Stockton-on-Tees - news, photos, discussion

[Boudicca]

I have a Syrian refugee staying with me at the moment via Refugees at Home. He's a really smart bloke in his late 30s who speaks good English and used to work in tourism before he was bombed out of his home country.

He has decided that Bournemouth isn't financially viable for him, so he is going back to Stockton, where he was sent initially by the Home Office and where he can get a cheap flat.

He's very focused and will definitely make his way up the food chain, but he's also very lonely and isolated. He loves outdoorsy stuff, we've been out walking a fair bit and he has been generally good company.

So I'm wondering if there is anyone up north who could take him under their wing a little?

 

[farmerbarleymow]

My home town - but not been back for donkeys.

I don't know what the place is like nowadays, but there are lots of lovely countryside/coastal bits nearby. Hope he gets settled and sorted soon, and finds a peaceful life free from hassle and abuse (the 'red door' thing was in the Boro I think).

 

[StoneRoad]

I wish him Good Luck ! and as farmerbm says - there's plenty of coast and countryside (and tourism) quite near.

E2A - I'm not close enough to be able to help.

 

[editor]

Some photos:

Stockton-on-Tees photos: street market scenes, rain, walking barrels and bargain hunters, Dec 2018

 

[farmerbarleymow]

This is a nice photo - kids playing in Haverton Hill in the 70s.

The big picture: children at play in 70s Stockton-on-Tees

Me mam used to cut my hair like the one on the left. She was a shit hairdresser.

 

[fishfinger]

This is a nice photo - kids playing in Haverton Hill in the 70s.
Me mam used to cut my hair like the one on the left. She was a shit hairdresser.

I've found a picture of you back then:

 

[farmerbarleymow]

I've found a picture of you back then:

View attachment 164052

Nah, I had very blond hair when I was a kid.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

By the way - did your Syrian friend get himself sorted out Boudicca? Hope he's more settled now and not being harassed by the Home Office.

 

[Boudicca]

By the way - did your Syrian friend get himself sorted out Boudicca? Hope he's more settled now and not being harassed by the Home Office.

He's still languishing away in Stockton. even though there is no work there, because he has been allocated a flat. He started a course in Hospitality Management but said the tutors were under qualified and the student behaviour was awful, so he left and CAB are helping to get his fees refunded.

He found a course in Hotel Management at Essex University, so I managed to persuade them to consider him and packed him off to an Airbnb for their open day. But that's another year waiting.

Meanwhile he is forever inviting fellow students back for tea, but no-one wants to be his friend. I don't know why, I found him very reasonable company and we had some good days out when he was here. He has been back a couple of times for holidays!

I'm a bit annoyed with him really, he should come back to Bournemouth, there are jobs here, although he will have to compromise on housing for a while.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

That's a shame.

I wonder if the reluctance of fellow students to be friends is down to prejudice? It certainly wasn't the most liberal place when I was growing up - it was this and the lack of jobs why I left as soon as I could.

ETA - I'm not sure what support networks your friend may be aware of/using, but a quick look suggests there are some in the area.

Open Door North East - they are based in Middlesbrough just past Newport Bridge. They seem to be run events at the offices of the opendoor organisation, so they must be linked in some way.

Special events are run at Macmillan Academy on the other side of Newport Bridge - oddly enough in the school I went to when they decanted us after finding own proper school riddled with asbestos. It was a disused school at the time but seems to have been revamped and turned into an academy now.

Refugee Support - Open Door North East | Open Door North East - based just up the road from the link above.

 

[Boudicca]

That's a shame.

I wonder if the reluctance of fellow students to be friends is down to prejudice? It certainly wasn't the most liberal place when I was growing up - it was this and the lack of jobs why I left as soon as I could.

ETA - I'm not sure what support networks your friend may be aware of/using, but a quick look suggests there are some in the area.

Open Door North East - they are based in Middlesbrough just past Newport Bridge. They seem to be run events at the offices of the opendoor organisation, so they must be linked in some way.

Special events are run at Macmillan Academy on the other side of Newport Bridge - oddly enough in the school I went to when they decanted us after finding own proper school riddled with asbestos. It was a disused school at the time but seems to have been revamped and turned into an academy now.

Refugee Support - Open Door North East | Open Door North East - based just up the road from the link above.

His classes appear to be frequented by unmotivated unmarried mothers. Last time he was here he complained that 'women have all the power in this country' . He needs to find people he has more in common with - I'd like to find him a local walking group, he loves the outdoorsy stuff, but is worried he won't be able to make meetups due to lack of money and transport.

I think he was volunteering at Open Door as an interpreter for a while, until something happened which upset him, can't remember what. I will double check though.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

His classes appear to be frequented by unmotivated unmarried mothers. Last time he was here he complained that 'women have all the power in this country' . He needs to find people he has more in common with - I'd like to find him a local walking group, he loves the outdoorsy stuff, but is worried he won't be able to make meetups due to lack of money and transport.

I think he was volunteering at Open Door as an interpreter for a while, until something happened which upset him, can't remember what. I will double check though.

I can't imaging classes being much fun if people don't want to be there. I remember doing GCSE biology in the first year of sixth form - I did chemistry and physics at school, and chose to do biology purely to avoid the dreaded PE at sixth form. Similar atmosphere with everyone else in the class doing resits and hating it, but I found it interesting.

There are various walking groups but they seem to be light on details about money. One is the Stockton rambling club and while they mention a £10 membership fee, there is no mention of how much it costs to go on a walk. Nice to see a website from the 90s though.

Some more random links which may or may not be useful.

STOCKTON RAMBLING CLUB

Walking groups in Stockton-on-Tees - Meetup

Walking Groups in Middlesbrough

From Stockton you can walk for miles along the disused railway line - I used to live near it as a kid. Can't for the life of me remember whether it has a name, but will think and post again if I remember. The line runs from around Fairfield way up through Elm Tree Farm and then past Bishopsgarth and Hardwick before crossing into the countryside. It runs for a good few miles further into the countryside. We used to walk the dogs for miles along there.

Also, if he can get the money for a day ticket on the local bus network (don't know how much they cost nowadays - the company used to be called Cleveland Transit) it should be pretty easy to get to the countryside. I think I used to get the bus when I went to Guisborough to get to Roseberry Topping. If he can get there its worth a trip - the views are fantastic from the top.

It seems the old corporation bus company doesn't exist anymore (not a surprise sadly), but this is one company which operates from Stockton and goes to Guisborough.

Day, Week and Annual Tickets

Traveline suggests that you can get from Stockton to Guisborough using Arriva, with a change at Boro bus station. Takes about an hour and a bit.

X67 from Stand F on Stockton High Street, get off at Stand 11 at Boro bus station.
5A from Stand 8 to Guisborough.

Not sure which day ticket would cover the journey though.

This site shows the rough route from Guisborough to Roseberry Topping.

Guisborough to Roseberry Topping - 2 ways to travel via bus, taxi, and Uber

National Trust site about it.

Roseberry Topping and Newton Wood walk

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Gratuitous picture of Roseberry Topping just because.

 

[Boudicca]

That looks beautiful farmerbarleymow

 

[farmerbarleymow]

That looks beautiful farmerbarleymow

Only because the hills are blocking the view of Teesside.

I can't work out what the chimneys/buildings are on the horizon. My recollection is that the cliff side of the hill faces approximately SW, so that rules out it being Teesside - nearest place is roughly Darlo so might be something going on there I suppose. Will get the OS map out later to double check.

 

[neonwilderness]

Only because the hills are blocking the view of Teesside.

I can't work out what the chimneys/buildings are on the horizon. My recollection is that the cliff side of the hill faces approximately SW, so that rules out it being Teesside - nearest place is roughly Darlo so might be something going on there I suppose. Will get the OS map out later to double check.

Those white cottages at the bottom left make it look like it was taken from Captain Cook's monument (or nearby) looking NWish. So maybe Billingham/Haverton Hill?

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Those white cottages at the bottom left make it look like it was taken from Captain Cook's monument (or nearby) looking NWish. So maybe Billingham/Haverton Hill?

Actually I think you're right - just looked on google Earth. It looks like it's not Billingham but some random chemical works not far from the nuclear power station. Picture is totally ruined now.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Boudicca - this is the railway line I mentioned (photo from 1948), between the red arrows (found the photo for another thread). The areas surrounded by purple lines are built up (the line is in black in this bit), and it extends further to the left for a mile or two. The green bit is (or was) in the countryside.

Stockton town centre is about 1.5 or 2 miles from the four-way road junction at the bottom of the image, and buses run to the area relatively frequently.



This site gives a bit more detail on the route - runs from Bowesfield Junction. The bit in black is part of the cycle path, but when I lived there this didn't continue into the green section.

Elm Tree Cycle Path

Looking on google maps it seems to extend for around 15-20 miles up to a place called Haswell, County Durham. At least, zooming in on the route I can't see any railtracks, so presumably it might be walkable through it's entire length.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

How has your Syrian friend been getting on Boudicca? Hope he's doing OK these days.

 

[Boudicca]

How has your Syrian friend been getting on Boudicca? Hope he's doing OK these days.

Hum.

He started the course at Essex University but said that it was just unpaid labour in a hotel, no training, so he left after a term. He hated Colchester and so went back to Stockton. At which point, I was getting a bit cross and 'just get a bloody job' did pass my lips.

Anyway, he is now driving a taxi in Stockton, so is at least making his way a little. He still hasn't found a social life and there is very little I can do as I live so far away.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

I quite like this - a brass band radio show from the Redcar area.

http://www.zetlandfm.co.uk/presenters/924-beacon-brass