To the left of this photograph of Balaclava Street is the Stockton Register Office, with Balaclava Cottage just beyond. The grassed and car park area to the right was the ground on which the Queens Hotel once stood, a place that will hold many memories for some people including myself. The back of the image shows Corporation Street and properties on that side of Bishopton Lane. Church steeples are also visible in the Yarm Lane and Yarm Road areas of Stockton, along with the tower of the newly built Mosque in Bowesfield Lane.
Photograph and details courtesy of John Robson.
Some of the old Balaclava Street residents.
http://www.stanlaundon.com/crestas.html
My uncle Billy (William Edward) and his wife Alice (Roberts) and their family lived at 35 Balaclava Street and are shown on the 1939 register. My dad was George Henry (1901) was his elder brother.
My Dad (Charlie West) was brought up in Balaclava Cottage. Does anyone have any memories of him? Would love to hear.
I too know this Street well, I was born at number 25 on December 22nd, 1941 and lived there until I was six when we moved to Norton. I now live in Phoenix, Arizona but have been back to Balaclava Street a number of times during visits back home. Nothing left of the past of course, except perhaps a spiritual connection, hard to say!
If you are an old Balaclava Street lad David, you will know Keith Roberts and Kevin Franks both later members of the Crestas Group who played all the local dancehalls.
David
I read with interest you comming from Balaclava street, my granmother Doris Walker (nee Thompson) lived a few doors away at number 19 Balaclava Street. I have great memories from the 1960s going to the corner shop, visiting the station and the carriage that was on show within the station, as well as the Queens Hotel at the end of of the road.
You may know my mother Elsie Thompson who became Elsie Barker who had 4 children and moved to Billingham, or my uncle Peter Thompson who went in the army and had a family of 9 children.
I stayed many many times at Balaclava street and was told some very long stories or the area and explored the area a lot in my youth, it would be great to see any photos of the are if available.
I know this place well, at least from the public side of the counter. I visited more than once in my journey of finding my Granddad and his children. The help given by the staff in Bereavment Services was excelent, albeit I still await to hear from one of the team in respect to burial plots that I asked for several months ago. Obviously they must be very busy, given the time of year.