This poem was brought into the office by one of the participants of our Ancestry Course - We do not know who the Author is unfortunately but if they read this, we would like to thank you for your prose and hope that you dont mind our sharing. I am sure this poem will put a nostalgic smile on everyones' face
Memory Lane
Looking in the mirror lately
I’m feeling something’s missing
I’ve lived in Stockton all my life
There are loads of things I miss
So if you got five minutes to spare
Let’s just reminisce
Summer afternoons in Ropner Park
Picnics in the shade
Jam sandwiches from the golliwog jar
Lowcocks lemonade
Knickerbocker glories at Rossi’s café
Juke box playing our favourite tune
Pete’s snack bar for penny dip-buns
With gravy running down our chins
Toys and records from Leslie Brown’s
Train sets like you have never seen
Two pence in the slot would see it fly off
Buy a footy from the same shop
You could always use the Provy
Or get Robinson’s checks
HP was always available
Good job – cause times were hard
Parka coats for work wear
Also monkey boots
For weddings or for funerals
Burtons done your suits
Stockton and Thornaby for broken bones
No computers or mobile phones
The Infirmary ear nose and throat
Milkmen driving round in floats
Summer nights at Stockton Baths
All best friends and having laughs
Then a bag of chips at Roberts
Newspaper wrapped with plenty of scraps
If you fancied a trip to the dogs
Belle View was the place
Tote bet on every race
Hard luck they never kept the pace
Saturday morning at the cinema
The Odeon or the Glove
The one who paid opened the fire door
Then we’d all get in free
Saturday afternoons at Ayresome Park
I loved the Holgate roar
It was worth that shilling to get in
Just to see John Hickton score
Saturday night was the Green Bushes
Jocka Browns, then the Grand
And grab a sausage going down
Off the bloke in the hot-dog stand
We’d finish up at the Palaid
We had some smashing nights
Getting nowhere with the lasses
You stood and watched thefights
Then into Robert’s Fish shop
Cod and chips were only cheap
Their stuff tasted lovely
When your taste buds had gone to sleep
Footnote from original Author:
Hope you enjoyed going down
Memory Lane perhaps someday
We could do it again, remember
All of us have a story
Goodnight God Bless Jackanory
