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Old Green Tree Hotel, Brotton

A view of the Old Green Tree Hotel, Brotton; with plenty of bystanders to fill the picture for the photographer. Dating was not a problem, Nivard Ovington came to the rescue and his assistance is given further in this post. Note that the building as well as having a thatched roof only has a window in the gable end, no upper storey as the building has had since pre 1913 (based on a postcard view elsewhere on the Archive). Also the shop front to the left of this view, is now a series of houses before The Penfold and the more modern Spar convenience store. Nivard Ovington has assisted with: “The alterations were between 1901 and 1906. ‘Daily Gazette’ for Middlesbrough March 13th 1900: “Today at Guisborough Police Court Mr W RICHARDSON, solicitor, applied on behalf of Mr T WEBSTER, for sanction to alterations to the Green Tree Inn Brotton. Thus was a thatched house, 200 years old, and had been in the occupation of the present tenants family for over a century. Application granted”. ‘Daily Gazette’ for Middlesbrough March 6th 1906: “There is a report of an application by the landlord of the Green Tree Inn Brotton, requesting a seven day licence as there was at present only a six day licence, it is mentioned that it had recently been rebuilt. Application was refused. It was mentioned that when George WEBSTER took the Green Tree over in 1878 it was a seven day licence but he gave up the seventh day as he was a farmer as well, since then it was a 6 day whereas all other public houses were open seven days”. In 1907 the licence for the Green Tree was transferred to Robert Henry HEAD. ‘Whitby Gazette’ February 7th 1908: “Robert Henry HEAD of the Green Tree Brotton applied for a seven day licence. Its mentioned that the Green Tree had been rebuilt ‘five or six years ago’. The seven day licence was granted”. I descend from the WEBSTERs mentioned above, the earliest I have them there is 1823. 1823 ‘Baines Directory of Brotton’: Webster Richard , victualler : Green Tree.
But they were clearly there longer than that, Richard WEBSTER born 1767 at Brotton was my g.g.g.g.grandfather. In the photograph the man standing in the left doorway is probably Thomas WEBSTER”.

Image courtsey of The David Linton Collection and many thanks to Nivard Ovington for his assistance in dating and names of possible people in the image.

Red Lion Place, Redcar?

Another mystery which we would love some assistance in solving! This photograph came to the Archive with a request for any information; is Red Lion Place in Redcar? There is a Red Lion Street, which links to Lord Street and was opposite a linking street to the High Street, so named by the Red Lion Hotel which was on the other end corner to the High Street; perhaps this shop was close by? Who is the young lady in the shop doorway and does anybody have an idea as to the date? Peter Sotheran suggests: ” Red Lion Place – was this at the southern end of Red Lion Street on land that is now a turning point for vehicles and close the the railway line?” Colin Brown has assisted with: “The Woman at door is Mrs Tompkins, it was her Sweet Shop.” Joe Doe assists with: “When I lived at Railway Terrace off Regent Street, where the telephone exchange is now was Wardman’s Dairy.”

Image courtesy of Lynsey Peart, thanks to Peter Sotheran, Colin Brown and Joe Doe for the updates.

Dormanstown Caravan

The title of this images gives a hint of the link to another image on the Archive of the ‘First House in Dormanstown’, Geoff Kitching brought this image to the Archive with information regarding possible use for the caravan; the reverse bearing the annotation: “Caravan dwelling at 1st house to be built”; whilst Bill Kitching advised: “Workers would come in to work and possibly hire a caravan as accommodation as there would be limited places to stay and it would probably be cheaper”. As the Kitching family had information about a relative; Arch Aubrey who worked as a plasterer for the company erecting the Dorlonco houses, he was visited by his parents and unidentified children, they are believed to be the people in the picture. Alfred Aubrey and his wife Annie, had four daughters (Grace, Ruth, Gwendoline and Winifred) which the Archive can only suppose they may be those in the photograph. The picture must have been taken early in 1918 as there do not appear to be many other houses visible.

Image and information courtesy of Geoff Kitching, additional information via Ancestry and Find My Past websites.

Whitby Fishermen 1950’s

Taken in the 1950’s on a Kodak Brownie box camera this image of the fishermen on the quayside at Whitby brings back memories of a time past which many will remember. Taken by and sent to the Archive by Brian Hudson; he was born in East Cleveland and now resident in Australia. He has lived all over the world, living in Liverpool and Middlesbrough many of his Cleveland images are housed in Teesside Archives collection.

Image and notation courtesy of Dr. Brian Hudson (Queensland University of Technology).

Caravan Park – Saltburn – 1960’s

A different view of the caravan park at Saltburn; another Dennis postcard view shows a variety of caravans and towing vehicles with a post mark of September 1966. Obviously some were not touring much judging by their size and little ‘huts’ free-standing beside them. How different to the present day; from the days well before Tingdene with the chalet buildings and large ‘static’ caravans brought to site by trailer, rather than towed in by proud owners. Kenneth Coulthard advises: “I can see our caravan in this shot. Used to visit most weekends whenever schools were closed. Loved it.”

Image courtesy of Julie Tyrka and thanks to Kenneth Coulthard for the update.

Saltburn Caravan Park 1960’s

This image of Saltburn Caravan Park in the 1960’s (from a Dennis postcard dated 1966) shows the present day entrance to the Hazelgrove Residential Park with the chalet type buildings. Although there appear to be many almost ‘static’ type of caravans rather than tourers, judging by their size and adjacent structures. Today a very different aspect would be afforded from the same view-point.

Image courtesy of Julie Tyrka. 

First House in Dormanstown 1918

This image has the comment on the reverse: “First complete steel and Hy Rib house” at Dormanstown; known as ‘Dorlonco’,the design was named after Dorman Long the steel company at Warrenby to house the workers for the steel works, they were designed by Architects:  Stanley Davenport Adshead, Ramsey and Albert Abercrombie. The builders were Jones and Sons of Westminster and Costain Brothers of Liverpool; Arch Aubrey uncle of Geoff Kitching’s father worked on these houses when they were first being built and evidently took this image. Owing to a shortage of bricks the houses were built with steel frames and clad with concrete, but were modestly elegant affairs in the Georgian style. The first 300 houses were built in two styles: kitchen houses for manual workers and parlour houses for clerical staff; Gas was supplied free to every house. When completed in 1920, Dormanstown housed 342 families. The last of the ‘Dorlonco’ houses were demolished in 1979; the streets of Dormanstown still carry names linked to the builders, Architects and even the steel works manager (Ennis Road; which was the original line for the light railway that was built to carry materials on the 850 acre site).

Image courtesy of Geoff Kitching.

North Skelton Wesleyan Methodist Chapel

 

An image believed to be of the interior of North Skelton Wesleyan Methodist Chapel from possibly the 1920s and apparently dressed for a harvest festival or a wedding. The building still stands today and is still used as a place of worship, Geoff Kitching tells us: “The Chapel was corrugated iron on the outside and wood on the inside. My Dad had relatives living just round the corner in Wharton Street in the early 1900’s but he says that they were not Methodists but strictly Church of England.”

Image and information courtesy of Geoff Kitching (son of Bill Kitching formerly of Carlin How).

North Skelton Post Office – 1920s

 

North Skelton Post Office in the 1920s, pictured we have: “The young girl with the flowers is my dad’s sister Sally Kitching and the other young girl is his eldest sister Edie. The post office was run by my dad’s great uncle Bill Young and his wife Bessie who are the two figures on the far right here. The young woman second from the left is dad’s aunt Annie (Smith), next to her is his Aunt Nellie and then Arch Aubrey who was the husband of Annie Smith (they married in 1924). I don’t know what the occasion was. We think the Post Office was at 10 Wharton Street.” The Archive can confirm that William (Billy) Young was Sub-postmaster with his wife Bessie at 10 Wharton Street; they still lived there in 1939. The Archive would again welcome information as regards the possible occasion, especially as all present were obviously celebrating some event.

Image and information courtesy of Geoff Kitching (son of Bill Kitching formerly of Carlin How).

 

Kilton Valley Viaduct

This Kilton Valley Viaduct view comes from an undated and unused postcard, possibly previous to 1905 and the in-filling between the supporting arches. It is possible that the locomotive will give a possible dating and the Archive would welcome any assistance. Geoffrey Allen has responded to our request with:”The locomotive appears to be a N.E.R Class O 0-4-4T (LNER/BR Class G5) it is in Lined NER Livery. These engines were built at Darlington Works between May 1894 and December 1901; 110 in total so a 1905 date is possible. They were used on the Saltburn to Scarborough service and the number of coaches may suggest that this is such a train. Of the six coaches the second to last appears to be an earlier 6 wheel coach, the last of which were built about 1897 all the rest are bogie coaches, the first is a birdcage brake coach and the last may also be the same but the details are obscured. The other 3 appear to be low roofed bogie coaches built from about 1895 to 1906.” 

Image courtesy of Julie Tyrka; thanks to Maurice Dower for the update and many thanks to Geoffrey Allen for the excellent update.