Sarah Sheraton

The Dovecot, in the 1970s, on Saturday afternoons, used to have a "disco" in the far room on the ground floor. One"s hand was stamped with the date in black ink on entry to enable easy re-entry to the room, if needed. We thought we looked great in our maxi (ankle length) skirts and white platform shoes, dancing to Roxy Music, Gary Glitter and other glam rock and pop. Our group were friends from our year at school and we taught each other line dances, discussing usual teenage concerns such as who fancies who. Innocent, carefree days. 12/08/2008 12:14:32

Phil Douglas

There was always a great atmosphere there. As a ten year old in the mid-70s, I went to art and drama classes at the Dovecot after school on Fridays. Later, in the 1980s, it was the centre of a lively local music scene and was a regular spot for alternative or "indie" type bands. The music officer then was William Jones, who booked lots of extraordinary bands that you might not usually see in the North East - and was himself a member of a fairly successful band called "Friends". 12/08/2008 15:15:35

Tim Hardy

Happy memories of the Dovecot. The monthly folk club was outstanding, hosted by Mike (the mouth) Elliott who managed to attract the top stars from the folk world. In later years, the staff used to perform a pantomime for an audience of invited guests, it was at one of these shows that I met my future wife. 12/08/2008 22:39:34

Mary Scott nee Graham

Used to work across the road from here, at Sheraton House, on loan from the telephone exchange. Is it my imagination but did they sell rather delicious snacks? I seem to recall buying treats from here on pay day. 13/08/2008 07:30:54

Bob Irwin

In the mid 80"s my son was in the Town (Schools) Classical Jazz Band. They played at the Dovecote each Saturday morning. The entrance to the small hall where they played was where the dark double doorway is shown on the photo. Does anyone know who taught these youngsters at the Dovecote? 13/08/2008 15:27:58

Phil Douglas

At one point the Dovecot had a resident woodcarver, Jose Sarabia, who made beautiful carved portraits of figures associated with the town such as Harold MacMillan and John Walker, which were on exhibition. That made quite an impression on those of us whose only experience of woodwork was two hours a week design and technology at school. 13/08/2008 17:30:54

Jose Sarabia

I remember The Dovecot as a very creative,exciting and a great place to meet people and do a lot of activities.You could see a film or a play or simply go to the bar for a nice drink. Mary, the scones and dishes were fabulous I know I ate plenty of them. I was the resident Woodcarver. 06/10/2008 19:57:26

Linda Jackson

I remember happy Saturdays at the Dovecot. My first "serious" boyfriend was Ian MacPhail who was a drama teacher there and it was always a lively and interesting place to be. I remember Jose, the woodcarver and I am trying to recall the name of the director at that time and another drama teacher there, a tall and exotic woman - they weren"t from the area and seemed so artistic and flamboyant to a teenager from little old Stockton. The snack bar also made the best cheese sandwiches on crusty French bread!! I also remember it in its earlier incarnation as the YMCA - I used to take ballet lessons there with Miss Whitney (she used to wear gold lame knee length boots) - her husband(?) Mr. Dorman (?) taught ballroom dancing I think. I remember it as rather a dark and scary building at that time. 07/10/2008 14:56:52

Maureen Walker nee Laing

I remember being taught tap & ballet by Miss Whitney but at what I think was the old Congregational Church on Norton Road. This would have been around 1950, she was quite a character, very theatrical! Charles Dorman was her companion I think, she must have moved on to the Dovecot to teach before she retired. 07/10/2008 16:23:17

John Bond

Jose Sarabia - Were you at the dovecot when the Outreach drama group had characters like Jonathan Nibbs and Howard Romp, both of whom I am still in touch with. Malcom Mcgivern directed my play Barbarian there, with the Dovecot Youth Theatre, and of course I remember you very well. Perhaps you remember those great stalwarts of the dovecot Folk Club, Ye Comfee Travellers, and the Lacklustre Brothers. Indeed my brother Nigel [from Blue Anchor] hosted the folk club there for some time before Mike Elliot took over. It was a funny old place, and I was glad to see the head of Johnny walker just making an appearance still, amongst the greenery in the square named after him, last time I was in the old home town, which certainly doesn"t look the same. Hasta la vista. 07/10/2008 20:21:19

No name supplied.

Linda, The name of the Director was Philip Ellis and the two nice and exotic ladys were Anne Pierson(assistant to the director)and Linda Carr. I am still doing beautiful carvings. 07/10/2008 21:28:25

Jose Sarabia

John, When I was there Boff was outreach drama teacher. She was a lovely girl. She was very popular with the scoolchildren. Linda, The cooks were an Irish girl called Irene and a girl called Sarah who was the sppitting image of the blond girl from Abba. Like I said before I am still making beautiful carvings. You can see them on the internet. 08/10/2008 19:52:45

Kevin McGowan

The best thing about the Dovecote in the early 80"s was that it was a great drinking venue! However it was later changed to a members only bar, so us outsiders decamped to the Stockton Arms and The Green Dragon. 08/10/2008 19:53:06

Linda Jackson

Jose, thanks for the names - you have an excellent memory. I went to your website and your work is exquisite.I remember going into your studio at the Dovecot and enjoying the smell of wood shavings and your obvious love for what you do. 09/10/2008 11:24:13

Jean Miller

Jose - my late Aunt - Mrs Joan Walsh attended your wood carving classes in the late 70"s/80"s ( might have got years wrong). I still have a lovely carved box that she made there. 09/10/2008 13:19:08

Adrian Cairns

I was a member of the Youth Theatre Workshop here during the mid 70"s. We did a production of Zigger Zagger. 10/10/2008 16:08:14

Jose Sarabia

Jean,I remember Mrs Joan Walsh very well, she used to make me laugh a lot. She loved the carving clases. You are right, she came to the carving classes from 1978 to 1988. In 1988 I left Stockton to work in York. 11/10/2008 16:09:09

Patricia Geraghty

I was working at the Dovecot in the late 70s, when some of the touring drama productions excited the attentions of local guardians of public morals! - there was a superb programme of events including RSC and Hull Truck, Bread & Puppet, live music and dance, cinema, photography, meet the writer evenings (Roger McGough etc) Despite the dire economics of the time, it was a great place to be - where people came to be entertained, lifted out of themselves or just to hang out with friends - one of whom is now running the arts council, having been a young frequenter at the Dovecot. Often a hilarious place to work, often rocked by melodrama because of the huge personalities ..as well as the quiet ones..a hot house of talent, and a lot of fun. 15/11/2008 21:23:56

Mal Seddon

I was based at the Dovecot from September "79 to August "80 working as the photographer in residence and contributing graphics to help promote activities at the centre. I worked mostly under the direction of Howard Romp but I was happy to be involved with anything and everything that was going on at the time. It was certainly a diverse and creative team that I was associated with and working alongside them was always a great pleasure. I regret that I didn"t keep in touch with people after I left for Nottingham, Nobby Dimon and John Parkinson in particular, both great comedians. The only person that I do still see from time to time is Doff, who instigated and toured the outreach activities whilst I was there. I"m currently scanning all the photographic negatives that I have of that time onto disc with a view to possibly finding a place to screen them on the internet, but it"s early days. And to finish, hola! to Jose, Jacqueline and I are still together and she continues to speak Spanish fluently. 25/02/2009 15:32:19

Howard Romp

I was there 1979-80, working mostly with Jim Moody, Nobby Dimon (mostly work with schools) and Doff Pollard (outreach circus project). A great deal of combined arts work, me making sets and props and doing Saturday morning happenings in the Window space of the Dovecot (see photo). Delightful moments: Jim leading an Egyptian Mummy session for primary children; Nobby as WW1 soldier reciting poetry before surly secondary students; flame-throwing Doff on my shoulders in the panto; My huge 3D jig-saw skull held up by a dozen youth theatre members, who hid inside - all done outside the Dovecot entrance as publicity for a performance of Stanislaw Lem's 'Solaris' 12/04/2009 09:50:09

Dave Brown

I have many happy memories of The Dovecot. Back in early 1970 I was 16 going on 17, and a group of us used to hang out at the YM (where the CAB is now) and we somehow got involved with helping the staff at the Dovecot in the last couple of weeks before they opened (I think it was in April of that year). I remember Jose Sarabia (lovely guy), Philip Ellis, Susan Pearson, and Linda Carr (though I don't think I ever knew her surname at the time). I had an incredible adolescent crush on Linda - I was just about to turn 17, she was in her twenties in those crushed velvet pants.....I remember us singing along to The Beatles White Album while we worked in what was becoming the studio. Other names I remember: John Marsh, Ann(e) Pennington, Chris Parole (forgive my spelling if it's wrong) Anne had a flat in Wellington Street (remember that?), Chris had one in one of the side roads off Yarm Road. The delicious snacks that Mary Scott mentions - oh, the world's best ham sandwiches, thick cut ham, crusty French bread and mustard, all for 10p! I was an addict! I remember Mike Elliot doing the folk club - I also remember towards the end of the 70's it was done by Dave Cousins (of Strawbs fame) who at the time was Programme Controller at Radio Tees just a few doors away - and a regular at the Clarrie! I was sad to see the changes - making it a members only place for a while, and then levelling it to make way for ARC.....for me, The Dovecot was always a more friendly and intimate place. Dear me - all this reminiscing is affecting me - Peace and Love to all who remember The Dovecot!02/06/2009 01:00:01

Jose Sarabia

The Dovecote open on the 29th of April 1971. There was a photograph in the Gazzete of me carving the figure Christ. The original staff as Irember were: Philip Ellis the Director, Anne Pearson the assistant director ,Linda Carr(the lady you had a big crush on Dave Brown). The secretary was Pat(a very gentle and nice person). She was ably assisted by Carol Gibson, a great girl with a fantastic sense of humour and also a very good Boro supporter. There was John Marsh a very talented and nice human being. Upstairs there was the silk screen printing room wich was run by Chris Parol and Anne Pennington. On the top floor there was the weaving department wich was run by Glen. There were three other girls doing the weaving. There was also a very talented silversmith called Sue Litle. Downstairs the coffeebar was run by a georgeous and very good cook called Irene.23/08/2009 18:05:26

Marion

I too was taught Ballroom, ballet and tap by Miss Whitney and Mr Dorman but this dance studio was up the side of a pub in the High Street but I cant remember the name of the pub - a little along from the Odean.22/09/2009 16:49:22

Steve Day

I remember the Dovecote very well, if I remember correctly in my senile old mind, I went in for the first time on the second day it opened. Jose carving in the lobby, Bill Crudginton running the technical side of the theatre (lights etc), Phil Ellis in overall charge, Ron Berriman doing much Am Dram and the truly wonderful folks who frequented the bar upstairs. Bill Crudgington, Tony the barman (finest ploughmans in the UK), Tony the ex para, the eternally gorgous Dianne, Sue, Dean, Sarah S, Dean's younger and wiser sister. The most excellent discos on saturday afternoon were another joy. Great times great memories30/11/2009 21:55:52

Phil Murphy

I was in both zigger zagger and the golden pathways annual. I have fond memories of the dovecot I remember trying southern comfort for the first time in the bar and thinking it was cool.11/12/2009 19:18:43

Dave Brown

Thank you, Jose, for correcting me - for the last 20 years I've mistakenly belived the Dovecote opened in 1970, but your comment made me think again, and I realised I'd got it wrong, it WAS 1971. 11/02/2010 20:52:42

Mick Scott

I used to love this place!.. My Mam worked there during the late 70's and early 80's. I used to go there Staurday mornings for art & drama, it was a hell of a journey up the stairs to the top of the building where the art room was, but a fantastic place.. loved every minute of it!12/03/2010 14:21:06