Previous News & Articles
from 2023

Publication of Our Group’s 2024 Calendar of
      "Normanby - Past & Present" - 20 October 2023  

  Our group’s calendars have always been popular and we have just published our new 2024 calendar.
  This depicts pictures of Normanby scenes "Past & Present" taken from nearly the same viewpoints.
  So you can check whether our village has changed - or hasn’t!

See our Publications  page for more details & availability.

Previous News & Articles
from 2022

Publication of Our Group’s 2023 Calendar of
      "Normanby & Old Eston - Past & Present" - 19 October 2022  

  Our group’s calendars have always been popular and we published our new 2023 calendar (after a two year gap).
  This depicted pictures of Normanby & Old Eston scenes "Past & Present" taken from nearly the same viewpoints.
  So you could check whether our village has changed - or hasn’t!

Harry Mead:
Sad News from Normanby Local History Group - 11 August 2022  

  Born in Normanby and author of one our group’s books Harry Mead has died on 28th July 2022 at the age of 84.
  Many tributes have been paid in the press to this veteran journalist who worked for more than 50 years for a regional daily newspaper the Northern Echo.
  Harry was a passionate jounalist who loved poetry, the countryside and his family.  In his last column he wrote:

"My two most recurring concerns have been social justice, not enough of it, and care of the countryside which, outside my family, is my chief source of pleasure."

  Harry son of William Randall & Dorothy Mead was born 1938 in 40 West Street, Normanby.  His father William was a fitter/turner at the Normanby Brickworks.
  We were fortunate that Harry wrote the sixth of our group’s booklets recounting his interesting recollections which cover many aspects of Normanby that have changed including school, WW2, living at the brickyard, cricket & football, the hills, changing Normanby & the Forum cinema.  Published in 2012 as:
"Canadian Apples, Owls... and Cricket in West St - - - - A Normanby Boyhood"
  We all have memories of our past - but too few of us make the effort to record these - thankfully Harry did so in this booklet.

Rest in Peace Harry.

Harry’s funeral was a private family service held on
Thursday 18th August at Kirkleatham Crematorium.
A memorial service is to take place next summer.
If so desired donations in Harry’s memory may be made to Cleveland Mountain Rescue

      (Click on the photos opposite to display larger images.)

Lt. Richard Douglas Sandford V.C. R.N.
      Remembrance Service in Eston Cemetery
            on Sunday 24th July 2022 - 2 August 2022  

   At 26 years old, Richard Douglas Sandford was a Lieutenant commanding a submarine, HMS C3 in the Royal Navy during the First World War when he took part in the Zeebrugge Raid on the Belgium coast on 22/23 April 1918 and won the Victoria Cross.
   With a specially selected skeleton crew he destroyed the viaduct when he drove his submarine, which had been prepared with explosives, into the viaduct before setting the fuse and abandoning the submarine.

   The Fourth Supplement to "The London Gazette" of 23rd July 1918 records the citation :-
   "For most conspicuous gallantry. This officer was in command of Submarine C.3. and most skilfully placed that vessel in between the piles of the viaduct before lighting his fuse and abandoning her. He eagerly undertook this hazardous enterprise, although well aware (as were all his crew) that if the means of rescue failed and he or any of his crew were in the water at the moment of the explosion, they would be killed outright by the force of such explosion. Yet Lieutenant Sandford disdained to use the gyro steering, which would have enabled him and his crew to abandon the submarine at a safe distance, and preferred to make sure, as far as was humanly possible, of the accomplishment of his duty."

   Richard was seriously wounded during the operation and was admitted to the Royal Naval Hospital at Deal with wounds to his left thigh and right hand. After recovering he took up various naval appointments but soon after his final appointment Richard was diagnosed with typhoid fever and died at the age of 27 at Eston Hospital, North Yorkshire on the 23rd November 1918, just 12 days after the signing of the Armistice.

   Richard Douglas Sandford V.C. is buried in our local Eston Cemetery in Yorkshire in Grave No.JU709. His Victoria Cross and other medals are on display at the Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth.

   The citation for his V.C. was gazetted on 23rd July 1918 and so we believe the local branch of the Submarine Old Comrades Association organised a remenbrance service on the nearest appropriate date Sunday 24th July in Eston cemetery.
   Their service sheet can be viewed by clicking on each of the thumnails below to display a larger readable image.

   The photo of the grave above is one of several views of the Sandford family grave in the "Fallen Heroes" Photo Gallery

   Photos provided by Barbara and Harry Greenmon.
      (Click on the photos to display larger images.)

  If you can tell us more about
the organisation and participants in this service
then please contact us  with Message Subject
"Sandford Memorial Service" !

Walter Severs:
Sad News from Normanby Local History Group - 11 May 2022  

   It is with great sadness that we announce that Walter Severs, one of our group’s long-standing members, passed away on 7th April 2022 in his 90th year.  Walter was one of the seven founder members and the Secretary of our History Group when it was formed in 2002.
  Walter’s funeral took place on Tuesday 26th April at St.Bede’s Chapel, Teesside Crematorium.   It was so well attended that many had to stand outside the chapel to pay their respects.
               Rest in Peace Walter.

   A Tribute from our group has been added on Walter’s tremendous contribution to our group and community.
   See this new Article - Walter Severs
   There is also a section for any Personal Memories & Tributes that you may wish to submit.

"Vehicle Licencing & Registration
      in Normanby Area: A Brief History"
- 22 Mar 2022   

   This article is based on the work done by Kester Marsh, one of our group’s longstanding and valued members, for a display at the 2017 exhibition held by our group.
   As Kester said in his display it was a work-in-progress with further research intended to provide yet more information.


   So publication of this Article on our website was delayed in anticipation of further additions.
   Sadly Kester passsed away recently (February 2022) so it was decided to publish the Article now as a record of Kester’s work on this subject.

    Please see Kester’s research in his Article .

"Normanby Shops & Businesses in 2020"
- 20 Feb 2022   

  This Article enables the display of a large set of photographs taken by group members Barbara & Harry Greenmon of shops & businesses in Normanby in mid-2020 during the covid pandemic.


  This group of photos provide a snap-shot of one moment in the story of our village of Normanby.


    Please enjoy having a look at these photos - see our local shops and businesses in this Article .