I lived in Doncaster Cresent from 1956 to 1963 and remember hanging around the shops on a night with my mates, enjoyed the time I lived in Ragworth a lot of good times.
Portrack Shamrocks won the Teesside League Championship in seasons 1949-50 & 1955-56, also won the MacMillan Bowl (Teesside League Cup) in seasons, 1948-49 & three years running 1954-55, 1955-56, 1956-57, so they must have folded about 1957. My cousin Albert Harburn was captain of Portrack Shamrocks & at the same time another cousin Bob (Sonny) Nicholson played in a good Head Wrightsons team.
I remember the shops at Ragworth, we lived in Dundee ave untill 1967. I loved the papershop for getting my sweets after school and the bakers, think it was called Hills. I remember going in the butchers with my mam and the man behind the counter, a happy chappie he was, and the fish shop was simply the best – happy times.
Regarding Portrack Shamrocks players,Sir Matt Busby of Manchester United fame appeared in the Ellis Cup with Portrack Shamrocks against Cargo Fleet Home Guard whilst on war time service as a Company Sergeant Major in the 9th Battalion of the King’s Liverpool Regiment who were stationed in the region. Another one who played for Portrack Shamrocks was Micky Fenton.
I’m not sure when Portrack Shamrocks folded but they were certainly still playing in the early 1950s. Their pitch and club house was adjacent to Blacketts Brickworks and as kids, in Portrack at the time, we would go looking for newts in the stream that ran across the field beyond the playing area
I don’t think Portrack Shamrocks were playing in the period 1957-1963, you are not getting mixed up with Stockton Shamrocks who played at Newham Grange Park in the sixties? Portrack Shamrocks folded in the early fifties.
I lived on Thorn Road, Fern Park Estate. I was brought up there from a child 1961-1970 and remember when the rag ‘n’ bone man used to dish out baloons. helium ones, not your cheap ones. I remember the old coal bunkers , the coalman used to come round on his cart with sacks of coal. They used to have gas at the dentist in them days. ricky george.
Ted Casey was the other window cleaner he was a decent singer, he was from Lilac Road & was the son of Scrapper Casey who played football for Middlesbrough & Portrack Shamrocks.
Does anyone remember the two window cleaners seen about Ragworth and Roseworth for years from the late 1940s until at least the late 1960s. I think their names were Dorsey (Mel?) and Casey. They had a two wheeled push cart used for carrying their ladders around and provided a free cabaret as they worked. At least one of them – maybe both – had a decent singing voice.
Pauline Firth/Donnelly. I lived in number 58 romford road until 1975, Anne and Frank Roberts lived next door on the corner in number 60 with their son Peter, daughters Ann, Jean, Maureen and other?. As i remember the Butlers lived in number 56. The Butlers son used to play for Watford football club i think.
Terry Wilson – I remember a mobile shop converted from an old bus visiting Whickam Road Hardwick,when I lived there as a child in the early “60s. As I recall, it was set up like a supermarket. Customers entered through what was the emergency exit at the back, and paid for their purchases to the driver/checkout man at the front. This is likely to be the same bus you mention. From what I remember, I would guess that the bus was a Bedford OB.
The man who operated the scales was called Jack Roberts, who did the service for fifty years. I remember as a young lad getting myself weighed, I sometimes wondered whatever happened to the scales.
David Moody.I remember the pie and peas man and his van in around 1960-61.He also did savoury ducks. Hearing him one winter”s night I dashed out with my bowl. Unfortunately, the pavements were, unknown to me, covered in frost and I crashed to the ground as I charged out of the gate. The folly of youth. I was sore, winded and embarrassed, but the bowl, alas, was worse and had carried its last portion of pie,peas or anything else. The man in the market was there with his balance scales for years. I remember him charging 3d, though inflation may have later pushed it up to 6d. He wrote your weight on a paper ticket with,at one time, an advert for Oxo on the back. Now we get a Dalek type voice from the machine in Tesco for 50p
Michael McNaughton mentions Romford Road in his comment, I used to visit the Conlin family there many years ago, I”m not sure but no. 57 seems to stick in my mind. Anyone out there remember them?
Yes Bobs mobile shop with the drop down counter on the right as you went up the steps at the front of the bus. I too remember Toffee Apple Charlie. There was also for a short period a pie and peas van, which I quite enjoyed, you”d rush out with a plate and he would put the pie and peas on it. Then there was Mr Fernie an old chap with a flat cap and brown overall selling fruit and veg from the back of his green van. He used to be friends of the Dixons in Rettenden Close, as he stopped there on his round. There was also a rag and bone man similar to Steptoe and Son, with his horse and cart, offering balloons etc to the kids for unwanted clothes. Changing the subject can anyone remember the thin old man who had the scales in Stockton High Street on market days. He used to weigh you and give you the result on a piece of paper. He was there for many years. I remember him near the biscuit stall in the middle of the market near Dovecote Street.
Bob of mobile shop fame also had a general dealers shop on Norton Road at Norton, opposite where Norton Road divides to go into the village and he also later had a cafe/snack bar for a while at Roseworth shops in Redhill Road in the later 1960s. I think it was the end shop of the newer of the two blocks of shops nearest the library.
Yes,I too can remember loads of Mobile Shops that used to come round on Roseworth in the 50s and 60s.There was Mr Carter in his smart Olive Green van(I never forgave him for running over my new tricycle); The CO-OP Stores Van (Terry”s); Ted Lewis,who also had a vintage bus that should really have been in Beamish, plus his cream cakes nestling next to his raw rump steak complete with a dusting of ash from his tab end – you could have been in Pompeii. And I also recall an entrepreneurial chap called “Toffee Apple Charlie” (no prizes for guessing what he sold, plus a free worm with every one). My mother seemed to go on all that came round – probably just to have a natter with the other women, not sure if she ever bought anything?
I moved to Roseworth way back in 1953, we lived in Rockall Avenue and before the row of shops where built we used to have a van come round with the groceries, which we all new as the green van. On the row of shops there was also the Library on the left hand side, but also remember the rest of the shops very well.
I lived in Roseworth (Romford road) for much of my childhood and remember well Bobs van. We used to get a vanilla slice for ten new pence. I also remeber an”Audry”s van, a converted ambulance as I remember then.
There used to be an ice cream man called Tommy who had a weird sort of motor cycle cum ice cream cart combination and could frequently be seen on Ragworth. I think the ice cream was Paleschi”s. I suppose that nowadays smoking while serving you a 2d cornet might well be frowned upon, but in those days occasioned no comment! There was also Wall”s with its distinctive “ding dong di ding dong” signature and Rossi”s -who also had the coffee bar near the Empire cinema. Around 1960 the “Mr Whippy” brand of soft ice cream, made on the van began to appear. Another common sight round Ragworth & Roseworth in the later 50s and 1960s was Bob”s mobile shop – an old converted Bedford bus. Talk about open all hours, certainly round at all hours, including on a couple of occasions, the early hours of the morning! This decrepit vehicle refused to start on a few occasions and a horde of local kids would give it a push start and might be rewarded with a penny chew. There was also Billy Bell”s mobile shop, in a rather avant garde powder blue and cream livery and a taciturn, though quite friendly, greengrocer Mr Matthews who came round on a Saturday afternoon, again based on old buses. Gray Brothers – who were still in business up to relatively recently – and Jonco, from Haverton Hill, made soft drink deliveries on Fridays and Saturdays and there was a fishmonger plying his trade from a horse and cart, usually to be seen on Wednesdays and more traditionally on Fridays.There was also Spark”s, bakery”s mobile shop to be seen on Friday afternoons and with luck a 3d raspberry wafer as an after tea treat.
There was also Fred Beaumont’s mobile shop, which was a more of a large van, with a nearside rear entrance to the ‘shop’ part. Fred’s route was mainly Stockton estates. He lived on Letch Lane near to the bank leading down to Carlton village, and had a garage/ storage building on site. My dad did some odd jobs, DIY/decorating for him. Fred later retired to a bungalow on Darlington Lane on the Fern Park Estate.
I remember all those shops opening on Ragworth!Does anyone remember the mobile fish and chip shop,just at the bottom of Dover Road?Also,the ice-cream man used to push his bike round the estate,and on Sundays our mams used to send us out with the best glass dish for 6 pennorth of ice cream to go with the weekly tin of fruit.I went to “Freddy Nat”school until I was 11-then off to Richard Hind.My sister went to St.Johns school for a while then into the new school that was built[Ragworth primary?]Didnt realise my memory was so good till I found this site!
These shops I remember being over the road from the back gate of St John”s C of E school, which I attended. The “school” bus from Roseworth stopped right outside the shops. We”d all clambour off and head straight for the newsagent/sweet shop to stock up on sweets before going through the gates, and again for the bus ride home. My school friend Carol lived above the green grocer. Happy memories
Ragworth shops opened in the early 1950s and comprised Thompson the chemists, Burt? bread and cakes, later to become a branch of S. Hills of Middlesbrough. Miss Jordan, wools, linen and post office and Pearson”s, newsagents, sweets cigarettes etc. Then came the self-service Co-op, with Norman as manager and at the end the Co-op butchers. I think the first manager was called Arthur and then it was Ted for many years.The chippie opened later and first of all a family by the name of Atkinson? had it and from the late 1950s Dennis, who was there for many years.Since then the chip shop has passed through several hands,with periods of closure and last time I saw it was a pizzeria.The last time I passed the shops the line up was, butcher/baker,hairdresser, post-office (same place), empty , Co-op grocery now self -sevice general dealers, Co-op butchers now a tanning salon. Still remember the yellow divi checks in the Co-op, with the butcher”s often bloodstained from his hands!
Thompson’s Chemists was my grandfather Alfred Walker Thompson’s shop. He was a lovely man, who, because he was at university studying chemistry, was sent to France to release mustard gas in the First World War, aged 18 or 19. I remember my uncle, Archie Campbell coming to our house in Fairfield when I was about seven (c.1965), very early on a Sunday morning and the doorbell waking us all, and my Dad, going down to answer the door, and hearing Uncle Archie say “I’m afraid it’s the old man Allan. I’m so sorry.” The apothecary’s jars that grandad had in his shop are now in the Apothecary’s Shop at Preston Park Museum Street….
To my knowledge the row of shops is still these but the co-op closed in the early 1990s the neighbouring branch on Roseworth is still there complete with its butchers. I used to work for the then North Eastern Co-op and the Rosewoth store was the only one left in the region with a separate Butchers.
I remember working from this shop in the mid 60″s. I was the “Granville” and delivered meat to customers on my butchers bike. I finished serving my apprenticeship and emigrated to Australia in 1968.Can anyone tell me if the shop is still there. My boss at the time was called Ted
Before this building the Co op operated out of a hut that was erected at the spot near where the chippie was on Dover Rd. I remember it as the first self service shop that I had been into at that time
I still remember my mothers Coop check number, 950
I lived in Doncaster Cresent from 1956 to 1963 and remember hanging around the shops on a night with my mates, enjoyed the time I lived in Ragworth a lot of good times.
Portrack Shamrocks won the Teesside League Championship in seasons 1949-50 & 1955-56, also won the MacMillan Bowl (Teesside League Cup) in seasons, 1948-49 & three years running 1954-55, 1955-56, 1956-57, so they must have folded about 1957. My cousin Albert Harburn was captain of Portrack Shamrocks & at the same time another cousin Bob (Sonny) Nicholson played in a good Head Wrightsons team.
I remember the shops at Ragworth, we lived in Dundee ave untill 1967. I loved the papershop for getting my sweets after school and the bakers, think it was called Hills. I remember going in the butchers with my mam and the man behind the counter, a happy chappie he was, and the fish shop was simply the best – happy times.
I lived at number 5 Dundee Avenue from the early 80’s then moved to Dunoon Close. Moved out 2000 and what a change to the area.
Regarding Portrack Shamrocks players,Sir Matt Busby of Manchester United fame appeared in the Ellis Cup with Portrack Shamrocks against Cargo Fleet Home Guard whilst on war time service as a Company Sergeant Major in the 9th Battalion of the King’s Liverpool Regiment who were stationed in the region. Another one who played for Portrack Shamrocks was Micky Fenton.
I’m not sure when Portrack Shamrocks folded but they were certainly still playing in the early 1950s. Their pitch and club house was adjacent to Blacketts Brickworks and as kids, in Portrack at the time, we would go looking for newts in the stream that ran across the field beyond the playing area
I don’t think Portrack Shamrocks were playing in the period 1957-1963, you are not getting mixed up with Stockton Shamrocks who played at Newham Grange Park in the sixties? Portrack Shamrocks folded in the early fifties.
Does anybody remember Herbert George playing for Portrack Shamrocks 1957 – 1963? Any photos from this period?
I lived on Thorn Road, Fern Park Estate. I was brought up there from a child 1961-1970 and remember when the rag ‘n’ bone man used to dish out baloons. helium ones, not your cheap ones. I remember the old coal bunkers , the coalman used to come round on his cart with sacks of coal. They used to have gas at the dentist in them days. ricky george.
Ted Casey was the other window cleaner he was a decent singer, he was from Lilac Road & was the son of Scrapper Casey who played football for Middlesbrough & Portrack Shamrocks.
Does anyone remember the two window cleaners seen about Ragworth and Roseworth for years from the late 1940s until at least the late 1960s. I think their names were Dorsey (Mel?) and Casey. They had a two wheeled push cart used for carrying their ladders around and provided a free cabaret as they worked. At least one of them – maybe both – had a decent singing voice.
Pauline Firth/Donnelly. I lived in number 58 romford road until 1975, Anne and Frank Roberts lived next door on the corner in number 60 with their son Peter, daughters Ann, Jean, Maureen and other?. As i remember the Butlers lived in number 56. The Butlers son used to play for Watford football club i think.
Terry Wilson – I remember a mobile shop converted from an old bus visiting Whickam Road Hardwick,when I lived there as a child in the early “60s. As I recall, it was set up like a supermarket. Customers entered through what was the emergency exit at the back, and paid for their purchases to the driver/checkout man at the front. This is likely to be the same bus you mention. From what I remember, I would guess that the bus was a Bedford OB.
The man who operated the scales was called Jack Roberts, who did the service for fifty years. I remember as a young lad getting myself weighed, I sometimes wondered whatever happened to the scales.
David Moody.I remember the pie and peas man and his van in around 1960-61.He also did savoury ducks. Hearing him one winter”s night I dashed out with my bowl. Unfortunately, the pavements were, unknown to me, covered in frost and I crashed to the ground as I charged out of the gate. The folly of youth. I was sore, winded and embarrassed, but the bowl, alas, was worse and had carried its last portion of pie,peas or anything else. The man in the market was there with his balance scales for years. I remember him charging 3d, though inflation may have later pushed it up to 6d. He wrote your weight on a paper ticket with,at one time, an advert for Oxo on the back. Now we get a Dalek type voice from the machine in Tesco for 50p
Michael McNaughton mentions Romford Road in his comment, I used to visit the Conlin family there many years ago, I”m not sure but no. 57 seems to stick in my mind. Anyone out there remember them?
Yes Bobs mobile shop with the drop down counter on the right as you went up the steps at the front of the bus. I too remember Toffee Apple Charlie. There was also for a short period a pie and peas van, which I quite enjoyed, you”d rush out with a plate and he would put the pie and peas on it. Then there was Mr Fernie an old chap with a flat cap and brown overall selling fruit and veg from the back of his green van. He used to be friends of the Dixons in Rettenden Close, as he stopped there on his round. There was also a rag and bone man similar to Steptoe and Son, with his horse and cart, offering balloons etc to the kids for unwanted clothes. Changing the subject can anyone remember the thin old man who had the scales in Stockton High Street on market days. He used to weigh you and give you the result on a piece of paper. He was there for many years. I remember him near the biscuit stall in the middle of the market near Dovecote Street.
Bob of mobile shop fame also had a general dealers shop on Norton Road at Norton, opposite where Norton Road divides to go into the village and he also later had a cafe/snack bar for a while at Roseworth shops in Redhill Road in the later 1960s. I think it was the end shop of the newer of the two blocks of shops nearest the library.
Yes,I too can remember loads of Mobile Shops that used to come round on Roseworth in the 50s and 60s.There was Mr Carter in his smart Olive Green van(I never forgave him for running over my new tricycle); The CO-OP Stores Van (Terry”s); Ted Lewis,who also had a vintage bus that should really have been in Beamish, plus his cream cakes nestling next to his raw rump steak complete with a dusting of ash from his tab end – you could have been in Pompeii. And I also recall an entrepreneurial chap called “Toffee Apple Charlie” (no prizes for guessing what he sold, plus a free worm with every one). My mother seemed to go on all that came round – probably just to have a natter with the other women, not sure if she ever bought anything?
I moved to Roseworth way back in 1953, we lived in Rockall Avenue and before the row of shops where built we used to have a van come round with the groceries, which we all new as the green van. On the row of shops there was also the Library on the left hand side, but also remember the rest of the shops very well.
I lived in Roseworth (Romford road) for much of my childhood and remember well Bobs van. We used to get a vanilla slice for ten new pence. I also remeber an”Audry”s van, a converted ambulance as I remember then.
There used to be an ice cream man called Tommy who had a weird sort of motor cycle cum ice cream cart combination and could frequently be seen on Ragworth. I think the ice cream was Paleschi”s. I suppose that nowadays smoking while serving you a 2d cornet might well be frowned upon, but in those days occasioned no comment! There was also Wall”s with its distinctive “ding dong di ding dong” signature and Rossi”s -who also had the coffee bar near the Empire cinema. Around 1960 the “Mr Whippy” brand of soft ice cream, made on the van began to appear. Another common sight round Ragworth & Roseworth in the later 50s and 1960s was Bob”s mobile shop – an old converted Bedford bus. Talk about open all hours, certainly round at all hours, including on a couple of occasions, the early hours of the morning! This decrepit vehicle refused to start on a few occasions and a horde of local kids would give it a push start and might be rewarded with a penny chew. There was also Billy Bell”s mobile shop, in a rather avant garde powder blue and cream livery and a taciturn, though quite friendly, greengrocer Mr Matthews who came round on a Saturday afternoon, again based on old buses. Gray Brothers – who were still in business up to relatively recently – and Jonco, from Haverton Hill, made soft drink deliveries on Fridays and Saturdays and there was a fishmonger plying his trade from a horse and cart, usually to be seen on Wednesdays and more traditionally on Fridays.There was also Spark”s, bakery”s mobile shop to be seen on Friday afternoons and with luck a 3d raspberry wafer as an after tea treat.
There was also Fred Beaumont’s mobile shop, which was a more of a large van, with a nearside rear entrance to the ‘shop’ part. Fred’s route was mainly Stockton estates. He lived on Letch Lane near to the bank leading down to Carlton village, and had a garage/ storage building on site. My dad did some odd jobs, DIY/decorating for him. Fred later retired to a bungalow on Darlington Lane on the Fern Park Estate.
I remember all those shops opening on Ragworth!Does anyone remember the mobile fish and chip shop,just at the bottom of Dover Road?Also,the ice-cream man used to push his bike round the estate,and on Sundays our mams used to send us out with the best glass dish for 6 pennorth of ice cream to go with the weekly tin of fruit.I went to “Freddy Nat”school until I was 11-then off to Richard Hind.My sister went to St.Johns school for a while then into the new school that was built[Ragworth primary?]Didnt realise my memory was so good till I found this site!
These shops I remember being over the road from the back gate of St John”s C of E school, which I attended. The “school” bus from Roseworth stopped right outside the shops. We”d all clambour off and head straight for the newsagent/sweet shop to stock up on sweets before going through the gates, and again for the bus ride home. My school friend Carol lived above the green grocer. Happy memories
Ragworth shops opened in the early 1950s and comprised Thompson the chemists, Burt? bread and cakes, later to become a branch of S. Hills of Middlesbrough. Miss Jordan, wools, linen and post office and Pearson”s, newsagents, sweets cigarettes etc. Then came the self-service Co-op, with Norman as manager and at the end the Co-op butchers. I think the first manager was called Arthur and then it was Ted for many years.The chippie opened later and first of all a family by the name of Atkinson? had it and from the late 1950s Dennis, who was there for many years.Since then the chip shop has passed through several hands,with periods of closure and last time I saw it was a pizzeria.The last time I passed the shops the line up was, butcher/baker,hairdresser, post-office (same place), empty , Co-op grocery now self -sevice general dealers, Co-op butchers now a tanning salon. Still remember the yellow divi checks in the Co-op, with the butcher”s often bloodstained from his hands!
Thompson’s Chemists was my grandfather Alfred Walker Thompson’s shop. He was a lovely man, who, because he was at university studying chemistry, was sent to France to release mustard gas in the First World War, aged 18 or 19. I remember my uncle, Archie Campbell coming to our house in Fairfield when I was about seven (c.1965), very early on a Sunday morning and the doorbell waking us all, and my Dad, going down to answer the door, and hearing Uncle Archie say “I’m afraid it’s the old man Allan. I’m so sorry.” The apothecary’s jars that grandad had in his shop are now in the Apothecary’s Shop at Preston Park Museum Street….
To my knowledge the row of shops is still these but the co-op closed in the early 1990s the neighbouring branch on Roseworth is still there complete with its butchers. I used to work for the then North Eastern Co-op and the Rosewoth store was the only one left in the region with a separate Butchers.
I remember working from this shop in the mid 60″s. I was the “Granville” and delivered meat to customers on my butchers bike. I finished serving my apprenticeship and emigrated to Australia in 1968.Can anyone tell me if the shop is still there. My boss at the time was called Ted
Before this building the Co op operated out of a hut that was erected at the spot near where the chippie was on Dover Rd. I remember it as the first self service shop that I had been into at that time