Two silver trophies awarded in the 1940s to boys attending and competing at The Eagle Boys Club in Stockton. This club met at Woodlands, a large house on Yarm Lane next to Leybourne Terrace. The club was run by Frank Showell, when he was not teaching at the nearby Oxbridge Lane School. Mr Showell is described elsewhere on Picture Stockton as being “a wonderful teacher and a great motivator”. The names of the club members are engraved on the plaques, they include – Dennis Noble, A. Todd, R. Wiley and W Palfreeman. Has anybody any memories about this club?

Photograph and details courtesy of Cliff Thornton.

These items dating from the 1950s and 1960s belonged to my father Kenneth Lewis and his father David Henry Lewis. They include my grandfather David’s memberships and licenses and ‘My Prayer Book for Men and Boys’ that my father Kenneth was given.

Photographs and details courtesy of Jacqueline Lewis.

Well, what a strange and crazy year we’ve had… Picture Stockton is indebted to those who donate photographs, those who add their stories and comments and also the site visitors who just enjoy the site for what it is. This is what makes Picture Stockton a success. I hope that you have had as much pleasure from visiting the site as I have from running it. I’d like to sincerely thank you all for your kind words and good wishes and to wish all of our friends old and new a very Happy Christmas and a safe and prosperous New Year. I will be taking a few days off now but please keep your comments and picture contributions coming (for picture contributions please email: pictures@stockton.gov.uk). Best Wishes, Laura. Picture Stockton will be back in 2021.

These are the School representative badges for the Newham Grange School won by Marie Brown (Kennedy) in 1949/50. Marie was also an accomplished Athlete representing Stockton Lady Harriers in the !00 yards and Relay races at the Local Athletic Meets such as The Richmond Meet Many. World class athletes competed at the Richmond meet, such as E McDonald Bailey, Fanny Blankers Kohen (5 Olympic Gold Medals), Bob Richards the American Olympic Pole Vaulter, Arthur Wint the World class Jamaican 400 yard runner and many others. These Athletics Meetings allowed the local athletes to compete against the Worlds Best, and gave local people in the North East a chance to see the Worlds best which was usually restricted to the London areas such as Wembley Stadium and the White City Stadium.The Meetings had wonderful atmospheres with Cycling also featured. I suppose that Gateshead is the only place North East people can now see these top athletes in action.

Photograph and details courtesy of Ben Brown.

‘To the school children of Stockton, Thornaby and Norton, with Colonel and Mrs Ropner’s best wishes’. Does anyone have any information about this image?

Image and details courtesy of Tony Hird.

Here’s an image of Scotland Pond in Wolviston Village. Does anyone have anymore information about why it’s called Scotland Pond?

Image and details courtesy of Glenn Atterton.

A photograph of a substation, Yarm Road. Note the anchor above the door c1924.

I came across this laundry box in my loft recently. I think it might have come from my Grandmother’s house. She lived in Thornaby from about 1940 till 1972. I wonder if the company still exits.

Photograph and details courtesy of Chris Shields.

Images of the order of proceedings for the presentation of gold badges to local blood donors. My late mum Doreen Birtle was one of 6 people from Billingham being honoured. For many years donors could only make two donations a year so reaching 50 was a real achievement. I think mum finished up in the top 60s before she was stood down.

Images and details courtesy of Martin Birtle.

This is an amateur radio QSL card from 1933. It is the size of a postcard. It was sent by Richard J Bradley who was then living at 5 Roker Terrace, off Yard Road, Stockton. These QSL cards were exchanged by two amateurs when they wanted to confirm that they had been in radio contact. This particular card was sent to G2JY, the registration number of an amateur station operating in Sheffield. This card gives the details of the contact – 13 June 1933 at 22:30hrs, using Morse Code.
It provides the receiving station with a report on his radio signal, and states what receiving and transmitting equipment G2FO was using. The amateur even sends a short message to his contact which bears comparison with today’s text speak, it reads;
“Mni tnx fr QSO OB Hpe cu agn sn, cheerio!” which can be read as “Many thanks for the radio contact old boy. Hope to see you again soon, cheerio!”

Image and details courtesy of Cliff Thornton.

I wonder if any Picture Stockton visitors know anything of this little ditty. Being brought up in the Garbutt Street area I was asked a good number of years ago if I had heard of it, I had not. It was then I contacted the local Remember When, they in turn asked readers to contact me if they could supply any information regarding the Two Stockton Mashers. After a week or so I received a phone call from a Thornaby gent who told me he knew of the song and without hesitation proceeded to sing it to me over the phone. He was good enough to write it out and post it on to me, so here it is…

Image and details courtesy of John Robson.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Featuring stunning black and white photographs taken from Picture Stockton, the Yesteryear Stockton-on-Tees calendar for 2020 includes Yarm Viaduct,
Billingham Town Centre, Thornaby‘s Five Lamps and Stockton Market to name but a few. The monthly photographs are accompanied by a spacious dated grid that provides space to organise appointments, birthdays and reminders.

Available for £8.99. Get yours from any library within Stockton Borough or email pictures@stockton.gov.uk to place an order or for more information.

‘Just 6 years to go…..’  a joint production by Martin Peagam, Jim Fox and Barry Thompson at Stockton Central Library (Jim Cooke Suite) on Thursday 26 September from 1pm. To book a FREE place or for more details contact 01642 528079 / reference.library@stockton.gov.uk

Opened on 27 September 1825, the Stockton & Darlington Railway is where the modern railway network was born. With just six years to go before the 200^th anniversary of that momentous event, we present three talks on the history of the railway, celebrating its place in history, one of the enterprising men behind it, and the celebrations that it has generated.