A photograph showing Norton High Street probably in the mid 1950s and judging by the length of the shadows I think it may be mid Summer…
The parade of shops lead off to the right and finish at The Yorkshire Penny Bank on the corner of Leven Road, I remember the bank having its name etched into all of its windows when I was working in Norton in the early 1960s, signage was much more restrained in those days.
Photograph and details courtesy of Bruce Coleman.
I lived in Northumberland Grove from 1946 to 1959. I was at Norton Board School before going to Richard Hind.My pal lived at Woodbine House with his Parents Mr and Mrs Suthern.
My husband John and his brother Paul lived there for many years in the 50’s and 60’s. Many happy memories!
I remember Mr & Mrs Suthern and family. They lived in Greylands Ave before moving to Woodbine. Visited them with Grandma; also went to Paul and wife Suzanne? first house after they were married. We kept in touch with Mrs Suthern even when she moved to Manchester? to family. Lovely people.
Arthur, you may have seen a refurbishment of some of the shops as they changed hands, those shops were built in 1937-8. I do remember them being built and the arrival of R. Sparks cake shop, to a young boy going home from the Norton Board School gazing in the shop window and drooling it was heaven on earth. Look at the third picture of the old houses, my future wife lived there before they were pulled down to build the shops, they moved out in early 1937.
Heather my friend Dennis Goldsbrough lived in Woodbine House during and for a time after the war, his Father was a coal merchant. Entrance to the back of the house where he kept his lorry was the track to the top show field or the sand pots as some knew it. The ring road hsd been on the maps since before the war and was needed as a lot of traffic for Billingham cut across Norton Green and down Beaconsfield Road as it became.
My mother was on war work so holidays Mrs Goldsbrough fed me, rather odder than it seems. Mr Goldsbrough employed four German POW’s who came to lunch, sat round the table with the family chatting as we ate then a couple of them washed up, it was all a bit mind blowing to me who thought why are they not trying to escape? As I pass that house it invokes many memories.
I worked in the office at Norton Laundries around 1953. My family lived in Woodbine House just past the duck pond. The last time I saw it, I was amazed to see its now situated on one corner of a roundabout. A main road had been built taking up part of the garden.
I was brought up in Norton since 1963 and from that time walked past this road junction twice day at least. I think that this picture was probably taken in the early 60’s as I remember the building of the flat roofed row of shops in the early 60’s.