When I see these old photos of Jarrow and Hebburn I am always amazed by how alive our little towns used to be, with their own cinemas, shopping centres, shopping streets, pubs, night clubs and so on.

Last time I was in Jarrow shopping centre (2019) it seemed like it was faring a bit better than Hebburn but it still was a shadow of its former self that I remember. And South Shields was awful, like a ghost town. I remember it used to be so busy.

Seems like everyone has to go to Newcastle or the Metro Centre for any decent shopping now. Even there, long-established businesses like JG Windows are closing.

All caused by the growth of online shopping, I suppose...