Photographs of market day in Stockton taken by my dad, Christopher Henry Deaton. Judging by the vehicles he went there somewhere between 1965 and 1967 (when he met my mum and never returned to Stockton).
My grandmother used to go to the shambles late at night on Saturdays to get the knock down meat for Sunday.
Photographs and details courtesy of Sarah Denton.
This watercolour depicting a late-night scene in Stockton High Street was painted by Elsie Cannon in 1951, in Impressionist style. The vibrancy of the colours captures the lively, if somewhat chaotic end, to some weekend big night out with lots of different stories and emotions going on, all picked out by the bright, neon sign advertising the Blue Posts Hotel, just off stage. Whilst a small crowd jostles to get on board the last bus (the number 3, I recall, plied between Hartburn and Roseworth), other night owls are still partying and one or two characters are clearly the worse for drink! Meanwhile the young couple in the central foreground are too much in love to notice all these shenanigans and are dreamily wending their own way.
Elsie Cannon grew up in Stockton and studied at West Hartlepool College of Art where she met and befriended my mother’s sister, my Auntie Win. She became a close friend of the family and was known to us as ‘Auntie Elsie’. She lived with her parents in Linden Avenue, near Ropner Park and taught art at Richard Hind school. As well as local scenes, Elsie liked to paint landscapes, particularly of the Lake District and the Isle of Arran where she would spend her holidays, sometimes touring by bicycle. Later, she took up photography and deployed the same artistic talent in capturing scenes, characters and landscapes as expressed in her paintings.
I remember Elsie as a demure lady, in fact the archetypal ‘prim aunt’, and I cannot imagine that she could have sat with paintbrushes and easel in the middle of Stockton High Street, late at night to capture this surreal scene. But whatever her method, she certainly caught and ably recorded in this painting, something of the times.
Photograph and details courtesy of Robert Still.
A postcard showing Stockton Market Place in 1825.
Image courtesy of Alan Middleton.
A view of the north end of Stockton High Street, included in the view are Armstrong Antique Dealers (1908-1915), D Hill Carter Co. Ltd., (1899-1937) and Cash Clothing Co.,(1896-1939) 
A colour postcard showing the Town Hall and part of a cobbled Stockton High Street.
The building on the far left is No. 33, the Cash Clothing Company, and to its right is D. Hill, Carter & Co., at Nos 34 – 37 (now the Fountain Shopping Mall).
This postcard received in 1972 shows Stockton High Street on Market Day.
Image courtesy of Alan Grange.
This photo shows how much Stockton High Street changes over a few years. Believed to be taken from Nolan House, the Castle Centre and Swallow Hotel are in prominent view. But looking across towards the river and are around Chandlers Wharf has not been developed. One thing I have noticed, how much smoke there appears to be.
Photograph and details courtesy of Alex Moody.
I would often buy a Penny Dip Bun after the baths at Pete’s Snack Bar, that’s if I had a penny in my pocket.
Sketch and details courtesy of Graham Wright.
Before the Castlegate redevelopment, this historic part of the High Street included the Unicorn pub, Doggarts department store, Henderson’s (jewellers) and Thomas Hunt, and based on photographs I made this diorama, which includes buses of Stockton and Middlesbrough Corporations. These buildings were demolished in 1970.
Photographs and details courtesy of Andy Wood.
This is an advert for the opening of Stewarts store at 106 High Street after it had been rebuilt. It is also known as “Tees House”. The advert was placed on 10th May 1912, so 110 years ago! It’s still an impressive building and still proudly bears the name of Stewarts Clothiers. It has had several uses over the years, most recently a “licenced gaming centre”, but has previously been home to various clothing chains. Hopefully it can be given a little TLC and put to good use in the near future!
Image and details courtesy of Jonathan May.
Who remembers Robinsons? Robinsons department store (front and rear) early to mid 1960’s, as it officially became Debenhams in 1972.
Photographs and details courtesy of Peter Jordison.
A view of W Blackburn and Co. clothiers (1894 – 71), 119 and 120 Stockton High Street.
Thousands of people gathered on Stockton High Street to watch a military procession take place during the celebration of the Queens Silver Jubilee, July 1977.
With the impending demolition of the Castlegate Centre, I thought the site visitors might be interested in these two photographs. I believe they were taken not long after it opened in 1972. Note the stepped pavement which was removed in later years.
Photographs and details courtesy of Alex Moody.
This shot of the junction of The High Street with Castlegate, Bridge Road and Yarm Lane is exactly as I remember it.
The Empire is showing “The Long Wait”, released in America in 1954, this gives an approximate date for the shot. n the 1950s I remember visiting Broughs the grocer in Yarm Lane, as well as walking down Castlegate to watch the locos shunting along the dockside.
In the 1960s it was motorcycling along the High Street and Bridge Road to pay a visit to Eddie Holman’s motorbike shop in Parliament Road. In more recent times it was visiting the Thomas Sheraton for a pie and a pint with Brian Storey, my friend of over 65 years. Happy memories all.
Photograph and details courtesy of Bruce Coleman.
