This photograph shows two little girls on Mary Street c1950. Courtesy of Lisa Jackson. 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
This photograph shows two little girls on Mary Street c1950. Courtesy of Lisa Jackson.
Was there a bookies in Mary Street, or was it in Light Pipe Hall Road. I recall many years ago going in it for the guy who ran the putting and stuff at Rudds Rec. It looked just like a street house , I’m sure there were a couple of steps out front. It must have been the late 60s.
I certainly don’t recall one in Mary Street…there was a foundry (Rileys)…a coal yard next door to that…a stick yard opposite Number 12/14 and a small corner shop at the top of the street.
My Mum recalls there being a back-street-bookie, with his runners, that used to hang around ready to scarper quick if the police turned up! But that would have been earlier than the late 60’s. Betting shops became legal in 1961, but illegal betting dens still existed, so maybe that’s what you visited?
Hi Jonathan, I’m probably wrong, and it more than likely was Light Pipe Hall Road. i can vividly remember going up the front step and into what looked to me at that age, like a proper bookies, complete with counter behind glass and the speaker on the wall, It was a very long time ago.
I think you’re right about there being a bookies in Light Pipe Hall Road. I think it was a few doors away from the Oxbridge Workmens Club which was located in one of the street premises in Light Pipe Hall Road and later moved to its location behind the Oxbridge pub….unless my memory fails me (which these days it often does!!!).
Great to see this photo. One set of my great grandparents lived in Mary St and another in Alexandra St. I would be really appreciative if anyone could describe what the interior of the houses was like.
Hi. I lived at No16 with my parents until the houses were demolished. Our house had the front door leading onto the stairs with a ‘sitting room’ to the right. Through the sitting room to the back room and onto the kitchen which was built with a corrugated roof (freezing in winter!!!). A sink in the kitchen with cold running water – no running hot water in those days !!). From the kitchen out into the back yard with a coal house (to fire the coal fires in the two downstairs rooms) and outside toilet with the luxury of a paraffin heater for the winter. Tin bath hanging on the wall to be filled by a kettle.
Upstairs two bedrooms but no internal bathroom.
No double glazing, no central heating.
But we all managed and lived a great life.
My grandfather, Joseph William Foxton, was born in number 16 Mary Street in 1895. After getting married he and his wife, Olive nee Evans, lived at 46 Marlborough Road where I was born in 1944. Oxbridge Infants, Holy Trinity Juniors and Grangefield Grammar school. After ten years living in various places I’ve been in Sedgefield since 1971.
Great to hear the history of the house I lived in for many years. I too went to Oxbridge – infants and juniors…then on to Grangefield Grammar in 1964 to 1970. Great times.
Thanks, Colin. That’s a great description. I’ve really enjoyed reading all your other comments.
Barbara
Hi all. I was born in Mary Street in May 1953 and lived in number 16 (dad Tommy, mum Audrey and younger brother Ian) – next door to the Brennan’s on one side and I think I recall the Kemp’s being our other neighbours. I went to Oxbridge Lane Junior School from 1958 and remember with great fondness the best teacher I ever had – Mr Mallon – a true gentleman. Those were the days when children could safely play outside – after doing the chores like collecting coal in a pram from the coal yard at the bottom of the street.
Colin McLeod
Hi we lived in 15 Mary street Catherine Paul and Judith Grosvenor our Mam was Pauline Ryder. We knew Pearl Watling went to school with her. Judith birthday is on bonfire night we had many party’s and all the kids came. That picture looks like me the dark one.
I mentioned your comment to my mam (Pearl) and she remembers you all. She seems to think she has a photograph of one of the bonfire parties but it will be up in the loft with all the old photos – maybe we’ll find it when we bring the Christmas decorations down! She also thinks that the other girl in this photo is Wendy?
Hiya Catherine I’ve just read your post about Mary St Oxbridge Stockton. I was born in 1952 and we lived in Mary St till I was about 11/12 yes. Our family lived in No19 I was Jackie (Jacqueline) Mulcaster and I had two brothers Peter and Geoffrey. I have great memories of the St. I knew Pauline and Judith.. I remember Carol and Elaine Brannen they lived over the road. I went to Oxbridge infants and juniors. Then on to Fairfield secondary Modern. I remember Riley’s Boiler works. We lived next door to the coal yard further up the street was a stick yard. The corner shop at the top of the street was originally ran by a Miss Bullock, then taken over by a much younger family.
I was born in Mary Street in May 1953 and lived at No. 16 until the mid to late 1960’summer when my family moved out. I remember my early days at Oxbridge Junior School and then cycling every day to Grangefield Grammar School. I also remember the old corner shop at the top of Mary Street, the bonfires on November 5 on the little piece of land opposite and pushing sacks of coal home from the coal yard next to Riley Foundry. Happy days….or at least some of them were.
Hi Colin, whilst doing the genealogy for my late mothers side of the family I discovered my great grandparents and my grandmother and her siblings lived at number 16 Mary Street in 1901 and were still there in the 1911 census. My late mother always said she lived in Mary Street too, so I assume she was also at number 16. My Great Grandparents family name was Foxton, my late mothers maiden name was Pattison. Never seen a photo of Mary Street, so it was nice to discover this one and also your comments about living there, in the same house as my ancestors.
Well done to William for taking this photo of his sister (my Mum) on his box camera, and inadvertently capturing a rare view of Mary St. for us to enjoy today 🙂
You can get a good overall view of the area around Mary Street here:
https://britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EAW024095
…and it only just makes an appearance (Rileys end) here:
https://britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EAW033955
Hi Alan. It appears to be a very small world. It was a great little street to live on – a great little community sadly so missing from society these days. It’s a pity there aren’t more photos of the street – we had lots as a family but were sadly lost when my father passed away over 20 years ago.
Hi, I think your Colin?, your latest comment prompted me to dig out some more info, I have received since my last post, re 16, Mary St. It’s the 1921 census. It shows 13 people living there. Two of the males, Father and a son, were Rivetters at Riley’s Boilerworks, at the end of the street, Times must have been hard in 1921 as they were both out of work.
I am indeed Colin McLeod. And it looks like I have the honour of being (along with my parents) the last in a long line of people to live at Number 16. My father worked at Rileys for many years before illness overtook him and I attended Oxbridge Lane Junior School until I left in 1964 and went to Grangefield Grammar School.
Sorry – haven’t a clue why this site keeps giving me a strange user name. Whatever I try I can’t get delete it. The site was far better before it was taken over by WordPress
Hi again. I am indeed Colin – for some reason this site has given me a strange user name – I have no idea how and no idea how to change/delete it
Was the shop Miss Bullochs?
Yes that’s right it is Rileys and on the right of the gates was the coal yard.
I was born in Mary Street Stockton in 1965. This is the first time I’ve seen a photograph, would love a copy for my wall.
Dawn – I can send you my scanned copy of this but the original photo was really small as it was taken with a box camera, so I’m not sure how good the quality would be if you enlarge it. It’s worth a try though, so if you contact Picture Stockton they can provide my e-mail address.
Aww thanks Lisa, I have only just got this message and only because I was browsing again. I would love a copy of this no matter what quality and my hobby is photography so I think I would be able to enlarge it without losing quality.
PictureStockton can provide my email address
I’ve looked at this picture many times as it so wonderfully nostalgic, akin to one of Bert Hardy’s photographs from Picture Post.
The little girl in the dark coat is my Mother, at the time her name was Pearl Watling. I’ve seen Mary Street mentioned a couple of times on the site, but I don’t think I’ve seen any photos of it. I believe it may be the gates to Rileys in the background.