31st May 1923 – Crowds of men, women and children gather to watch the unveiling of the War memorial. The buildings in the background house the businesses of Stantons, Teasdale and Co. (Mr Teasdale the fish merchant was called by his nickname ‘kipper Teasdale’), Kennedy’s the Umbrella makers and Stockton Co-operative Boot Company.
Could someone correct me please if I am wrong, but are the buildings/shops at the top of the picture situated in what I would regard as being between where Debenhams now stands and where Wellington street used to be.
The easiest way to relate this picture to today’s High Street is the narrow gap in the buildings, almost in the middle of this shot. This is Ropery Street which is still there. The buildings flanking Ropery Street are both still there too. In the left of the picture is Regent Street with Stanton’s on the corner which is where M&S is today. Wellington Street would be just to the right of the picture.
I worked as a hammer driver at Kennedys with Jimmy Lambert in 1978 happy 😊 days
Amazing to see the single line of Girl Guides (formed 1910) being placed at the forefront of this huge crowd’s perimeter, adjacent to men from the Stockton Police Force. Such town centre gatherings of this size would today require stringent management, involving Health and Safety policies, legions of stewards, radio-control, CCTV, plus a fleet of attending paramedic vehicles
I wonder what part the lone young girl in the white dress, supported by what appears to be an arm-crutch, took in this ceremony?