Yes it’s the skating rink at Redcar, pity it isn’t still there, but with health and safety now you would have to wear helmets, knee pads, elbow pads; too tired to skate by the time you had got ready.Fred Brunskill tells us: ”The roller skating rink was on the site of the old outdoor swimming baths in the Coatham Enclosure and were built at a cost of £ 10,000 and opened in 1951 to commemorate the Festival of Britain.”
This image provoked many memories; Alan Franks with: “I remember it well, I lived at Redcar during the 1950s .I was about the age of 11 or 12 when I used to go flying round with my mates as fast as we could to try and impress the girls.” Steve Comiskey asked: “The site of the old roller skating rink has been redeveloped as “Tuned In!@ MyPlace”. I would be grateful for any feedback about the date it was constructed as I have RAF aerial photographs dated 23rd July 1940 which show an oval structure on the site which seems to contradict the 1951 date.” Sara Goodswen added: “I remember skating here in the 1950s. Recall going change into short skating skirt downstairs in the changing areas.” Susan Munn added: “I went from 10 year old walking there and back with skates over my back to Tees Road.“ Ian Taylor with: “Remember going into the rink after the baths 6.00 till 7.00 session. I’m looking for information or photographs of the ‘Bug’ cinema in Dormanstown.” Alan Etherington concluded with: “Going to Redcar indoor baths for the 6 to 7 session there was always the current pop music of the day blasting out from the skating rink, often Guy Mitchell.“
Image courtesy of Mike Holliday; thanks to Fred Brunskill, Alan Franks, Steve Comiskey, Sara Goodswen, Susan Munn, Ian Taylor, Alan Etherington and for the updates.
A busy day in Redcar 1908, as Bill Danby tells us: ”This is almost certainly 1908 on the occasion of General French’s visit to the Annual Camp of the Territorial Force. The Territorial Force was started in this year to replace the old Volunteers and Redcar was a regular venue for the camps along with other usually seaside places. The hard training camps were seen as a holiday by lads who spent the rest of the year down pits and in factories. The local 4th Yorkshire Battalion, Territorial Force were else where in this year but did have their camp at Redcar in 1913. General French was in command of the British Army at the start of the First World War until May 1915 when the German gains at Ypres, after using gas for the first time, caused him to be replaced by Gen Douglas Haig.”
Image and detail courtesy of BillDanby’s Yorkshire Regimental Histories.
Tin City is on the left hand side; obviously pre-the potash mine and the road hasn’t been altered yet. Okay another question when was the road altered? It is known that Tin City, which housed the workers of the Boulby and Grinkle mines was demolished in the late 1930s; perhaps the gent in the photograph is considering such road changes? These photograph’s pose more questions than answers, but they are fun.
Carole Kellog advised the Archive regarding this image: “It was a Daily Mirror contest I entered and got through to the finals. It was taken in Newcastle, the year I would have to guess around 1961/62. I think the girl that won was the second from the left in the front row, and I believe she came from Redcar. I am on the far right of the back row. I have no idea who the rest of the girls were, but they came from around our area.”Image and information courtesy of Carole Kellog.
We thought that these were pupils at Saltburn School in 1951, but now know that it was the Saltburn and Skelton District School Annual Sports Association meeting at Saltburn Cricket Ground in 1950. Pupils from Saltburn, North Skelton and Skelton schools participated. Chairman Councillor F. L. Woodrow is with the group who have been presented with the cups. The headmaster of the school, Mr. Fred Webster, is standing on the right.Barbara McBurney suggested: “I think the girl front row, second from right might be Maureen Smith (nee Hall).” Maureen Smith (nee Hall) informed the Archive: “The girl next to Maureen Hall on the right is Anne Tubbs, boy on right is Alan Crane; boy next to the elbow is Paul Moore. The headmaster is Mr Webster.”
Alan Collins advises the Archive: “The girl on the left of Maureen Hall is S. Harrison from North Skelton; she came second to my sister, Rosina Collins, in the 8 year olds 60 yards event at this Saltburn and Skelton District School Annual Sports Association meeting at Saltburn Cricket Ground in 1950. My mum pasted press cutting with all the winners names, and three other newspaper photos, plus a lovely studio photograph taken in July 1952 (where Maureen Hall is holding the cup, and sitting between my sister Rosina Collins, with five other winners. The two sitting on the other side next to Maureen who were orphans from the Dr Bernardos home at the end of Victoria Road (where a new estate has been built above Rifts Wood). All these girls names are listed on the press cuttings: E. Hanson, J. Phipps, J. Combellac, A. Ward, P. Perry, R. Collins, R. Coates, M. Hall, S. Hunter, A. Tubbs. L. Swain, K. Sherwood. Councillor F. Woodrow presented the prizes. And yes; the boy on the right is Alan Crane. He lived in the same street as me when we moved from Victoria Road/Terrace “at the top end” to 28 Emerald Street in “the bottom end” of Saltburn. Alan Crane lived up a narrow stair case on the top flat opposite a now non-existing corner shop. My family life was falling apart due to my father beginning divorce proceeding in 1954 and he was awarded custody of me and wanted me to emigrate to Australia with him, but my mother was always one step ahead of him and had enrolled me at the Army Apprentice School in Harrogate. It was an awful place to put a budding artist and poet! I think one of the 5 winning girls in my 1952 studio photo of Maureen Hall and my sister and five other winners, was called Joan Birkinshaw. Although I remember everyone’s face, I’m not good at names but I remember that name for some reason. I was the sensitive troubled kid torn apart by a divorce (and witnessing its causal infidelities on a regular basis throughout my infancy and adolescence) who Fred Webster caned rather than ask me why I just stared out of the class window being useless at maths? While Miss Creasor, my kind RE teacher, used to invite me for tea and angel cake at her house in Upleatham Street, after my paper-round was finished, but could not get a word out of me, because she was too scared to ask a direct question, in case she got in hot water if my awful histrionic mother complained! I was, of course, a tortured soul covering it up by whistling and sleep-walking around throughout my childhood at Saltburn until 1959.”
Pupils kneeling: ??, Sheila Harrison (North Skelton), Maureen Hall (later Smith), Anne Tubbs.
Bill Knowles tells us: ”I think the small boy on the left of the picture with the dark hair and the toothy smile is called Allen Crane.”
Thanks to Carole Kellogg for the photograph and information, also Barbara McBurney, Bill Knowles and Maureen Smith (nee Hall) and Alan Collins for updates.
We now know that this is Sports Day presentation at Coatham Grammar School. The Mayor and Mayoress of Redcar with Chairman and Mrs. Woodrow are in the picture. Do you recognise anyone else? Stan Grosvenor who attended the school 1950 to 1955 tells us: ”This picture is definitely a Coatham Grammar school picture. The scoreboard shows Cochranes and Inghams both of which were Houses at the school. Cochranes House colour was purple and Inghams was red. I don’t recognise any of the faces.”
Peter Chester (who attended the school 1960 to 1967, author of ‘New Lamps for Old – History of Sir William Turners and Redcar & Cleveland College’) supports Stan’s update and advises: ”It is difficult to date but is almost certainly post-war, although the silver ware dates from the 1920s. Some of the major cups and shields are still on display at Redcar & Cleveland College, where the Sir William Turner Trust resides.”
Image and information courtesy of Carole Kellogg, also to Stan Grosvenor and Peter Chester for the
The Mayor of Redcar, Mrs. Woodrow, the Mayoress of Redcar and Chairman Woodrow are seated behind the display of cups and trophies. The presentation was at The Parochial Hall (Now the Re-Furnish Emporium), Diamond Street, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, the Archive commented: “But we don’t know the names of any of the players.” A distant viewer of the Archive has supplied the following: “A compilation of information from June Dale (Nee Watson) and Audrey Kirby: Top back: Redvers Blakey with glasses, (Saltburn). Line one (from left to right): 1st Fred Sanderson (Skelton), 2nd Frank Coupe (Saltburn), 3rd Norman Baxter (Skelton), 4th Luke Clarke on the right-hand end Above and behind: 1st Winney Caine (Skelton), 2nd June Stonehouse (Skelton) Middle Section: 1st Gordon Semple (Redcar), 2nd Audrey Kirby (Skelton), 3rd Jean Heseltine (Skelton), Above and behind: Betty Gibbs (Saltburn) Peggy Smith, Skelton (behind and to right of Councillor Woodrow), 4th Joyce Casson (Skelton) Middle Section Cont.: 5th Sheila Thompson (Redcar), 6th Margaret Robins-Jones (Saltburn), 7th Suzy Banister (Skelton), 8th (A lady from Boosbeck played with Norman Baxter, name unknown), Mayor of Redcar, Mrs. Woodrow, Mayoress of Redcar, Chairman Mr. Woodrow. Finals of Badminton Tournament presentation, not at Redcar but The Parochial Hall (Now the Re-Furnish Emporium), Diamond Street, Saltburn-by-the-Sea (Confirmed by Audrey Kirby)
Image and information courtesy of Carole Kellogg; thanks to June Dale (nee Watson) and Audrey Kirby for the excellent update and names.
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