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Archives

Beach and Cliffs

A lovely Skilbeck postcard of Skinningrove; our questions about the buildings have been answered by: Harold Richards tells us: ”I have many happy memories of Skinningrove, I was born there in 1944, and lived with my Gran and Grandad in Chapel Street. As a kid of 12 or 14 years I used to knock around with Arthur Breckon, also of Chapel Street; his dad Teddy Breckon was in the Coastguards in the mid 1950’s. I was told more than once by Teddy Breckon, the large brick building on the right of the photograph beside the road going up to Dickie Bothroyd’s farm, was a mortuary. This was used if anyone had been washed up on the sands who had drowned. I remember this building well made of old red bricks and a large wooden door. My Grandad was Jack Richards (an image of him is on the Website – in the pit with a rat on his knee). My Gran, Amy Richards was a member of the Skinningrove Women’s Institute for many years. I left Skinningrove in 1980, when the heart was ripped out of the village as the houses in Chapel Street and the High Street were demolished; as well as Cliff Street, etc. To me this was very sad, as the houses would still have been stood now.” Colin Hart can tell us: ”The boatmen’s hut was and still is situated just before the bridge onto the beach, it was used for social events, later used by the Gala Association and is now used by the pigeon men.” Terry Baker adds: “It really is sad when your fondest memories of a place – the buildings and the houses and the lanscape are all bulldozed. But it’s nice when you can reminisce the old times, or when someone helps you explain things in a photograph, like you have done here. It has been a real pleasure reading this post, with the lovely description of the contents of the photograph. It makes me want to revisit my childhood and try and remember my own photographs from then.”

Image courtesy of Mrs Lilian Waton; thanks to Harold Richards, Colin Hart and  Terry Baker for these updates.

Skilbeck Postcard

Once again of Loftus Market Place but look at the Angel Inn how lovely it used to be. What date would you put on this postcard?

Jezz Clifford suggests: ”Pre-1966, number 25 is prior to bay windows were erected?” Eric Lindsay has now advised: “Frith has postcard saying Circa 1960 which also appears on Frith Series Postcard labelled Geo Skilbeck LTS2 which bears early QE2 stamp.”

Image courtesy of Mrs Lilian Waton and thanks to Jezz Clifford and Eric Lindsay for the updates.

Cattersty Sands – a C.O. Smelt postcard.

A lovely shot of Cattersty sands and the cliffs, an A.F.S. postcard distributed by C.O. Smelt who used to have Skinningrove post office. The postcard is believed to date from 1931.

Image courtesy of Mrs Lilian Waton.

“Prince Charles” locomotive, Saltburn

Owen Rooks wrote to the Archive and advised: “The attached image is of a newly delivered shiny locomotive named ’Prince Charles’ purchased by Mr. Cyril Pickering in 1954 for his Saltburn Miniature Railway.  My dad had retired from British Rail the previous year and had been commissioned by Mr. Pickering to supervise the replacement of the entire track with heavier metals to accommodate the new locomotive which came from the Lakeside Miniature Railway in Southport.  Of course, I had to ’help’ with the task, even being allowed to drive the new locomotive quite often.  I believe that ’Prince Charles’ still survives at Saltburn after all these years.”

Image and information courtesy of Owen Rooks.

Staithes

Nice different view of Staithes, with Cowbar Cottages on the hill at the right hand side. These are believed to have been built by Mark Palmer (mineowner who lived at Grinkle Park) as housing for his mine worker from the former Grinkle mine, this being situated in the valley below the present Potash mine. Anne Jenner requests: “I am interested to know if Sir Charles Palmer also built the Rocket House at Cowbar and how to find out its date and use. Please can anybody help?”

Image courtesy of Joyce Dobson, thanks to Neil Suckling for the update; also to Anne Jenner for the query.

Redcar From The Pier

Looks quite an early postcard with part of a number in the left hand corner. This view gives a true aspect of how large the beach is at Redcar at lowtide; a long way to walk for a paddle!

Image courtesy of Joyce Dobson.

Disappearing Primrose Hill

Once again we see Primrose Hill starting to be demolished, with the works towering in the background.

Image courtesy of Eric Johnson.

The Priory

Guisborough priory and a beautiful hand tinted postcard view that shows off the majestic ruin.
Image courtesy of Joyce Dobson.

As It Was.

Skinningrove before it was re-built; looks like a good dry for the washing.

Image courtesy of Eric Johnson.

Hummersea

A lovely postcard view of the cliffs at Hummersea.

Imagr courtesy of Joyce Dobson.