A BUTCHER is celebrating 50 years of making famous meat pies by taking a trip down memory lane.

Martin Blackwell has put on a display of nostalgic pictures in his butcher's shop in Norton, near Stockton, where his family have worked since August 1954.

"It's caused an awful lot of interest," said Mr Blackwell who was born a few months after his father, William bought the shop.

"People have been coming in who remember me as a baby.

"Those days were different and my dad would just say, 'can you take my son down the road in his pram.'

"Now people come in and say, 'I remember taking you round in the pram when you were just little.'"

The Blackwell family bought the butcher's shop from the Toulson family who had it for many years.

It is thought the premises, on High Street, has been a butcher's for at least 100 years.

Before William Blackwell bought it, the family ran a butcher's in Garbutt Street in Stockton, which was near the old Northern Echo offices.

The family sold their home in Fairfield, Stockton, and borrowed money from family and friends to buy the Norton shop for £420.

Blackwell's meat pies are famous and are sent around the north of England and the shop has won many awards for its meat.

Mr Blackwell has four children but doesn't know if any of them will to take over the business.

Anyone with any old photographs of Norton High Street they would like to see displayed is asked to call into the shop.