Finkle Street looking towards the High Street. Date unknown
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
Finkle Street looking towards the High Street. Date unknown
It is such a shame that these lovely buildings, and many more along the High Street, were demolished to make way for the hideous Cleveland Centre. My father, J.E Myers, was a Quantity Surveyor and until 1969 shared offices, shown in this photograph, with a solicitor called Farrand.
I was also in 20th Stockton scouts back in the early 60’s and I remember the building, upstairs, where meetings were held. I think at the time, the downstairs area was something to do with Stockton Council but I am not absolutely sure…it was a long time ago.
Where the car is parked was what was called the CUSTOM HOUSE, something to do with the river traffic. Just before the steps was a doorway to any alley. I was one of a number of Boy Scouts (20th Stockton) that used the then old storage building in the 1950’s. We had the upstairs area and the downstairs was taken over as SCOUT HOUSE H.Q. The end of Finkle Street carried on down to the riverside.
I am sure I can remember a shop before Clinkards called Medds (or something similar!) It was a rather nice childrenswear shop. My Grandma bought me a red cardigan there with lovely embroidery on it and pom poms at the neck! And yes Pat-I am “little Irene”.
The building at the far right end of the street was Clinkards shoe shop, the facade of which is preserved in the period street at Preston Park, next to it was the Halifax Building Society where I worked from 1962 -it moved across the road to it”s present site in Dovecot Street in 1969, I remember pushing trollies laden with all the ledgers, cash boxes, and small office equipment over the High Street one Sunday! They wanted a cheap move – although they did use a van for the furniture! This was to make way for the new “development/disaster” of that side of the High Street.As the Halifax opened in Stockton in 1959, the picture is between those 10 years. Our assistant manager had a car very similar to the one parked in the foreground, so it could be his, as parking was allowed all along the street.
THIS LOOKS TO ME MID TO LATE 60″S, ALL THE BUILDINGS ON THE LEFT MUST HAVE BEEN DEMOLISHED TO MAKE WAY FOR THE MULTI STOREY CAR PARK & THE SPIRAL ENTRANCE