These photographs show pupils at Carlisle Memorial School in Portrack c1952/53. Courtesy of Mick Turner. 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
These photographs show pupils at Carlisle Memorial School in Portrack c1952/53. Courtesy of Mick Turner.
Hi ,my name is Harold Stephenson. I went to Carlisle Memorial School Portrack Lane from 1955 to 1957. I was wondering does any past pupils from that era have any class photographs please.The only pupils I can vaguely remember in my class at the time.Dennis Close, Michael Spain, Billy Wilson. ? Cain ? McCann or Cann, and Sister Agnes as the head teacher. When I left at the age of seven I went to St Marys junior school Croft Street. If any one as a spare photograph could you please contact me on my e-mail address through Picture Stockton Archives. Thank you very much Harold Stephenson.
Yes Kathleen you could be correct about Sister Agnes being the Head, such a long time ago now.
Someone recently told me of Picture Stockton so looked it up. Noticed Ian mack (me) and my brother Terry Mack on this photo.
I was delighted and surprised to see both of these pictures. They brought back lots of happy memories. What struck me was how happy we all looked. We clearly enjoyed being at this school. Sister Agnes, Miss McDermott and Miss McEnaney,(our dinner lady), were all lovely people. About the names – Picture 1 – Back row 2nd left is my sister, Mary O’Keefe,(now Mason). Front row: 2nd from the left is Rita McCairns. 6th from the left is Lyn McSorley. Front row: 2nd right myself. 5th from the right is Angela Spacey. I think the girl in the middle of the front row, wearing the cloak, is Ann Brakewell. I can’t believe how pleased some of the boys look to be clutching flowers! Picture 2: Back row First left I think is Kevin McGuckin. 6th left is John Turner. Front row: 2nd left was ? McGlade and first right was Angela Spacey. 2nd from the right is myself, 3rd right Rita McCairns and fourth right Ann Brakewell. I thought the head mistress was Sister Agnes, not Miss Nelson.
I believe the top photo is of the May procession and the girl in the middle was the May Queen. I believe the girl bottom right is me – Linda Parker as I was then. Funnily I remember the baskets of flowers we carried more than anything. I think I was still only four then but Sister Agnes let me go to school because my grandparents lived on Portrack Lane and I used to cry to go when all the children were going past to school! Things were obviously more informal in those days!
I got these photos off my mother who is 90 years old fit as a fiddle and does not look her age, just about the time these photos were taken I had been seriously ill and was not expected to live. I believe all these pupils led by sister Agnes said prayers every morning whilst I was in hospital, it must have worked, I’m still here today. Wouldn’t it be nice if someone could put names to these photos.
Thanks Pat Watson, for jolting my memory, you are right of course it was the Crowning of the May Queen. Thanks also to Mick Turner for the great pic’s. I have been trying to remember any of my
classmates but the only names I can think of are Jim McSorley and Josephine Blenkinsop.
I wasn’t a Portrack lad, I was from Tilery but we were all mates together and that helped
on numerous occasions when I was the ‘go between’ on our regular battles on the ‘claggy’
or ‘bondy raiding’. When you think about it, the ‘clayhole’ was a fantastic adventure
park for kids of all ages, but of course it would be deemed as far too dangerous these days! Before my time at Carlisle memorial School I went to St. Annes Nursery and I think
I may have a pic or two which I can pass on to Picture Stockton.
What great pics, I was a couple years after that. I remember falling off the climbing frame and breaking my two front teeth, and the time the priest came into the playground while we were playing cricket, took the bat and told the bowler to send one down and whoever caught the ball would get a shilling. I got the shilling, went to the Spotted Cow and bought some sweets.
Re:- First Holy Communion pic. I think it could have been the Crowning of the May Queen at the church in Portrack, as I often attended such occasions. I stand corrected if I’m wrong.
I went on this website for the first time yesterday and to my amazement saw myself!
I’m the one in the middle of the first pic with the red cape and satin cushion.
My Mum says that it was our first Holy Communion but I remember carrying a crown for the girl
stood next to me. Can anyone remember what the occasion was?
I think our teacher was Miss McDermott and who could forget the lovely sister Agnes.
At the time I attended this school the Headmistress name was Miss Nelson, I believe she lived in Church Road with her sister, recognisable at the time by the globe atlas in her front room window. Does anybody out there remember the little ditty we had about Miss Nelson, I believe it went something like ‘Pancake Tuesday a very happy day, if we dont get a holiday we will all run away, where will we run, we will run down the lane, here comes miss nelson with a great big cane!’
Maureen, I too went to the Co-op Youth Club around 1963 but would have been later as Carol was a good bit older than me (or seemed so at the time!) I remember when she took me to her house on the opposite side of Portrack Lane to Wyndham Street (can’t remember the name of the street) she had a brother called Brian who used to let me look at a great train set he had ‘but you can’t touch it!’ I seem to remember someone telling me about Carol getting married to a Dane too but also that she was living on Elm Tree a few years ago.
That’s correct Maureen, my sister met up with Carol some time ago when she was on a visit to the UK. My sister was also a member of the co-op club.
I remember Carol Burns from my days at the Co-op Youth Club, she used to go out with Mick Chapman and worked at Rembrandt. I believe she eventually married a Dane & is living in Denmark.
In the second pic John is in the middle just behind Pat. I’m the one on the end looking like Mr Bean! You mentioned Carol Burns, in those days she was one of my sister Ediths best friends.
Mick, after I stop giggling (sorry, you can laugh at mine too)… in the second pic is that Pat in the middle? John? Turner third from the left? Which is you? I think third from the right could be Rita McCairns? Remember the nuns used to call to our house because mam is Catholic and tell her she was living in sin because she married a Protestant! My dad was a quiet man, but he used to get so mad… just the way it was then though. I used to hedge my bets and go to St James Church on a morning with Carol Burns, the gas lamp man’s daughter, then Rita would persuade me to go to The Sacred Heart with her too! Remember she always had to bring me out as the incense used to make me feel ill. Can remember her splashing holy water on me from the font in the porch… seemed to work! I also remember I was envious that Rita and Pat used to have playtime on the roof at St Mary’s!
Does any one recognise any of the pupils? Some of those in the first picture are Mike Burns, Pat Howells & myself. I think the priest is Father Bailey. In the second second photo I can name P Close, J Turner, A Mckie, J Simpson, ? Walsh, myself & P Howells.
I was at Carlisle Memorial first then for some reason went to St. Mary’s RC Primary.That is where I remember the lovely sister Agnes. She was a very gentle lady. I also remember Miss Macderott and and Miss Manion who had blue hair. But I can’t remember the teachers from Carlisle Memorial, I remember my first holy communion, my brother Raymond has his picture from that time must have been overjoyed ,the boys were holding a bunch of Tulips. My maiden name is Carter and we lived in Caroline Street. I am not sure what year it was I was born 1952 which would make me 1 on that photo. So I think it was more like 53/54