Billingham memories
Here are memories of Billingham and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Billingham or a Billingham photo.
Best Days of You Life?
I was lucky enough to attend Bede Hall. We had a terrific staff team in those days - Clive Bell, Peter Dixon, the late Annie Woodward et al. The whole experience was mind blowing, as the mix of administered and self discipline was a whole new ball game. I have to say, it worked very well at the time, although educational policies seem to have been in a rapid downward spiral ever since. What a shame! The standard of teaching was generally very high (there were one or two exceptions), and we learned various life skills along the way. One example was that respect was a two way street! I don't ever recall a 'Because I said so!'. No! Always an enthusiastic 'Well the reason for this is....'. Result? Well, you always walked away not necessarily happy, but aware of the reasons for whatever was bugging you at the time. The campus itself was a place of wonder; especially when you had come from a small junior school in the old... Read more
Billingham Town Centre in The 1970s
I often sit now in the town centre and ponder on the days gone by .. not that I'm that old but Billingham has sadly aged quicker than a tired old dog. The Forum Theatre, and the big name stars that visited it then, are now faded memories, just like the Forum's splendour. I can remember the fish pond and fountains that were adjacent to Woolworths, the monkey cages and glass reptile houses opposite Miles newsagent (does anyone have any photos?). I remember as a child along along with my brothers and sisters our mam every Saturday morning would take us to Finlays Cafe, we would have milk shake or tea with warm teacakes and melted butter. She would be stopped by almost everyone in the whole world and chat for what seemed like hours while me and my siblings would run around the bandstand or, if brave, up the stairs to the bowling alley above Asda. Although scarey it was always a place to run and hide before... Read more
Those Were The Days
I was still a teenager, 17 years old and my baby brother at school at Bede Campus. I escaped the campus by virtue of it not having been completed when I passed the 11+. The town centre in Billingham was still being built, and we used to hang out in the park - John Whitehead. In those days, pleasures were simple, roller skate in the street (though not when neighbours were on nightshift and so still sleeping) cycle around the neighbourhood, walk, swim at the local pool or go to the bowling alley. Cafes used to open late so we could sit and have a coffee at 8 o'clock. There was no early morning tv which used to start mid to late afternoon so we kids were encouraged to spend our time outdoors which to me now is remembered as being warmer, drier and longer summers? I was often given sandwiches in the summer holidays and went off to amuse myself all day long, sometimes bringing... Read more
Schooldays
Billingham Campus School consisted of four halls - Bede, pictured in the foreground, Davy behind and Faraday furtherst away. The fourth hall, Stephenson was about 800 yards away, not pictured. There was a sports block with a swimming pool which can just be seen to the left of this photograph.
Memories of Cleveland
Greenside in The 1940s
My memories are of Greatham mainly in the 1940s. My nan and grandad , Gertrude and Joseph Peacock Wilkinson, lived in the large house called Greenside opposite the Green, and now there are many houses there. My mum Joan was born in Greatham and lived there till she left to marry Walter Bowbanks from Stockton. I had many relations at Greatham, Aunty Minnie, Aunt May and Dolly, and I spent many happy hours on the green playing, down the beck, and at Seaton Carew. I remember with great fondness Uncle Ted and Aunt Phylis from the Grove, and their children, lots of wonderful memories.
From Valerie Bowbanks Horton
Greatham Railway Station, And Station Houses.
Well I lived in Middlesbrough, I used to get the bus to Greatham, my sister Sylvia and I, we would visit our relations Uncle Jack Wright, and Aunty Nellie, we also had another relative there, Uncle Albert Wright and Aunty Florie. We would get off the bus and walk down the lane to where my aunty and uncle lived. They lived in one of the four houses next to the railway crossing gates. They were the greatest couple you could ever wish to meet. We used to stay at their home from time to time on school holidays, this we will never forget and loved more than anything we could ever hope for. We would get up early and feed Uncle Jack's chickens whitch he kept in a garden out of his back. We would also pick vegetables freshly grown from his garden. Later Uncle Jack would take us in the signal box at the station where he was the station master. Uncle Jack would let us pull the levers... Read more
My Early Childhood
Most of the photos here are from 1955. I was a five year old boy living in Greatham in 1955 with my dad, who was the local 'Bobby', my mam and my younger brother. We lived at 3 Egerton Terrace which was a terraced house with an outside loo and we had a bath in a tub in the kitchen. Cerebos Salt was down the road. I remember friends at that time were Johnny Tully and Gerald Harper. I started school at the local primary in 1955 but was shuffled off to a bigger school in Billingham shortly afterwards, perhaps because I showed a spark of brightness. Anyway, there I was, a six years old, catching a bus [the number 24A I seem to recall] to Billingham and back every school day, completely unaccompanied. Can you imagine doing that today!
I think life was much more placid and unworried in those days. We did not have much by today's standards but we were intensely carefree and happy. I had... Read more
My Era - Stockton Revisited
I was 28 years old at the time of this photograph, living at Roseworth, with wife, Doris,and daughter, Judith, aged two. Married at St Peter's Church in 1947, with Rev'd J McGill officiating, a 'wartime' wedding really, with rationing in place, and I in a khaki uniform with royal artillery brass in place, Doris in a treasured but borrowed weddding gown - coupons were reserved for more pressing items then. Two years after the photograph and we three had embarked on the 'Empress of France' from Liverpool to Montreal, Canada, then by train for four days to Edmonton where the oil and gas business, on which I had pinned my hopes, had faded somewhat. Within weeks Pacific Petroleums Ltd had identified my value and we drove 500 miles or so on gravelled highways to Fort St John, living there for the next seven years. We moved east in 1964 to Montreal, influenced by a career move and the chance for a better education for Judith, who became fluent in French... Read more
Localbands1960/1970
bands/1960/1970
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