These two cottages on Lilac Grove carry plaques for “NER Cottage Homes” 
The ‘North Eastern Railway Cottage Homes and Benefit Fund was formed in 1919 and funded by a deduction for railway workers wages, presumable houses at that time were only for railwaymen.
Despite being neighbours one was built in 1925 and the other in 1926 so are relatively early in the organisations existence.
The charity still exists today and is known as the Railway Housing Association which provides affordable rented homes for anyone.
North Eastern Railway, Cottage Homes, Redcar
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Hey Twiggy! I work for Railway Housing Association and manage these properties. There are actually four on Lilac Grove and two the same on Pine Road in Guisborough. Locally there are also some in Thornaby, Seaton Carew, Hartlepool and several in Darlington. They all look the same. Kim (as in Prof).
Hi Ki – My old mate John Burrows left our office in Liverpool (LMR Regional Architects) to work for the NER Cottage Homes Association many years ago, and eventually made Chairman I believe.
I haven’t heard anything about him for donkey’s years, and would love to knoe if he’s still around. Ring any bells with you please?
Hi John, sorry for the very belated reply however I have just come across your reply to me. John Burrows had retired before I started working at Railway Housing Association in 2007 however his name still came up in conversation and he did become the chairman. I am not sure where his retirement took him and whether he remained in the north east. Hope this is of some interest to you.