1963

Pictured above is the boys section of the Young Christian Workers at a meeting in the parish hall in 1963. Fr. Kilbane is sat at the head of the table and Fr. Bluett is stood next to the door. While below is the assembly of the Union of Catholic Mothers in the upper room of the parish hall.

AERIAL VIEW OF COMPLETED BUILDINGS

The photograph above shows the church and Parish Hall just after the church was completed. The first Mass was celebrated on Janurary 23, 1963 and was celebrated by Bishop George when over 600 people packed into the church with over 250 of the congregation taking communion.

THE VERY FIRST WEDDING AT ST. ANDREW'S CHURCH
In February, 1963 the very first wedding was celebrated. In preparation for the celebrations next year we have tracked down the first people who were married in St. Andrew's.

Read below for the details.

Anthony Paul Whitehead from Dormanstown, near Redcar and Kathleen Mary Meed from Normanby were married by Fr.Seamus Kilbane on Saturday, February 23, 1963. Tony's Best Man was Brian Lewis while Kathleen's chief bridesmaid was called Rosemary Grieve. Kathleen was also attended by 5 other bridesmaids. The grooms parents were called Leslie and Phyllis Whitehead and Kathleen's were Tom and Mary Meed.

The couple met at Redcar Pier Dance in 1960 and were engaged for three years before taking the big plunge.

At the time of their wedding Tony was a metalurgist Chemist at Lackenby Steel Works and Kathleen was a comptometer operator also at Lackenby.

They made their home in Normanby living in houses in the High Street and Hollywalk Drive before leaving Normanby for good to make their home in Saltburn in 1977.

Tony and Kathleen had two children, a girl in 1965 and a boy, Peter, in 1969 and now have seven grandchildren.

Sadly, Kathleen passed away in 2008 aged 70 after a long illness. They had been married for 45 years.

Tony and Kathleen's wedding was the first of 19 celebrated during that first year. If you were one of those married in 1963 at St. Andrew's Church let us know at e-mail:office@standrewsteesville.org.uk or our WEBMASTER

The photo top shows the wedding ceremony celebrated by Fr. Seamus Kilbane; below the wedding party on the steps of the church after the ceremony and bottom photo is of Tony and Kathleen with their parents: Leslie and Phyllis Whitehead (left) and Tom and Mary Meed.

1972

The Walsh family are pictured above with Parish Priest Fr. O'Hara outside the Parish Hall celebrating the 1972 First Holy Communion Day.

1981

Melanie Steele and Richard O'Neil are married in 1981.

1996

The cast of the 1996 Christmas Panto, Jack and the Beanstalk are pictured above.

2007

Fr. Tony Barry celebrated his Diamond Jubilee while resident at St. Andrew's Parish in 2007. Fr. Tony served the parish for 14 years after he retired.

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Father Bluett's Silver Jubilee
St. Peter's Choir, 1924
Youth club trip to Blackpool
St. Peter's May Queen, 1940
St. Peter's @ Corpus Christi Procession 1960
St. Peter's May Procession — early 50's
St. Mary's Church, Grangetown???
Sister Mary Rosario and St. James School
St. Mary's Church in all its glory

THE MALE VOICE CHOIR OF ST. MARY'S

We have managed to confirm that the above picture is of the male voice choir of St. Mary's Church Grangetown. It has generated some great interest and have managed to fill in some of the names with interesting bits of information about individuals.

The Parish Priest in the front row is Fr. Deehan later Canon. Mr. Mullen, far left on the second row, was the manager of the Lyric Cinema in Grangetown. There are also three members of the Fox family – Pat Fox, front row to the right of Fr. Deehan, he was the choir master; Pat Fox is standing far right third row; together the Pat's were affectionately known as big Pat and little Pat. The latter was the caretaker for Lord and Lady Peel at Gunnerside in North Yorkshire; his son, Tom Fox is pictured second left, at the back on the left hand side; Tom served his time as an electrician and ended up as the Production Manager of the company in Aberdeen who produced the first North Sea Oil in 1975. Ray Dales, pictured in the centre with his hands resting on the shoulders of Pat Fox, owned a fruit shop in South Bank for many years. Hugh McMahon, front row right of Tom Fox, we believe played football for Sheffield and Rotherham. Next to Hugh are Tony Hanratty and Brian Cave, while Flurry O'Sullivan is pictured at the opposite end.

Some other names on the back of the picture are: Jimmy McLvaney; Joe Hanratty, John Hanratty, Gordy Hodgen, Dennis (Din) Couhig, Tom Cave, Billy Carter, Jonah McCauliff and Traverse Linehan.

We think that the picture dates back to 1948/49 but some people think its much later.

If you can confirm the year the picture was taken or any more names or know anything about the people please contact our webmaster.
Thanks to parishoner Richard Griffin for sending us the image and providing some of the information.

ST. MARY'S CHURCH IN ALL ITS GLORY

	St. Mary's Church, Grangetown, left, stands in all its glory. In the 1920's a Mission visited the church and the picture below shows Missioners, wearing crucifixes, with curate Fr McEldowney and Parish Priest Canon English. The official name of the church was Our Lady of Perpetual Succour and in 1985 it celebrated it centenary and many of its former priests attended. The two colour pictures at the bottom shows Parishoner Peter Fitzgibbon, left, reading at the Mass organised to celebrate the centenary while on the right Fr. Walsh is pictured with a young parishoner con-celebrating. Just three years later in 1988 the church was closed as it fell victim to vandalism and is now part of the history of St. Andrew's. Thanks to parishoner John O'Neill for sending these beautiful images.

SISTER MARY ROSARIO AND ST. JAMES' SCHOOL

Mrs. Bernadette Jones from Lincolnshire has sent in some pictures she found while sorting through her late mothers possessions. Bernadette says: 'It would be a great shame to destroy such, admittedly small, but interesting pieces of the parish history'. We agree with her and so publish them for all to see:

The first is of a person our webmaster has only fondest memories of, Sister Mary Rosario. She was the Head Mistress of St. James RC Primary School in South Bank.

Bernadette writes:
My late mother was called Kit Hand and she was the secretary at the newly built St. James for some time; the head mistress was Sister Mary Rosario. I recall how excited everyone was when St. Andrew's was completed and as a pupil at the newly built school, how wonderful it was to have inside toilets after York Street in South Bank.

FOOTNOTE:
The picture above is dated 1963 and a note on the back of the original image reads:

To dearest Kitt, with love from Sr. M. Rosario. (Have just planted "Mischief")
Mischief was a rose given by Kitt's mother. Back to top

ST. MARY'S CHURCH, GRANGETOWN???
Bernadette Jones sent in some images of what she thought was St. Mary's Church in Grangetown. Bernadette writes: I recognise it as the church both my Father, Thomas Hand and myself were baptised in. My parents were living in Grangetown when I was born, but even after we moved to Eston we frequently attended Mass and Benediction in St. Mary's before visiting my Grandparents in Granville Terrace. However, research shows that the images are in fact of St. Peter's Church in South Bank. This was confirmed the day after we published them when we received a pictorial booklet about St. Peter's from another source with exactly the same pictures in it. How scary is that?!! The bottom picture of the garden with a priest sitting in it was a 'memorial garden dedicated to Lourdes' and as far as I can tell was positioned along the side of the church behind where the present day war memorial is. Does anybody know who the priest is sitting in the garden above?
Contact our webmaster if you have any ideas.

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ST. PETER'S MAY PROCESSION —EARLY 1950'S
Richard Griffin of Teesville has kindly sent in the following three photo's of the May Procession at St. Peter's Church, South Bank.

May 1947

Bob Adams, who since 1979 has lived in Berkshire has contacted us with full info about the picture above. Bob writes:
The Picture above was taken in May 1947. The two page boys kneeling dressed in white are Bob (Bobby) Adams, right and Dean Walker who at some time lived in the King's Head, Grangetown; the May Queen for that year was Margaret Cholmondelym while the maid of honour was Margaret McGurke. The two page boys kneeling kneeling next to the May Queen are John Clarke, right and Paul Byrne. Standing behind them are, left to right:  Spam Skillen, Peter Hamil, Tony Dimauro; finally standing at the back are, left to right: Michael Byrne, Tony Brown (we think) and Barry Doyle.

any ideas of date or names of the girls below?

The two men leading the procession above are Richard Griffin (left) and Reg Boyle. the man walking behind Richard is a gentlemen called Tim Gardener. We still don't know the girls but are probably members of the Legion of Mary.
CONTACT US IF YOU KNOW THE GIRLS OR THE DATE OF THE PHOTO

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st. peter's men @ corpus christi procession 1960

Father Tony Ryan, Father Gavin O'Hara, Mr. Andrew Skillen, Father Patrick Bluett, Father Matthias Smith.

Does anybody know the identity of the girl making the presentation to Father Bluett.

Father Blueitt later became the first parish priest of the newly opened St. Andrew's church in 1962. Back to top