With 200 images, selected from the archives, portraying the city in a bygone age, we embark on an intriguing pictorial journey around Newcastle upon Tyne. The Tyne of course dominates the scene, new bridges are built and old ones demolished to cope with the changing demands of Newscastle transport and industry. The quayside, redeveloped after the great fire of 1854, was busy as a market and the commercial centre of the Great Northern Coalfield. The gap between the rich and the poor was wider then. Jesmond Towers, home to an entrepreneurial shipbuilder, and The Gables, home to the Richardson family, owners of Elswick leather works, contrast starkly with living conditions in the inner city area. During the 1930s the council rehoused 30,000 people in slum clearance projects. Leisure time was occupied in many and varied ways, sports such as rowing, bowling and curling were all enjoyed, along with football (naturally) - 1955 being a golden year for Newcastle FC. Alternatively, The Hoppings was a popular annual festival, earning the nickname 'the greatest show on earth' with its combination of freak shows, rides and entertainment. All this and much more is brought vividly to life through photographs and narrative, making for a fascinating and memorable read.
