Newcastle in 1965: 10 photographs recalling scenes around the city 60 years ago

We stop off halfway through the decade that was described as 'swinging' with our 10 archive photographs that show scenes captured around Newcastle in 1965. Much in the city - and indeed in the wider world - has changed in the intervening six decades. The old St James' Park, home of Newcastle United, is unrecognisable from today's monolithic 52,000-capacity all-seater stadium.

Behind locked gates, we see the Edwardian-built former West Stand, pictured here in the same year the Magpies clinched promotion back to football's top flight, going up as Division Two champions. Now-vanished, we see the imposing Douglas Hotel which once stood on the corner of Grainger Street and Neville Street; while the Green Market, the long-time centre of the city's fruit and vegetable trade, and the western terrace of old Eldon Square would be demolished as the eponymous giant shopping centre took shape in the early 1970s. It was all change in Newcastle's west end where multi-storey tower blocks at Cruddas Park [1] replaced dilapidated old terraced streets as the new form of housing for hundreds of families.

And at the City Hall, there was mayhem as pop fans attempted to storm the stage when The Rolling Stones performed there [2]. In the Groat Market, meanwhile, 1965 saw the official opening of Thomson House by Labour Prime Minister, Harold Wilson [3]. Hailed as one of the most advanced centres in the world for newspaper production at the time, it would be the home of the Newcastle Chronicle, Journal and Sunday Sun until 2018 when the company moved out to premises in Eldon Square more suited to its modern digital profile.

In the news 60 years ago, the great wartime Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill, died at the age of 90; The Beatles were awarded MBEs; the death penalty in the UK was abolished; the Post Office Tower opened in London; and a 70-miles-per-hour speed limit was introduced on Britain's motorways and dual carriageways. At the cinema, this year's most popular films included Battle of the Bulge, Thunderball, Von Ryan's Express, Carry On Cowboy and Dr Zhivago. On British television, there were new programmes in the shape of Jackanory, Going For A Song, Mr and Mrs, World Of Sport and Call My Bluff.

And during a pivotal era for popular music, there were hits in UK singles chart of this week in 1965 for Tom Jones with It's Not Unusual, The Rolling Stones with The Last Time, The Who with I Can't Explain, The Righteous Brothers with You've Lost That Loving Feeling, and Newcastle's finest The Animals with Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood.

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References

^ multi-storey tower blocks at Cruddas Park (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
^ The Rolling Stones performed there (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
^ Thomson House by Labour Prime Minister, Harold Wilson (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
^ Don't miss out on our nostalgia stories and historical pictures from the North East with our free newsletter (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)