When you look through the pages of Picture Stockton Archive there is very little about my old school, Bede Hall Billingham Campus. In an attempt to remedy this I have dug out an old class photograph from March 1966. Now where did that 50 years go? I am but a callow youth of 15.

There are five of the young ladies whose names have slipped from my mind. Hopefully someone can fill in the gaps.

The names from left to right, starting with the back row, are a follows… Terry Reeves, Chris Clough , Alan Storr , Les Spedding , Pete Thomas , Chris Maughn , John Elliott , Paul Overton , Chris Hardy , Ken Keating , Eric Doyle and Roger Crowe.

The middle row again from left to right… Stella Rodgers, ??, Gillian Peevoir, Martin Birtle, Erik Brown, Barbara Nelson, ?? and Pauline Lapping.

And finally the front row from left to right… ??,  Ann Buck, Carole Smith, Pat Rennison, Mike Huckins, Dorothy Burnicle, ??, ?? and Pamela Mahon.

We all went our separate ways and with one or two exceptions I’ve never seen them again.

Photograph and details courtesy of Martin Birtle.

Stockton and Billingham Technical College, Engineering Department, Oxbridge Avenue, Stockton-on-Tees. If you worked at any of the Engineering Companies in Stockton you would have gone to the local Technical College for day release/night classes and probably had contact with some of the lecturers in this photograph.

The photograph shows four lecturers from the college who are L/R: John (Jack) Southern who took Mechanics, Harry Cardwell the college principal at Stockton, Tom Sowler who took Electrics, Joe Harle who took Maths

Photograph and details courtesy of Alan Harle.

Taken in 1945 at Westbury Street School.
Front (l-r): Maurice Gray, ??, Joe Notman, Billy Taite.
2nd Row (l-r): ??, Derick Worn, Jimmy Instone, Barry Chesser, ??,
??, Maurice Thornton, John Boyle, Randolph Macartney.
3rd Row (l-r): Eric Fordy, Keith Barker, ??, Alan Shaw, John Bell, Graham Henderson, ??, Allan Sanderson.
Back Row (l-r): ??, ??, ?? ??, ??, Geoff Dunwell, ??, ??, Jim Black, ??, Billy Booth.

I have provided all the names I could, but would appreciate it if anyone can fill in the blanks.

Photograph and details courtesy of Jim Black.

Labour MP Frank Cook on the Election trail at Norton in the 1980s.

Photograph and details courtesy of Tom Collins.

Newham Grange School Prefects year 1949/50. Back Row: ??, ??, ??, Ernie Lonie S Class, Ted Amos S Class, Hazel Moody form 4A, Marie Kennedy Form 4A, ??.

Front Row: Jimmy Summers S class, ?? , Eric Barnes S Class, June Ford Form 4A, ?? S class.
I know that Jimmy Summers and Eric Barnes went on to become teachers with Jimmy making Head Master of a Teesside School but dying very young. I am sure some of our correspondents will be able to fill in the missing names on the photograph.

The S class referred to was a special class for those failing the 11 plus exam to go on to further education at a later date to stay within the Education Department net. Where others who left school at 15 years in some cases went on to study at Night School to further their education, mainly in the Technical field resulting in some eventually getting their Engineering degree or their Higher National Certificate or City and Guild full technological certificate, or National Certificate Diploma. Many Teesside youngsters benefited from this Night school education and many were allowed a days leave per week to gain their qualifications. I wonder is a similar situation still in progress on Teesside now as I would think that with the loss of all the large Engineering Firms from Teesside it may not be the case, to the detriment of the local youth of Teesside.

Photograph and details courtesy of Ben Brown.

Teachers are Mr Herman Wood (German) and Mr Jones Hurst (French). Back Row l-r: ??, ??, ??, ??, ??, ??, ?? Mike Beckwith, ??.
Middle Row l-r: ??, Keith Barker, Jim Black, ??, John Harker, ??.
Front Row l-r: Barry Errol, Eric Wardaugh, ??, ??, ??, ??, ??, ??. It would be appreciated if anyone can fill in the blanks.

Photograph and details courtesy of Jim Black.

A photograph of my class in 1956 (Class 2a) at the Norton Board School.

Photograph and details courtesy of Frank Bowron.