This photograph was taken in November 1980 and shows the demolition of Richard Hind Senior schools to make way for new housing. I attended both the junior and senior schools between 1953 and 1964.
Photograph and details courtesy of Ian Pirie.
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
Picture Stockton Archive 
Hi I am trying to locate the schools that my sister Emilie Rushforth who live in Stockton she had an older sister Moria and two brothers Eric and John I think the family lived in Hawthorn Road and or Waverley Street. Possibly Eric went to Richard Hind Junior followed by Oxbridge Boys School
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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I forgot to add that I actually found Emily on f/b by accident about three years ago, however, for some reason she seems to have completely gone missing from my friends list a while ago, …silly as it seems I can’t remember her surname.
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I lived in the last house on the right of the picture and attended the junior school until 1952 a lot of my friends went on to the Senior School and it was sad to see the demise of a school which turned out some very able people.
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The writing was on the wall for Richard Hind in the mid sixties. By accident, one summer’s day I ran into Mr “Johnny” Rosser in Smiths in Stockton. He was in a very emotional, almost tearful state. His wife was with him, who kept apologising for her husband, asking me, someone barely into his twenties, for sympathy.
I gathered that something dreadful was happening, but whether it was to him or Richard Hind was not made clear, probably both. The comprehensive tide was sweeping the country, and an oddity of a school, like Richard Hind, which took partial failures from the “11 plus” and pushed them towards a good technical career, had not chance of proper consideration.
It was only with the passage of years did I realise that everything that Rosser had strove and fought for was being cast aside. The school had some difficulty in getting the right calibre of teacher, but I can honestly say that there were only a few deadheads.
Only a few boroughs adopted the three tier set up of “Secondary Moderns” ,”Technical Schools” and “Grammar Schools”, which must be another reason why they were bulldozed out of the way. I have to laugh that “good sound technical education” is again being called for as a solution to England’s poor rate of industrial development.
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I remember the Rushforth family, they lived in 71 Waverley Street over the road from my parents. They were all older than me but I certainly did know them. Emily possibly went to Richard Hind juniors, the building still exists on Richardson/Yarm Road albeit now a nursery as the school closed not too sure as to the year. The senior Richard Hind on the opposite side was demolished and a small housing estate built on the land. Oxbridge Lane school is on the Lane with the same name, that is still a school as it has been for a great number of years!. Emily and John are the two most familiar to me. John was a good friend of the Reid brothers, David and Alan, who lived in number 70 Waverley Street, sadly both no longer with us. I can remember the Rushforth family moving from Waverley Street but not too sure as to where. Sorry I can really not help more with regards to the schools.
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Ian Pirie, are you Valerie’s brother?
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Hi Cliff,
Yes I am, I took this photo from outside our house in Richardson Road where we lived from 1953 to 1970. Even though I lived so close I could still be late for school.
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Hi Ian
We lived at 17 Richardson Road from 1962 to 1976. I can’t remember you (sorry, my memory is terrible!).
I went to Richard Hind Primary School from 1964 to 1971. Do you know of any Facebook groups or similar for alumni?
Thanks
Graham Stephenson
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I attended Richard Hind School from 1951 to 1956 and it holds happy memories, Craig Allison
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Hi I attended Richard Hind juniors from 1950 to 1956 my maiden name then was Linda Britton. Teachers names I remember were Miss Robson Miss Wanford, Miss Foster, Miss Lewis. Headmaster was Mr Oliver.
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Hi Ian,
I attended from 1956 to 1962 and was known as Edmund Todd (my first name is Sydney and I now live 100km north of Sydney in Australia). I have been trying to contact old school mates but no success. Just wondered if you knew of any Facebook or other social media groups to check out.
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Hi, you were a little time after me if I find anything will let you know, did find a few on Friends Reunited about ten years ago.
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I went to Richard Hind from 1956 to 1962 are you Ann Todd’s brother she married Jim Mansell
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I just found your post. Ann was 15 months younger than me and she too migrated to Perth but unfortunately passed away last year. How did you know Ann?
If you want to get in touch, contact pictures@stockton.gov.uk and they will forward my email address on to you.
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Hi Toddy, I found this email by sheer chance and I noticed it was three years old! I hope you are still well living in OZ. 100kn north of Sydney so that near Newcastle?
David Shaw.
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I just found your post. I have tried hunting you down several times but no luck until now.
So glad to hear from you and hope after all this time you’re still around.
My wife Cecilia passed away suddenly in 2021 at 74. I have two sons. One lives in Penrith and the eldest in the Blue mountains. I have 4 grand sons.
I would love to hear from you direct, contact pictures@stockton.gov.uk and they will forward my email address on to you.
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Hi, I was in juniors 1953 to 1957 along with John Watson, Tony Bird, Susan Dumont, Pam Dinsdale, Pat Thomas can’t recall any more, if anyone else can?
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Being an ex-pat of more than sixty years, and also being an old-boy, might I ask the reason behind the school’s demolition? I must say that upon returning “home” several times over the years I never failed to make a nostalgic pass by the school.
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