The recent post about the William IV Hotel prompted me to dig out this glass we found in the family home whilst emptying it. “An original glass” from the said Hotel before it was demolished.
Image and details courtesy of Dorothy Butler (nee Wright).
Thornaby Town Council held their first post-Covid Battle Of Britain Memorial Service at the Airmans Statue on Thornaby Road on Sunday, 12 September.
The service was led by Padre Robert Desics from St Marks the Evangelist and St Peter ad Vincula Churches and was attended by both the Town Mayor Councillor Steve Walmsley and his wife Councillor Sylvia Walmsley , Leader of the Thornaby Independents Association. Master Aircrewman Ian McCabe from RAF Leeming and himself a former Stockton air cadet represented the Stockton & Thornaby Branch of the Royal Air Forces Association and the Standards were carried by Roy Smith and Ian Hindmarsh.
Following the service the congregation moved to Thornaby Cemetery were local schoolchildren placed Remembrance Crosses on the graves of the fallen within the War Graves Plot.
Photographs and details courtesy of David Thompson.
I’m trying to find any details on this old song ‘Polly Flockton’. It mentions South Stockton and Norton. I believe the song dates from around 1870. Does anyone know the tune and who wrote it?
Images and details courtesy of Dave Wiley.
UPDATE 2021: I have found the musical score for the song, it turns out that this was written by a German American composer E. Mack…
A few years ago I found a pottery stamp and on it is the name ‘STOCKTON’. Until recently the stamp was on display at the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery in Hanley, Staffordshire.
Photographs courtesy of Colin Pearson.
Preston Park Museum has a Toy Stories exhibition coming soon!
Just to help bring to life the toys in the collection do you have memories of playing with the following toys; Meccano, Star Wars toys actions figures or games, Sindy, Scalextric, Gerry Anderson toys (thunder birds, Cap Scarlet and Stingray)?
If so please share a memory of playing with these and what they meant to you! Was it Scalextric that got you into cars? Did Meccano inspire you to become a DIY enthusiast? Or was it just a time when you happily played and enjoyed them? These memories could be seen in the interpretation of what is on display so please share if you would potentially be happy to see them.
We can’t guarantee everything will go in but we will do everything we can to share as many as possible!
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, licences and ‘My Prayer Book for Men and Boys’ that my father Kenneth was given.
Photographs and details courtesy of Jacqueline Lewis.
Thanks to Richie Bateman for allowing use of this photo.
Richie is not sure about any of the people in this photo apart from himself, he is on the far left. Between Richie and his sister they believe that the girl second from left is Mary Thompson and the fourth to be their brother John.
They think it would have been taken in the late 1950s but can’t imagine who by as they didn’t know of anybody who owned a camera.
Their only certainty is that it was taken in Ruislip Close in Roseworth.
This is how I remember my childhood, sometime in the late 1950s the kids in our close built what started out to be an Igloo and finished up looking like a Tepee, we rolled large snowballs into a circle and added more on top until we had an Igloo shape, we then threw piles of snow on top to give it height, two things I remember about that edifice were Herbie Ollett trying to run over the top and falling and breaking his leg, and the fact that the heap of snow was still evident long after the thaw.
If anybody recognises any of the people in the photo, please let me know and I will send the information to Richie.
Photo and details courtesy of Richie Bateman / Bruce Coleman
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.