The cover of John O'Neill's book
I decided to move the items of local history for sale by other people from the Homepage to this new spot and if anyone has a published work they want to publicise on this page let me know.

Cardboard City and Slaggy Island are twins and many people have lived in both places or have relatives in both. John O'Neill's website has translated into a lovely book and is well worth owning. (I bought my copy at W.H.Smith's).
The line between the two towns has always been blurred somewhat but I've always thought that South Bank extended to Cleveland House. John, on the other hand takes the Branch as the boundary line which means we both lay claim to that blighted area of pollution and poverty. It also means that we both have photographs of it, some of which John has passed on to me.
However, this is a PLUG for John's book - BUY IT!!

The cover of Craig Hornsby's work of art

Without the discovery of iron ore in the Eston Hills there would have been no Steel Industry in the area and probably no South Bank.
Craig Hornsby has put together the history of the local mining industry in an informative and entertaining film which I can personally recommend and which I am sure will appeal in particular to our ex-pats around the world.

Incidentally, although Craig was born in Guisborough maternity hospital he lived in Steele Crescent, 1967, before emigrating to the very first houses in the lush green pastures of Whale Hill... and he was ex St Peters too!

Another word from Craig...
"A CENTURY IN STONE
on DVD with 40 mins of extras!

500+ sold in first week!
M'BROWHSMITH - M'BRO , STOCKTON AND RED'BRO, STOCKTON AND DARLINGTON
M'BRO HMV, WHSMITH, DORMAN MUSEUM, M'BRO REF LIBRARY
STOCKTON WHSMITH, ASDA, HMV
THORNABY ASDA
SOUTH BANK ASDA
ESTON K & B NEWS
NORMANBY MARTINS
GUISBOROUGH BOOKSHOP
SALTBURN SPAR, KINGS
REDCAR WHSMITH, KIRKLEATHAM MUSEUM
STOKESLEY FEET FIRST COBBLERS, BOOKSHOP
SKINNINGROVE MINING MUSEUM
GREAT AYTON WORTHY PEARSON
LAZENBY POST OFFICE
YARM BOOKSHOP
DARLINGTON HMV

also trying to get it into Somerfield, Tesco and Silverscreen...

RRP: £16.99

also available online too from
www.pancrack.tv/buyonline.html

PLEASE NOTE!

THE DVD WILL PLAY ANYWHERE EXCEPT USA & CANADA !

USA/CANADA DVD WILL BE AVAILABLE (ONLINE ONLY) IN JUNE.
Craig Hornsby."

Cover of Bill Norman's Book

If you look at the 1940s page, stories 8, 12 and 67, you will get bits of the story about the German Dornier which crashed at South Bank in 1942. However, the expert on the affair, and in fact, the expert on all wartime air combat facts in the North East of England is author Bill Norman, born in Middlesbrough, now living in Guisborough.
Bill has just sent me a copy of his new book called "South Bank Dornier" which can be obtained direct from him at 23a Thames Avenue, Guisborough, Cleveland, TS14 8AE.
Price £4.50 includes UK postage.
Bill's email address is william.norman1@ntl.com

Poster for Kirkleatham Museum Exhibition of Robert's work

Robert Thomas Nixon [1939 - 2002]

Robert Thomas Nixon (Bob Nixon) was born in South Bank, Middlesbrough, in North Yorkshire on July 7th, 1939. He was the fifth of six children born to Arthur Nixon and Phylis Thompson. Robert's mother Phylis worked as a housewife while his father worked locally as a steelworker. As a child, Robert spent much of his time drawing and sketching, and his artistic skills were recognised when he was seven years old by teachers at Cromwell Road School which he attended in South Bank. During his early years as an artist, and supported by teachers at the Central Secondary Modern School (Victoria Street, Southbank), Robert won several art competitions and a scholarship to Middlesbrough art college in 1955 when he was sixteen.

Although his time at art college was cut short by the death of his father, Bob gained employment locally as a lithographic artist and left in 1965 to pursue his career as a full-time cartoonist, initially for DC Thomson's of Dundee. During this transition Robert met and married Rita Kelly and after living in Middlesbrough for several years they moved to Guisborough in Cleveland where they raised their four children - Paul, Tony, Wendy and Catherine.

In 1972 Bob left Thomson's, selling his work to Fleetway publishers - the comic division of the International Publishing Corporation (IPC) - for the next 13 years before returning to Thomson's in 1985 - where he was employed until his death in 2002. Whilst self-employed, Bob worked for several publishers designing greetings cards, joke book covers and illustrations, and company logos etc.

Working from his home in Guisborough, Bob enjoyed his life as a cartoonist for over 35 years, and is best known for his work in Dandy, Beano, Whoopee, Monster Fun, and Shiver & Shake comics, 'ghosting' many popular comic characters such as 'Lord Snooty' , 'Roger the Dodger', 'Korky the Cat', 'Frankie Stein', and bringing to life his own creations, including 'Kid Kong', 'Gums', 'King Arthur and his Frights of the Round Table' and 'Ivy the Terrible'. Click here for links to comic websites.

In addition to his skills as a cartoonist, Bob also enjoyed drawing and painting for his own pleasure. Using pastels, oils, watercolours, inks, pencils, and scraper-boards, Bob developed unique styles in surreal and fantasy art, art for children, landscapes and other scenes of nature.
This is an opportunity to see and purchase a selection of Bob's artwork that for many years, only family members and close friends have been fortunate enough to enjoy. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do.
(Taken from the website about Robert Nixon who, incidentally was a cousin of my wife Marion nee Nixon, compiled by his daughter Catherine. See Link)