Show on mapAround the top of Redcar Lane are four old painted signs, none of which are stunning examples, but I thought I should record them all before they disappear.
Pine and Cane (closed within the last 5 years I think)
Cycle World (closed within the last 10 years I think)
Begg Travel (don’t recall this personally, perhaps the oldest of the bunch ?)
Zetland Cafe (closed more recently, might be reopening ?)
Beggs were one of the biggest local Teesside travel agents. I think they had some kind of tie – up with Ellerman Bee Lines coaching company during the 1970’s, bit went into liquidation as the 1980’s recession bit and local working class charter and coaching holidays went the way of all flesh.
A good pic of the Redcar shop behind a 1970’s United double decker can be found on
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woodslibrary/6041844292/in/photostream/
Remember using Beggs a few times in the seventies. All for Newcastle City Hall concerts.
When we were teenagers we used to go to the Youth Club at the Parish Hall (qv) on the corner of Lord Street and Redcar Lane. (It was actually the Anglican Young Peoples’ Association and you were supposed to attend St. Peter’s Church across the road to qualify!) Anyway…we used to have a week’s holiday every summer in Aviemore and we went there in a Begg’s Bus…coach, sorry! David Begg was, I guess, a member of said congregation and gave up a week of his time to drive a couple of dozen spotty youths and their leaders up to the Highlands, taking us on trips and, equally importantly, to and from the resort itself in the wee small hours often the worse for wear (us, not him!). One year those of us on the back seat spent an hour or two making lewd gestures at a lovely blond woman in an open top sports car who was also making her way North. Imagine our embarassment when this turned out to be Mrs Begg coming to keep her husband company for the week!
I was browsing this site today and saw with some sadness the faded Beggs travel sign…and memories came flooding back, hence this post. My memory of David Begg is that he was a gentleman of the old school…I got no hint of a North Eastern businessman but more of a Sandhurst officer! He, and his good lady, had real ‘class’. They didn’t stay with us at the chalets but at a rather lovely hotel nearby. I recall we joined them one lunchtime at a table on the terrace and their engaging us with real interest about our hopes and dreams and ambitions. I guess he and she are long gone, but just wanted to record ‘gone…but not forgotten’.
Many thanks for your comments, makes it all so much more than a faded sign.
Thanks Chris. There’s a PS. I googled and found David Begg (Gazette article I think). He spoke at his brother’s funeral two or three years ago, and -still evidently the gentleman bus driver!-tracked down, and collected a vintage bus from Chelmsford (where by long arm of coincidence I worked for 30 years) which headed up the cortège.
He spoke to the reporter too so there’s some of the family/business history there which is doubtless well known to your readers but not to us refugees ‘darn sarf’! Thank you again for a faded sign which prompted a wander down memory lane.
Cycleworld,, wow is that paint still there, i remeber working there many years ago and painting that on a summers day 🙂