2Diesels:
So the CO-OP warehouse must be what’s now that poshe hotel just before the pitcher & piano…Oh & I’ve been digging & I’ve found the name Swirle on that little cut through road/path from the Quay up to St Anne’s rd. sound right??
Spot on , its all very differant to the old days, My old grandad used to take my there when I was a boy, I loved it, & my first real driving job was Baxters on the Quay, the garage is now a car park. Loveley memmories for me, I hope you enjoy the history, Regards Larry
Aye I just need something like that as a reference point & it all starts to fall into place, I’m not very up on what the old buildings were called/used for but I would probably recognise a lot from photos. Likes of Steenbergs didn’t really mean anything much to me but I recognised the arch in the photies that must be literally just before the low level bridge right on the burn side, wasn’t there a sweetie factory in the back of there aswell at one time?
I’ve done the Victoria Tunnel tour, that’s quite interesting but you dont go very far up it though, only to the top end of Stepney Bank next to the Tanner’s
The sweety factory was Maynards , they are doing something with the building at the moment, Its probabley more flats, or as FDobbo said for them Yuppy sorts, Regards Larry.
Lawrence Dunbar:
The sweety factory was Maynards , they are doing something with the building at the moment, Its probabley more flats, or as FDobbo said for them Yuppy sorts, Regards Larry.
Ah right that fits in with whatt I read the other night I never made the connection between Maynards & that place bloody obvious now of course
Surely they wouldn’t have much to work with it was just a crumbling shell of a place wasn’t it?
Great stuff Bumper, That wooden Hut on the first picture was the Dockers Union Office. The other one was obviousley a Sunday, Baxters lads had to wait till late afternoon to get out of the Garage, Happy days , Regards Larry
2Diesels:
Wow 2 cracking pics there, I take it the 1st one is early 80’s & the 2nd is 60’s
1st one 60s70s 2nd one 50s60s, The Quayside sadley to say changed very rapidly, Baxter moved to Benton in the 60s.Burton son & Sanders, Briggs Tyres, went about the same time. Regards Larry.
I worked at Briggs Tyres on Millers Road for a short while as I had a couple of month to use up as I was waiting to start my Army basic training, around 1971 and just before they got took over by National Tyres. Super Singles hadn’t been long out and they were pretty tough things to replace initially, Tubeless tyres were also becoming popular and made a big difference for the tyre fitter and Cross Ply were still the main tyre types. We had a contract for ESSO so were quite often over there, I remember the Auto transmission Four wheel 500 Series Dodges they had and the tractor units ran on singles on the drive axle.
Talking about the Swirle, it was also known as an area of that name on the Quayside and as Larry said got its name because of the run of water into the Tyne. I suppose the people that lived in the houses and pubs etc would say they came from The Swirle. That stretch of Newcastle is steeped in history, my wife’s Great Great Grandfather was a Werryman Owner with six boats to work the Tyne in the early 1800’s, there must have been money to be made on the river then. This picture below is of a little known place called Three Indian Kings Inn, probably early 1900’s going off the old car, my Wife’s Grandfather stayed here before he got married in 1904, he was also a Waterman. The only sign of the place existing now is a small plaque on the wall next to Greggs shop for a Solicitors office, I presume the Inn was through the small entry next to the building, there are newer flats behind now. Cheers Franky.
F.D. Briggs was under the Tyne Bridge, between the Girders , The place is still there , but not used… Where is the picture located, its very interesting history. Regards Larry
Aye your probabley right you certainley know your vehicles, the Quay was like that for a long time ,then as I said it all changed rapidly. Regards Larry
Lawrence Dunbar:
Aye your probabley right you certainley know your vehicles, the Quay was like that for a long time ,then as I said it all changed rapidly. Regards Larry
I can just about remember it like that but not very well, I’d like to go down there with someone who remembers it better & have an explore
Hers some more of the demise of the Spillers building, I took these today, also there is a shot from
Nichols yard taken in the 80s I think? I took this from a photo on the wall at AS Tyres it shows the river
when we had something to celebrate. The atmosphere then was magic. Un fortunately it also shows the
sad state of affairs today. Copyright must belong to H Nichol. regards kevmac47 (Apart from my
shots of the demolition)
Lawrence Dunbar:
Nice shot Kev. Is Harry Nichol still on the go ,? it seems a long time since ive seen his motors, Regards Larry.
I don’t know if he is still in transport Larry, the yard is now known as the H Nichol Business Park.
I do know that Alan from AS Tyres sees him on a regular basis. rergards Kev.
Harry Nichol is still around but he must be about in his nineties now. IIRC young Henry was running things but got out of wagons altogether a few years ago. The last ones were a couple of Scania 8 wheelers with brick grabs. I think they ran out of Rowlands Gill with breeze blocks.
I was just sitting thinking about the Quayside, & when first started for Baxter on the Quay in the 50s, it was heaving with work, plenty of ships coming & going,wagons everywhere, tipping or loading, the cafes were decent, & every one seemed to be busy & happy , There used to be a pub The Lord Nelson on Sandgate next door to the local blacksmith, they turned one of the rooms into a cafe, & mind you the grub was spot on, & cheap, long gone now of course.I was along there the other day, & theres not much left sadley to say, even where Baxters Garage was is a car park now. The Baltic Chambers is still there but looks as if it is not used much anymore, it used to be full of Transport Offices as all you oldies will know.Broad Chare still has some of the original warehouses , but under new ownerships now, Happy memmories for me& no doubt a lot of oldies like myself that are still about. Regards Larry.
Aye the gold old Quayside, this looks like one of Jacky Adams jobs from S.Fs at Wrekenton, I did a few loads myself, but not until 1999, when they were pulling the piles back out, most of the 60fts went to the old railway dock at Middlesbrough. Middle Haven Site, & of course that is completed now. Regards Larry
