Gazettelive - Remember When

Guisborough Railway Station

2013-05-23T05:00:00Z

In recent months both on the Remember When Page in the Evening Gazette and in the Remember When magazine we have published several articles about the Middlesbrough to Whitby railway line that ran through some spectacular scenery. On that line, but on a spur from the main route, was Guisborough Station, it was the only station on the national network which could allow a seven coach train to reverse in or out from its platform. We have been speaking to Richard Johnston from Guisborough museum who gave us this short history of the old railway station that once served the town.

Guisborough Railway Station pictured by Maurice Burns in 1963

The Middlesbrough and Guisborough Railway was opened for mineral traffic on 11th November 1853 with passenger services commencing on the 25th March 1854. In the wake of the Beeching Report, just under 110 years later, on 29th February, 1964, the last passenger train pulled out of the station at 6:10pm. None of the residents of Guisborough, over the vast majority of those 110 years, would ever have imagined that they would one day lose such an important piece of daily life. The end, when it came was surprisingly and brutally swift:

14th June 1963 - Proposals for closure announced.

23rd August 1963 - Public inquiry held in Middlesbrough.

27th November 1963 - Consent for closure given by Minister for Transport.

13th February 1964 - Date of closure announced.

29th February 1964 - Last passenger trains run.

A model of Guisborough Railway Station at Guisborough Museum

And now, just over 49 years since the station closed its doors forever, many people under a certain age are more than likely unaware of most, if not all of this part of the Town's history. And who can blame them? With the vast majority of the station area demolished and re-developed in 1967, and the surviving sections of track-bed transformed into an inconspicuous looking footpath - the casual observer could be forgiven for their obliviousness to something taken for granted for so many years over the previous two centuries!

Guisborough Railway Station on its very last day in 1964 by Maurice Burns

When I became a volunteer at Guisborough Museum last summer, I felt it was the right time, nearly 50 years after the publication of the Beeching Report that ended it, to have this part of the town's history represented once again within the museum. The centrepiece is a scale model of the station built in the mid 1970s by Andy Pearson and it has been returned to its former glory. Other physical exhibits acquired were a clock from within the station, gate signs and the hat of the town's final station master, Mr Ted Leech.

The Guisborough Railway Station exhibit at Guisborough Museum

Maurice Burns, a 17 year old in 1964, was responsible for capturing easily the most complete photographic record of the final day of passenger services to Guisborough and many of his pictures have been displayed. The Guisborough Railway Station exhibit is currently on display at Guisborough Museum, which is at the rear of Sunnyfield House on Westgate and is open every Thursday and Saturday, April to October, from 10am to 4pm

A poster for the Guisborough Railway Station exhibit at Guisborough Museum featuring a photograph by Maurice Burns

Derwent Street Infants, 1939-40

2013-05-22T05:00:00Z

"This was 1939-40 our last year at Derwent Street Infants before junior school the boys going to Smeaton Street and the girls to Lawson School," writes Chris Shakespeare from Canada. Chris has sent many pictures in the past and there is a big feature about his cycling days in and around Teesside in the 1950s in issue 113 of the Remember When magazine. Chris has named a few of the pupils here but perhaps some readers can recall some more?

"Top row has third from left Frank Faulkner and third from right Gordon Kilburn both my cousins.
In the front row, fourth from left is Dennis Bailes and seventh left through to ninth is Jean West, myself, and John Stubbins. The school caretaker was Mr. Gardener in the photograph at the back.

During this phase of the war school was closed for periods and we had to attend classes in smaller groups in residents' front parlours. Because most homes were street houses two up and two down it will be appreciated that the rooms were quite small. The air raid shelters were underground on both sides of North Ormesby market-square with tunnels and bench seating. My uncle Jack Ashton always took his accordion to accompany the sing-a-longs to keep the spirits up."

We thank Chris for sharing this picture with us. We would like to see more pictures of local team, work colleagues or class mates like this one, if you have any why not send them to us so we can jog a few memories out there?

When you send your pictures please include details of where and when the picture was taken. E-mail pictures to rememberwhen@gazettemedia.co.uk or send copies to Remember When, Evening Gazette, Borough Road, Middlesbrough, TS1 3AZ.
We would prefer good copies but if you send an original picture be sure to include your name and full postal address

Warm company and a glass that cheered

2013-05-21T05:00:00Z

Those were the days when a bloke could enjoy a few pints with his pals without being bombarded by piped music or having to leave his drink and go outside if he wanted a smoke. There were no fancy foreign lagers (who drank lager anyway?) a wine meant a sherry for the missus and pint cost less than a shilling, and it tasted better.

A good time down the pub in the 1940s

This was the 1940s after the war in the old Steam Packet pub in St Hilda's, but really it could have been any pub on Teesside in those days. They were largely a male preserve, no children were allowed, there was no television, no games except darts, doms or crib and no food except a pickled egg. Were times better then? These four gents seem to be enjoying themselves, maybe the warmth of the company made up for the lack of heating judging by the overcoats, jackets and caps they are wearing, after all coal was on ration in those days. Pictured are Charlie Bennett, Mr Stockton and Mr Ryan but the note with this picture did not make clear who was who.

Cargo Fleet Toll Bar...Then and now

2013-05-20T05:00:00Z

Last month we had a look at a vintage photograph showing North Ormesby Toll Bar dating from just before 1916. We had a little difficulty in locating exactly where that photograph was actually taken because not only had all the buildings in the picture disappeared but the roads as well. However, with this photograph of the Toll Bar at Cargo Fleet the location is described in the caption, so no problem there...or so it would seem.

The Cargo Fleet Toll Bar shortly before its closure. This is not to be confused with Cargo Fleet Road Toll Bar which was in a different location near the Navigation pub and featured some weeks ago.

The caption of the photograph taken from a book prepared by Middlesbrough Corporation in 1916 to commemorate the closing of the Toll Bars reads: "The present condition of the road at Cargo Fleet Toll Bar, South Bank Road." Then it adds these helpful words, "Near the lamp-post is the end of the Toll Road, Cargo Fleet Lane - Ormesby Village." Since this picture was taken on South Bank Road then it must mean Cargo Fleet Lane toOrmesby Village. So this picture was taken looking East along South Bank Road with Cargo Fleet Lane on the right.

A detail from the photograph above showing a prominent building in the background, but what was it?

But another mystery presents itself and that is the identity of the large building in the background. Our initial thoughts were that this building was the Cargo Fleet Iron Company office buildings, now home to the Heritage Gallery at Cargo Fleet. However, although the Cargo Fleet Office building stands on Middlesbrough Road leading from South Bank Road it is a long distance from Cargo Fleet Lane, but what other large buildings were there in this area?

The Cargo Fleet Office building as it appears today

Nevertheless, there is another problem with this building being the Cargo Fleet Office building and that is the building was not completed until 1916 so would have been brand new, the building in the background does not look newly constructed. Also the building, although superficially similar to the Cargo Fleet Office building, is actually fundamentally different with three prominent gables at its Western end, a feature absent from the Cargo Fleet Office building. So what was this building?

The brochure produced by Middlesbrough Corporation celebrating the closure of the Toll Bars.

The Toll Bars were an anachronistic feature of Middlesbrough even in 1916 and it had taken several years of negotiation with the vested interests to get these removed. The Toll Bars had been owned by a number of people and organisations and it was not until 1916 that the compensation for the loss of the lucrative earnings from these Toll Bars was agreed. The Toll bars were closed down with a certain degree of ceremony one by one as an entourage of dignitaries and guests travelled around the area in cars and carriages before a reception at the Town Hall. Astonishingly this civic outing was on July 31st 1916 when thousands were being killed in the ongoing Battle of the Somme.

Our modern photograph shows the same location as it appears on Google Street View

You Lucky People!

2013-05-17T05:00:00Z

Just as thousands of readers are enjoying their special edition of Remember When celebrating 60 years since the Coronation another regular edition of Teesside's favourite nostalgia magazine is published. This Saturday issue number 114 hits the news shelves throughout Teesside even though the Coronation special edition will still be on sale.

The front cover of the latest edition of Remember When magazine, on sale now!

As always we present 36 pages jam-packed with nostalgia with some great stories from our readers for you to enjoy. We were delighted to hear from Evening Gazette letters page veteran Bert Ward about his time as a teenager serving in the Royal Navy. Bert was just 17 when he went to sea and his ship was no anonymous frigate or supply ship, but one of the Royal Navy's most illustrious warships, HMS Revenge. This was a 30,000 ton battleship, and although a veteran of the Battle of Jutland in 1916 she could still pack a mighty punch with her eight 15 inch guns. Young Bert describes in colourful detail how the mighty ship ploughed through the North Atlantic when she was involved in the hunt for the Bismarck. Fortunately Bert took a camera with him and many of his pictures have survived adding illustration to his recollections of what it was like for a teenager from Teesside to go to sea during World War Two.

Bert Ward and his shipmates cross the equator on HMS Revenge during World War Two. You can read more about Bert and his advetures in the latest magazine

We also have holidays in mind as the weather improves, at least in theory, as we take a look back to the last summer of peace in 1939 when young Les Backhouse went on holiday to Barker's Field in Redcar. "I remember going with my mother to buy a bucket and spade, walking along the promenade, with the dark brown tide lapping up too close for me and for one disturbing moment seeing the sea below the pier boardwalk planks as I stepped on to it for the first time." recalls Les. It is significant that Les remembers walking on the planks of the pier, this would be the last summer when it would have been possible to do this in Redcar. The pier was off limits during the war and had sections of it demolished anyway, it would never be as young Les remembered it again.

Les Backhouse aged four and half with his mother and neighbour Mrs Croft at Redcar in the summer of 1939

The name Seamus O'Connell might not immediately spring to mind among Boro fans now, but back in the early 1950s he was a celebrated player. He only played three times for Boro and scored in every match but his heart belonged to Bishop Auckland. Reader Mary Scott Parker has supplied a fabulous photograph of Seamus scoring a goal at Bishop Auckland while apparently defying gravity, but you will have to buy the magazine to see that! He is also pictured with Len Shackleton and the legendary Bob Hardisty as well as some young fans in 1954 as well as some other classic football pictures.

Seamus O'Connell, Len Shackleton, an unidentified player who could be Jimmy Nimmins and the legendary Bob Hardisty circa 1954. From the collection of Ernie Johnston who took the picture

We have all your usual favourites and lots, lots more in the latest edition published on Saturday May 18. So right now you have two editions of Remember When to enjoy the Coronation Special AND issue 114 ....you lucky people!

The Coronation Special Souvenir edition is still on sale but only for the next few weeks so make sure you get one before they all go.

The story of Ironborough?

2013-05-16T05:00:00Z

Several readers have been in touch recently to tell us about a short film that they had found on the internet. The film is entitled 'Picture Paper' and was released in 1946 and although it is only 18 minutes long it is fantastically interesting. Most of the story is set in the fictitious town of Ironborough, which is actually; yes you've guessed it, Middlesbrough!

Borough Road, Middlesbrough as it appears in the film Picture Paper from 1945. Courtesy British Council Film Collection

The film is set in May 1945 and tells the story of a pretend illustrated magazine called Picture Paper, which is strongly based on the actual magazine Picture Post. The story starts in Fleet Street at the offices and printing press of Picture Paper where a journalist on the magazine and a photographer are given the assignment of travelling 'up north' to visit the town of Ironborough.

The two journalists played by actors arrive in Ironborough giving us a great view of Middlesbrough Station when it still had a roof even though it was damaged in the war. Courtesy British Council Film Collection

The reason for their visit is that the town is being re-planned for the future under a group of town planners headed by one Max Lock. Now as many readers will know, Max Lock was a real person and he was actually responsible for the re-planning and re-development of Middlesbrough after the war. So we see that despite the actors, fictitious magazine and fictitious town the story is actually based on real events and Max Lock himself appears in the film.

The actors taking a stroll around Cannon Street area in the shadow of the Gasometer. Courtesy British Council Film Collection

The fascinating thing is seeing the film of street scenes in 1945 Middlesbrough, we see the Transporter (of course) but also Borough Road, Russell Street by the Town Hall, Cannon Street and St Hilda's. Not only that but the journalists arrive by train at Ironborough Station, which is actually Middlesbrough Station complete with its Luftwaffe damaged roof. Although the scenes are short they give a startling impression of the town as it was 68 years ago.

Children skipping in the street in the St Hilda's area, does anyone actually recognise the street? Courtesy British Council Film Collection

However, the story is about how all this old 19th century town that 'grew up with a mechanical heart' is going to be swept away. The film also states that the town had grown into a 'human workshop that had sprawled haphazard, unplanned, out of hand with factories next to the homes of those who worked them.' Middlesbrough was in fact well planned in the previous century, but this was 1945 and there was a brave-new-post-war-world to build.

Walking down Russell Street past the Town Hall towards Albert Road in 1945. Courtesy British Council Film Collection

The film depicts how Max Lock was planning the new town of Ironborough with his 'young' team of planners, we see maps and diagrams and researchers talking to people on their doorsteps. The narrator says that the local press is behind the plan; an issue of the Evening Gazette even makes an appearance doctored so the headline reads Ironborough.

The Evening Gazette carried the story in the film and we found the actual copy from May 28 1945. In the real Gazette the headline read Middlesbrough not Ironborough! Courtesy British Council Film Collection

There are some things that will amuse you, like the child skipping in her bare feet in the street, she had shoes on in an earlier shot but overall this film is an essential piece of Middlesbrough's history and you can watch it anytime on the internet. Visit http://film.britishcouncil.org/picture-paper or just enter Ironborough onto Google and it pops up top of the list. The film is presented by The British Council Film Collection.

The actual page of the Evening Gazette from Monday May 28, 1945

Hugh Bell School, 1954

2013-05-15T05:00:00Z

A few weeks ago we featured a class photograph from Hugh Bell School in Middlesbrough sent by Allan Eyre a frequent contributor to both Remember When and the letters column in the Evening Gazette. As it happens Allan had kindly sent in two pictures and now we have pleasure in featuring the second one, which was taken four years later in 1954.

This was form 4c and fortunately Allan has provided most of the names but just the surnames except for two lads who he cannot recall. But to be fair to Allan this was nearly 60 years ago!

Back row left to right: Jones, McCabe, Leadbetter, Skerry, Warrior, Mason, Finkell, Horsfield, Finch, Beales

Third row left to right: Wilson, Bladen, Davison, Oliver, Eyre, Stephenson, Pyle, Simpson, Taylor

Second row left to right: Galloway, Walton, Bunting, Lonsdale, Barnes, Dixon, Ogden, Fellowes, unknown, Donnelly

Front row left to right: Peplow, Hall, Heron, Osborne, Allen, Wakely, Stuart, unknown.

We thank Allan for sharing this picture with us. We would like to see more pictures of local team, work colleagues or class mates like this one, if you have any why not send them to us so we can jog a few memories out there?

Business as usual

2013-05-14T05:00:00Z

During the war the bombing of Teesside, although devastating especially from the perspective of those who actually experienced it or were affected by it, was not on a scale suffered by other areas. Teesside was an important target but the bombing was light in comparison with some other industrial areas. Nevertheless, the recovery from the attacks that Teesside suffered was slow and the scars remained for long periods after the war. Many readers will recall the bomb sites dotted around that were still there even in the 1950s.

The shop staff outside the Dundas Mews premises of electrical contractor Cecil Ridley 1948

However, life was slowly getting back to normal after 1945 although shortages and rationing were a daily inconvenience. But even as late as 1948 there was evidence that this Middlesbrough business was still coping with the damage caused by the bombing. The Dundas Mews premises of electrical contractor Cecil Ridley did not receive a direct hit but the windows were blasted during a bombing raid. As can be seen in this 1948 photograph from our archives, but originally submitted by Irene Critchley (nee Small) of Billingham, the windows are still boarded up in the shop front. The shop staff are shown here and they are Mr Hill, Eileen Devlin, Annie Porteous, Gladys Bibby, Irene Small and Joe Suckling.

Grange Road, Middlesbrough...Then and now

2013-05-13T05:00:00Z

Sometimes when we compare old photographs of streets in our area with how they appear today we discover how much we have lost due to modern redevelopments. However, occasionally we find examples that demonstrate that things have certainly improved. Take this photograph sent by regular contributor David Jennis, it shows Grange Road in Middlesbrough looking westwards towards Hartington Road in 1978.

Grange Road on the corner with Head Street in 1978

Despite the few structural changes visible in these two pictures the overall impression shows a remarkable transformation. The image today shows a much brighter, cleaner and more pleasant view than the one we see from 1978. But to be fair, when this old picture was taken the area had been deliberately run down and was not looking at its best, by any means.

Grange Road on Google Street view and it's sunny!

Today we see that the old Employment Exchange has been spruced up, trees have been planted to soften the view and the road is well maintained, see the cracks and potholes in the old picture. There have been many changes in Middlesbrough in the past 30 years, not all of them good, but this example shows that certain parts of the town have improved dramatically.

The Stockton and Teesside Herald in the 1930s

2013-05-10T05:00:00Z

Over the past few years a number of regular features have been developed for the Remember When magazine. These have been a vintage recipe column entitled Cookbook Classics, a look back at old films shown locally in a feature called On At The Pictures and a cartoon strip feature about the Flop family. But one of the most substantial regular features is the double page spread devoted to reproductions of pages from the Stockton and Teesside Weekly Herald from the 1930s.

An example of the front cover of the weekly illustrated magazine the Stockton and Teesside Weekly Herald published by the Gazette in the 1930s.

The Stockton and Teesside Herald was an illustrated weekly magazine published by the North Eastern Daily Gazette as the Evening Gazette was then known. These sort of illustrated newspapers were very popular in the 1930s because in an age before nationwide television it was one of the few, if not only mediums which allowed people to see visually events that had happened in their local area. Furthermore in those days the Gazette concentrated upon national and international news rather than what was happening locally.

In every issue of Remember When magazine a double page spread from the 1930s magazine is featured. As near as possible we choose the same weekend in the 1930s as the date of publication of the modern magazine. And we don't simply reproduce the pages but add details of what was going on and why, as well as putting some of the images into the context of the times.

This was because apart from BBC radio and the newsreel at the cinema, which was always a few days or a week behind the news anyway, newspapers were the primary source of up to date information. Consequently much of the local news that you might expect to see in the Gazette actually was published in the Stockton and Teesside Herald. This has given us a rich source of information and images regarding what was happening locally 75 years ago or more.

Often there were spectacular accidents featured such as this RAF bomber coming to grief and making a forced landing on Teesside. This was a Hadley Page Heyford and in 1937 (amazingly!) it was the mainstay of bomber command, fortunately this archaic looking bi-plane had been replaced by the time war broke out.

The pages from the weekly magazine we have reproduced in each issue of Remember When has provided our readers with a fascinating insight into life on Teesside in the years immediately before the war. Teesside in the 1930s, it would appear, was not much like the stereotypical image that has been suggested in the history books. The pages of the Stockton and Teesside Herald are not as some might expect full of hunger marches, unemployment, social deprivation and queues for soup kitchens with the threat from Hitler looming in the background.

The children from Nazareth House were treated to a night at the pantomime but before going in they were greeted by the stars of the show at Middlesbrough Empire

Many of the photographs show large groups of people clearly enjoying themselves and mostly these are ordinary folk, not the well to do. We see trips to the coast, fancy dress parties for children as well as adults, new trade exhibitions and even the release of new cars ready and waiting for their owners. There is also a sprinkling of spectacular accidents and demolitions as well as new buildings opening such as schools.

The aftermath of a train crash on Teesside. The stricken locomotive is hauled off the embankment by a huge crane in front of a crowd of curious onlookers

The 1930s was a decade that technologically was a sort of prototype of our modern age, so very different from the 1920s. Consider that in the 1930s scheduled air travel had started, there were telephones, cars, refrigerators, radios, colour feature films and even televisions, not much of this was available to the masses but nevertheless, the technology was there. This is what makes the Stockton and Teesside Herald so interesting, because it gives us a glimpse back to an age that was in many ways similar to our own and you can take a visit in every issue of Remember When.

Eaglescliffe Golf Club

2013-05-09T05:00:00Z

Eaglescliffe Golf Club was founded in 1914 when a group of keen golfers rented some land in Yarm Back Lane. It was originally a 13-hole course, with a wooden pavilion for changing and refreshments. The initial Club memorandum stated "the Club will consist of 1,000 members," which seemed a little ambitious at the time. Today it is one of the most popular in the area and Alan Sowerby from the club has been preparing a history to mark its centenary next year.

Golf Professional for Eaglescliffe Golf Club Harry Brown, fourth from left in the 1930s

The 13 holes of the first course were laid out on farmland with hedges and artificial mounds for bunkers. By the early 1920s the turf and tees were excellent and could stand comparison with any in the district. However, there was a restriction imposed by the landlord that there should be no golf on Sundays. Whereas most golf clubs hold their competitions on Sunday the club still, to this day, hold theirs on a Saturday and this maybe the reason.

Eaglescliffe Golf Club lady club members with Club Professional Harry Brown on the right in the 1950s

The Clubhouse was a wooden structure with an annex at the back which served as the Professional's Hut, where he repaired clubs and his wife prepared afternoon teas. The first Captain was J.J. Taylor and the first Professional who served the Club well from 1914 - 1931 was Laurie Weastell followed by Harry Brown from 1932, Harry passed away in 1961. By 1928 the club had nearly 200 members. Visitors were encouraged and green fees were Gentlemen: 2/6 per day, 10 shillings per week, £1 per month. Ladies: 2 shillings per day, 8/ per week, 16/ per month.

The club's first professional Lawrie Weastell, notice the cigarette in his mouth!

By the late 1920s the Club decided that they should move. The attitude towards Sunday golf was changing and a full 18 hole course was necessary if the Club was to prosper. When the opportunity arose for a new golf course, a meeting was held on 2 May 1927 in the Assembly Hall at Eaglescliffe.

Eaglescliffe Golf Club Professional Harry Brown coaching children in 1950s. The image looks later but Harry passed away in 1961.

The members were informed that, "the 116 acres offered on the west side of Yarm Road in Eaglescliffe sloping towards the river is sufficient to provide a full 18-hole course of approximately 6,000 yards." The option offered to the club included a 42-year lease in addition there is a tithe on the land, which was covered by sheep grazing rights. Until 1964 there were at times as many as 300 sheep grazing on the course.

Harry Brown in the 1950s at Eaglescliffe Golf Club

This is now the present course and it was designed by James Braid. He designed 160 courses in the United Kingdom, including Gleneagles and Carnoustie. He was five times winner of the Open Championship and professional at Walton Heath for 45 years. He was paid a total of £31/15/0 for his work (worth around £1,450 today). The course was officially opened in 1930 by James Braid and Charles Whitcombe who played an exhibition match on the new course.

Eaglescliffe Golf Club has always had a vibrant social life here we see club member Jimmy Hamilton and some ladies enjoying a drink in the 1970s

Today the club has over 1,000 members and looks back on its fine tradition as a great place to play a game that is more popular now than it has ever been.

Westbury Street Junior School 1950-1951

2013-05-08T05:00:00Z

Derek Tyrer from Middlesbrough has submitted a fine photograph of the Westbury Street Junior School football team in the 1950-1951 season. Many of the lads in this picture including Derek went on to attend Robert Atkinson School in Thornaby. Derek had seen some of his classmates in a picture of Robert Atkinson School published in the Remember When magazine and this prompted him to submit this photograph.

Derek has been able to name almost everyone but there are the inevitable gaps which maybe other readers could fill? They are from left to right in the back row Brian Wilson, Gary Pattison, Bob Scott, Norman Hudson, Davis Mankin, Brian Odell, Chris Skinner and teacher Mr Wain.
Front row Thornton, Anthony Maynard, unknown, Derek Tyrer, Kenny Little, Tommy Williams and Edwin Longstaff and finally at the very front Ron Burnett.

We thank Derek for sharing this picture with us. We would like to see more pictures of local team, work colleagues or class mates like this one, if you have any why not send them to us so we can jog a few memories out there?

Cannon Street Day Trip, 1949

2013-05-07T05:00:00Z

If you lived in Middlesbrough's Cannon Street in the 1940s and 1950s, then the name of Sister Martha will be a familiar one, especially among its large Roman Catholic population. Sister Martha regularly arranged trips for church members and she is shown here in 1949-50 nearest the camera.

The folk from Cannon Street on a day trip to Seaton Carew in 1949

This photograph from our archives has a note which says that the picture was submitted by Edward Robson from North Ormesby and he is the lad wearing a Fair Isle pullover. This suggests that it was submitted a long time after the picture was actually taken. Nevertheless, notice the nuns in their traditional habits and elaborate wimples so characteristic of the time before Vatican II. The photograph shows the day trippers once they had arrived at their destination which is believed to have been Seaton Carew. Parish priest Father Cormack is shown left and among residents identified, some from Duncombe Street, are Betty Forden and her daughter Jacqueline, Rene Barwick (nee Harris), Mrs Hines, Joan Ryder, Patty Robson, Joe Morgan, the Bentley family and Annie and Maggie Hornby.

The Toll Bar mystery solved.

2013-05-06T05:00:00Z

We recently featured an archive photograph of an old Toll Bar that once stood on North Ormesby Road but we had to admit that we had difficulty in the exact location (posted April 22). We said in the original article, 'The toll bar was situated on North Ormesby Road just over the level crossing looking south towards North Ormesby.' However, although we had guessed correctly about the area we have discovered, thanks to our readers that the camera was actually pointing in the opposite direction.

North Ormesby Road looking towards Middlesbrough in about 1910. It shows the Toll bar in the foreground and a level crossing just beyond but this was a different crossing and served the brickworks. So there were two level crossings and a toll bar in between, all within yards of each other, what an obstruction to traffic! Interestingly this also solves another query, exactly where the tram lines terminated, they were just beyond the crossing in this picture you can see the tram in the distance. Pictured supplied by David Jennis

We were contacted by several readers on this subject, including regular contributors David Jennis and John Severs, both sent photographs showing the actual location of the old Toll Bar. The big clue to the location of the area was the level crossing on North Ormesby Road and we were correct in believing that the crossing was behind the camera in the pre-1916 photograph. However, it transpires that the view is actually looking away from North Ormesby and towards Middlesbrough, nevertheless it is still the case that none of the buildings in this direction in the picture have survived to the present.

Flooding in North Ormesby in 1903 but the toll bar can be seen behind the horse and cart. See the image below from David Jennis showing the house with the sign in the distance

Dave Jennis has sent several different images of the same location and he said, " As you can see from the images showing the flood, the road junction is actually Borough Road and North Ormesby Road.

The corner of Borough Road and North Ormesby Road when it was flooded in 1903. The house with the sign for Hodgson Painter and Sign Writer is visible in the picture of the cart in the same flood showing the Toll Bar. Pictured supplied by David Jennis

So all the images I have sent are looking towards Middlesbrough, the streets on the left past Borough Road junction were known as the Rivers area, Avon, Severn and Trent etc. Another shows the level crossing before the footbridge was constructed. There is a rail crossing just beyond the building with Nestle's on the side, this was for rail traffic to access the brick works, which was on Borough Road."

The railway level crossing on North Ormesby Road in the 1960s looking towards North Ormesby. This was also the location of the Toll Bar before 1916 which would have been just this side of the crossing. Pictured supplied by David Jennis

This rail crossing was not visible in the original photograph of the Toll Bar and is a different level crossing to the one behind the camera. A study of an old map of Middlesbrough confirms the existence of two level crossings on North Ormesby Road, it would appear that the photograph was taken between these two crossings.

Another view of the level crossing on North Ormesby Road but looking towards Middlesbrough. The old Toll Bar location was just beyond the crossing but before the large building on the right which once bore the Nestles sign and was still featuring an advertisement hoarding . It was Greenwoods the pawn brokers when this picture was taken by John Severs in the 1970s

"I think I can solve this mystery," writes John Severs, "the large brick building to the right of the photograph was at one time Greenwoods the pawn brokers. I have attached a photograph from the late 1970s, which was taken from the Middlesbrough side of the long gone North Ormesby level crossing, looking west along North Ormesby Road. The photograph which I took in the late 1970s shows the brick building that originally had the Nestle's sign on the side, the wooden single storey buildings and the billboards."

The toll bar in North Ormesby Road, 'but just where is this location today?' we asked....now we know!

We thank everyone who took the trouble to contact Remember When and solving this mystery through their collected photographs and their memories. So we now know the picture was taken looking down North Ormesby Road facing west towards Borough Road and Middlesbrough.

North Ormesby railway level crossing in 1903 looking towards Middlesbrough with the Toll Bar booth and lamp just visible beyond the crossing on the left. Pictured supplied by David Jennis

Remember When Coronation Special Edition

2013-05-03T05:00:00Z

Tomorrow, Saturday May 4th sees the publication of a very special edition of Remember When magazine. This issue is entirely devoted to the Coronation celebrations of 1953 and is packed with readers' memories and photographs from that day 60 years ago on June 2nd. This special souvenir issue is in addition to the regular Remember When magazine, issue 114, which will publish in a few weeks time as scheduled.

The front cover of the Coronation Special edition of Remember When magazine and it's out tomorrow!

Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her Diamond Jubilee last year because that was the anniversary of her accession to the throne on the death of her father King George VI in February 1952. However, it was not until over a year later that the Coronation and the celebrations took place, it is this event that our special edition commemorates.

The world's first operational jet airliner The Comet at London Airport in 1953, it had only been introduced the year before and it was British by Jove!

However, it is not just the day itself that we recall but the year 1953 in general because it was such an important year that became a watershed in the 20th century history of our country. 1953 acts as a kind of dividing line between the years of post war austerity and rationing and the modern age that was already developing. The biggest social change was the advent of television and although already existing, it was the Coronation that helped to propel the new technology into tens of thousands more households, home-life would never be the same again. Just months before, the worlds' first jet airliner took to the skies and it was British, we were leading the world.

A family in 1953 with the television lurking in the corner, soon such wholesome evening pastimes as linseeding your cricket bat or crocheting would be abandoned in favour of black and white images beamed to your living room.

1953 also saw the beginning of the Top Twenty Hit parade, it had actually begun in November 1952 but Al Martino's Here In My Heart the first number one record was still at the top slot as the New Year dawned. Talking about being on top, in 1953 Britain or to be precise the British Commonwealth was on top of the world when Edmund Hilary and Sherpa Tenzing conquered Mount Everest; at the time it was as big as landing on the Moon. And to top it all, we had a new, young Queen (just 27 years old) with a young family, the future was looking bright.

Al Martino had the first number one single (Here In My Heart) in the Top Twenty which started in November 1952 and it was still number one in 1953. Do you think his jumper has something to do with his big hit?

So in this special edition we have a look at how our area celebrated through the memories of our readers and also how life was back in 1953. Although this publication will be different from the regular Remember When magazine it will appear to be familiar. We have kept the design of the pages very much the same and although the content is different we have still included the regular features, such as a look at what was on at the cinema, a classic recipe but with a Coronation flavour and even the Flop Family cartoon strip from June 1953. Plus it is priced at just £1 for 36 pages oozing in nostalgia.

Meanwhile the good folk of Teesside and especially the children had a great time on the day of the Coronation. A day that they have never forgotten and one which we commemorate in this special edition

So even if you are too young to remember the event, we are sure you will find this a fascinating magazine and one to add to your collection of Teesside's favourite nostalgia magazine.