OLD cars are stars. They were rustbuckets and unreliable, and they didn’t go bleep when put into reverse, but they had character and individuality.
This month in Darlington’s wonderfully refurbished library, the exhibition in the Centre for Local Studies contains pictures of cars from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s on the town’s streets and parks. A handful of them are shown on these pages.
There are some fabulous pictures and stories, and plenty of opportunities for old car spotting – a favourite occupation of Memories readers.
Take the picture above, which shows vehicles waiting at lights on Low Row with the town clock on the market hall behind. The three-wheeler on the left looks as if it is ready for lift-off. Is this a real production vehicle or has someone just taken a saw to the undercarriage?
So our old car spotters may like to identify the four vehicles that are clearly visible. From the left, there’s the three-wheeler, behind it is VYX 472 and behind it is the car with the two tone bonnet and prominent grille, and then comes a car which appears to have a foreign number plate. What make and model are they? The No 3 bus, heading to Faverdale, completes the line-up. Any theories about any of these vehicles, please e-mail chris.lloyd@nne.co.uk
Feethams field, where the Vue cinema complex is today, looking towards Bank Top station when the Methodist church in Victoria Road, which is now Bathroom World, had its full and fantastic steeple. Did all cars look exactly the same in the 1950s?
All pictures are courtesy of the Darlington Centre for Local Studies
A fine array of early 1960s vehicles parked along the River Skerne with John Neasham's Ford garage taking shape on the left. The Parkgate roundabout is in place with Stonebridge leading to Tubwell Row on the right. The row of houses blocking the progress of the inner ring road are about to be demolished so the magistrates court and police station can be built on the corner
A policeman directing traffic at the junction of the A167 North Road and, going off to the right, Salters Lane North. North End Post Office, advertising Hovis bread, is now a private residence on the corner of Mayfair Road
West Street connects Coniscliffe Road with Grange Road. Today it is only about 100 yards long and leads onto the Grange Road roundabout but, as this picture shows, it was once a busy street in its own right, with one of Darlington's most famous garages, the Cleveland Car Company, occupying much of its length. Here's another one for our old car spotters. What, from the left, are the two tone vehicle 855 AVK, the estate with the roofrack 6153 HN and the car that's about to knock off the cyclist, 2004 HN. The Morris Minor at the kerb is too easy
The trial round layout of the Grange Road roundabout appears to be causing traffic havoc when this picture was taken. J Lear's ironmongery van is coming out of the town centre on Grange Road and is being funnelled onto West Street to run along the Cleveland Car Company's grand main entrance. The building in the middle was, we think, a lodge house connected to Joseph Pease's Southend mansion. The roundabout solved all the chaos and caused the removal of all of these buildings
READ MORE: DETECTORIST'S FIND PROVIDES EVIDENCE OF A SKIRMISH WITH THE SCOTS NEAR DARLINGTON
THE FORGOTTEN DARLINGTON HEROINE NOW STEPPING OUT OF THE SHADOWS
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel