A view of Ropner Park lake and the rear view of houses on Oxbridge Lane, Stockton c1900.
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
A view of Ropner Park lake and the rear view of houses on Oxbridge Lane, Stockton c1900.
Great to see the park as it must have been originally, as young boys in the early 50’s we practically lived in the park, catching sticklebacks in the lake and taking them home in a jam jar, they were always dead the next morning. Then through our early teens playing cricket, football and tennis. I remember you had to book a court in advance as they were always busy. We spent most of our spare time in there generally messing around , even after we all started work the park was still a favourite haunt but by then we hoped some of the girls we knew would be around. It is many years since I was there but it looked quite sad and neglected at the time. I am glad to hear that there has been some regeneration done.
Have been in the park a few times recently with four years old granddaughter and agree that the regeneration work on the play area is excellent. However, the path around the lake – possibly close to where the photo was taken – was a health hazard; it was impossible to walk anywhere without treading on bird droppings and we had to move away from the ducks further around the lake. It doesn’t seem to be a problem in other local parks – I wonder if there is anyone would could hose it down regularly.
I actally live in the house which stands alone to the left of this picture and am trying to find out some history of this property. I think it was built by R.A Atkinson in around 1885. If anyone can help me please do!
What number is it that you live at? I have been looking at some old photos of the house we used to live in and think I may be mistaken after all that the house we used to live is the one on the right The back of it looks slightly different .
What a difference to the scene from 1900 to the time I used the Park which was where the Richard Hind School played games. We used the fields behind the Bowling green to play the then seasonal games of football cricket rugby and from time to time rounders.
Mr Williams (the Egyptian swimming champion) don’t ask I never found out why either was keen to have us lads running on days we could not play games so it was down and round the lake several laps and yes June, we found the gate at the bottom end of the lake, it must have mystified Mr Williams as to how there would be a fast lap then a slow lap, he could not keep us all in sight.
By then the trees around the lake had grown so the view was not as seen in this picture although from the bottom end of the lake you could see the houses, the island was covered in bushes and trees, one or two brave souls discovered the lake was not very deep and could wade out looking for eggs, birds egg collections were all the rage although I was of the opinion if you could not eat it why collect it.
Days of heavy rain, (light rain meant the park run) we used the St Peters Hall Gym which was fairly well equipped by wartime standards, no health and safety back then so we boxed, fought with cutlass duly blunted and epee duly buttoned, no masks although we did have padded jerkins, it got a bit excitable at times and bruises were a badge of honour to some of us, a source of tears to others.
The park was to us lads a wonderful place, not all played the games so you could wander around a bit although wearing a big plaster pot with an iron on my leg did not get me out of cricket, they gave me a runner when batting.
There was big excitement one day when we got to the park and found the girls classes doing some outdoor work on our field, they who were untouchable behind a huge wall with a small iron gate to segregate the sexes, it took Mr Williams and the girls teacher with whips and chairs to separate us all again.
I saw school days unlike many as fun times, the park was a part of the fun also the Stockton Baths, taken there by bus around once a month, but then we were all outside kids, the house was to eat and sleep in everything else was outside, a different time people say although my odd run to the park over the last few years I see it being brought back to its best once more.
Pretty sure the left hand house of the two on the far right is where my family lived from about 1963 until the early 1980’s. There was a gate at the bottom of the garden into Nursery Lane so was very easy to go to the park. Good old times.