The official team photograph of the North Yorkshire and South Durham League champions for the 1951 season. In some ways this can be called an ‘end of an era’ photograph in that Norton did not become champions again until 1998.

Top: G. Franks, J. Everett, R.W. Waller, W. Lawson, W.R. Crozier, A. Thorpe, E. Manners, R. Spooner.

Middle: J. Fox, E.T. Waller, C. Atkinson, T. Birtle, H. Williamson, K. Williamson, M. Tate.

Bottom: J.Grigor, H. Thompson, C.V. Armitage, D.C.H. Townsend, G. Thompson, D. de G. Walford and B. McQuillan.

Also included is the menu for the champions dinner. Not a bad spread given that rationing still applied for some produce!

Photograph and details courtesy of Martin Birtle.

Photograph taken at the Victoria Ground, Stockton of the Stockton AFC football squad c1960.

Back row (l-r): John Raby, Tommy Thompson, Bill Ditchburn, Brian Armstrong, Teddy Lowe, Terry Garbutt, Front row (l-r): Neil Moody, Trevor Cockerel, Des Clough, John Bythaway, Benny Brown, Brian Escritt. This photograph was taken about 53 years ago, I wonder how many are still with us today?

Photograph and details courtesy of Benny Brown.

My dad is the one on the left, Brian Surtees during his National Service with his friend Don in 1954, unfortunately I don’t know Don’s second name – if you recognise him or Don if you see this article let me know.

My dad was born and brought up in Stockton until moving with his family to Portrack due to his dad working for British Titan. He married my Mam and they moved into a house in Durham Road both working for ICI in Billingham. Dad was a HGV driver which he did as part of his national service and Mum worked in wages then in the Agricultural division. Towards the end of his life he resided in the Sheltered Housing at the old Stockton Railway Station, the same station he left from when doing his national service and training at Catterick.

Photograph and details courtesy of Deborah Wilson (nee Surtees)

Seen in the photograph is Norton Resident, Len Nicholson – Linesman at the Middlesbrough v Carlisle Utd. Football Match on Boxing Day, 1986.

Photograph and details courtesy of Len Nicholson.

This photograph is for two separate detachments of the Home Guard… The older gentleman on the left of the photograph is my grandfather Thomas Wybert Birtle who in 1942 was the Sergeant in charge of the Home Guard unit stationed at Stockton Railway Sheds.

The younger man is his son Thomas William Birtle (my late father) who was only 16 when this photograph was taken. He had joined the Home Guard unit for Thorpe Thewles village.

The photograph was taken on the grassy area adjacent to the Norton Junction railway cottages.(facing where Harper’s garden centre used to be). During the war anti aircraft guns were stationed over the railway where the Roseworth estate stands today. The first time they were fired the blast was strong enough to bring the ceilings down in the railway cottages. This was not popular with the inhabitants.

Photograph and details courtesy of Martin Birtle.