Taken in the 1960s this pphotograph shows staff at a Head Wrightsons retirement dinner.
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
Taken in the 1960s this pphotograph shows staff at a Head Wrightsons retirement dinner.
Picture Stockton Archive 
I remember Eddie Hobson very well and glad to know him because he used to sell doubles tickets around the works. I was under 18 and my wages would be approx £3.20 per week. When I went into work on the Monday morning the lads asked me to check my ticket as they all had one of the teams and near to the 2nd team that were the highest scorers. It was Luton and Bolton both with 6 goal each and I had both the teams. I think I won £45. 15 times the amount of my wages. I thought I was a millionaire.
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My dad worked at Head Wrightsons he was a welder, Raymond Chapman. We lived in Haverton Hill Codrington Cresent I think it was. Well I only lived there for one week as I came outta hospital late when I was born and we moved into billingham just after. Mam always says we lived in one of the big houses they used to be one of the managers or supervisors old houses.
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There were times he behaved like an ogre to me. 🙂 Yes, you are right. He died in his early sixties. His final request whilst at Sedgefield Hospital was me to visit in my police uniform. I can recall kissing his forehead on leaving him, He died the next day. Like I said previously. If I had my time again, I would have worked on our relationship. Thanks for the contact.
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Sorry Merv didnt mean to make your Dad sound like an ogre he was not that at all it was just that I was only 16 at the time and as I said in those days you did not address your boss by his first name or be in any way familiar you just did as they told you without argument,it was just a natural thing to be in awe of them,from what you say he died only nine years after I left,too soon I should say as he didnt seem very old then.
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Heard something to the effect that he was a yard manager. As for strictness. Well I certainly didn”t get that from him. As a police sergeant, my mission was to keep the troops happy. A great philosophy, but it meant that I did most of the work. Wouldn”t have had it any other way though. Dad died at Sedgefield hospital in 1972.
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Actually Merv I am not sure what your Dads title was either, I know he was in charge of the despatch dept and the clocking in office. I think he must have been in charge of getting the steel out to wherever it was going because I used to be running round to the garage with requests for transport all the time. Don”t remember the other guys in the picture but I left in about 1963 so it would be a while before your dad retired. I was scared to death of him, he was quite a stict boss. My Sister also worked for him. I suppose he is not around any longer, we always leave things too late and wish we had talked a bit more, but it just was not the done thing in those days was it.
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2nd left is Eddie Hobson & 4th left seated is Bob Fishburn, both were employed in the work”s garage.
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Actually, I never really knew what my Dad”s job was. I knew he held a managerial or supervisory position, but that”s all. We weren”t the best of communicators with each other. If I could turn back time, I would have worked on it.
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I worked for Joe James at Head Wrightson in the Despatch Dept for about 6 years until he made me redundant at the age of 21. They had to start paying you full money at 21 so I had to go. Jobs were few and far between at that time so my husband and I moved to the city of Lincoln and we are still living there, don”t need jobs now as we are retired. Not a very happy blast from the past this time but still brought back memories.
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This Head Wrightsons dinner was to mark the retirement of my Dad, Joe James (wearing glasses). Some of you may know the people in the picture, including my father.
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Do you know the date of the Dinner? I think my husband is in the photograph! Thank you
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