The Opening of the Tees Newport Bridge: An Apprentice's Story of a Royal Visit to Middlesbrough Town Hall and a Golden Toilet Seat

Celebrations at Middlesbrough Town Hall after the opening of the Tees Newport Bridge, 28th February 1934 (MRL)

The Tees Newport Bridge was opened on 28th February 1934. Here we feature the story of the day as told by Cecil Parker, then an apprentice in the Cabinet Shop at Dickson & Benson.

The Middlesbrough company carried out work on the ‘Retiring Rooms’ used by the Duke and Duchess of York during their visit to Middlesbrough Town Hall for the celebration dinner that followed the opening of the world’s largest vertical-lift bridge. Reproduced by permission of of Janet Hall, Mr Parker’s daughter…

The Royal Party inspect the Tees Newport Bridge (Teesside Archives)

“I remember the opening of the BRIDGE, I was an apprentice in the Cabinet Shop at Dickson & Benson’s and our Company was given the job of preparing ‘Retiring Rooms’ for the Royal visitors to use during the ceremony at the Town Hall after the Bridge Opening.

The rooms were the offices at each side of the Town Hall entrance and both had a toilet adjoining. The Duchess’s room was to the left and the Duke’s room on the right. The rooms were stripped of all unnecessary fittings and Hill’s the decorators came in and re-painted and papered the walls etc. Baker Bros fitted new plumbing  and Dickson & Benson’s carpeted and furnished them. There was an entrance door at the Albert Road end and another door to the toilet lobby, which enabled one to enter the right hand room, walk through into the lobby, turn left, across the Town Hall entrance hall and do the reverse in the other room and our down the Town Hall steps into Albert Road.

Dickson & Benson's Cabinet Workshop in 1927 (Janet Hall)

We made and erected a handrail barrier across each room to create a walkway round the two rooms and then removed it – but ready to refix when the Royal party had left. The scheme was to allow the public in to view the rooms ‘As used by their Royal Highnesses’ at a charge of sixpence (2½p) all proceeds to local hospitals. The G.P.O. had fitted a ‘Gold’ telephone in the Duchess’s room and Baker Bros had found a ‘Gold’ seat for the toilet and the ‘GAZETTE’ at the time had hyped this up in advance.

When the time came for opening ‘the show’ the queue stretched along Albert Road and into Russel Street. I don’t know how much was taken in entrance money, but it must have been acceptable.

Mr Cecil Parker’s letter to The Gazette featuring the story of the Royal Visit (Janet Hall)

Dickson & Benson’s had supplied a nice 3 piece suite with Mahogany frame and basket weave arm and back panels and silky cushions. It had been in the showroom previous priced at 35 gns. (guineas) , after the event it was on display in the Dundas Street. window – ‘As used by Her Royal Highness The Duchess of York – 45 gns.’! I don’t think they sold it, it was around the showroom long after the event.

The Duchess of York the Royal opening of the Tees Newport Bridge in 1934 (Teesside Archives)

The ‘GOLD’ TOILET SEAT ??- Rumour had it that it had been returned to Baker Bros. premises and had been carried round their large hardware department store on a cushion for the staff to pay ‘homage’ to a seat fit for a DUCHESS.

Cecil Parker“