This shot is of Hartburn signal box with a signalman on the veranda.
Photograph courtesy of Gordon Armes.
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
This shot is of Hartburn signal box with a signalman on the veranda.
Photograph courtesy of Gordon Armes.
The signalman on the veranda is Ray Gittings, known as the Duke, as he was always immaculate when he was at North Shore and if it was a nice day he would set the table on the veranda with full dinner service and have a leisurly tea whilst the book lad galloped about inside working his puddings off. He was another in a long line of signalmen it has been a privilege to know and work with. gordon armes
I took pictures at this location in the early 1960″s. One of the signalmen was called Mr Gibson and I had a soft spot for his daughter Barbara who attended Grangefield School. I wonder if that”s him on the veranda of the box – was he working there in diesel days?
It is stockton station and it was in all its glory then. I remember Spring Street bridge more as when I used to attend Richard Hind I used to walk over this bridge every day to get my dinner at the huts just past there. I am sure everyone else who attended will have memories of the same, mind you it wasn”t that bad as the dinners were ok, but there was a great little sweet shop just on the corner opposite the Ropner Park gates, I dont remember the name of the shop but I do remember the midgy gems and the liqourice tablets -happy times. gordon armes
Gordon – thank you for posting such a beautiful photo that brings back many happy memories of train spotting along Marlborough Road and on the Spring Street bridge. If I stood on the seat of my bicycle I could just manage to peek over the tall wall that ran alongside this box. Now I can see what I missed by not climbing over the wall! Is that the roof of Stockton station in the far distance?
The signalman on the veranda taught me as a book lad.