This image takes me back 70 years to the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on the 2nd of June 1953.
My family lived in a small cul-de-sac with no through traffic, there were trestle tables set up on the road, the residents were mainly young married couples with small children, I was one of the older children aged 7 with two younger brothers, the family opposite had five children, two slightly older than myself, there were many other children living in the area and we had a great day.
In common with most people at that time this was the first time we had seen a television, only one of our neighbours had a television and we were all allowed to see it in operation, a grainy black and white 12″ screen with an image that was barely discernible, incredible to see how far we have come since those times.
We had street games and I remember the ladies all standing on a wall holding sheets in front of them while the men tried to find their wives by looking at their ankles, as you can imagine there were many ribald remarks and lots of laughter, very much of its time.
The photo shows a number 69 United bus on Billingham Bank on its way to Stockton, I think this bus ran between Stockton High Street and the Transporter Bridge, I lived North of the railway and our bus was the United 67B which also went to Stockton High Street.
Image and details courtesy of Bruce Coleman.
I lived in a road on the right hand side of the photograph at the top of the bank. The houses on the left were ICI senior staff and on the right were NESCO (Electricity Company) houses. The field on the right of the bank was owned by a local farmer named Foster. I do not recall any decoration on the bank on the day of the Coronation. When was the photograph taken?
Thank you for sharing your memories.
Is this photo showing Billingham Bank as seen from the Norton bridge as it would be now?