Does this back alley or lane lead to the quayside from Stockton High Street? Date unknown.
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
Does this back alley or lane lead to the quayside from Stockton High Street? Date unknown.
Well spotted Jonathan, memories are made of this so the song goes and they came flooding back, it was a period when working in Brougham Street we used the Greyhound as our watering hole. It had been a very up market pub in its time and still had a well furnished Captains room at the back. The bar was not large so with seven brawny Boilermakers and me a strip of a lad it was quite full, a couple of locals and three or four Ladies of the night also got in from time to time, the Ladies using it as a breathing space and would sit in at one of the domino schools when nature called us away or a round was needed.
There was a change of Landlord and we started to complain about the beer, one night after working a half shift we went in to see some large enamel jugs on the bar with so much green mould on and in them a gallon jug probably held a couple of pints. The Landlord said those are what the last chap transferred his beer in and if you want to go back to his beer I will use them, end of complaints.
The river side at that time was undeveloped, ships tied up alongside sat on the mud flat bottom at low tide, I did see a couple of battles down there where people ended up in the river or struggling on those mud flats, the smell at low tide was quite bad and the area was never pleasing to the eye, the modern riverside is a garden of Eden compared with back then.
People say it is a pity a lot of the old Stockton has gone, I say most of it needed to go especially that area alongside the river, a rat infested ruin beyond saving.
The building on the right would be the side of the Greyhound Inn. We are looking up toward the High Street from the quayside. At the lamp post you would be able to go left to the Black Bull Yard or right into Dalton’s Yard, straight ahead would be the back of the Unicorn Hotel. Not found a name for this yard yet though.
The building on the left with the flat roof can also be seen here http://picturestocktonarchive.wordpress.com/2004/04/14/a-view-of-the-riverfront-c1970/
You can also see this on Britain From Above (image EPW010139), you can even see the distinctive white bands in the brickwork of the Greyhound Inn.
The building with the flat roof mentioned above must of been part of Doggarts store. Here’s a picture taken on that very roof…
http://picturestocktonarchive.wordpress.com/2007/09/16/doggarts-staff/
… funny thing is I scanned the original photo, as my Mum is in it (on the left).