A view of the east end of Wellington Street, Stockton on a rainy day in the 1990s. It shows the shop front of Xception – the Multi Value Store, obviously selling something for half the price, in what was the old Marks and Spencers building. 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
Does anyone remember a fishmonger on Wellington Street – possibly about 50 yards from the High Street, on the left hand side?
It was Burtons. They put on a beautiful display
Thanks for this reply. Do you know anything about the Burton family? I believe Sandy Burton was a cousin of my father, Rene Vane (of Vane’s Patisserie Belge in the High Street). My sister and I are doing a family tree and have come to a blank wall with this branch. Do you know what his Christian name was? He was always called Sandy – is this short for Alexander, or was it a nickname? Any help would be much appreciated
I know of a person who was in the scouts with me called Gordon Blakeway. He was related to the Burtons through his mother.
So where exactly was Burtons in Wellington street, if it was on the left hand side and at the end nearest the High St there appears to be only one option. Between what is being called Marks and Spencers/Woodhouse’s and the Co-op building there is a shop front with an ugly flat coloured modern facade as I remember rightly which was once a travel agency, is this Burtons location or did Burtons pre-date these buildings?
It’s in Wellington Street and coming from the High Street, just before the Co-op on the left.. I think there was a chemist there as well or something like that who developed films, a small frontage shop.
True, Marks and Spencer were previously on the other side of the High Street at Victoria Buildings. A photo of this older Marks and Spencer shop can be found on Picture Stockton t2300-2301. The first Stockton shop of Marks and Spencer was in Bishop Street, but they soon moved around the corner to bigger and more modern premises at Victoria Buildings. Lindsay House now stands on the site of Victoria Buildings.
A work colleague of mine has informed me that a mosaic, inscribed “Marks & Spencer Penny Bazaar” was discovered in the building on the opposite side of stockton high street, next door to what was Northern Goldsmiths. This was during demolition, sixties? The then manager of the Marks & Spencer on the high street at that time was informed, & he was happy to make a contribution to the workmen on the demolition. This Mosaic I am informed is now in a M&S museum in Leeds. Can any older contributers to this web site confirm that apparently M&S possibly had premises on the opposite side of the high street much earlier than Woodhouses ?
My parents bought the furniture for our brand new Roseworth council house at Woodhouse’s in 1954. I remember it well, as I became over excited and got my finger trapped in a rocking chair.
Dorothy Butler is correct in saying that the shop was occupied by Woodhouse Furniture. However that was during the 1950s and on a very recent visit to Stockton, October 2009, I saw the remains of the M&S logo on the building in Wellington Street indicating that at an earlier period the store had been occupied by M&S. I lived in Stockton from about 1946 to 1963 and I always remember the store bing occupied by Woodhouse’s.
Check picture T2300 for view of building with
M & S signage. The wall in Wellington Street remains practically unchanged.
A photograph I sent to the Picture Stockton team some time ago showed almost the same view as it was in 1865. A name of Leng seen in the shot– t5176.
Marks & Spencer occupied this building at one point during the 1930’s. You can still see the ‘M&S’ plaque on the side wall. Before then the building was used by the Public Benefit Boot Office.
The shop that is now Xception Multi Value Store was Woodhouse’ Furniture Store not Marks & Spencers.