Class 3a Norton High Street school c1958. Photograph courtesy of Peter Fletcher. 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
Class 3a Norton High Street school c1958. Photograph courtesy of Peter Fletcher.
I have this photograph showing my late wife, Ann Sheraton at the left hand end of the Second row. Ann went on to William Newton then Newham Grange then Grangefield Grammar. She then taught at Red House School. Her teacher training was completed at Bishop Grosteste College in Lincoln. She attained an MA at the Open University and taught in various Schools in Lincolnshire. Sadly Ann died in 1995.
“Tombuck” Thompson was a really good teacher but he kept a rounders bat in his desk for disciplinary purposes. It was traditional for a leaving class to nick it and hide it at the end of each school year. “Pop” Corner didn’t use a cane, he wielded a strap from a railway carriage door window. I was a victim on a couple of occasions – once when my teacher sent me on an errand; without giving me a chance to say why I came to his office, he gave me a “three-on-each” and sent me packing!
Another name that comes to mind is Peter Jackson who is 2nd from right top row. In this class was Sheila Hill. Can anyone point her out?
I can add some names to these faces because I was a member of this class. I don’t seem to be able to spot myself however, though I might be the urchin on Mr Thompson’s immediate left, front row. I remember that the two gentlemen with the same name spelt it differently. I recognise a number of the girls seen here but remember none of their names as I wasn’t interested in females at that time.
Top row pupils from left: 4. Peter Maugham 5. Peter Atkinson 7. Malcolm Bell (the academic star of the class) 11. Roy Mallaby 12. Geoffrey Barlow 14. David Anthony Jones
2nd Row from left: 5. Ian Midgeley 9.John Southern.
One or two of these went to Stockton Grammar but most went (with myself) to Grangefield Grammar on passing the 11+ in 1955.
Where are they now?
Mr Thompson was a really nice man and I well remember him reading Sherlock Holmes stories to us once each week as a regular treat. (possibly a Friday afternoon). The story of the dancing men particularly sticks in my mind.
The grocery shop at the bottom of the lane was run by Mr Cockings who had a daughter Elizabeth. My mother (who had some difficulty in walking) had a regular grocery delivery from this shop to our home in North Albert Rd. This was long before the days of supermarkets. There was also a bakers shop which sold hot rolls but it was out of bounds to pass the Nogga Board entrance though this did not deter some of us. There was around this time a craze for liquorice root supplied by the chemist shop near the school entrance. Other crazes included potato guns, and rolling ball bearings down chutes constructed using rulers inside the desks. The pens were simple dip nib pens into inkwell. The handles of these pens were simple shafts of wood (red or orange). Another ‘craze’ was to see who could chew away one of these handles in the shortest time and so make the owner entitled to request a new pen. (This was a relatively short-lived craze as it was stamped on very firmly by the Authorities.) Mr Corner was much feared. Transgressors were dealt with by use of the cane and the belt but it happened very rarely. The threat was enough to keep us all in our place.
The playground was tarmac and provided a very good surface for gouging holes for which to aim when playing marbles. Also in snowy and frosty weather salt wasn’t used and some of the ice slides were very long and incredibly slippery.
I could go on much further but it’s time I went out and mowed the lawn. Happy days!
Hi ,I attended what we used to call “NOGGA BOARD”from 1953 to 1960 and remember “Pop Corner” well.I have stood outside his office door many many times.
This photo is class 3a, and I think the year was 1954 ( BUT I NOT 100% SURE) The teacher is Mr. THOMPSON. The one from Station Rd. area. At the same time there was another Thompson, but he lived in FINCHLY Rd. I also remenber the head master was “POP” CORNER. I was born in Norton in 1943, left around 1963 to go to sea, then married in Holland and lived there till 3 years ago when I retired and now live in southern Spain.