Megalithic masons

[TisILeclerc]

The first real bridging point on the Tees was at Yarm I believe. That's as far as ships could get. Stockton, downriver has a bridge built in Victorian times. I'm not sure about others.

At Middlesbrough they built the Transporter which is a carriage suspended on cables from a high structure spanning the river. Another bridge built later further up river in the thirties was a bridge that lifted. Again to let ships through.

At Eston there have been no bridges as far as I know. It does tend to get wider there and ships were built at nearby South Bank until Thatcher shut them down.

But on the opposite bank there were salt works. The whole area is a salt marsh and Cerebos salt was produced there. So it would have been an important stretch of the river.

Up on Eston Nab there was also a Bronze Age camp as well as an iron age camp And the place was used as a beacon site in Napoleonic times. And, perhaps much earlier as well.

If you are on the top it's an easy job to walk towards Roseberry Topping or veer further east and finish up at Guisborough Priory. Home to the Bruce family.

[Mick Harper]

[TisILeclerc]

[Mick Harper]

That's the worst map ever drawn. A shame because much British history is to be found in it. The key to understanding England and Scotland is to work out how the 'Norman' families organised things. Compare the Balliols for instance. I am presently investigating and argy-bargying with the academics about David I, the Book of Deer and the Cistercians so anything on that would be welcome.

I don't believe a word of the Smiths Ships story or the Race/Thatcher/chauffeur threesome. I'd call them urban myths except it looks from your photo that there is no urbs left. But I know it's important to you people to believe these things (it lets you all off the hook) so I shan't castigate you unnecessarily.

[TisILeclerc]

Well, Steve Race was a very reliable and steady commentator and if he was prepared to put it into print it can hardly be called an urban myth. Rather his version of an overheard conversation.

And it came true as well.



http://www.pickeringsofyorkshire.com/origins

Following a link from the schoolkids' site here is another map.

I think their map is done 'in the style of' their subject. As it is it is quite accurate. And you can see the relationship between Whitby the area in question and points north quite clearly.

There are plenty of maps or even google if the interested connoiseur would avail himself of their services.

[Mick Harper]

Margaret Thatcher (thinks): I am sitting with a well-known TV broadcaster and journalist, I'd better blurt out something that will cost me a million votes.

[TisILeclerc]

Smith's Dock was closed down. It is very well documented in the records of the time. There was a very big campaign to keep it open but she wanted to close it.

All industry was shut down. The docks were shut down. Furness's shipyard went. All the engineering works. You know the sort of thing, the ones that built the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and other such things.

As with Henry VIII the north was being shut down in favour of London. And didn't London do well.

[Mick Harper]

I'm sure there was. There always is. It often works to some degree. If you can give me a reason why Mrs T 'wanted to close it' I will believe your version of events.

[Boreades]

[Mick Harper]

I'm sure you're right, Borrie, but we're dealing with the closing of Smith's Dock and a comversation in a car a little later than the events you report. Chronology is always important in history.