This postcard of Stockton High Street appears to have been taken in the early 1960s as there is a Ford Anglia from the mid 1950s and a different Ford Anglia manufactured from 1959.
The Stockton Corporation bus is in the original dark green livery and are the old back loader types. The United bus looks like an early front loader with doors which were just appearing in the early 1960s, they still had conductors with hand cranked ticket machines at that time and the driver was in his own cab separate from the rest of the bus.
The market shot shows how far the stalls stretched in those days, I well remember travelling from Billingham to Stockton in the 1950s to visit the market with a school friend, we were pre teens and loved the sights and sounds and had a particular liking for the old black paraffin lights with the acorn shaped glass bowl, they threw out a terrific amount of light and a fair amount of heat as well. As today the floral displays were excellent something Stockton has to be proud of. When I was young my mother used to take me to Broughs Grocery shop, which was on Yarm Lane opposite the Maison De Dance, they had a display of glass lidded metal boxes containing biscuits the very end box had all the broken biscuits in it and you could buy a bag full for a penny, this postcard reminded me of those days.

Image and details courtesy of Bruce Coleman

An early photograph of Stockton High Street, which we believe to be c1900. Some of the buildings you might recognise as they are still part of the High Street today. ‘Blackett’s Buildings’ completed in 1824 was taken by a North Shields firm of general dealers and later taken over by a Stockton firm called ‘Carters’. Until the turn of the century many of the staff lived on the premises. Holmes General Dealers and the Arabian Cafe were established c1898 and Hodgson and Downs, a wine and spirit merchants c1876. The people gathered in the High Street seem to be selling/buying furniture…

A view of Maxwells Corner and the Globe at the north end of Stockton High Street. The film showing at the Globe is ‘Who’s Minding the Store?’ starring Jerry Lewis and Jill St John c1963.

A view of Stockton Town Hall in 1944, showing a sign, ‘Stockton, Salute the Soldier’. A target amount of £500,000 is hoped to be reached during a week in April by the people of Stockton.

The Blacketts Building was a result of several extensions and improvements to a former warehouse. It was the largest emporium of its kind in the area. It was four stories high with a rear extension of 150 feet. In 1942 Blacketts took over the corner site belonging to the Cash Clothing Co, though this corner site was demolished September 1973 as seen in the photograph.

A view of The Black Lion Hotel established c1740 on the south end of Stockton High Street. The Empire Theatre, a fine example of Edwardian architecture can just be seen to the right of the photograph.

Note the ‘Mixed Lounge’ sign outside William the Fourth Hotel and bus platform numbers 4,3 and 0.

A view of the east side of Stockton High Street and Clinkards Shoe Shop on the corner of Finkle Street. Wilson’s Department Store, Pickersgill and Sons and The Vane Arms can also be seen.

Borough Hall was built on the site of the large mansion residence of Robert Dickson, a prominent draper in Stockton. The house stayed much the same apart from a new verandah. The main hall measured 80×36 feet and together with its balcony had seating for 700. It was eventually adapted by Mr Clephan after being purchased for the sum of £1500. The hall was originally to be demolished c1930, it was however demolished later and the Regal and the General Post Office erected.

Part of the west side of Stockton High Street, showing the Chain Library (1936 – 1961), the Meadow Dairy Company (1910 – 1958) the Essoldo Cinema, the Dainty Confectionary Company (1924 – 1981) and the Royal Exchange pub.