From Gazza watching the Toon from the terraces to rioting in North Shields and Newcastle, these 10 photographs capture Tyneside in 1991, a region climbing out of decline but still carrying scars from the 1980s.
Regeneration and Recovery
Unemployment remained stubbornly high, and manufacturing continued to shrink, but slow recovery was on the way. Major regeneration was transforming derelict riverside land, with new sectors such as call centres, digital and subsea engineering, office parks, and business services starting to make a mark.
At Wallsend's Mecca bingo on High Street West, local ladies looked forward to an afternoon of 'housey'. Jimmy Nail, star of TV's Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and the recent hit cop show Spender, was in Walker to open St Anthony's Children's House. At Gateshead International Stadium, Simply Red were the latest big-name act to perform before a huge outdoor audience.
Gazza and the Toon
In the wake of his exploits in the World Cup finals at Italia '90, Paul Gascoigne was now one of the most famous people in Britain. An eagle-eyed Chronicle photographer managed to get shots of Gazza standing with his mates in the Gallowgate End at St James' Park watching his former club Newcastle United take on Derby County.
On the pitch, in the year before the club's centenary, the Magpies were at a low ebb, stagnating in football's second tier with no money, a dilapidated ground, and a board with little ambition. The photograph shows United's Gavin Peacock in action during a 2-0 win over Port Vale. Twelve months later, the arrival of Sir John Hall as chairman and Kevin Keegan as manager would spark a thrilling resurgence.
Unrest and Headlines
All was not well in parts of the region. On North Shields' Meadow Well estate and in Newcastle's west end, riots erupted in September 1991 after years of deprivation, policing tensions, and youth alienation. Sparked by the deaths of two local teenagers, unrest spread across Tyneside as gangs of youths faced police and arson attacks caused widespread damage.
In the news headlines 35 years ago, the Gulf War saw the UK join coalition forces as Operation Desert Storm was launched against Iraq after its invasion of Kuwait. The Soviet Union collapsed, ending the Cold War. The Birmingham Six were released and their convictions overturned after 16 years, exposing major failings in the UK justice system.
Culture and Entertainment
In the singles chart that week in 1991, there were hits for Bryan Adams with '(Everything I Do) I Do It For You', which stayed at number one for a record 16 weeks; Right Said Fred with 'I'm Too Sexy'; and Extreme with 'More Than Words'. At the region's cinemas, you could see Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves at Warner Bros in Manors, The Silence of the Lambs at the Metrocentre's UCI cinema, and Backdraft at the Canon in West Monkseaton.
On television that year, there were debuts for the anarchic comedy Bottom, starring Rick Mayall and Adrian Edmondson; the Saturday-night entertainment show Noel's House Party, hosted by Noel Edmonds; and The Darling Buds of May, the nostalgic comedy-drama starring David Jason and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
The Photographs
The 10 photographs show scenes around Tyneside 35 years ago, including customers outside the Mecca Leisure Social Club in Wallsend, Jimmy Nail opening St Anthony's Children's House, Mick Hucknall performing at Gateshead International Stadium, Gazza on the terraces, Gavin Peacock in action, the blazing premises of Coalite Building Supplies during the Meadow Well riots, Bainbridge's 'flying saucer' cafe at Eldon Square, the escalators at the Tyne Pedestrian and Cycle Tunnel, competitors crossing the Tyne Bridge during the Great North Run, and the now-vanished Leroy's pub in Hebburn.
