14 thoughts on “Dixon and Roy Garage, Norton Road”
Billingham Road, also called Tanner’s Bank, is itself a ‘by-pass’, the original highway being South Road, which, on curving round to Billingham, becomes what is now ‘Old Road’.
The route via Tanner’s Bank and Billingham Bank is a much later addition.
I used to know Brian Dixon circa late 80s / early 90s when my father used to own Lancia’s. I remember Alan and Mick the technicians. I don’t suppose you have any contacts from that era? I’m trying to find an original Dixon & Roy number plate (even a photo of one on a car) to get the garage logo copied by a printing company for a number plate. It’s a nostalgic thing for my father! Any leads would be great. Thank you!
That’ great news! Might there be any possibility of please making contact with him? My father – Michael Russell – has been doing lots of reminiscing of late, and we’ve been talking about his old Lancia’s and Brain a lot with fond memories. My father is in a hospice in Hartlepool and would love to hear from Brian 🙂
One of the partners went to Stokesley and had a business there on the Trading Estate on Station Road. He sold old Morris Minors that had been made good and also spare parts for these vehicles. Did he start that off at the Norton showroom?
Wasn’t Dixon & Roy’s Showroom, the Teesside area-agent for the now little heard of, Italian ‘Lancia’ cars? I always thought it a bit of a coincidence, that the local-agent for that other famous Italian car-marque ‘Alfa Romeo’, was Barry Thorman’s Showroom, ‘just up the hill’ on the corner of Norton Ave opp. The Fiesta Club. I once knew Noel Wallace from Roseworth, Thorman’s chief mechanic and an ardent Motor-rallying fan in the 1960’s. Sadly Noel passed only last year, aged just 67.
It’s certainly called Billingham Rd, on the S’ton side of the Red Lion roundabout! However, that section (in front of the T.A. centre) is a 20thC. ‘by-pass’, the original road having gone past the White Swan Pub and turned right at South Rd to continue north (via Tanner’s bank) tp Billingham, it being part of the old A19 highway to S/land. The old horse drawn stage-coaches had a real ‘pull’ up the bank to contend with when coming from the north, and the carefully positioned corner windows to the 18thC. Red Lion Inn enabled the landlord / travellers to observe the coach’s approach at a distance. The Inn’s extensive stabling facility and yard, stood on the land where the ‘new’ by-pass section now meets the roundabout.
Dixon and Roy Garage, Norton Road. c1994.
Picture Stockton Archive 
Billingham Road, also called Tanner’s Bank, is itself a ‘by-pass’, the original highway being South Road, which, on curving round to Billingham, becomes what is now ‘Old Road’.
The route via Tanner’s Bank and Billingham Bank is a much later addition.
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Does anyone have contact information for Mr Dixon, from Dixon & Roy’s Showroom?
I’m trying to contact him. Would appreciate any information.
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Is this the Lenny Gill I used to work with?
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No, sorry!
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Hi Gill. Sadly Brian Dixon died some years ago. He was my old boss at Dixon and Roy x x
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Hi,
I used to know Brian Dixon circa late 80s / early 90s when my father used to own Lancia’s. I remember Alan and Mick the technicians. I don’t suppose you have any contacts from that era? I’m trying to find an original Dixon & Roy number plate (even a photo of one on a car) to get the garage logo copied by a printing company for a number plate. It’s a nostalgic thing for my father! Any leads would be great. Thank you!
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I’m sorry to hear that. Thanks for letting me know.
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I heard from Brian Dixon’s daughter that it was Tom Roy who died. Brian Dixon is still well.
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That’ great news! Might there be any possibility of please making contact with him? My father – Michael Russell – has been doing lots of reminiscing of late, and we’ve been talking about his old Lancia’s and Brain a lot with fond memories. My father is in a hospice in Hartlepool and would love to hear from Brian 🙂
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One of the partners went to Stokesley and had a business there on the Trading Estate on Station Road. He sold old Morris Minors that had been made good and also spare parts for these vehicles. Did he start that off at the Norton showroom?
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Wasn’t Dixon & Roy’s Showroom, the Teesside area-agent for the now little heard of, Italian ‘Lancia’ cars? I always thought it a bit of a coincidence, that the local-agent for that other famous Italian car-marque ‘Alfa Romeo’, was Barry Thorman’s Showroom, ‘just up the hill’ on the corner of Norton Ave opp. The Fiesta Club. I once knew Noel Wallace from Roseworth, Thorman’s chief mechanic and an ardent Motor-rallying fan in the 1960’s. Sadly Noel passed only last year, aged just 67.
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They were certainly the agent for the Daf cars as I used to have my Daf 55 serviced there in the 70’s.
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I did’nt realise this stretch of road was classed as Norton Road, is this also the road known as Tanners Bank?
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It’s certainly called Billingham Rd, on the S’ton side of the Red Lion roundabout! However, that section (in front of the T.A. centre) is a 20thC. ‘by-pass’, the original road having gone past the White Swan Pub and turned right at South Rd to continue north (via Tanner’s bank) tp Billingham, it being part of the old A19 highway to S/land. The old horse drawn stage-coaches had a real ‘pull’ up the bank to contend with when coming from the north, and the carefully positioned corner windows to the 18thC. Red Lion Inn enabled the landlord / travellers to observe the coach’s approach at a distance. The Inn’s extensive stabling facility and yard, stood on the land where the ‘new’ by-pass section now meets the roundabout.
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