This photograph is actually displayed at the Tom Leonard Mining Museum and the names have now been deciphered. There is one problem; it is possible that the middle and front rows have an additional person on each – note the alteration in the image, hopefully someone can advise?
Back row: F. Smith, W. Flinton, G. A. Glover, G. W. Glover, F. Ward, F. Hall, W. Magor.
Middle row: J. R. Eggleston, G. A. Pinkney, J. Winspear, D. Tyler, J. Harker, G. Ward, F. Shaw, J. Wheatman, ??.
Front row: W. Andrew, J. Saunby, T. Hall, R. Wheatman, T. Ward, J. Pasco, E. Simpson, G. Breckon, ??.
Cups (left to right): Club Union Cup 1929-30, North of England League Champions 1929, Whitby Challenge Cup 1930.
This looks like a ”Front Side Crew”; with iron furnace in the background and the gentleman in the centre seems to be standing over the sow channel for the molten iron. Far right hand side possibly foreman. Don’t think it’s No. 5 which was an altogether larger affair and tipped into ladles, not pig-beds, so it must be one of the earlier bank of 5 furnaces which have adorned quite a few postcards, but which furnace and why the occasion for a photograph?
It couldn’t be a steel furnace, because Skinningrove furnaces were Siemens-Martin Basic Open Hearth furnaces and they all tilted back to tap (and forwards to tip slag). The problem is that there are the right number of men to crew a steel furnace (and that seems to be the progression from right to left, foreman (The gent on the right is wearing a fob watch which would suggest pre-1918), then 1st hand through to 4th hand – this one is a real enigma – anybody out there who can shed some light on the situation?Ann Robinson tells the Archive: “The man on the far right is my grandad William Atkinson.”
Image courtesy of several sources, thanks to Ann Robinson for the update.
”This is a photograph of Miss Carlin How from 6th of August 1951. Miss Carlin How was Sylvia Conway. To Sylvia’s right on back row is Keturah Welford (daughter of Bob Welford the coalman), little girl front left Jennifer Welford (youngest daughter of Bob Welford), next right Kathleen Welford (with glasses, another daughter of Bob Welford), next right back row ??, little girl directly in front Pat Pearson, to her right David Husband and directly behind and between these two Ronnie Gittings. To David’s right front row Alfie Arnold and to his right Brian Husband (David’s twin brother who went to Australia many years ago).” Frank Robson tells us: ”The tall lad on the back row is John Scott.” Richard Stubbs assisted with: “Little girl front left is Jennifer Welford, Bob Welford’s youngest daughter. We have sat laughing about it this afternoon.”
These events like Gala day and Carnival Queen were generally held on the football field, house showing behind the fence to the left could be numbers 13 or 14 Bells Huts where the present day foundry stands.
Image and notes courtesy of Derick Pearson, thanks to Frank Robson for correctly identifying John Scott, also to Richard Stubbs for assistance in naming Jennifer Welford.
Yes that was the popular name for the early warning station at Fylingdales, our area gets ever wider but there are those younger ones amongst us who will not remember these. The controversy when they were erected and the same again when they were to be knocked down. Did someone in your family help build, demolish or protest against these structures? Image courtesy of Geoffrey Powell.
I’d like to think that this is the remains of the bus we’ve seen hanging backwards over the parapet in previous posts – I certainly hope so for the passengers and driver’s sake! Derick Pearson has tod the Archive: “I have had a copy of this photograph for many years; I was told possibly 45 years ago that the conductress died in this accident as the winding handle of the ticket machine penetrated her skull in the impact. I wonder what they are searching for in the water (the man in the bus and the one at the near side)? Another gentleman at the far side with ropes ready, they certainly were not heavy enough to pull the bus out. This was an Upton Bus services bus of Redcar, not a United bus.
Image courtesy of Loftus Town Crier, thanks to Derick Pearson for the update.
This aerial view of Staithes was taken from over the sea in 1952/3. The old village looks much the same as we know it today, except for the railway viaduct dominating the valley. The Cod and Lobster looks odd, being so dark and not white.
Image courtesy of Mr. Ray Conn – Copyright Jimmy Blumer, Darlington.
A good photograph of the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System at Fylingdales, known locally as the Golf Balls. Demonstrations when they were erected in 1960 and demonstrations when they were removed in 1989 and a pyramid built to replace them. Geoffrey Powell advises: “Great to see the old Golf Balls, I remember these being built. I was in 5131 Bomb Disposal Squadron in the RAF during 1961 – 1963. We were based at Goldsborough and travelled over daily with various vehicles and an ambulance; with mine detectors working from 8 am until 4 pm daily, clearing munitions and making it a phase by phase for safety reasons.” Mandy Chew can recall: “I remember going past the Golf Balls on my way to Whitby from Bradford (holidays with parents and sister) when I was a child in the 1970’s.” Trevor Bell adds: “My father worked at the base in the mid-sixties. He apparently worked within the middle Golf Ball complex. It was a shame they removed them and replaced with the present pyramid. Progress maybe, but nowhere near as exciting to see as a kid!” Julian Atkinson can recall: ” I worked at RAF Fylingdales ,from age 19 to 26..we were base Security. Many of my colleagues have now passed away ,when I was poorly I had a vivid dream – had walked up to the main gate as it was in the 1970’s, Old Bobby on the Gate ‘Bill Smith’, Looked up and said: ”Are YOU here, an’all..”?..(Scary)..is That my Purgatory..!!!?”.
Image courtesy of Geoffrey Powell, thanks to Geoffrey Powell, Mandy Chew, Trevor Ball and Julian Atkinson for the updates.
One of the two rail bridges at Claphow, Stanghow Road (the road connecting New Skelton directly to Lingdale). Due to mining subsidence the bridge was strengthen with the addition of a second arch inside the original arch. A buttress was added at the right hand side and four iron rods inserted through the parapet, whilst the left hand side was concreted.
Andrew Pearson tells us: ”Really good photograph, looks to be from around 1964 or maybe early 1965. The railway was part of the much missed coastal route down to Whitby and Scarborough from Middlesbrough which closed completely in May 1958 between Loftus and Whitby West Cliff, passenger trains continued to run to Loftus until 1960 and then only to Guisborough until 1964 when it too closed under what came to be known as the Beeching Axe, which was to devastate the UK rail network. By this time the only traffic across this bridge was the weekly goods (mostly coal), to Boosbeck public delivery siding, from the Brotton direction, which ended in September 1964 when the depot at Saltburn took over coal deliveries enabling this line to be closed altogether. The line from Guisborough meantime had been cut just before reaching Boosbeck and was used for the storage of redundant wagons for the last five years of its life. During the summer of 1965 all the rails and fittings were uplifted from Brotton junction to the Esk Valley line junction near Nunthorpe inclusive, and this bridge was subsequently removed during improvements to the Lingdale to Skelton road. The other bridge behind it in the picture, on the Priestcroft Junction to Skelton triangle line, is still there.”
Alastair MacKenzie adds: “I recall this too and think it was demolished in early 1970’s. Andrew is correct but doesn’t mention that the other leg of the triangle is still in use for the potash trains. This takes off at North Skelton and re-joins what would have been the triangle at Brotton. As a child living at Boosbeck, I recall seeing many iron-stone and passenger trains on this triangle. Often at night particularly if cold and frosty, the finished steel product trains to or from Skinningrove could be heard. The playing field behind our house at Wandhill, Boosbeck; looked onto the Boosbeck end of the triangle at Priestcroft. I never saw this personally but it is known that excursion trains from places like Leeds and Bradford, coming to Redcar and Saltburn, would run up to the triangle to be turned as the turntable at Saltburn was too small for loco’s like the V2. They would run up coupled in twos and threes to turn by reversing onto one or other leg.”
Andrew Pearson confirms this: “The other leg of the triangle is part of the Saltburn – Boulby line which is very much still with us and in regular use but singled throughout, where before it was double track from Saltburn Junction through Brotton to Carlin How and then single track on through to Whitby/Scarborough with passing places at Loftus, Staithes, Hinderwell, Kettleness, Whitby West Cliff then Robin Hood’s Bay, Ravenscar, Staintondale and Cloughton. Opened in 1872(goods) and 1875(passenger) as the ‘Saltburn Extension’ the line served ironstone mines at Longacres, Lumpsey and Brotton in their time as well as Skinningrove Works now also Boulby Potash (rebuilt 1974 from Carlin How with a new viaduct) and it occasionally even sees steam hauled specials the most recent of which ran as far as Carlin How and back on March 30 2013. Intermediate stations were North Skelton and Brotton. Passenger services between Saltburn and Brotton ended September 6 1957 and between Loftus/Brotton/Guisborough April 30 1960 but goods services continued thereafter as in my previous post as well as mineral workings Lingdale Pit until 1962, Kilton (1963) and North Skelton (1964). The triangle was indeed used also for turning excursions particularly Redcar races specials, sometimes the whole train might have to go up to turn if siding space for the stock was not available on the day; I remember seeing empty passenger coaches crossing Saltburn bridge to do just that in the very early 60s when there was no longer a normal passenger service, not long before all that sort of traffic started to be discouraged by British Rail under Beeching, and far too many useful lines started to close down.”
Callum Duff asked: “I’m convinced that this bridge existed until around 1975 because I remember my Dad driving under it when I was a child and me being intrigued by such an unusual structure. Does anyone else know for sure when it was actually demolished?” Andrew responded with: “Not too sure as to the exact date but 1975 would be about right as it was definitely missing by 1976 when I happened to pass that way. As can be seen in the picture, the road was very much still a country lane and not suited to the ever increasing traffic even back in the 70s, never mind now when speeds are dangerously high so improvements were a priority on safety grounds. The bridge had been in a poor condition for a long time due to mining subsidence, it presented a bottleneck and once its rail function ended it would have had little further purpose.”
Image courtesy of Ted Morgan (via Eric Johnson), with information from Eric Johnson; also thanks to Andrew Pearson, Callum Duff and Alastair MacKenzie for the updates.
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