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.

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 the Empire Theatre, Stockton 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 (p&p not included). Email pictures@stockton.gov.uk to place an order or for more information.

Lady’s Card, Thornaby Embassy Club and Institute Limited from 1965.

Image courtesy of Angie Latif.

This is a small collection of memorabilia found amongst my late Aunt Dolly’s things when she passed away a few years ago. Of particular interest is the item regarding the Globe Theatre, a topical subject at the moment. The Parish Church cover is a record of the church from 1235-1950 compiled by The Reverend R T Heselton dated May 1979. My Aunt Dolly Robson spent many years in service and I include a few letters of reference from some of her former employers. I thank my brother Harry who is the holder of these and many other items from what he calls the Robson collection.

Images and details courtesy of John and Harry Robson.

I wonder if anybody knows anything about this company, A & G Taylor photographers.

Images and details courtesy of Bruce Coleman.

The Friends of the Stockton & Darlington Railway are holding their last walk on Wednesday 3 July meeting outside the main entrance to Preston Park Museum at 6pm.

The walk will take you along the original 1825 track-bed which runs through Preston Park and will be lead by Robin Daniels of Tees Archaeology.

Again all are welcome to come along and to finish we will steam along to the Locomotion in nearby Station Road for drinks and nibbles.

The Friends of the Stockton & Darlington Railway are holding their second survey walk and social meeting on Wednesday 26 June, meeting at Allens West Junction at 6pm and as ever, all are welcome to come along. We will be walking along Durham Lane to The Cleveland Bay, the worlds first railway pub and it’s original name gives a clue and it will be revealed on the night !

We will be passing the original station keepers house next to Allens West and also the S&DR agents house with it’s distinctive D13 plaque still in place.

Light refreshments will be available and a model of the 1825 Yarm Depot will also be on display.

“The Friends of the Stockton & Darlington Railway have organised a survey/walk/social event in Stockton on Wednesday 12 June starting at 6pm from the Town Hall to try and drum up some steam or rather support for the bi-centenary of the S&DR in 2025. The walk is being organised by Friends who live in the Stockton area as this end of the line is often overshadowed by Darlington but there is still much to see which connects Stockton to the worlds first fare paying passenger railway, regardless of what other towns may claim ! We’ll depart the station known as the Town Hall at 6pm and end not too late in The Hope & Union in Silver Street.

Our guide for the walk is Stockton’s very own Time Traveller, Martin Pegam who is known for his Magical Mystery History Tours and perhaps more so for his Dr Who like scarf. Dr Who?

The walk is being supported by Steve Thompson who runs the Stockton Digital Village from his studio in the Green Dragon Yard and material gathered during the walk will be used to produce a multi-media presentation some of which may air on Radio Stockton . What, you’ve never heard of Radio Stockton? Then see or rather hear here; http://www.radiostockton.co.uk/.

Two more Friends walks are also planned for Wednesday 26 June, walking from Allens West railway station to survey the Yarm Branch followed by a social in The Cleveland Bay and secondly on Wednesday 3 July to explore the S&DR track-bed which runs through Preston Park, and not many people know that! The walks are free so please come along and support them and hopefully learn more about this historical railway line much of which still remains, if you know where to look!”

The mid 1960s saw the rise in popularity of nightclubs and bowling alleys, they have both nearly disappeared in the intervening years, there are still some around but not nearly as many as there were. The “Kirk” or the Kirklevington Country Club was one of a number in the Stockton area, other clubs I remember are, The Marimba and The Contessa in Middlesbrough, The La Ronde in Billingham and the best known of all The Fiesta in Norton.

These clubs offered top class entertainment, including many international acts, youngsters from this time were not overly interested in pubs and social or working men’s clubs, beer and bingo were becoming old hat, the dance halls which had been a mainstay of evening entertainment alongside the cinema, were in decline in the 1960s. The “Kirk” was one of two popular clubs in the Yarm area, the other being “Club M” at the Tall Trees Hotel, both of these sites have housing on them now.

The “Bongo Club” deserves a special mention, one of the very first in the area, I know it lost its licence a couple of years ago but I have seen reports that it is in the throes of being reopened, it may already be open. These clubs were very much a part of the industrial north, from Sheffield to Newcastle in the east and Liverpool and Manchester in the west, Batley was particularly well known nationwide.

I have no doubt there are many people who have fond memories of places such as The “Kirk” and have a story or two to tell. My only interest in these clubs is from a social history point of view, I have never been in a nightclub in my life, pubs, cinemas and theatres were part of my social whirl and, yes, I did go ten pin bowling.

Photograph and details courtesy of Bruce Coleman.

This picture is captioned Haverton Hill Bowling Green. The houses look as if they may be part of the Furness estate. I am wondering if anybody knows where in Haverton it was situated.

Are there any Old Havertonians who can place this? Date Unknown.

Photograph and details courtesy of Bruce Coleman.