Memories of Growing Up in Normanby
. . . . by Susan Hutchinson nee Welford   sent 7th June 2024  

I was born in 1951 and lived in Normanby most of my life until I married in 1974. I lived in Clifton Place with my mam, dad and brother Ian. This was originally my gran and grand-dad's house which they bought new in the 1930s then, when they bought a cottage in Hewley Street, we moved into their house in Clifton Place having lived in Hewley Street.

   I have so many memories of Normanby as it was in my childhood.
   Like walking past Richardsons brewery every morning on my way to school.
   And Wilsons corner shop - Mr Wilson seemed at the time to be quite a grumpy old man. The shop window had loads of different sweets, usually 1/2d or 1d each so you could get a nice little variety for 3d or 6d.
   Jacksons hardware store was where they sold paraffin and to this day I can still remember the lovely smell as you went in the door.
   I am not sure what the butchers was called except that it was Mr Mazetti (husband of Gwen Mazetti of Windsor Road) who owned it and the butcher boy used to come round on his butchers bike on a Saturday morning to deliver our meat for the weekend.
   The bus depot on Hewley Street where me and other kids used to love it when a bus came to park up for the night and we would ask the driver if we could have a ride while he parked it - more often than not he said yes !
   The old forge where as kids we would sit on the fence watching the blacksmith re-shoeing the horses (another distinctive smell that still makes me think of my childhood).

   As I say I have so many memories of growing up in Normanby but my fondest memory is of my darling dad, Ron Welford, who worked for Welfords Bakery as a bread delivery man since being a young man. In fact that was how he met my mam while he was delivering bread to Wilson's corner shop where she worked. He delivered bread to most of the shops in the local area and loved his job. Nothing was too much trouble for him. I remember as a little girl he usually worked on a Good Friday morning and I would go with him in his Wonderloaf van on his round often being given an Easter egg or two by Dad's customers. When he retired from Welfords at the age of 65 he didn't feel ready to give up working so got a job with Sunblest, again as a delivery man and continued doing this until his grandchildren came along.

   As many will say - it was a totally different era. Going up Eston hills with our plastic bottles of water, just us kids, with no worries of not having any adults with us. Spending days looking for tadpoles in the little stream near the cemetery. Our socks turning orange after falling in the stream while playing in Tittybottle Park. And generally just being kids.

   I am so pleased I have found this site - so many memories and I think as I get older it is lovely to share them so thank you.

     ------------- Susan Hutchinson (nee Welford)-------------
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WebMaster (26 June 2024):
 Good to hear that you enjoyed our website.
 Thanks Susan for sharing those good memories with us !
 Does anyone remember the name of butchers owned by Mr Mazetti?
 Do you have any related memories to tell us?
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Follow up by Trevor Longstaff (1 July 2024):
   The butchers shop managed by Bernard Mazzetti actually belonged  to the Sissons until at least Cyril Sissons death.
   The slaughter house was at the top of Cleveland Street and the Market Garden part of which became housing on Garden Place.  The rest of the Market Garden remained with the Simms family.
   Mary Sisson (Cyrils sister) was married to Chic Simms.  My auntie May Sisson (nee Flintoff) was married to Cyril Sisson, and they lived in 3 Windsor Road before moving to Cockleberry Farm, East Cowton.
   Regards,
     ------------- Trevor Longstaff -------------
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WebMaster (23 July 2024):
   Thanks for that Trevor.  With your information I did some research with following results.
   Your aunt Edith May Flintoff married Cyril Henry Sissen in 1935.
   Cyril Henry Sissen son of Henry Thomas and Leonora Mary was born in 1905.
   Henry Thomas Sissen married Leonora Mary Mazzetti in 1904.
   Leonora was daughter of Dominic and Elizabeth Mazzetti.
   So that shows the family connection of the Mazzettis and Sissens.
   I had previously understood that it was Sisson rather than Sissen!
   I eventually found a photo of the butchers shop in our archive.  Click on the images opposite - and the sign clearly shows 'H.T.Sissen and Son' !
   And there is a much earlier photo of a 1920s shop illustrated in our 2007 Calendar for month of August - see our Photo Gallery!  This Sissen's butchers shop was next to the Woodman's Arms and is now replaced by the 'Off the Hook' fish-and-chip shop.

   Does anyone know when the Sissen's family moved to Cleveland St?
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