Raf Thornaby

A Memory of Thornaby-on-Tees.

I was stationed at RAF Thornaby for three years from 1954, and was welcomed into the community. I made friends with my namesake, Pat Whelan, and was invited to his home for some good parties. I also remember the Malloby family. There was a lad who worked in the cookhouse as a civilian washroom worker and I hung about with him and his mates at the Italian cafe. I also remember the pub at the Thornaby side of the bridge closed half an hour before the one on the Stockton side, as then Thornaby was in Yorkshire and Stockton was County Durham. We used to run over the bridge to get extra drinks. Also I recall going to a dance in Stockton and the entertainer was Lonnie Donegan at the start of his career. All told you were great friendly people to a stranger. I'm 73 now. I was a cook on the drome, hope someone add something who was also around then.

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