“Most of the pictures here are unrepeatable for the simple reason the subjects no longer exist or the scene has changed drastically, says Trevor Ermel, who took these photographs of Gateshead the 1980s.
Situated on the southern bank of the River Tyne, Gateshead is joined to Newcastle via seven bridges. You can see Trevor’s terrific photographs of Newcastle here.
The flags are out to celebrate the Royal Wedding of Charles & Diana in 1981.
An InterCity 125 train heads south past St. Cuthberts Village in 1987.
Fourth Street, Bensham, awaiting demolition in 1987.
A view to St Chads Church from Hyde Park Street in 1988.
Armstrong St, Gateshead May 1989
Boz – Bensham Road, Gateshead 1987
The Falklands war had just ended when I took this shot on Oakwood Gdns, Lobley Hill, Gateshead on 19th June 1982
The Great North Run passes through Gateshead each year – this was the 1987 race, crossing over from the Tyne Bridge
Before the growth of foliage got in the way this was a favourite viewpoint for bus enthusiasts at Gateshead Interchange. This was the scene in October 1986
Distorted shop Coatsworth Road 12-7-81
One of Northern’s small fleet of Routemaster buses, RCN700, passing the old Tesco site at the bottom of Gateshead High Street in April 1980.
View down Riversdale Road, under the King Edward Bridge on 10th May 1982
Photographed from the elevated approach to Dunston Staiths in 1985, this is the view of the car scrapyard at the mouth of the River Team in Dunston with the old Co-op building beyond. Housing now covers this site.
The riverside at Redheugh in 1980, with the old gasworks building before demolition.
Redheugh Park 1st August 1970, when Gateshead FC beat Brechin 4-0.
View of the Tyne from the site of Gordon Street in 1984. The black cat was a bonus!
Staiths Garage, Dunston in 1988
Wm Butterworth, butcher, is still open, even as the demolition goes on around him in 1982
Washing day for some in St. Cuthbert’s Village in 1986 as an HST comes over the bridge from Newcastle.
37100 with a coal train crossing the bottom of High Street in 1981
First Street, Bensham in 1986
The old bus station in Wellington Street in 1981
The rather ornate footbridge joining the two platforms at Gateshead East station in 1980.
Coatsworth Road Gateshead 27-1-80
The last remnants of Bank Street in December 1980.
Whickham House Pub on Rawling Road (corner of Bensham Road) in 1981, decorated to celebrate the wedding of Charles & Diana.
Super Discount Store on Windsor Avenue, Gateshead c.1985
Saltwell Road, corner of Trevethick Street in 1989.
View to St Cuthbert’s Church from Bensham Road/corner of Brighton Road c.1989.
Bensham Bingo Hall, formerly a cinema, on Bensham Road in 1980
Corner of Saltwell Road and Dunsmuir Grove in 1989. The Tynesider pub was formerly Stirling House.
Definitely random buses – four opposite Tesco’s in Gateshead in April 1980. Northern’s 6251 UP and SGR 551R are in the foreground.
Looking south along a weirdly-deserted Coatsworth Road in 1980.
Looking up Bensham Road, Gateshead in 1980, with the top of Bank Street on the left
Buildings at the junction of Derwentwater Road (left) and Cuthbert Street, Gateshead in 1980
Gateshead Arts & Social Club, just off Cuthbert Street, Gateshead in 1989. The building still stands today (although modified) as the Hotel Express. The cobbled street in the foreground, which can still be seen today, is the last remnants of Hubert Terrace which ran from Cuthbert Street to Bank Street.
Looking down Moore Street towards Sunderland Road in Felling in 1980. The side of Moore Street on the right of the picture is still there today, but new housing now covers the side where the three kids are.
The remains of the shop which used to stand at the corner of Derwentwater Road and Cuthbert Street, Gateshead in 1982
Looking up the remains of Second Street towards St. Cuthbert’s Church, Bensham, in 1987. My mother’s parents lived in this street in the 1940s, so I was told
Beneath the Metro Bridge, Gateshead in 1985. (Set up, obviously!)
ells Lane, Low Fell at the junction with Beaconsfield Road in 1980.
The view towards Dunston Power Station (now gone) in 1987
Bensham Road at its junction with Sidney Grove in 1980
Whitehall Road at its junction with Rawling Road, Gateshead in 1986
A southbound HST seen from Elysium Lane, near the site of Bensham station (Gateshead) on 27th May 1985. One of my favourite ‘train+people’ shots. The figures on the left are about to go through an underbridge in the area known as ‘dead man’s arch’!
(From my Album ‘Gateshead, my former home town’)
A derelict shop front in Derwentwater Road, Gateshead in September 1980. A good background for a photo, so I waited for a figure to appear. Surprisingly the building was not demolished and has been converted into flats.
Self-portrait, Sidney Grove 1987
All images by and with permission of Trevor Ermel.
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