Kinnoull, Mill Lane / Dovecot Street

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In the centre of this image is an interesting building on Dovecot St. that was mentioned in a Facebook group (Stockton Memories). The building stands out on maps & images as it was rather grand with a large formal walled garden. Built at the western edge of the town, on Mill Lane it would have had a pleasant position before being surrounded as the town expanded westwards.

In the Facebook post Ann Davinson says:
“This was Kinnoull, the house stood at the top of Dovecot Street just beyond Skinner Street and was demolished in the sixties. My family lived there for many years.”
“[the date of the picture is] about 1925. They [Kennedy family] moved away in 1930.”
“It even had a ballroom!”

Another commenter mentions living in a single room there, as a baby, so must have later become a HMO before falling into disrepair as seen in this image.

Kelly’s Directory (1914) lists “Kinnoull” as occupied by Robert Frank Brittain (Chairman of Stockton-on-Tees Local Pensions Committee).
So I wonder if that is one of Ann’s relatives? or was it already called Kinnoull?

Looking at some maps:
• 1855: there is a smaller building on the same site, with a formal garden.
• 1891: shows a larger building. It is labelled as “Trevelyan Temperance Hotel” and still has a formal garden.
• 1939: the same building is shown but the southern end of the garden has been sold and built on.
The building was the “Palais De Dance” dance hall.
• Later maps show this, and neighbouring buildings were demolished and replaced with the large office block that still stands.
The offices are shown as “Government Offices” and I think it says “Inland Revenue & Ministry of Pensions & National Insurance”
•
You can also see Kinnoull in these 1924 images:
   EPW010138 ENGLAND (1924) | Britain From Above
   EPW010139 ENGLAND (1924) | Britain From Above
   EPW010140 ENGLAND (1924) | Britain From Above

… and after the Palais De Dance was built:
EAW013852 ENGLAND (1948). The town centre, Stockton-on-Tees, 1948

(If Ann Davison is reading this, perhaps you could give permission for the photo from Stockton Memories to be added to this Picture Stockton post?)

Details courtesy of Jonathan May.

2 Central Buildings, Stockton and 111 Lanehouse Road, Thornaby

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My great-grandfather, a Londoner, was employed by W H Smith, and was appointed to open their branch at Stockton station in the 1800s. Later, he started his own business at 2 Central Buildings at the top end of Stockton High Street. For many years this was known as Wood’s Corner, later Maxwell’s Corner. My grandfather took over this shop, and in the mid-1930s sold it, and moved to new premises at 111 Lanehouse Road, Thornaby, from where he ran a tobacconist, lending library and stationers. He retired and sold this business in the early 1950s. The black-and-white picture (photographer unknown) shows 2 Central Buildings, while the colour shot of 111 Lanehouse Road was taken by my father c1947.

Photographs and details courtesy of Andy Wood.

ICI Discoverers

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My Dad George Mills was instrumental in getting the scheme going in 1961, 62(?). Al Hart and Ray Teigh, already mentioned are names I remember from then, and Keith Robertson was also involved. Early courses were run from Stubb House, Ireshopeburn, near Winston, and I came up a couple of times to visit. As a 12 year old speccy grammar school swot (Grangefield) I was very impressed by the tough lads on the courses, with their exotic (to me!) hair styles – quiffs and DA’s, and all the stuff they were doing which was very much based on Dad’s long connection with Synphonia Scouts. The photo is a presentation piece made by Apprentices, given to Dad when we moved away from Billingham, down to ICI Severnside, in 1965. Dad died at the end of last year,  would have been 100 next week!

Photograph and details courtesy of Rob Mills.

An 128 year old mystery!

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This slide purports to show Stockton Cycling Club’s 1895 racing team. As you can see the men on the bikes seem to have had their faces pasted over their original faces… very curious. Perhaps this ‘editing’ somehow was/is not noticeable when the slide is viewed through a magic lantern, it’s certainly very obvious when seen as a digital copy but it must have taken some time and effort to create this image, I wonder why it was done?

Image and details courtesy of MF Wilson.

Durham Masonic Charity Medals dated 1899 and 1902

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These are hallmarked silver masonic medals, they were in a display case that was presented by the members of the North Yorkshire and South Durham Cycling Club meet at Richmond in 1908 to the meet’s president Mr C. McAdams, I don’t know if these were his medals as there was/is a number of cycling club badges from that era also inside the case.

Photographs and details courtesy of MF Wilson.

Robert Atkinson Secondary, Thornaby

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Front row girls (L to R): Kathleen Spens, Olga Thompson, Sheila Smith, Nancy Dale, Jean Hatfield (teacher), Eileen Brander, Dorothy Maynard, Pauline Gray, Eileen Dawson, Margaret Thomas.
Second Row girls (L to R): Marian Jones, Beryl Scott, Marlene Hunt, Lilian Southgate, Eileen Raine, Marian Lamb, Margaret Snowdon, Margot Jones, Sheila Thornburn, Mary Spence, Rita Underwood.
First Row boys (L to R): Billy Tate, Jim Instone, Eric Fordy (D), Derek Worn, Allan Sanderson, Barry Chesser (D), Maurice Grey, Randolph McCartney, John Beeston, Keith Barker.
Back row boys (L to R): Arthur Lynas, Graham Henderson, Donald Morrison (D), Geoff Dunwell, Don Mclaughlin (D), Jim Black, Maurice Thornton, Gavin Swainston (D), Joe Notman.

Photograph and details courtesy of Jim Black.