WhoÕs the bloke in the black?:1950s Teesside nostalgia and the further adventures of Derek, Dennis and Micky

WhoÕs the bloke in the black?:1950s Teesside nostalgia and the further adventures of Derek, Dennis and MickyDerek is the eldest child in a working class family of five children, growing up in the aftermath of a world war, in the small village of Norton, a suburb of the town of Stockton on Tees in County Durham. In this nostalgic sequel to the authors first book, Teesside Tales, Dereks family and acquaintances, as well as childhood adventures with friends, are captured in these short stories, whilst documenting historical, geographical and social change. As

Derek is the eldest child in a working-class family of five children, growing up in the aftermath of a world war, in the small village of Norton, a suburb of the town of Stockton-on-Tees in County Durham.
In this nostalgic sequel to the authorÕs first book, Teesside Tales, DerekÕs family and acquaintances, as well as childhood adventures with friends, are captured in these short stories, whilst documenting historical, geographical and social change.
As a child, Derek and his pals, Dennis and Micky, are sheltered from the adult world of work and lifeÕs day-to-day drudgery.
In the 1950s, StocktonÕs a town in slow decline since the heady days of docks, mines and factory industries giving almost full employment.
During DerekÕs childhood, the biggest employer in the area was the Billingham ICI chemical works which loomed over the town, creating air pollution which would later give Teessiders the unkind knick-name of Smoggies!