks about Owny. It was always said that if Owny had written a book it would have been a best seller. He was also good at Quiz”s. My father in Law used to run the Sunday Dinnertime quiz in the Jug and it nearly always that Owny was a winner. Other families in Swainby Road were the Allisons. Tommy had the allotment at back of David Road. Always seen giving the Goose a walk. Also the Tippy”s. Mick and his sons were good friends. His wife eventually had the Tenancy of the Jug with her daughters as Barmaids. Especially Shaz. I used to drink with Nigel Coppack who was probably at Tilery Juniors at the same time as you. He went onto Richard Hind. When I lived in Swainby Road(The house with the office) an elderly lady used to throw a packet of sweets into the vestebule from the pavement. When talking to her she always mentioned her son who was a Jockey. Would you know her name? Lots of nice people we knew from there.
Brian Allison has got the allotment behind David Road now. Since uncle Tommy died there are only 3 families still down Swainby Road now. My dad, who is Billy Allison, my brother Thomas Allison, and Angela Chapman (budgie).
To Arthur Thompson, I think this must be a different Brian Craggs. Brian is one year older than me so he would be 55 now. I thought he had just one sister (good looking lass a couple of years older). They used to live on Norton Rd on the corner of the road leading to the Belle View Dog Track – the chippie was the other side of the road. The last I saw of him would have been in 69/70 and he was still living at the same place. Cheers, Peter
To Peter Chisholm, I remember Brian Craggs lived in Kingston Street in Tilery. He is now living in Gateshead. The rest of the Craggs family – Peter, David, John & Margaret still live around Stockton as far as I know.
To Peter Chisholm, I remember the Gambles very well one of them I think it was Kitty was my age, the Homers were mates of mine Geoff was about a year or so older than me we called him Tabb, the next brother down was David, he went all through school with me and sat very close together, i see David every now and then on his bike going to work they were a lovely family, i stopped going in the Brown Jug around 1980 and cant remember any Scottish lads going in, all the best Derek
To Bob Irwin, Nicky Butler walked passed me only yesterday as i was doing some gardening, sadly a couple of lads passed away early in life as you may have heard { accept for Larges } all other names were old family memebers of the swainby rd clan & Danby rd, Owny Carberry could make a corpse laugh, in my younger days sat in the Brown Jug he and my uncle Franky { Casey } would have the place roaring with laughter, i stoped going into the Jug around 1980 as i developed cronic nasel problems, lived up in Billingham for years last sunday i had a treat when again in my front garden Cobby Carberry walked past { a very good friend as all the lads were }as a young lad in the 60s i was serving my time as a moulder at J.Downings iron foundry when the film Zulu came to the pictures, i think me and Cobby went a few times that week to see it, this at the time when you could stay in and watch second showing, still one of my favourites films, never get tired of seeing it, as i always tell my grown up family i have a bank full of the happiest memorries, all the best Derek
Well Decca. Your right about the Bondy not being raided. I don”t think many people ever went to the end of Swainby Road. I remember the Littlefairs, Larges, Carberry”s, Butlers and many more. In fact John, Keith and Owny Carberry and Nicky Butler became good friends of mine. Just to let you know I was the last Policeman to live in Swainby Road. I was also a regular for many years in the Brown Jug after leaving the Force. I would say that you would be in your late teens when I was there.
To Derek Casey. Yes the Gambles lived on Norton Road just down from us and the Albaldejos lived next door but one to the fish shop. You would be the same age as some other lads that lived near us on Norton Rd – the Homer brothers. There were three of them: Geoff would be about your age I think, then one in the middle (name I can”t remember) would be about 58/59 now and then David who was about 3 years younger then me. They had a cousin, Michael, who lived in Larkhall square and would have been about your age. Unfortunately Michael had muscular dystrophy and was confined to a wheelchair. He must have died in his late teens or early 20s. You may also remember my uncles that used to visit from Scotland – Patsy, Terry and Stanley – who all spent many hours in the Brown Jug. You couldn”t miss them. They were from the Glasgow/Dumbarton area and were all over 6 feet 6 inches! Stanley is the spitting image of Billy Connely and is 56/57 now. Cheers, Peter
To Peter Chisholm, hi Peter i”m about to turn 60, sorry I cant remember any Kennedy brothers but all the Littlefairs were my friends, I do remember the Gambles though they lived i think on the main rd very near the brown jug which was my local for years, also recall the name Albaldejo, didn”t they also live on the main rd nearer to the fish shop, i think they went to school with my 2 sisters Sandra & Julie, but I must take issue with you, no one ever came and took the Swainby bondy from either the top end or the bottom end of Swainby rd accept each other now and again. if you remember any other names from our past Peter i would love to hear from you, all the best Decca Casey
To Derek Casey, hello Derek, I am 54 now (born in 53)and used to live on Norton Rd next to the Brown Jug. I went to St Mary”s school on Major St. I remember playing football against the lads from Sainby and Danby Rds. Some of the names I remember are the Kennedy brothers (their Mam was a friend our my Mam), the Littlefairs. Lads from our streets that went to Tilery were Brian Craggs, Chris Proud, Michael Albaldejo, Graham Gamble. We used to have some fun then especially stealing each others Bondy material near Nov 5th. Cheers, Peter
To Peter Chisholm, hi peter i lived in both Swainby & Danby rd in my younger years, and yes me and my mates used to mind cars for a small fee. The most daring thing we got up to was trying to get at the big pear trees near the house, and the most daring of the Swainby rd lads was to take a short cut { those that lived at end part of Swainby }run past the big house onto the track and run like the clappers to get to slight opening in the big tin sheeting surrounding dog track or climb over it. If we got a few shillings for minding cars it went straight into the Belle View fish shop, wot nights we had in those days, by the way Peter how old are you and did you go to Tilery school and do you remeber any of the Swainby & Danby rd lads names, all the best Derek
Yes the dog track was at Belle View. The people that managed track were Mr and Mrs Tumbelby. We used to play football against the lads from Swainby and Danby Roads on the parking area next to the track in between Mr Tumbelby chasing us off. On Sunday mornings you could get in free to watch race practice. During race days people would park their cars (those that had them!) on the road leading up to Belle View. All the kids around used to offer to “watch the cars” for the punters – for a small price of course 😉
Yes the dog track was at Belle View, now flats, when I was a kid it was owned by Mr Tumblty {not sure about spelling of name} as kids living in Swainby Rd we would clmb on the posts holding the tin sheeting up around the track and watch the dogs race, the shouting from the folks watching and betting on the dogs could be heard from a long way off, all the best Derek
A race card dated Saturday Nov 25th 1933 for Belle-Vue & Portrack Greyhound Running Ground has the top prize £6-00 Second £i-00 Third and Fourth 5/-. Belle vue was in Norton just over Lustrum Beck behind Danby Road Estate. The Brown-Jug the nearest Pub. The Portrack was opposite the Malleable, nr the Prince-of Wales , it became allotments, then Portrack Trading Estae with “Dickens D I Y” being the first company on site One of the comments on the Race-Card :- SPECIAL NOTICE ;- It is particularly requested that Spectators will refrain from using bad language.
Does anybody remember a dog track in Norton? I”ve been told that it may be in the area that is now Belle View.
Yes, the dog track was in Belle Vue.
My Grandparents Patrick and Frances lived at 68 Headlam Street around 1913 where my father Joseph and his sisters Margaret and Theresa were born. Does the house or street still exist? If so, does anyone have any photographs please?
Yes that was him Albert Grubb, I remember he used to sharpen his razor on a leather strap attached to the side of the barber chairs.. There was also a bookies in the vicinity, I heard. Did Charlie Rolf have something to do with it? Charlie had a Chicken farm on Bishopton Rd West next to the CWS Club. he used to deliver all over Fairfield and us kids allways got a lolly.
Grubb”s barbers shop was owned by Albert Grubb, father of my school mate Denis Grubb. Denis also became a barber, still around today, I am in touch with him. You can see picture of Denis in school photos, he was goal keeper for Newham Grange.
The cafe in the first photo I think used to be “Grubby”s” the Tilery barber.The 3rd photo was across the road (slightly towards Norton) and features another barbers opened by a foreigner in competition (his prices being lower)
Keith Roberts Keith – did Norman also run the burger van which used to be parked on the central reservation at nights. I remember eating both Westler”s hamburgers & hot dogs bought there. On food does anyone remember Dougie Staples the butchers with a small attached snack bar? This was situated on Norton Road – just, almost Stockton High Street. As Kids we used to call in for a penny “dip bun” after having been at the old baths.
Its a pity the photographer didn”t pan a bit further to the right as he would have captured the premises of an old character of the town, namely Norman Holmes the pikelet mans little bakery where he made his pikelets before travelling with his three wheeler bike down to the corner of Wellington St where he sold his wares for many years. Not much happened on the High St that Norman didn”t know about. A great character.
The last three photos are on the west side of Norton Road, backing onto F Hills Windows. The last photo, the main entrance to Hills is left the building. On the corner was a D.I.Y shop , then a bookies. All pulled down 2001, new building in progress Nov 2005