North Shore Development c2005 (t9201)
North Shore development in Stockton 2005.
Photographs courtesy of Mr M Roberts.
North Shore Development 2005
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
I always wondered what went on at Fred Kidds factory as I used to walk past it every day on the way to school (Richard Hind). But Duralumin was an alloy invented at Duren in Germany (in 1908). It was the first material which exhibited age-hardening. That is, when the alloy iss first made it is fairly weak, but if left for a few days it gets stronger. The British developed their own version during WWI. It is quite likely that Fred Kidd would have their own ‘pet’ composition as alloys which are cast would need to be different from those which are forged.
The two factory shops in the sixth picture were Harkers Engineering 1 & 2 shop, they were sold to a Scottish firm, N.R.G. Industries.
Picture No.6 quite definitely shows F. Kidd and Son, Engineers and Brassfounders old factory to the right of the trees.
It was purpose built by Fred Kidd (my Uncle) to move from his old factory previously owned by Rogers Engineers that went into liquidation in 1926. Fred who was Rogers engineering foreman bought out the firm and started his own business in partnership with his son Thomas (Tom) and his wife. During the 1939-45 war direction of labour was in force and Fred’s Brother, Alf, had to leave his garage business in Thornaby Road to take a more essential war job. I too worked there on leaving school but the time office was not my scene.
The building to the far right was the foundry casting mainly brass but also aluminium and Duralamin, one of their patent alloys which was harder than aluminium but was extremely light yet strong. The factory was bought by Pickersgills, the plumbers, but when I visited the firm last year they were engaged in making heating and ventilation ducting and probably other things too. Strangely, there were still tools and furniture which belonged to Fred Kidd.
The sixth picture seems to show the last vestiges of the North Shore line being turned into an access road. Are the factories on the left those of Fred Kidd and Sons Ltd, or are they the works on the north side of Church Road?
Was the Co-op Dairy still standing in 2005 as in the top right picture, right foreground ? Enlarge :- Skyline from left to right : Under gantry the white spire and tower of Council Offices / Co-op Dairy / Two remaining Georgian houses of The Square , Paradise Row , Church Road , The black and white twin tower of skeleton and devil-dog carvings of the Metodist Chapel / White end of shop into Maratime Road / Multi storied Y M C A flats / Nolan Flats , off Norton Road