We believe this is a dinner attended by the Co-op Wholesales Society (CWS) employees c1970s. Venue unknown.
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
We believe this is a dinner attended by the Co-op Wholesales Society (CWS) employees c1970s. Venue unknown.
Picture Stockton Archive 
My dad, John Danks, was there – he worked for the CWS. It was some sort of leaving do I think for long serving employees. My dad worked there for years, since I was a kid. He worked in the warehouse as the warehouse manager..
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Was your Dad in the jam factory warehouse? If he was I probably met him when my Dad used to take me there.
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I should have thought – in the 1970’s that there would be females present at a dinner for employees – or for male employees to have taken their wives along. I cannot see any ladies in the picture – don’t suppose it could be the freemasons?
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I very much doubt it Margaret! My Dad was definately not a Freemason. It may have been a management only, but thats just a guess.
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Emancipation took longer than that Margaret, even ICI into the eighties had men only dinners and smokers though we also had dinner dances and mixed dinner entertainment nights as well. Many works clubs and pubs had outings which were men only and in some cases it was a good job as some men in their cups could be fractious.
The ladies of our bowling club often went for dinners and an evening out without the men, the school my wife was at had dinners and evenings out staff only no spouses, that they often ended up late at night in our house banging away on my Yamaha and singing usually meant they had a good night.
There were still pubs with men only signs and at weekends they would be allowed in a back room with the men having to get the drinks from the bar.
Only forty years ago although a different life style completely and was accepted by most although some women were burning their underwear not whilst wearing it I hope.
We did have Tito’s and the Fiesta where we could take our spouses, eat, drink and enjoy the best of the shows, the local clubs opened for Saturday and Sunday dances but many of the men attending still went off a couple of times a year on men only outings, the up side being the ladies got control of the TV remote?
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Hi Christine, it is indeed John Pollock ( my Dad). He thought very highly of your Dad, (I think they were at school together), and Dickie Morgan is a name I would hear fondly mentioned hundreds if not thousands of times over the years. I found this photograph among his huge collection and Frank, you are right, it is the Co-Op function room. ( My brothers’ 21st birthday party was held there). Unfortunately, I can’t identify any of the other guests. Can anyone help?
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This venue must be the function room above the Co-op Office on the corner of Wellington Street and Nelson Terrace. Two of my daughters had wedding breakfasts there and then disco in the evening the rooms and the Café were quite large.
Another venue now gone from the town centre, everything is now on the outskirts or further afield more is the pity.
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Seated front right looks very much like John Pollock , ex 608 Squadron and Thornaby air cadets ?
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I think it is John, he was such a lovely man, a friend of my dads, Dick Morgan. Sadly they have now both passed
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