This photograph shows Stockton High Street in the winter of 1986.
Photograph courtesy of Martin Spires.
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
This photograph shows Stockton High Street in the winter of 1986.
Photograph courtesy of Martin Spires.
The decor8 shop is were I now work the top windows are original and still there aswell as the church like steeple (top left). I wOULDd to love to as much info on this building, how old etc?? The basement looks like it could have been some sort of holding cells (concrete walls/sections and railing/brackets). Even been told dead bodys were placed in celler (not sure of this) but concrete slabs and gulley type drain run the lengh of the floor. These buildings have so much history.
When one considers the lack of any architectural empathy in respect of the upper facades of this section of the High St, one wonders if the S’ton Planning Dept were simply rubber stamping any alterations whatsoever during this period, or just immediately prior to it?. Just what architectural merit did the Victoria public-house, or the blanket hoarding to the facade of the Ladbroke’s Social Club, contribute to the High St? Sadly, in view of the demise of the High St as a once popular shopping destination, I believe a contemporary photograph of the same scene would show few, if any, vehicles or pedestrians present. even allowing for the subsequent relaxation of Sunday trading hours.
Looks as though it was taken on a Sunday- neither vehicles nor people in evidence
Yes, as I recall, it was a Sunday morning. Of course, in those not so long ago days, there was no Sunday trading hours and how did we manage to do our shopping then. I keep meaning to take another photo of these shops on a Sunday morning, like a before and now theme. Although, I’ll be very surprised to find no people or vehicles in the photo.