On Roger Lee Hymer’s discharge from The Green Howards on the 17th March 1946, he entered employment with British Titan Products Tioxide. Manual duties were conducted with working in the plant on Haverton Hill Road for the majority of his time, until the latter years at central laboratories on Portrack Lane, as retirement approached. The majority of his life he cycled to work every day from Thornaby to Haverton Hill.
Images and details courtesy of Michael Hymer.
Picture Stockton Archive 
Talking about British Titan I remember an incident about 1957/58 I think. My Brother in law Norman Trotter was the General Foreman for Holst and Co. Concrete Engineers who built most of the large water coolers on Teesside those large dome shaped structures Dotted all over Teesside Norman’s Team had just poured some concrete floors in British Titan Offices and he asked me to go with him to polish the finished concrete. We worked most of the night polishing these floors. I suppose the office staff are still walking on these floors everyday. I remember in those days Norman being the General Foreman had all sorts of odd jobs to tackle including doing the wages for the squad. It would not happen in todays environment.
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My Dad Alec Trotter worked at BTP for many years my uncle Robert Fallowfield worked in the workshops.
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Hi John,
Your uncle Bob Fallowfield was a fitter on the West site. If my memory serves me right, I think he and his wife lived in Starkey Street, Stockton or they’re close relative did. A nice guy.
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My father Jack Alderdice worked in the Buying Dept, he retired in late 70s. I worked a couple of summer holidays when I was a Leeds University student in early 70s
John Alderdice
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My dad worked at BTP, can’t remember when he started (before I was born in ’72) and he stayed there through Tioxide and Huntsman when he retired from there
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Hi Bennie,
I worked at the Titan in the 50’s and 60’s as a chemical plumber in the workshop next to your dad’s joiners shop. I knew him well. He worked with Joe Overton, Ken Griggs, Bill Peters and Bill Billsbrough and the lads. Tommy Hooker was a great local footballer who was a fitter on West Site.
For Anon, Jack Smith’s son Roy Smith was lead guitarist with local rock group, The Denvers.
Another great footballer who worked at the Titan, was Les Dixon who played with Barry Geldart for Crook Town against Bishop Auckland, in the FA Amateur Cup Final at Wembley.
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HI Keith Les Dixon’s father was my Fathers Boss at the Titan, Les also went to Newham Grange School in their “S” class to complete his School Certificate..
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Keith, Barry Geldart played for Whitby Town at Wembley in 1965, Crook Town played Bishop Auckland at Wembley, Newcastle & Middlesbrough in 1954, I was at Wembley for that final. Tommy Hooker was a good footballer who played at Head Wrightsons late in his career with us in 1969.
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Another Long time employee in their Accounts Office was Barry Geldart an other local footballer who spent nearly all his working life in their employ, Barry died recently aged I think 87 years after contacting Covid 19 in he Hospital in which he was having treatment for a replacement hip problem.. Another well known local footballer also worked at the British Titan was Tommy Hooper..
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Occupational hazards for footballers knees & hips as you know Ben, Barry was also a Football League Scout with a few clubs.
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Yes Anon three knees and last month a hip replacement, a reward for a life of football and Cricket, never mind we are still here and enjoying our Golf. Barry was a good footballer who played outside left to me at Stockton FC, in the early sixties.
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A past neighbour Jack Smith worked for British Titan, in the sixties he went to Sierra Leone with his wife on a two year contract for them.
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My father Benny Brown Senior worked for the British Titan for many years. He was a maintenance Joiner which entailed working in some very hazardous environments with the chemicals used in the process. I can remember as child Dad coming home and taking his shirt off and mother putting it straight into the bin as it was full of holes caused by the acid in the equipment Dad had been maintaining Dad was on the Works Council of which there is a photograph on the site some where British Titan were a very good company to work for, and looked after their worker’s better than most. Every Christmas time they gave a big Christmas Party for the workers children and I remember managing to get a few quid from winning the foot races they organized. I remember Mr Dixon and Mr Worrall as two of Dads Mangers at the time. On arriving in Australia to work for Rio Tinto I found myself working with Mr Worrall’s son Alex an Engineer, a boy from Billingham. Small World..
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I worked at British Titan Billingham as a Designer Draughtsman for about nine months. I did some very good engineering calculations for a large tipping leadlined ladle. I calculated the gearbox and motor requirements.
The clever bit was, the moments and the centre of gravity changed as the contents were emptied.
I recall a very happy time with my fellow Draughtsmen. I quit because I didn’t get a Christmas pay rise! That was because the laughter was more obvious than my great work!
Cheers, Dennis Robson
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Did he live in Oxford Road, Thornaby?
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Yes, we lived at number 59.
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