A typical market day scene near the Shambles in 1985. Courtesy of Fred Starr. 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
A typical market day scene near the Shambles in 1985. Courtesy of Fred Starr.
I think I remember going to dance classes above Stewarts shop. We had to walk through the shop to the upper floor. I also remember the pet stall mentioned above. We would go to it every week and look at the tortoises and wishing we could have one. The market was at its best when it went up the middle of the High Street, you could always find what you wanted.
Thanks Malcolm and Pat. Mick, I think the guy I was thinking about was Smithy, he had the original pet stall for at least 15 years, then he opened a tool shop in Thornaby [the old Jaques fruit shop in Mandale Road he rented]. My brother, Jim Wilson age 6, got killed outside this fruit shops door by a O bus. Smithy was selling ex-Naval stores tools from there and also in Norton Road in the 1960. I’m certain he sold the pet-stall to Mellor, who in turn had the pet shop on the corner next to the Middlesbrough Infirmary Hospital. Pats right: It was Dormand Stewart. Thanks Pat. Its stuck in my mind for years there daft slogan of ‘We shall have Rain’.
Think the shop which sold rainwear was Dormand Stewart, which was not to be confused with Stewarts mens shop on the corner of Ramsgate and the High Street.
Re Bob Wilson’s comments about the pet stall owner, I believe his name was Mellor, he also had a shop in m/bro. I worked with his son Tony in the early seventies, nice lad and a karate expert. I believe he emigrated and has since passed away. Tony used to joke that his dad sacked him from his Saturday job because he tried to gift wrap a monkey a customer had bought.
I worked for William Sharp [God Bless Him] who had the Sharps Fish, Egg and Seafood caravan/stall which he pitched just in front of the blue van shown. We got to the market about 6.15am every market day and had 2 hours to get set out before serving really commenced. Eggs were about 2/- per dozen, the winkles which I bagged up 6p a bag, and chickens 5/- each, rabbits 2/-. Next to us was the Pet Stall, it had moved 10 yards from outside the gents toilets to that corner. The pet stall owner ended up a millionaire dealing in Naval Equipment from Eaglescliffe Naval Tender Clearance Sales. He laughed when I last met him and asked for ‘my money back’ for all the church-steeple pigeons he’d sold me as ‘genuine racers’. Most had come from that big church near the Buffs club in Norton Road. Members of the public are not aware that markets can be cold, wet, windy and miserable places in winter and I recall we carried shovels with us to clear the snow and ice away from the stall front, getting home about 6-00pm at night. The strangest thing was I was stood all day opposite a huge sign which said: WE SHALL HAVE RAIN, which seemed rather funny when it was pouring down. It had been painted on a wall/shop frontage by a raincoat seller called…? Does anyone recall the sign?
I remember my brother Keneth taking me in to Stewarts clothes shop one saturday in about 1970 to open up an account for me. I was about fifteen at the time and it was great to go in and get the new fashions and only pay a couple of shillings a week. If only you could do it these days – happy times.