These photographs show the Norton Branch of the Co-op, and members of staff, possibly some time during the early 1920s. Although some of the photos are not of great quality we still feel they are of real value to the site and we are grateful to Diane Nicholson of Billingham for allowing us to use them.
Picture Stockton Archive 
The sign for this branch recently became visible again.
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I remember going shopping here with my mum. I was fascinated with the cashier’s booth, sending change along the overhead wires to the ‘checkouts’. Why can I still remember our ‘check’ (or dividend) number (58678) when I can’t even remember where I left my car keys this morning – what’s all that about?! The sales assistant even had time to fill out a little check ticket and give it to you to ‘evidence’ your dividend (it was blue carbon papered into a dividend book). Most definately happy days!
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Amazed and delighted to see my paternal grandfather, George Wilson, sitting 2nd left front row of the group photograph. He was so involved in the Co-op but I never knew exactly what he did, only that every year he had to canvass the area to be voted back. I also remember the cash containers zipping backwards and forwards, also the butter and loose sugar and tea purchases being individually weighed out for each customer.
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It was worth running errands just to see the cash whizzing overhead around the co-op stores. The Oxbridge co-op had this system in the late forties. Our divi number (and woe betide you if you forgot) was 27499.
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The person standing third from left, second row (from front) was my uncle, Lister Beecroft, Manager of Yarm Lane Co-op who also appears in photo ref. t9525.
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This building is still recognisable today. I have a vague memory as a very small child being fascinated by the method of transferring cash from the counter to a booth at the end of the shop where the price of goods was checked and any change sent back to the shop keeper. This was done via a system of spring loaded containers which zipped to and fro above our heads. Anyone else remember this?
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Using the directions I gave it should read Esk Road and not Eamont Road.
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This is indeed the shop on the corner of Holly St. The young man in the shop doorway of the top left photo is George Arthur Bollands and you can see him again in later years in the group photo below of the visit of the grocery branch managers and officials of Stockton Co-op to the C.W.S. factories in Lowestoft on April 16th 1955.Mr Bollands is in the centre on the back row.
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As you approach Norton High Street from Stockton you pass the Methodist Church on the left, then there is a back alley to Eamont Road, then a large house before Holly Street that leads upto Norton Workingmens Club. The old Co-op is on the right hand corner looking up this Street. After the Co-op is the White Swan Pub.
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The “old” co-op was on the corner of Holly Street and the High Street, slightly before the White Swan pub.
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See photo t5749 its the same location at a later date, or search “Branch 8, Norton”, part of the “Was this your local Co-op” titled range. Still cannot find the other photo of the shop I previously referred too. Still looks like Holly Street to me.
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I think this shop was one the corner of Holly Street, about 4 Norton High Street, just before Harland Place. The site is still a shop and if you look up at the upper floor the decor still looks like the top right photo today. Someone has a photo of the upper decor of the Holly Street corner shop on the Picture Stockton site already. These look quality pictures to me and worth the effort. I don”t recognise anyone, although some of my family lived above the shop, c. 1890″s.
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Thanks to Picture Stockton for putting these up. I always am fascinated by old Norton photos. Can someone please explain exactly where this old Coop was?
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