This photograph was taken in March 2010 and is a view of Norton Ring Road near to the juction with Norton Avenue and features a lovely display of crocuses. Courtesy of Bob Irwin. 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
This photograph was taken in March 2010 and is a view of Norton Ring Road near to the juction with Norton Avenue and features a lovely display of crocuses. Courtesy of Bob Irwin.
From the roundabout at the green, the Ring Road goes right through what was once my grandfathers market garden which also included some parts of the Glebe Estate.
The ring road was actually planned pre-war, my Father had maps to find his way round the country lanes to find all the new Aerodromes being built just prior to the war and I was very interested in maps. The Stockton area map had this dotted line from the new road bypassing Billingham which we thought wonderful, a dual carraigeway and cycle tracks all built in. The dotted line of the proposed new ring road crossed the showfield over the gardens of Miss Goothies house in Mill Lane and straight through some houses on Station road which for those who do not know actually starts at the Green, Junction road as the label says starts from the juction. I asked Dad and he said with a war coming it would not be built but it would be needed sometime in the future, how right he was. Like the other ring road which took years to come to fruition from Durham Road to Norton Road Stockton it was a godsend. Stockton Council do a wonderful job on all the roundabouts and those ring roads, using them all the time you see the men clearing and keeping the open areas spotless, well done. My interest in maps and reading them came in usefull in the army especially when I had to lead a party of men from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’ on Bodmin moor in horrific weather, we were the only ones who made it and had to join a search party to bring in the waifs and strays. During the war they removed all sign posts and any name plates to foil the enemy so holidays from school I went with him long distance back then down country lanes to places called Thirsk Dalton Croft Leeming Bar and many other places where runways need tar-mac, he made me read the maps but he knew those roads backwards. At 24mph the legal limit for trucks, we meandered through tiny villages on narrow roads often meeting convoys of army trucks and even armoured vehicles on driver training from Catterick, all exciting stuff to an excitable school boy and one of the very few who had transport outside of their home village back then.
This is an extract from the Evening Gazette. It is the thanks they have got for all the good work not only in the Town Centre but seen all around the area. Good luck in this years competitions.
‘Stockton is one of only two British entries into the European horticultural competition, Entente Floral 2010.
As past winners in both Northumbria in Bloom and in the national Britain in Bloom competitions, it is now hoped that success on the international stage will bring a further source of pride to the town.’
Stockton Parks Dept deserve a lot of thanks for the work and effort they put in. I know many locals appreciate it as do visitors from outside of the area.