My Hometown

Bringing back a sense of belonging to Stockton Town Centre

I am so happy that Blind Tiger CiC are working alongside Stockton BID to initiate a programme of work designed to engage and build community spirit in Stockton Town Centre – my hometown. Like all high streets across the UK, there is a pressing need to re-imagine what our urban spaces can be used for. Retail habits – which for so long defined town centres – have changed but, we should also remember that, in the case of Stockton, it pre-existed the shopping focus – not withstanding our weekly Market which remains popular today. One wonders what preceded the likes of Marks & Spencer, (1901) Littlewoods, (1959) Robinsons, Woolworths. (1928) et al – because they and their retail partners only came along relatively recently in our 900+ year history?

I’ve been reading that our town centre was traditionally more of gathering place – a community space with thriving weekly market – a centre that complemented Stockton’s status as a Port – a place full of suspended rope walkways, parks and pathways and a plethora of inns and yards where people would unwind after working hard on and around the river. It may be hard to conceive in our consumer led society that shopping would have seemed an unnecessary and unwanted use of a town centre… interestingly, efforts to increase indoor trading spaces resulted in locals initially pulling down the newly built shambles = resenting efforts to modernise their outdoor market… and it is clear that for around 500 of it’s formative years the town was something altogether different – and primarily a thriving community hub.

That is the narrative inspiring the activity Blind Tiger will be introducing to Stockton High Street. It is a place brimming with the kind of history that schools are tasked with teaching – and so it can become a fascinating walkabout classroom we call ‘Tall Tales from A Wide Street’ for hundreds of children – introducing them to their town as its future custodians.

Stockton a town still beloved by many older people – whose memories of the market, the nightlife and their community can be captured and shared with the return of the musical reminiscence gatherings ‘The Speakeasy’ – reinvigorating daytime Pub trade whilst reducing isolation and the challenges faced by an aging population and even providing subsidised fish & chip suppers to take home!

Stockton was built by the magnificent River Tees – currently being reconfigured to provide open air, free, accessible family space – enabling walking, talking, learning, connecting to occur. It has historical narratives that tell the story of our community in ways that resonate and that can be celebrated in all sorts of ways – from the 2026 bicentenary of Stockton’s Friction Match invention to our forgotten rope trade to Kelly’s Ferry to the smuggler tunnels to stories of a wandering Hat cleaner, the tragic Umbrella shop, Weighing Jack, Giggy Moon, 1246 Sunflower Soldiers… Stockton is a free to access, urban story book that is waiting to be rediscovered and shared– a brilliant place where gatherings and sociable connections can – and will be made in our forthcoming, magical, pop up  ‘John Walker Socials’.

Blind Tiger isn’t working alone. We are working with Teesside University’s Institute for Collective Place Leadership, with Stockton VI Form College, with primary schools and local community groups and with Stockton’s proud, hardworking business community. All are determined that Stockton is and always been a place to be proud of. A place for the community. A place I am proud to call home.