an earlier one dont tell me you are a cod head too?

got plenty more if people intrested

VERY!

Love seeing stuff like this.

Would love to have them of a quality where I could get them framed for putting up in the house too. Old photos like that are often much better "art" than poncey drawings of stuff.

keep them coming lestakev love the old pics

What were those blue things on the left of the pic?, gas holders?

There is a gasometer there, no doubt to hold the gas from the coke ovens which are the subject of that photo (coal gas used to be the only type of domestic gas before North Sea Gas came on line!).
The other inflammable gas produced in an iron plant is called producer gas, which is completely unsuitable for general use but doesn't go to waste since it is used to preheat the air used for the "blast" part of the blast furnace.

Eeeeeeee the Rink, I saw Lulu aged 16 there and Johnny Kidd and the Pirates complete with stripey T shirts and a patch over one eye. Poor Johnny died a young death I think.

If you could go back in time to any period in Hartlepool's history for a look round, what era would you choose?

Now there's a tricky one!

I'd love to be able to visit ALL of them! Early 1900s or 1910s would be very interesting, but so would say the 1950s and 1960s to see what it was like when the parents were growing up.

Maybe that's why I like all the old photos too?

I've had funny dreams about going back in time to various points in Hartlepool's past and all sorts of weird shite happening which was quite spooky and fun at the same time.

Too many disco biscuits!!!!

Thats all for now will post some more later have to go out. Cheers

I'd fancy the time around WW1, but I can see the attraction of the 50's/60's. As long as you didn't get off with your mam like Michael J Fox did. Thats his mam I'm on about not yours, mind you I might be wrong.

no i was not in the parade despite some might claim i was
the pub on the right was the middlesborough it had a big clock that lit up at night time
a lot of the pubs changed names as they do today

All for now really must go out running late :)

In view of all the damp eyes caused by this thread, I think we should organise an end-of-season Reminiscing Day for Bunkerites.
The local historians on the board can plan an itinerary and we could put in a bulk order of Verrill's fish and chips, to keep body and soul to-gether on the way round.
I'll pick up any well-behaved exiles from Durham Station and transport them to Pool, via the scenic route

Count me in, it would be interesting to hear from all of the old folk about what used to be where etc.

We can turn it into a pub crawl too for more fun, especially around the Headland!

I would have liked to have seen the Croft, which I think got demolished in the late 50s or early 60s. The pictures I have seen of it are really interesting...

What is or was the Croft?

You know where the Croft Gardens are now - outside the Borough Hall on the Headland? Well, thats where the Croft was. Before it was all demolished Hartlepool looked like Robin Hoods Bay and Staithes does now - knocking that down was criminal. People of my age only remember the Headland for those horrible flats (which got done up about 5 year ago) but I'm told it was a really nice place years ago...

My Dad used to say his family were of crofter stock...though I was born and brought up In West. I think can remember that area very dimly.

(The funny thing is, I've looked on several 19th century censuses and their name isn't recorded. But I've read that if the 'head' of the household was a mariner and he was away at sea at the time of the census, then the family wasn't recorded)

what all SIX pubs

you must mean pudsey palace the flats that were down the grassy bank from durham street

it wasn't a dream.............................

Ah....you dunno who your Dad was but he was a sailor......


There's dozens of kids in Hartlepool in the same...errr...boat as you, don't worry about it.

Lovely work Mr Lester, top pictures.

I'm not sure how Kev does this. A single moment in his hands and every simple question acquires terminal intricacy.......

I'm not even in the same country, madam...how very dare you!!

this map of part of the headland from the ferry to the sandwell gate
between the doks and the town wall there is probably only a dozen of the old houses still standing

Right, Mr Gremmlin, this looks very professional. So you can be the tour leader.


(erm, I'm not sure any salary is involved but it will look good on your cv)

no i would have difficulty in keeping up with the drinkers but i will put up the nets on throston bridge to catch the undesireables

grem - coad head by schooling only - central boy

diff view of part of the croft
note the gates in the wall

the masons arms on the beach, and the big building at the top of pic was a corn mill

Those last two pics (of Middlegate and the Croft) are great shots of a bygone age...

a couple for the west dockers who have no heritage

A few more

Some more

That's one I've never seen before. It looks almost like a Lowry painting

All for now plenty more to follow if people still intrested

Aye...very interested. Anyone got photographs of Richardson and Westgarth and/or the pub which was just long the way from the works?

waiting for verrills to open

Wonderful images of our town.

Some of these pictures are great!

Anyone got any good ones of the 70's? It was my time in Hartlepool when I grew up and you don't pay much attention to the best things until they are gone!

The Odeon with a queue round the back...the paddling pool over the headland...the docks full of cars...Seaton Carew with the Longscar Centre and the Clock in it's prime...Burn Valley with flowers blooming. The queue at Bretts for some sweets and buying some caps at the toy stall in the indoor market...The Central Library as a library and dodging the traffic to get to it...The Santa bus!

How about some of the old clubs? I worked behind the bar in the boilermakers back in the Eighties, it'd be good to see some pictures of the club now that it is no more.

It would be interesting to compare the town centre of then with now, lots more locally owned shops I'm sure!

how many bunkerites played the nick from here

and how many eventually finished up paying a visit here