Working Offshore on the Brent Delta

In 1977 I had a year offshore working as a materials controller on the Brent Delta oil rig. The company I worked for was called Vauldale Engineers based at Portrack in Stockton. They had the contract to supply the Electrical installations for the oil rig. Many of the chaps I worked with came from the Stockton area.

Turn the clock forward 40 years and the now redundant Brent Delta was towed to Hartlepool to be scrapped at the Able Wharf facility. All 24000 tons of it. They were saying there would be a 97% recycling rate for this tonnage. These two pictures show the rig in position in the North Sea. Moored next to it was the accommodation barge the Nortrym. Normally attached to the Brent Delta by the clearly seen bridge the Nortrym only moved away during stormy weather. I recall spending a night or two sleeping on the floor of the Brent Delta. You had to use your boots as a pillow or they could ”walk” during the night.

Photographs and details courtesy of Martin Birtle.

Class Photograph, Billingham South School c1962

A class photograph taken at Billingham South School c1962, the teacher is Mrs/Miss Morgan.
As I remember.. front row 2nd left to middle is Lilian Kennedy, 5th left is Anne Walker and to the right of the teacher is Dorcas Charlton.
Centre row… 10th left is Glen Walker (I believe he emigrated to Canada) and back row…
8th from the left is Keith Jacks (his parents ran the Three Horseshoes at Cowpen Bewley) and 9th is Alan Melville, I wish I could remember the rest but 56 years is a long time.

Photograph and details courtesy of Kenneth Robinson.

William Newton Staff c1972/73

t14904Back Row (l-r): Vicar, Peter Curland (science), Mr. Llewellyn (science).

Middle Row (l-r): Pat Upton (Maths), Joyce Hazelton (Home Economics), Margery Thompson (English & Drama), ?? (Commerce), Margaret Hodgson (Art & Needlework), Anne Pickard (French), Mr Hall.

Front Row (l-r): Marian Heald (Art), Dorothy Coates (PE), Miss Nicolson (Head), Liz Bennett (Geography), Mrs Hall.

Photograph and details courtesy of Maureen Lonsdale nee Boardman.

Bridge Road Demolition, Sunday 9 February 2020

I drove along the Riverside Road on Friday evening and was quite surprised to see a car stuck on a mud-bank after going through the temporary fencing surrounding the proposed Lidl supermarket. What I didn’t notice until I was driving back along the riverside in the opposite direction was that the demolition work had started on the old ADS Martins car showroom and worse, the old doctors surgery had gone completely!

I went down on Sunday while Storm Ciara was at a low ebb and took a few photos, the blown down fencing being a distinct advantage allowing for easy photography although blocking the footpaths. Clearly the ’24 Hour CCTV In Operation’ operator does not work on weekends!

Photographs and details courtesy of David Thompson