This photo of the quayside was taken by my father-in-law, John B. Haworth who was the Town Clerk in the 1950s (you can see him in a photo of Stockton Town Council 1953 on this site0.
The Quay Manager at the time was Mr F.P. Scott, the father of Sir Ridley Scott, who was knighted for services to the UK film industry (Alien, Blade Runner, etc.) and Tony Scott who sadly died in Los Angeles in 2012.
Photograph and details courtesy of Ian Black.
During dozens of childhood visits to the Quayside from 1945-1952, I never once saw these cranes move or unload any ships, I recall the goods train moving up and down, the railway crossing gates opening and closing, the old bus sheds and Dole Office nearby, even the old goods yard in Bridge Road, which stood empty for years, but never any activity on the Quayside or docks.
I have exacty the same memories over the same period in time….although I didn’t see the cranes loading/unloading I did recall the
moving up and down the tracks at a point at the bottom of the incline of Finkle St….near the Seaman’s Mission…
I knew the son of the Manager of the Vane Arms Hotel and we played around that area often at the back of the hotel….as you are aware the area improved considerably over the passing years!
According to the Web, Scott’s father was in the military and consequently during the Second World War the family moved about a bit. After the war they settled in Stockton when presumably he became Quay manager. Scott attended Hartlepool College of Art earning himself a bachelor’s degree in art in 1958.
Early 50s Ridley attended Grangefield Grammar…
As a child in the late 1950s and living at Moat Street, the not so Bonny banks of the Tees towards the Victoria Bridge were my ‘playground’! My father always said that if I fell in I wouldn’t drown, I would dissolve before I could drown. ‘Happy’? memories!
A great photograph . Brings back lots memories of riding my delivery bike along the area going to Fife’s warehouse to collect bananas .
Memorable photo!….
Didn’t know his father,..but was in the same year at school with Ridley.
Thank you for your photos. Teesside is forgotten by the rest of the UK.