Mr. Norman Conn with a group of Skinningrove ladies.
From the left: Olive “Vi” Cox, Miriam Stevenson, Lily Magor, Olive Rowe, Mrs Conn, Pauline Frampton, Nancy Money, Mr Conn, Lil ”Little” Magor, Rene Laity, Margie Cox, Jenn Scott.
The Archive asked: “Do you recognise any of the others, please?”, responses included; Marjorie Magor advising: “Lil “Little” Magor”, Pat Major (Noble) with: “Vi Cox (my aunt), Miriam Stevenson (my gran)”.
Image courtesy of Mr. Ray Conn, thanks for updates to names from Derick Pearson, E. Bunney, Marjorie Magor and Pat Major (Noble).
Some of the grown ups dressed up for the Gala. Freda Hart is the lady in the hat. The lady in the middle dressed as Vincent Van Gogh is Prudence Owens, Eric Trembath tells us:” The gentleman on the right is Billy Robinson.”
Do you recognise anyone else?
What year was this? Where was the photograph taken? Can you help, please?
Image courtesy of Mr. Ray Conn and thanks to Jools Smithies and Eric
Our final offering with the Maypole dancers in 1981. Even the United buses were not allowed to disrupt the performance; turning round at the bottom of Grove Road! Marilyn Vodden advises: “I don’t know the names but I know my dad Charlie Vodden built the maypole out of a telegraph pole and I remember dancing round it” Only two pupils have been identified, centre front (blue jumper/shorts) Peter Hicks; whilst Tracey Sayers tells us: ”I think I’m in the brown coat and sandals, Tracey Money and my sister Diane is in the orange dress behind me. The teacher was Mrs Troughton.” Ann Jackson has added: “I remember Mrs Troughton she taught at Loftus (Rosecroft) school. We used to do May Pole dancing at Moorsholm school on May Queen pageant.” Andrea Foord has assisted with: “This photograph was taken at the May Day Maypole dancing in the Square in 1981. The children dancing were in the Nursery class with the teacher being Mrs Troughton. I am in the background holding my baby daughter Joanna; with my mother holding my eldest child Rebecca. The children would practice in the hall of the Nursery/ old school for weeks before and a May Queen would be chosen and crowned by a ‘dignitary’! I had taught the Infant class prior to Rebecca’s birth and later returned for 3 years as a part time teacher in 1983.”
Can anybody assist with other names?
Image and identified pupil courtesy of Kathleen Hicks and Tracey Sayers; thanks Andrea Foord for assistance with a date, also to Ann Jackson and Marilyn Vodden for the updates.
A further image with the pupils from Skinningrove Primary dancing on what looks like a cool May morning. Timm’s Coffee House (before it was re-developed) in the background. We asked : ”Can anybody assist with names?”. Andrea Foord has informed us: ”This photograph was taken at the May Day Maypole dancing in the Square in 1981. The children dancing were in the Nursery class with the teacher being Mrs Troughton. I am in the background holding my baby daughter Joanna; with my mother holding my eldest child Rebecca. The children would practice in the hall of the Nursery/ old school for weeks before and a May Queen would be chosen and crowned by a ‘dignitary’! I had taught the Infant class prior to Rebecca’s birth and later returned for 3 years as a part-time teacher in 1983.
Image courtesy of Kathleen Hicks and thanks to Andrea Foord for the update.
One of three images showing the pupils of the Nursery from Skinningrove Primary school, performing their maypole dancing in the Square. Pauline Warren tells us: ”Think the woman on the left is the nursery teacher Mrs Troughton.” Andrea Foord advises: “This photograph was taken at the May Day Maypole dancing in the Square in 1981. The children dancing were in the Nursery class with the teacher being Mrs Troughton. I am in the background holding my baby daughter Joanna; with my mother holding my eldest child Rebecca. The children would practice in the hall of the Nursery/ old school for weeks before and a May Queen would be chosen and crowned by a ‘dignitary’! I had taught the Infant class prior to Rebecca’s birth and later returned for 3 years as a part time teacher in 1983.
Can anybody help with names?
Image courtesy of Kathleen Hicks and thanks to Pauline Warren for the update and to Andrea Foord for confirming the year.
A postcard view of the Wesleyan Preaching Room in Carlin How. From 1875 until 1912 Wesleyans in Carlin How worshipped at this Preaching Room; the forerunner to the present Methodist Church. It was known as the ‘Upper Room’, and was given by the late Mr. T. C. Hutchinson from the early days of Skinningrove Works. Derick Pearson tells us: The gentleman in front of the cart was Mr Scaife the coalman.” Concerts were regularly held in the Preaching Room, ’Loftus Advertiser’ 8th March 1895 describes ”The Last of the Season” as a concert in aid of Choir funds under the direction of the ’capital and vigorous chairman’ Mr T. W. Wood (inventor of the eight-day alarm clock, innkeeper, Scoutmaster and Local Councillor).Rita Beckham advises: “I enjoyed the photographs of Carlin How they brought back a lot of memories; we lived at 31 Lax Street, before it was knocked down to make way for the new road. We then moved to 10 Front Street when I was about 13, the person up the ladder in the photograph of the square is where we lived, but not sure who it is. Our Dad was blacksmith at Skinningrove pit, and had a garth near the bottom of Pit Bank.“
Image courtesy of The Pem Holliday Collection (and on a cd produced by Derick Pearson), additional information courtesy of ”Jean Wiggins – Around Loftus”; thanks to Derick Pearson and Rita Beckham for the updates.
A Picture postcard of the Biott Family in 1912; the girl in the picture is Constance Irene L. Biott; Charles and Annie Biott were her grandparents who raised her. Constance was born in Carlin How in 1902. The 1911 Census records the family living at 4 Furnace Cottages, Carlin How. Annie Biott as aged 67 who had 7 children (5 living and 2 dead) and Charles Biott aged 65 (Fish merchant). The Biott family ran a Fish and Chip business in a building adjacent to The Tivoli Theatre. Amazingly it survived unscathed when The Tivoli burned down! They must have achieved a measure of fame! Kathleen Kelly great-granddaughter of the Biotts tells us: ”My mothers mother was named Elizabeth Biott who married Bernard J. Lawrence from Middlesbrough. She died in 1916 She had a brother Charles Biott, As children we were told that her grandparents owned a fish and chip shop around where they say they lived in Carlin How and the Biotts were from around Skinningrove region . A daughter of Elizabeth was born around March 1904 and may have been baptised at St Helen’s church. Just curious to know if there are any Biott relatives that can expand on this”. Whilst June Riesberg tells the Archive: “Interesting to find a photograph of Constance Irene Lawrence Biott with grandparents, as we knew so little about her!”. Kathleen Kelly further advises: “Having another look through here, we were also very surprised to know our mother had another sister. After all the years had passed, we found this out after doing much searching. We had found a few Biotts who were doing ancestry, and we got in touch, but they suddenly stopped contact. If we had known years ago, we might have found we had a lot more relatives than we knew, but in those days a lot was kept secret. Constance was born 1902, married May 1922 and died December 1983.”
Image courtesy of Carlin How Community Centre; thanks to Kathleen Kelly and June Riesberg for the updates.
This is a good print of the Loftus Sword Dancers. Initially the Archive was unsure of the location or occasion for this photograph, we were told by Ron Gittins that this could possibly be Darlington.Peter Whiteley has assisted with: “I was a member of Loftus Sword Dancers along with Ron Gittins, Rod Collinson, Ron Shaw, Keith Pierson and Stuart Carter we were photographed in the Northern Echo; March 9th 1959 winning a sword dancing shield at Darlington Music Festival.”
Back Row: Harry Cuthbert, John Hill , Brian Snowdon , William Morrish, Arthur Marshall. Front Row: Derek Cuthbert , ?? , Ron Gittins, Jim Fishlock.
Image courtesy of Joan Jemson, thanks to Eric Cowe, Eric Johnson, Ron Gittins (via Jean Gittins) and David Snowdon help with missing names. Many thanks to Peter Whiteley for settling the time and place.
The caption on this photograph was “Mine horses out to graze during holidays near Claphow, North Skelton mine in the background.” Derick Pearson has advised: “This is at the high side of Clap How (Clapper) bridges; travelling from New Skelton to Lingdale involves passing under Clap How bridges. Turn left off the road immediately after the bridges and up a dirt track to where these fields are/were. On the left of the photograph you can see the farm house which is below the railway and the bridges. To the right is North Skelton mine as said in the original title; the underpass which goes under the railway lines is also visible. Martin Fox adds: “Looks like building in background could be what was called the Gas House. The Payne’s lived there; Ethel and George (my gran and grandad); Margaret (my mam), Doreen, Anne, Brian and Arthur (my aunts and uncles). There used to be a gas holder near to the house.”
Image courtesy of several sources, thanks to Derick Pearson and Martin Fox for the updates.
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