Back in the mid 80s, I was working at Gardiner Nelson Associates on Yarm Road. We regularly had a ‘Belly Buster'[as we called ’em] run to this shop, anyone new in the office tackling one of these monsters would usually end up covered in egg dripping from the front of the stottie down their shirt. The trick was to keep the uncut side of the stottie on the opposite side to your mouth, thus keeping the yolk safely inside the bun.
well you are a blast from the past Barry – you are right about the buns they did and I believe they were called ‘gut busters’. That place is now flats, the Bowesfield pub is a nursing home, what was the day centre is for the homeless. Can you remember the public toilet on ‘bowsy’ lane
This shop was owned by my aunt and uncle, Mr & Mrs Knowles in the 1940`s. I remember the shop and house well. On warm days,as a young girl, I used to help sell ice lollies from the side window in Lindsay street. The snack bar, as it was known then, was on the other corner of Lindsay St. My Grandad Smith and another auntie of mine lived in Stafford Street.
Hi Julie, I know its a long time since your comment but I have only recently seen this photo. My Great Great Grandfather John William Wright was a Grocer at this shop from somewhere between 1881 and 1891 until his death in 1927. His wife Elizabeth (nee Jordison) a grocers wife until she died in 1922. They had 12 children. Prior to moving to 1 Selwyn Street they lived at no 27 Selwyn Street.
My great grandad was also called John William and we have been told that they lived in Selwyn Street which is where my grandad was born as far as we know. Grandad was Frederick James Wright, had a brother named after the father, we knew him as uncle Willie, he lived in Ellicott street, he had a son Alf. I about to try to trace our ancestry, I know grandad had a brother Ben, sister Ethel who we know had a grocery shop in that area. We were also told that the family were from Lincolnshire originally. I was just wondering if we are related in any way.
I lived in Ellicott Street from the age of about 5 until I was 21. I remember when I was a kid ‘old’ Mr. Wright and his son Alfie lived in number 4. Alfie continued to live there after his father died until he also died a few years later.
I have found that my great grandad was born in Gedney Lincs,and the family did live in number 1 Selwyn street. There were more children than we originally thought, my grandad probably the youngest. We are related as your details are exactly what we discovered, Before her marriage Elizabeth worked in the house of a farmer John Mason and his wife. The twelve children were Mary,Sarah, Elizabeth,William, Herbert, Alfred, Benjamin,Arthur,Ernest, John,Ethel and Frederick, my grandad.
This is my family, my ancestors, so we are related by family.
Frederick James Wright, my grandad was the youngest of the twelve children. He died a few months before his 92nd birthday. His daughter Doris, my aunt, often went to visit Aunt Ethel along with my cousins and sister when she was in hospital at Portrack. My great grandad John William and his wife Elizabeth (nee Jordison) had. Mary, Sarah, Elizabeth, William, Herbert, Alfred, Benjamin, Arthur, Ernest John William, Ethel and Frederick James. They were born between 1866 to 1888. My great grandad was born in Gedney, Lincs, in 1838, he died as was commented on in September 1927. Great grandma Elizabeth born in Upsall in Yorkshire in October 1844… she died in 1922. They married in Yorkshire in November 1865.
In the Mid 60s I worked at Isaac Robsons on Bridge Road my then girl friend, who later became my wife, lived in Selwyn Street I would go round there at lunch time (Oh how posh) and she would run to the cafe back door to get those amazing dinners they did. Glory Days indeed.
Dave, what was your wife’s name when she lived in Selwyn Street? I lived in the next street, Ellicott Street, until the mid sixties, so I’m sure to have known her!
Phil Jackson. Peter Sharp was in the same class as me at Richard Hind. I was in the intake in 1949 and he arrived probably in 1950-51. I can remember that he lived in a Cafe in Bowesfield Lane and that I think moved there from Redcar area. Probably he remembers me?
My Grandfather, Hartley Sharp, was the original proprietor of the Parkfield Cafe until the late 1950″s. My Uncle Peter Sharp, took over the business until the 1980″s. A family business in many ways as my Grandmother, mother, aunties all did their bit behind the counter or in the kitchen. I remember “helping out” in cafe during the school holidays.
i remember when i worked at power gas in 1968 to 1970 we used to go to the cafe at the back and get pie and chips on a paper plate it was great and so cheap
The shop, cafe and pub (obviously!) were popular lunchtime destinations for the workers at nearby Parkfield Foundries. I too remember queing up at the back door of the Cafe for my pie peas and chips. On Satury mornings, I”d order a bacon sandwich, which were never quite cooked enough to my liking, so I”d take it back to the foundry, and complete the job with the aid of a gas poker, and a homemade wire toasting fork!
That counter in the backyard of the Snack Bar served the best take-outs in Stockton in the fifties, maybe the only ones other than the fish shops. You had to bring your own plates – one to hold your dinner, the other to cover it up so it wouldn”t get cold when you carried it home. If you had more than one you”d carry them stacked one on top of the other, a bit tricky if you had more than two. In my view Pete”s Snack Bar had nothing on the Parkfield Snack Bar, but I”m biased.
Ohhh the snack bar. Round the back in the early 1980″s they used to serve chips and gravy etc from a little counter in the yard.Oh, the were THE most tasty for MILES around ! I would dash home from school every dinner time to feast on them. It”s so sad to see how that area has changed.
Yes I remember the chips and gravy very well – tasty as… I lived next door but one, no 53, all my childhood years. My mother worked in the shop. I’m sure the name of the owners then was Shagbolts, the old man always wore a white hat like a butcher would.
It was shadbolts I worked there when I was 16 years old on a YTS scheme they had two Mobile vans which used to be on the A66 serving sandwiches and tea or coffee. Mr shadbolts was called Les
Jim you are right about everything, but you forgot to mention the breakfast buns the snack bar did. This was a stotty bun about 10″ in diameter and filled with bacon, sausage, eggs, black pudding, mushrooms, tomatoes and beans, they were great and kept you going all day. On one visit I was the victim of exploding egg syndrome. This is when you bite into a egg bun and the yoke explodes with force, I ended up with my face and shirt covered in yellow egg yoke. I sat there with egg dripping of the end of my nose, which was of great amusement to my mates and the rest of a full cafe. After that incindent I always made sure I broke the yoke before biting it the bun. Great times!!
I think this is the corner of Lindsay Street and Bowesfield Lane, opposite the Bowesfield pub (why would I remember that!). The shop in the fifties was owned by Mr and Mrs Greenwell, who later owned the “Raggy Back” off-door licensed shop behind the Stockton and Thornaby hospital. Their son Robin taught me English at Saint Mary”s College in Middlesbrough. On the other corner of Lindsay Street was the Snack Bar that sold the best pie, peas and chips lunches I”ve ever eaten.
Back in the mid 80s, I was working at Gardiner Nelson Associates on Yarm Road. We regularly had a ‘Belly Buster'[as we called ’em] run to this shop, anyone new in the office tackling one of these monsters would usually end up covered in egg dripping from the front of the stottie down their shirt. The trick was to keep the uncut side of the stottie on the opposite side to your mouth, thus keeping the yolk safely inside the bun.
well you are a blast from the past Barry – you are right about the buns they did and I believe they were called ‘gut busters’. That place is now flats, the Bowesfield pub is a nursing home, what was the day centre is for the homeless. Can you remember the public toilet on ‘bowsy’ lane
This shop was owned by my aunt and uncle, Mr & Mrs Knowles in the 1940`s. I remember the shop and house well. On warm days,as a young girl, I used to help sell ice lollies from the side window in Lindsay street. The snack bar, as it was known then, was on the other corner of Lindsay St. My Grandad Smith and another auntie of mine lived in Stafford Street.
Hi Julie, I know its a long time since your comment but I have only recently seen this photo. My Great Great Grandfather John William Wright was a Grocer at this shop from somewhere between 1881 and 1891 until his death in 1927. His wife Elizabeth (nee Jordison) a grocers wife until she died in 1922. They had 12 children. Prior to moving to 1 Selwyn Street they lived at no 27 Selwyn Street.
My great grandad was also called John William and we have been told that they lived in Selwyn Street which is where my grandad was born as far as we know. Grandad was Frederick James Wright, had a brother named after the father, we knew him as uncle Willie, he lived in Ellicott street, he had a son Alf. I about to try to trace our ancestry, I know grandad had a brother Ben, sister Ethel who we know had a grocery shop in that area. We were also told that the family were from Lincolnshire originally. I was just wondering if we are related in any way.
I lived in Ellicott Street from the age of about 5 until I was 21. I remember when I was a kid ‘old’ Mr. Wright and his son Alfie lived in number 4. Alfie continued to live there after his father died until he also died a few years later.
I have found that my great grandad was born in Gedney Lincs,and the family did live in number 1 Selwyn street. There were more children than we originally thought, my grandad probably the youngest. We are related as your details are exactly what we discovered, Before her marriage Elizabeth worked in the house of a farmer John Mason and his wife. The twelve children were Mary,Sarah, Elizabeth,William, Herbert, Alfred, Benjamin,Arthur,Ernest, John,Ethel and Frederick, my grandad.
This is my family, my ancestors, so we are related by family.
Frederick James Wright, my grandad was the youngest of the twelve children. He died a few months before his 92nd birthday. His daughter Doris, my aunt, often went to visit Aunt Ethel along with my cousins and sister when she was in hospital at Portrack. My great grandad John William and his wife Elizabeth (nee Jordison) had. Mary, Sarah, Elizabeth, William, Herbert, Alfred, Benjamin, Arthur, Ernest John William, Ethel and Frederick James. They were born between 1866 to 1888. My great grandad was born in Gedney, Lincs, in 1838, he died as was commented on in September 1927. Great grandma Elizabeth born in Upsall in Yorkshire in October 1844… she died in 1922. They married in Yorkshire in November 1865.
In the Mid 60s I worked at Isaac Robsons on Bridge Road my then girl friend, who later became my wife, lived in Selwyn Street I would go round there at lunch time (Oh how posh) and she would run to the cafe back door to get those amazing dinners they did. Glory Days indeed.
Dave, what was your wife’s name when she lived in Selwyn Street? I lived in the next street, Ellicott Street, until the mid sixties, so I’m sure to have known her!
Phil Jackson. Peter Sharp was in the same class as me at Richard Hind. I was in the intake in 1949 and he arrived probably in 1950-51. I can remember that he lived in a Cafe in Bowesfield Lane and that I think moved there from Redcar area. Probably he remembers me?
My Grandfather, Hartley Sharp, was the original proprietor of the Parkfield Cafe until the late 1950″s. My Uncle Peter Sharp, took over the business until the 1980″s. A family business in many ways as my Grandmother, mother, aunties all did their bit behind the counter or in the kitchen. I remember “helping out” in cafe during the school holidays.
i remember when i worked at power gas in 1968 to 1970 we used to go to the cafe at the back and get pie and chips on a paper plate it was great and so cheap
The shop, cafe and pub (obviously!) were popular lunchtime destinations for the workers at nearby Parkfield Foundries. I too remember queing up at the back door of the Cafe for my pie peas and chips. On Satury mornings, I”d order a bacon sandwich, which were never quite cooked enough to my liking, so I”d take it back to the foundry, and complete the job with the aid of a gas poker, and a homemade wire toasting fork!
That counter in the backyard of the Snack Bar served the best take-outs in Stockton in the fifties, maybe the only ones other than the fish shops. You had to bring your own plates – one to hold your dinner, the other to cover it up so it wouldn”t get cold when you carried it home. If you had more than one you”d carry them stacked one on top of the other, a bit tricky if you had more than two. In my view Pete”s Snack Bar had nothing on the Parkfield Snack Bar, but I”m biased.
Ohhh the snack bar. Round the back in the early 1980″s they used to serve chips and gravy etc from a little counter in the yard.Oh, the were THE most tasty for MILES around ! I would dash home from school every dinner time to feast on them. It”s so sad to see how that area has changed.
Yes I remember the chips and gravy very well – tasty as… I lived next door but one, no 53, all my childhood years. My mother worked in the shop. I’m sure the name of the owners then was Shagbolts, the old man always wore a white hat like a butcher would.
It was shadbolts I worked there when I was 16 years old on a YTS scheme they had two Mobile vans which used to be on the A66 serving sandwiches and tea or coffee. Mr shadbolts was called Les
Jim you are right about everything, but you forgot to mention the breakfast buns the snack bar did. This was a stotty bun about 10″ in diameter and filled with bacon, sausage, eggs, black pudding, mushrooms, tomatoes and beans, they were great and kept you going all day. On one visit I was the victim of exploding egg syndrome. This is when you bite into a egg bun and the yoke explodes with force, I ended up with my face and shirt covered in yellow egg yoke. I sat there with egg dripping of the end of my nose, which was of great amusement to my mates and the rest of a full cafe. After that incindent I always made sure I broke the yoke before biting it the bun. Great times!!
I think this is the corner of Lindsay Street and Bowesfield Lane, opposite the Bowesfield pub (why would I remember that!). The shop in the fifties was owned by Mr and Mrs Greenwell, who later owned the “Raggy Back” off-door licensed shop behind the Stockton and Thornaby hospital. Their son Robin taught me English at Saint Mary”s College in Middlesbrough. On the other corner of Lindsay Street was the Snack Bar that sold the best pie, peas and chips lunches I”ve ever eaten.