A photograph showing the arched entrance to Norton Board School. The School opened in 1872 and was demolished in the late 1970s. Photograph taken c2009.
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
A photograph showing the arched entrance to Norton Board School. The School opened in 1872 and was demolished in the late 1970s. Photograph taken c2009.
I was at Norton Board from 1946 to 1951. Mr Corner was head a fearsome man we thought and we were terrified of his daily mental aritjmetic tests. Mr Thompson gave us all a love of books reading Sherlock Holmes stories. A lot of names come back Geoff Sidebottom, Paul suthers David Palmer Nadine and Maureen Barnaby to name a few. Went To Richard hind later as most of us did. Good memories of Norton must go and have a look someday
I went to Norton Board after the war and as I remember the Infants and Lower Juniors (now Y3 & 4) went through the Arch and the third year and fourth year (now Y5 & Y6 )used the lane. In my day the constable was PC Calder who lived with his family in the police house and Mr. Green had the cobblers shop (I bought my first football boots there). Like Frank I remember the playground every time I go to the CooP supermarket but also remember that part of the yard went to become the second roadway of Tanners Bank. How strange to think that such a large school (to me as a child) fitted into the space.
Remember PC Calder. He was huge, I wold say in the 25 stone bracket. You would see him on the platform of the bus in uniform having his free ride from Stockton to Norton, maybe after appearing in Court of collecting the Admin from Stockton PS.
Think the infants went in here. Older kids went on further along.
Yes that was the infants entrance in my time pre-war then as we got older there was an alley where the Supermarket exit now is. If you follow the row of shops to the left there was a Police house where the local Bobby lived and worked, A man we tearaways respected and feared. He also took the tickets round for the Police ball which my parents went to, ball gowns dickie bow the lot, if I answered the door my first thought was always “what have I done now” knowing full well if the Bobby had clipped my ear then told Dad I would get another, no rushing off to solicitor’s back then to see if you could get a holiday out of them.
On the other side of the alley was Greens boot repairers, he with the Policeman rushed out and separated Kenny Luke and I when I was intent on murder, he was small but strong as I found out. I believe we used the infants entrance from five to seven then the main up to the eleven plus, those of us who passed went on to the Town Schools the others to the Fredy Nat. My memory of teachers was a Miss Fawcette? Mr Thompson and Miss Thompson, Mr Fisher.
Norton being a village we who went to the school formed friendships that were lifelong, so many of them now gone, I think we owe a lot to those teachers and the School, each time I shop there memories crowd back, playground games the people we knew a much gentler time apart from when I had murder on my mind.
Mr Mee, a question please… After the shops on the left hand side as you enter the supermarket carpark there is a tall wall, on the other side of this wall there are what looks like two small houses which when I looked were derelict. These appear to be in the garden of another property, the location seems strange, do you know if they were used as houses or for some other purpose?
Wonders never cease, after saying yesterday many friendships were formed as Norton was indeed a Village back then, to day I am shopping and a familiar face appeared. Mary Pierson says I, yes indeed says she and memories of the Norton Board came tumbling out. Mary was one of my first holding hands sweethearts for a long while. the parting of the ways came when I passed the eleven +, the senior schools were segregated although she often came up to the Green from her home in Leven Road. Across from their house lived the Seaton’s pals of my Parents Tommy older Audrey younger although they too came to the Green where we all met up. Mary still lives in Norton, we never seem to stray far from the Green no matter what travelling we did we came back.
Jon, I will look at the ruins when I get the chance, if you go past to the left of the shop and house towards the Green you will find a yard with people living in the cottages still. All that area was the Tannery bank hide drying area with Tanners Housing. Many years ago there was some consternation about flooding, how can water flow up hill, the answer was simple. The Tanners drying racks spread across the bank hence the name Tanners bank were on wicker work racks which were repaired and renewed over many years then just left when the Tannery closed. The old wicker work now well buried was acting like a wick in a lamp so water was being fed up hill from the base, it was dug out and cured.
There are many such yards along the High Street and people living in those now refurbished houses but I do remember many of them over crowded a single tap, shared toilets and some had a water pump as did the yard outside my home in Mill Lane. In a desperate time pre war when work was short and no DHSS handing out money, it was hand outs from the Churches and people like us who had big gardens and animals helping those less well off, Mother would give me a parcel, put this behind Mrs so and so’s front door, do not let her see you, many were too proud to take hand outs face to face, a small piece of bacon a couple of eggs and some vegetables from the garden would feed the family and Mother often put fresh baked bread or a pie in. Hardship today is not having a flat screen TV or the latest phone, hardship then was kids going hungry maybe one hot meal a week if they were lucky, ragged clothes sand shoes with no soles in winter and the Mayors boots, schools would hand out a pair of boots to kids with no footwear, they were notched so the parents could not pawn them and we kids knew who had them, children can be very cruel to those less fortunate.
The good old days Jon, people hanker after them I do not, no way I would give up my central heating for coal fires or my walk in shower for the tin bath, you can keep the old days, mind saying that why have I not got a do it all even make you a cup of tea Mobile phone? mine is simple pay and go, can I cry Hardship?
Hi, I went to ‘Norton Board’ in the 1950’s. We don’t ‘hanker after the good old days’, but it nice just to remember old friends and places with affection. Life was simple, lots of camaraderie. A tin bath is a couple of generations previously. I’ve always lived in a house with a fixed bath and an inside loo. Okay, no central heating then, but you soon get used to sitting round the fire to keep warm. I remember struggling to buy my first house in the 60’s (aged 21) and lighting a fire in the bedroom to keep the baby warm! Lovely and cosy! – Mandy
Mandy, even today I can remember the names of my friends and class mates, the teachers, who were all top class, Mr Thompson being my last taking me to the 11+ and making sure we mostly passed the exam, unfortunately for about half those who passed the parents could not afford the clothes and kit needed. They were very hard times for some yet all we knew, to us it was normality. No central heating in Mill Lane though we had a wash house with a boiler in the corner with a constant supply of hot water, a big Range in the Kitchen with two ovens and another water boiler, the fire never went out and we sat under Gas Light to read our books, I thought every one did that, how wrong could you be? Many Fathers were out of work and a lot of children did not get cooked breakfast and evening meal as my Sister and I did, yet I talk to people my age who do hanker after the old days, my reckoning is they have forgotten what it was really like.
Some were working by the age 12-13 not many made it to 14, those of us who went to the high schools did not start work until age 16 yet some of those early leavers I met over the years did well for themselves.
I meet ex-ICI people in Town who labour on about how good it was and how they miss it, “what” ICI was more dangerous than the Army, it gave me what I have today but miss it not likely, I retired and started a new life forgetting the past.
My outlook is upwards and on which probably helped me overcome cancer last year beat it and back to my own lifestyle, of course I remember the past with happy thoughts but go back? not on your life.