Old photographers that are well known in South Shields?

[Aidan15]

I'm just very curious on this subject about the old school bunch from South Shields that have photographed over the years parts of Shields that are abolished or no longer with us.

Somebody told me a older man called William Clavery who gets called "Bill" for short is well-known in the community, does anybody know this guy and is he any good?

Also another middle aged woman called Janice something, any ideas?

We're busy at school and I'm trying to find out how many ponds used to be in Shields (just Shields alone) now we have the obvious the Marine pond, one used to be next to the Grey Hen, anymore?

[ralph]

On the question of ponds, I thought I could remember there being a pond in Westoe Village, but could not fix a clear image of it in my mind. I then found a picture on the Internet, of where it had been, but apparently it was filled in in 1859 and trees planted on the spot. As I obviously was not about then , I suspect that the name Westoe Pond must have lingered on long after the pond had disappeared.
I cannot now remember exactly where 'The Grey Hen' is, but could the pond being spoken of there, have been the one belonging to the Harton Dye Works. It teemed with gold fish and as a kid it fascinated me. As I recall, it was filled in when the Dye Works was demolished. I often wondered whar happened to all of the fish.

[Mr Smith]

There was also a pond about where Redwell School used to be.

The "Janice" you are referring to is probably "Janis Blower" who writes in the Shields Gazette, but
she is not a well known photographer although she does produce a lot of old photos with her articles.
Check her out in "Cookson Country" in the Shields Gazette, where she writes regularly.

[siam sam]

the ponds at redwell were called penny lake and farthing lake.

[Aidan15]

Alright thanks alot you are right that is the right female I was told about.

Has anybody spoke to this person called William/Bill Clavery? I've been told he's an old man and has a family and has photographed Shields for a long time, thanks.

[Mr Smith]

The only William (Bill) Clavery that I know of is a little younger than me, he is about 70 years old.
I was not aware that he was a photographer, his claim to fame was his extraordinary and large
collection of mint condition Cinema Posters advertising the films showing each week. I believe
he sold his collection but I'm not sure when.

[Aidan15]

Alright thanks I just overhead his name at a social club can't remember for the life of me which one it was and that he was mad on Elvis and was a well known photographer in Gazette alot, I have googled his name (William Clavery South Shields) and found a article of him doing a photo to that is all.

http://www.shieldsgazette.com/news/bob_ ... _1_1268752

He must be the right person because I typed in and several things came up with someone 49yrs old, must be his son.

[hencree]

Bill Clavery took many photos in and around So. Shields, mainly of the place itself, we should be grateful to him for recording some of the places which have long since vanished under the bulldozer. Many of his pictures have been published in the Gazette in the Cookson Country page done by Janice Blower who also does a great job revisiting the Shields and people of old times. The lake at The Grey Hen was in the old Harton dyeworks compound, it was on the same site as the present car park directly opposite the Grey Hen (Harton Lane /Prince Edward Rd.) They had some large Goldfish in it and as kids we loved to see them, and no-one ever seemed to damage or hurt them in any way. I wonder what would happen to them today?

[Mr Smith]

I found this article which mentions Bill Clavery, it says he was born in South Shields in 1935, yet there
is no listing of his birth in South Shields in the 1930s, the only William Clavery I can find was born in
1941. I'm sure that most people will find this article very interesting, I certainly did. Bill Clavery mentions
Malcolm Scott as a friend of his, I was a pupil of Mortimer Road School at the same time as Malcolm
and I remember him well. He played football for Newcastle before going on to play County Cricket, last
I heard of him he was a School Teacher but will have been retired for a few years now.

http://www.shieldsgazette.com/news/bob_ ... _1_1268752

http://www.openwriting.com/archives/200 ... 1.php#more

[hencree]

Mr. Smith, after reading your piece on Bill Clavery i went to the link to the Gazette to see what it was about and was surprised to read that it was about the author of "TWO ROOMS AND A VEIW" by Bob Owen i have in fact just lately read this book, and can say that it was a very good read, and would recommend it (it is available for loan at the library) and i could empathise with the author, having myself been brought up not far from the Frederick St area

[Mr Smith]

Mr. Smith, after reading your piece on Bill Clavery i went to the link to the Gazette to see what it was about and was surprised to read that it was about the author of "TWO ROOMS AND A VEIW" by Bob Owen i have in fact just lately read this book, and can say that it was a very good read, and would recommend it (it is available for loan at the library) and i could empathise with the author, having myself been brought up not far from the Frederick St area

I was brought up in the same area, Havelock Street at the Laygate end of Frederick Street. When I lived in
Brodrick Street our house was one of those bombed in 1941, fortunately we were staying with someone else
that night. I was born in Marshall Wallis Road but during the war years we lived at several different addresses,
having to move frequently like many others at that time. We moved to Havelock Street at the end of the war
and lived there until 1953 when we moved to a house with running water inside and a bath which didn't have
to be filled with hot water from a large kettle, we even got a coalhouse instead of having to keep the coal in
the bottom of our tiny larder. I like many others experienced the hardship of those days; but for me they were
happy days and moulded me into the person I am today.

[Aidan15]

I found this article which mentions Bill Clavery, it says he was born in South Shields in 1935, yet there
is no listing of his birth in South Shields in the 1930s, the only William Clavery I can find was born in
1941. I'm sure that most people will find this article very interesting, I certainly did. Bill Clavery mentions
Malcolm Scott as a friend of his, I was a pupil of Mortimer Road School at the same time as Malcolm
and I remember him well. He played football for Newcastle before going on to play County Cricket, last
I heard of him he was a School Teacher but will have been retired for a few years now.

http://www.shieldsgazette.com/news/bob_ ... _1_1268752

http://www.openwriting.com/archives/200 ... 1.php#more

Where does http://www.openwriting.com/archives/200 ... 1.php#more mention Bill Clavery?

[Mr Smith]

Where does http://www.openwriting.com/archives/200 ... 1.php#more mention Bill Clavery?

As you well know, it doesn't! I followed the link to the page which "you posted"
http://www.shieldsgazette.com/news/bob_ ... _1_1268752 and wrongly assumed it was about Bill Clavery
seeing as that is who you were talking about in your post.

[Aidan15]

Where does http://www.openwriting.com/archives/200 ... 1.php#more mention Bill Clavery?

As you well know, it doesn't! I followed the link to the page which "you posted"
http://www.shieldsgazette.com/news/bob_ ... _1_1268752 and wrongly assumed it was about Bill Clavery
seeing as that is who you were talking about in your post.

Oh right my bad sorry I think I'm going to take a walk down the library and ask them about Mr.Clavery

Also ponds somebody told me the Leisure Centre used to have a lake in it as well then it became a place for bimmen to put rubbish.

[Pilot]

Is Aidan, Bamboo ?

[Mr Smith]

Is Aidan, Bamboo ?

Something fishy about him Pilot, otherwise why ask about ponds.

[Delilahcat]

In reply to Aidan there was a pond at Temple Park before the Leisure Centre was built

[Jarrow Pete]

Favourite spot for us kids from Marsden was a day out at Boldon Flats to collect frog spawn and newts.

[Pilot]

And a canny walk there and back pete, Ive been trying to remember a school mate of mine called Hill lived on Prince Edward Road near the Marsden inn end on the left as you faced the pub cant remember his first name, any ideas pete, he was my age so maybe a couple of years younger than you.

[heaintheavy]

the ponds at redwell were called penny lake and farthing lake.

The two lakes you refer to were Farding (not Farthing) Lake and Redwell Pond. Farding Lake was about where Valley Lane meets Cleadon Hills. Redwell Pond was situated what is the hammer head at Chirton Grove near Prince Edward Road. It was filled in shortly after the second world war to make way for council housing.
Below is an 1850's image of Redwell Pond taken off the Durham County Council map site.

http://gis.durham.gov.uk/website/interMAP/viewer.htm