A class photograph of young pupils of the Queen Victoria High School in Stockton, taken in 1960/61. Photograph courtesy of Catherine Thompson. 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
A class photograph of young pupils of the Queen Victoria High School in Stockton, taken in 1960/61. Photograph courtesy of Catherine Thompson.
Hi, I am in this photo – Nicky Pearse, 4th from right, back row – the one with the messy hair! Kay Galley was my best friend all through primary school but I moved away aged 11. My memories of kindergarden include: drying wet winter gloves on the fire guard, being sent out to the naughty peg in the corridor, Monet’s Poppies on the wall and endless french skipping with elastic bands in the playground. Happy days!
Nicky Pearse, how fantastic to read your comments. I’ve often thought about you and wondered if we would ever catch up with each other again. Lets try to find/ contact each other. I remember lovely times playing at your house and in the garden in Billingham.
It’s so interesting to revisit the photo and share memories using this site….all positive too!
I was in this class! But missing from the photo – must have been absent that day. How disappointing! I can also recognise Elaine Reed and Annette Howden, Susan (not Suzanne) Fitzgerald, Jane Coles (not Janet), Judith Gittins, Hilary Rounthwaite, Margaret Smith. Linda Telfer is also missing. This was a mixed year group – I was the youngest. Most of us went on from there to Teesside High School when Queen Vic joined with Cleveland School. Teacher Miss Dorothy Gibson (who looks very laid back in this pic!) became Mrs Blackburn. Very happy days
I’ve never thought to Google the old school before – don’t know why, too many other things to think about I suppose.
I am indeed in this photo, and have it buried in my treasure trove somewhere…
I am in the back row top right then Kay Galley, Gillian Bruce, Nicky Pearce, Catherine Cairns, Anne Cass, Carole Griffiths, Judith Scaife, Anne Percy.
Middle row r to l Bridie Bennett, Deborah Hawkes, ? Susan Mayes, Janet Mackenzie, A BOY!? – Christopher ?? (how did he cope??), ? Suzanne Fitzgerald, Jean Hardy,Janet Coles.
Front row r to l Margaret Smith, Hilary Rounthwaite, Jane Wompra, Mrs Blackburn (nee Gibson), Lesley Charlton, Valerie Twizell, Prue Milsom, ? Caroline Alder.
I’m quite surprised I’ve remembered all of those!
I’m still in touch with Jane Wompra and Anne Percy plus Helen Steele and Ursula Lenel who both joined the school in later years. Collectively see we were the Norton Gang!
The five of us are meeting up this year at the beginning of May. They’ve all coming to Taunton in Somerset, where I’ve lived since 1986, as I’m to become Mayor of Taunton Deane for the forthcoming year.
Gosh – so many memories!
Libby (Elizabeth) Lisgo
I remember some of these girls and was in kindergarten with Valerie Twizell and Prue Mills (although it could have been Milsom), but I can’t see myself in the picture. I think there were two Valeries, Margaret? Elaine ? and Linda Wilson.
Jane – I can remember you. When did you leave?
I am the only daughter of Peter Bruce mentioned above. My Father ran Tees Direct Table Water Supply with my Uncle Tom for many years before we moved to Somerset.
Hi Lyn, did you used to live at Stainton?
Lynn Richards was Tees Direct Table Water supplies in an allyway just of Trent Street down from Upex pie shop?
Hi Lyn, I don’t know if you will see this but I’m trying to get in touch with distant relatives. Were you Lyn Bruce from stainton? Hope you reply
Third from left on the bottom row could be Pru (Prunella) Milsom, my friend and neighbour from Crayke Road. Happy days.
Talk about 6 degrees of separation! I am Paul Bruce’s wife, sister-in-law of Gillian in the picture! Paul and I live in Scotland now, and I am sure he has recently been in touch with you Ian! Small world indeed
I hail from Billingham and remember your parents, Ian Bruce, as many locals will I’m sure. Your Dad left a lasting and pleasant memory of the old paper shop..and many the time I stood and chatted with your Mom.
I often bought little “Billingham” gifts from the shop to bring back to Canada.
I have just noticed the postings about Bruce’s Pickles in Northcote Street (formerly in the High Street). Better late than never, I suppose! The business was run in my early days by my great uncle, Clifford and his wife Elizabeth (always known to me as “Auntie Liz”), and his son Jack Bruce took over the business until its closure. He and his family did move to Blackpool to run a Guest House and at some time Jack (my uncle) was Transport Manager for a haulage business. My cousin Paul may have something to say about this – I know that he has an interest in this website and posted a photograph of our common great grandfather’s (Peter Bruce who ran the pickle business from the High Street premises before my time) lorry. One of Cliff’s brothers (and my grandfather) Wilfred set up a lemonade business in Middlesbrough (Tees Direct Table Water Supplies) and confusingly enough his eldest son (my father) was also called Jack and he too ran the family business for several years after the war until he became a newsagent in Billingham. There were several members of the family resident in the Teesside area but there are very few left now. I’m sure that many readers will recall “Elsie’s” newsagents in Norton – she too was one of the Bruce family, daughter of of of the many brothers of Cliff and Wilf.
Barry Parkin’s post reminds that I too once worked for Russells as a van boy – around 1957 – and I too had to stagger up that near vertical ladder at the Northcote St premises with a hundredweight bag of sugar on my shoulder while my uncle Jack looked on and laughed !!
Hi Ian, Ive just rediscovered this site. I know you have spoken to my brother Paul Bruce but I dont think that I have spoken to you. I’m not sure how this works but it would be nice to keep in touch. Gill
Hi gill – is your brother Paul and still in Scotland? I was in touch with his wife Linda on genes reunited . 2005 .
Steve Bruce did your family tree if you would like to get in touch, please ask Picture Stockton for my email address. My wifes name is Gillian Bruce , nee Noble
all your ancestorys are on my family tree.
regards Ron Bruce Batley Birstall. ps my daughter now lives in Stockton
Firstly I would state that I have no connection with the Bruce family. However I well remember their pickled onions and on occasions would walk past their factory as I made my way to Preston Park. I don”t think that I have tasted since those days a pickled onion that matched those produced by Bruce”s. Or is it more a case that our tastes change as we get older?
The Bruce family moved from Northcote Street where the family pickle buisness was based to Bellerby Road in Hartburn and the son Paul went to Ian Ramsey School and was a good friend of my son Derek and both played for the school team.I did”nt know that the Bruce family had moved to Blackpool and Derek and I have often wondered where Paul had disapeared to.
I used to know someone called Gill Bruce, (Gillian) she said her father used to have a pickle factory in stockton, her brother (paul) used to live over the road from me.I wonder if it”s the same person.
It was great to see this photo on here and also for schoolfriends names to be mentioned. I was friends with Catherine Cairns and Anne Cass. I remember playtimes when we used to swap “jewels”, and kitkats in our peggypurses!! Does anyone remember a boy at the school? Wonderful to read the comments from Barry Parkin about my parents pickle factory.
Christopher Bell was “the boy”! Swaps were so much fun. Do you remember the games we used to play in the playground? Slides in the winter, skipping games, “what time is it Mr. Wolf?”. What memories! I am Kaye Galley’s sister, Lindsay, by the way!
IT WAS INTERESTING TO READ ABOUT BRUCES PICKLE FACTORY I BELEIVE THAT OUR FAMILY ARE DISTANT RELATIVES OF THE BRUCE FAMILY,WHEN I WORKED FOR RUSSELLS WAREHOUSE AS A WAGON LAD WE DELIVERED SUGAR AND SALT IN 1 cwt BAGS, AND WE HAD TO CLIMB UP A LADDER WITH THEM ON OUR SHOULDERS. IN 1988 MY WIFE AND I WENT TO BLACKPOOL FOR A WEEK-END AND WE STOPPED AT THE FIRST GUEST HOUSE WE CAME TO THAT HAD A VACANCIES SIGN IN THE WINDOW, WHEN WE SETTLED INTO OUR ROOM THE LANDLORD INVITED US TO HAVE A CUP OF TEA WITH HIM, HE ASKED WERE WE LIVED AND WE TOLD HIM STOCKTON ON TEES, HE THEN SAID THAT HE HAD BOUGHT THE GUEST HOUSE OFF A COUPLE FROM STOCKTON ON TEES CALLED BRUCE, WHO HAD OWNED A PICKLE FACTORY BEFORE MOVING TO BLACKPOOL, SMALL WORLD.
Mention was made in photo S592 of the Bruce”s pickle and vinegar factory in Bowesfield Lane. Mr Bruce”s daughter Gillian can be seen on the top row of this photo 3rd from the right.
The girl to the left of Elizabeth Lisgow is my sister-in-law, Kaye Galley. I will show Kaye the photograph and perhaps a few more gaps may be filled.
I have remembered some of the girls names! Bottom row, left to right : Caroline Alder, ?, ?, Valerie Twizell, Lesley ?, Mrs Blackburn, Jane Wompra, ?, ? Middle row, left to right : ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, Janet McEnzie, ?, ?, ?, Bridie Bennett Top row, left to right : Anne Percy, Judith Scaife, Carol Griffiths, Anne Cass, Catherine Cairns, ?, Gillian Bruce, Kay ?, Elizabeth Lisgow. Does anyone know the missing names ?
I have just found this photo and the comments. I am Carole Griffiths, third from left back row. Remember the girls mentioned, and our teacher, and I also remember Nicky Pearce, back row, 4th from right. I remember Kaye Galley well, and a few of the other girls. i was at Queen Vic till secondary school, when I had to leave and go to a school in Middlesbrough as we had moved house. A traumatic experience at first after being in a class of just 14 or so girls! My sister, Gill, was also at the school and stayed to do her O levels. She is 5 years older so has even more memories of the school than me. I do remember swapping jewels in the playground, sliding on the ice in the playground in winter, and the pictures on the windows in the dining room at Xmas. My first teacher was Miss Maughan- I found her rather scary! I am now a secondary school teacher myself, in Hampshire.
What a fantastic photograph. Wasn”t the teacher Mrs. Blackburn not Miss? I can”t really remember her maiden name – it could be Gibson.She was the Kindergarten teacher after Miss Doris Maughan who taught me.I recognise a lot of the children in the photograph – is that Anne Cass standing next to you, Catherine?
This is a photograph of the kindergarten class of 1960/61 of Queen Victoria High School in Stockton. The teacher is Miss Dorothy Blackburn. I am in the middle of the top row.
Hi Catherine
I’ve just found this – I too have this photo. it was Mrs Blackburn, who took over from Miss Maughan. I remember you well, and Kaye Galley and Nicky Pearce, who moved I think before me- I had to leave at the end of primary school as my parents moved to Middlesbrough. I have lots of memories still of Queen Vic and the exciting Christmas parties, charging down dark corridors in a chain was one of the highlights for me! Do you remember Moss Longthorne? She was my last teacher at the school.
I meant Miss Langhorne! She was very strict and always wore the same beige suit!