South Shields Grammar-Technical School for Boys   
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There are 500 messages in the guestbook
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Viewing messages 41 to 50

Eric Moyse | eric~DOT~moyse~AT~sky~DOT~com
A rather late Happy New Year to all of my fellow-contributors.
Anyone who follows the online Gazette "South Tyneside Today," will be aware of the renowned artist, Sheila Graber. For this year she has produced a calendar of local drawings,which Doreen and I bought and which we can thoroughly recommend. As it happens, Doreen taught with Sheila for a while and so I asked Sheila for a favour. If you walk along th path by the North Beach (all right, Littlehaven) there you will find the complete words of "Blow the Wind Southerly." The last time I was along there the paintwork was badly faded and so I have asked Sheila to use her good offices to get the feature restored: of course she agreed. Have a look for yourselves next time you are in the town. If you want a calendar, google Sheila and take it from there.
Regards
Eric
Wed 18-Jan-2023 12:25 - Reading, Berkshire
Backhouse.
My God Alex!! That memory of yours!!
Did you ever run across, or know a Ken Fothergill,a fitter at Readheads,probably friend of Kinlato's. If so I have a story.
Mon 16-Jan-2023 17:04 - Vic BC
Alex Patterson VUA 1946-1951 | ad1935ap~AT~gmail~DOT~com
Hello Mike and the thousands of readers/contributors, including Alan Whittaker,
Yes Alan I remember that dog at Binns, but I can’t remember whether the slot for donations was on the top of its head or in the box/plinth that it was sitting on. I’m getting it mixed up with one that was outside a pharmacy when I was in the RAF in Scotland. Apart from that I remember it being moved from entrance to entrance but mainly on the King Street entrances.
Speaking of Binns,I used to buy all my suits, shirts, shoes etc. at Binns when I started work, and I bought Cavalry Twills and Chukka boots there when they came back into popularity as they did now and again. I liked Binns; when I was courting Marjorie we would meet at Binns on Saturday mornings and go for coffees etc., at The Buttery (I think that was its name) on the third (?) floor, and often met with friends there to catch up on all the news of our contemporaries. I wonder if there is another meeting place like that anymore for young adults.
When we got married we also bought much of our furniture and appliances there, we had a G-Plan sideboard and sectional settee…wish we still had them…I just saw a 1958 sideboard for $6,700 (C.)!! EEeeeeeek!!
I am completely reminisced for the time being and it’s time for “All Creatures Great and Small” so I have to dash off to relax for an hour or two.
Regards,
Alex
From a sunny but cold North York!!
Sat 14-Jan-2023 22:38 - North York, Ontario, Canada
Alan Whittaker(53-59) | alan~DOT~diwhittaker~AT~gmail~DOT~com
Hi All,
Reflecting back does anyone remember the charity model of a black labrador which sat in the entrance to Binns store for many years? I think its name was "Hobo" and any donations were for guidedogs for the blind
Thu 12-Jan-2023 15:29 - Langford Budville, Somerset
Alex Patterson VUA 1946 - 1951 | ad1935ap~AT~gmail~DOT~com
Hello Mike and all readers,
Apropos of T & G Allan’s and fountain pens, the discussion inspired me to checkout my old fountain pens and one newer version. I still have my Parker Junior, and my Esterbrook from High School days, both from T and G Allan’s in King Street I’m not 100% sure about my Schaeffer although it is a close contemporary of that period.
I used my Esterbrook filled with green ink on an history homework submission in my newly adopted leaning to the left handwriting. I got a decent mark from ‘Piggy’ Wade but a terse comment, “Straighten up your writing, use traditional ink. Unmitigated swank!!”
More recently, my eldest daughter, Katherine, bought me a Mont-Blanc fountain pen with a calligraphy tip so I can continue my ‘unmitigated swanky’ writing. She didn’t buy it at T & G A’s but at some store in Toronto and my writing doesn’t seem to lean to the left anymore.
My Parker Junior was a gift from my Mum before I entered High School and I was surprised to find that I wasn’t the only boy with a fountain pen, in fact I was a bit disappointed. One of my favourite pens was my Biro which was frowned upon by Charlie Constable. It was an early model, which tended to leave blobs of ink at any place in a sentence and was quite messy. My Aunt had a convenience store opposite Swan Hunter’s in Wallsend and she would often get unusual things, such as the Biro, in exchange for ciggies from foreign crew members of ships in for repair. She got the Biro from one such customer. She also got me a leather bomber jacket which I wore when I was still in High School until I was in my twenties. Sorry about wandering off topic…I do that frequently these days.
Anyhow, I’ll talk to you soon,
Regards,
Alex
Sun 8-Jan-2023 06:03 - North York, Ontario, Canada
Alan Whittaker(53-59) | alan~DOT~diwhittaker~AT~gmail~DOT~com
Mike, you surely have suffered greatly over the last couple of years. May I send my best wishes for your full recovery.

Ref T&G Allans I think "The Pen Shop" name was adopted after The War. I remember Conway Stewart pens but they were out of my league, I used the less expensive Platignum variety! I think both pens are still being manufactured.

Ref barbers,the father of Sutton Estate resident Malcolm Cottenham (Ex High School) had a small barbers shop down past the Nook.He later moved to an even smaller premises on Chichester Rd near the Chi Pub. He gave me my first "bob cut" and told me that my hair was so thick and strong I would never lose it! Well he got that wrong!!
Wed 4-Jan-2023 11:21 - Langford Budville, Somerset
Mike Todd
"Ouch!" is right - February 2021 I was rushed to hospital in the middle of the night. They weren't sure what it was (at one point, the record show they suspected an aortic aneurism, but later it as gallstones)

Sent home, ended up again the following week and confirmed perforated gall bladder - then sepsis - followed by emergency surgery and a week in hospital.

Had acute kidney infection, and on the edge of kidney failure - and recently have had kidney blocked by a stone. Had two bouts of lithotripsy - still not fully recovered, but still here :-)

I remember the barbers in Binns, although I was usually at a barbers in (I think) Imeary Street.

There used to be a ships chandlers towards the Mill Dam - and was there a surplus store somewhere round the Market Place - but I don't think either was the one you were talking about.

And T&G Allan had a big pen section if I recall - but greetings cards, books and trinkets (great for buying Christmas Presents).

I haven't been in the Morpeth store for a while, but they definitely had a goodly collections of pens.
Tue 3-Jan-2023 20:10 - Rothbury
Bruce Graham | bsgraham~AT~btinternet~DOT~com
Mike.

Ouch!! Your medical episode sounds very scary and nasty.

All of the memories of Binns etc on King Street strike multiple cords with me. In addition to being fascinated with the pneumatic money transfer system as a lad I recall that upstairs there was also a barbers shop. So when at the age of 14 I decided that I would like to have a crew cut - all the rage in those days - I didn't dare go to my regular barber who would have sent me home for a permission chit I'm sure. Like Alan Whittaker ( a few tears later) I had by then started a paper round at Minnikins on Quarry Lane so was able to afford t go to the barber in Binns and have the deed done. My Mother was not amused!!

I didn't know that T&G Allens began as "The Pen Shop" but I used to delight in going into their very large pen department and admire all of the beautiful fountain pens that I couldn't afford. Conway Stewart is one brand name that springs to mind - or am I making that up?

Though not on King Street you oldies may recall a shop on the corner of the market place opposite St Hilda's that specialised in seaman's uniforms and accoutrements. Darned if I can remember the name of the shop.

Bruce

Tue 3-Jan-2023 18:59 - ruskington lincolnshie
Alan Whittaker(53-59) | alan~DOT~diwhittaker~AT~gmail~DOT~com
Hi All,
Ref T&G Allan,I think the company still has a shop in Morpeth as well as 20 plus Pen Shops in the UK
Tue 3-Jan-2023 16:02 - Langford Budville, Somerset
Mike Todd
Hi, All - thanks for the best wishes - and compliments of the season to you all.

Alan's comments about Binns etc brought back many memories. While Binns no longer exists in SS, I think it does (or at least did) continue in its original location in Sunderland, but taken over by House of Fraser.

I do remember the pneumatic system - always fascinated me. A similar system used to be used at Foyles bookstore in Tottenham Court Road.

On Fowler Street there was a grocery store (may even have been managed by my Grandfather!) which had a different system - overhead cables that took money to the cashier raised up and in the corner of the store.

And yes, the Binns' lift had to be precisely positioned - with the manually opened/closed gate.

As for T&G Allan - the company still exists! While the only store remaining under that name is in Morpeth, following a management buyout a few years ago, the company's original business (specialist pen shop) still operates all over the country (as "The Pen Shop", which was actually the original name of T&G Allan when it first opened in Newcastle)

I'd read about the major redevelopment of the SS town centre - and I think some of the demolition is nearly complete.

And to Alex - thanks for your wishes re my health. It's been a difficult two years, and the 1000 pages of medical records have been whittled down to about 500 by removing duplicates and blank pages.

Still going through them, but learning a lot about the events surrounding my ruptured gallbladder and subsequent sepsis. I don't think we realise what is going on behind the scenes when you're in your hospital bed!

As Bruce says, our Alma Mater has been very successful in its redevelopment, including the preservation of the 1936 building.

It's been a while since I visited, but I'm hoping to get there this year some time.

All the best to all the stalwarts! A Happy and comfy 2023 to all!
Tue 3-Jan-2023 15:40 - Rothbury

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