A photograph of an old Stockton Corporation Bus with Leslie Browns and the Odeon Cinema either side, unfortunately I’m unsure of the date, maybe someone can help?
Photograph and details courtesy of Peter Jordison.
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
The photograph was taken by me on 29th October 1974. The bus is a Crossley-bodied Leyland PD2, and it had recently been painted in this Cleveland Transit livery, from Teesside turquoise. The Stockton Corporation green livery which it wore until 1967/68 was a shade of green less rich than the Cleveland green seen here, and it had a central cream band rather than this yellow (jasmine) colour around the lower deck windows. Incidentally, this picture must have been taken from my ‘Wood’s Library’ site on Flickr, where there are many pictures taken on Teesside mainly in the 1970s.
A lot of the stock and internal fixtures from Lesley Browns ended up in an antique shop in Mt Lawley Perth Western Australia. It was a bizzare experience for me walking to the shop and seeing stuff from my chilhood in there waiting to be sold off.
Stockton was in south Durbam & Middlesbrough was in Yorkshire until June/July 1967, then it became Teesside, then they mixed the colours of the two towns buses (Stockton, green & Middlesbrough, blue) to come up with the colour which is now. The bus in the picture is green, therefore the picture would be before July 1967.
It became Teesside in 1968.
The Cleveland Transit logo is visible on the side of the bus, so it’s after 1974 when Cleveland County Council came into existence. TMT turquoise was a lighter colour than in the photograph (the 500 club still has an old TMT bus in the TMT colours I think)
The picture is dated around 1963 I used to go to school on one from Champlins shop which was run by the 2 sisters, that’s when I lived in Bickersteth Street and the bus took us to Primrose Hill school on Durham Road opposite the children’s hospital. In 1967 it was changed to Teesside Municipal Transport and used rear engine Leyland Atlantians which where coloured turquoise with a cream band. I used to buy all my Beatle records and others from Les Browns, they had the booths where you could listen to whatever record you wanted and the model railway was in a case in the middle of the floor upstairs. I remember going to the Odeon for Saturday morning pictures with Roy Rogers and Trigger. Come on fellas relive your youth there’s a kid inside all of us. I loved the Odeon and the Globe very very happy memories. Champlins shop for those who can’t quite remember it was at the bottom of Parliament Street round the corner from Whitehall Terrace and across the road was the back ally leading to Villiers Street and the Villiers fish shop with Issac Robsons iron yard on the corner. Anyone who wants to reply I’d be pleased to hear from you.
This bus is definitely in Cleveland Transit livery rather than Stockton green, if you look carefully along the side you will see the Cleveland Transit logo (partially obscured by Picture Stockton’s watermark) This bus was one of several ex Stockton back loaders to get a reprieve after its withdrawal owing to a delay in the delivery of new buses at the time. This particular vehicle recieved its Transit green in February 1975, and lasted about a year before being withdrawn for a second (and final) time in very early 1976. At the time of this picture the bus would be restricted to schools and workers services. I also remember the train set at Leslie Brown’s, I also remember buying Airfix kits there. My first record (purchased in 1976) was the fabulous ‘Let’s Stick Together’ by Bryan Ferry – a brilliant song, a record which I still have.
The Odeon closed in 1981 so might help date the picture. I don’t remember Leslie Browns ever looking different to how it does in the picture, even in the mid-80’s!
We got our cars from Deans. My dad preferred Deans, I don’t know why
Deans sold scale models to collectors, not toys to kids! Of course they were all Dinky’s and Corgi’s!
As it’s in Cleveland Transit livery rather than the old Teesside Municipal Transport colours, it’s probably after 1974, which is when Cleveland County came into being.
Correct Mr. Watling. It is in Cleveland Transit colours so the photo will be after 1974.
I can remember Leslie Browns toy shop opening, and what excitement a shop which sold nothing but toys caused. I’d like to think that my mother was a good customer but it would be untrue, she held on to her “no toys for chidlren policy” until she went to her grave. I know at Christmas most children then got an apple, a orange, and a bar of chocolate, we did, only it was betwen 8 of us. I’m certain we were no different to thousand of other people, who a leading writer, Henry David Thoreau, once described ‘as leading lives of quiet desperation’. He was right, things can get desperate fighting off seven others who want ‘the chocolate and not a bite of apple’. Are your Christmas memories one of great joy and happiness, or otherwise?
On this photo you can see the old United Bus Offices, who were marvellous for collectiong and delivering parcels to all the Durham mining vilages there bus routes served, you could hand a parcel into this united office, and within a few hours it would be dropped off by the driver at the main newsagents in the village the intended recipient lived, for them to collect it. All for about 2/6d, depending on size of parcel.
Ha, Leslie Browns. Guided me through my childhood, and teenage years. I seemed to spend hours watching the train set running,and when I grew I would stand in the booths with my mates listening to the latest records. I remember singles going up to 7/2 ans 30/- would buy an album. My first single – “Runaway” by Del Shannon.
The bus to Stockton from Billingham Station cost 2d on United 67B, and we always tried to get the front seat upstairs, a habit that lasted till I was an adult (in truth it never stopped being my seat of choice).
I think I must be a little bit older than you! My first record was a 78 of ‘On the street where you live’ followed by Bill Haley’s ‘Rock around the Clock’ – I still have this one but alas no where to play it.
VUP463 No 108 Stockton Corporation Transport. This batch of Leylands dated from around 1963 as far as I remember – so some time after this. Also this bus is in Cleveland Transit livery so C1973 plus?
Are we sure about the livery? It looks more like Stockton Corporation green and cream to me.
I wonder if this ‘school’ bus was one of the buses that went to the Norton Open Air school every morning, leaving from the Odeon. There were two of them: the Foggy (first) bus and the Seggy (second) bus.