Newcastle Vintage Aerial Shot - Guess the Year

A few years ago, I salvaged this  5' x 4' wooden photo panel from the rubbish in the basement at work. It had been dumped during a refurbishment of a vacated office in our building.  Although the photo is scratched in parts and has flecks if plaster on it, I thought it was too good to throw away, especially since the photo aerial shot of Newcastle was taken some years ago.  

I have tried to work out when the photo was taken by looking at what was and wasn't built and have come up with an approximate year, but I can't determine the exact date. Can anyone help?

Below, I have zoomed in on sections of this picture, in a rough grid pattern moving top to bottom, left to right. 

From the top right of picture, here is the Town Moor, Exhibition Park, RVI, University, down to Percy Street and Eldon Square.

Percy Street, Eldon Square, Grainger Market

Percy Street / Old Eldon Square down to Bigg Market and Westgate Road, opposite Central Station

Newgate Street / Bigg Market down to the Turnbull Building and the Quayside

Exhinition Park to Haymarket

Haymarket to Pilgrim Street - Dobson Street car park seems to be missing, I wonder when that was built.

Blackett Street / Pilgrim Street to Dean Street and the Castle Keep

St Nicholas cathedral to the river Tyne

The River Tyne

West Jesmond down to about John Dobson Street

"East Pilgrim Street" Northumberland Road to Swan House Roundabout (55 degrees)

Swan House Roundabout down to the Quayside

The River Tyne

Jesmond and Shieldfield to Mea House, Central Motorway and Panden Building

New Bridge Street roundabout over Central Motorway down to All Saints Church and Panden Bank.  Ooh. . . that white concrete square building looks a bit new, what year did that open?

The Quayside, River Tyne, Bottle Bank

Jesmond to Shieldfield

Shieldfield to Melbourne Street

New Bridge Street to Panden Bank and Quayside

Glug glug glug

The Mmmmm deli in the Grainger Market has expanded its premises and is now selling real ale.  A wide range of bottled ales from around the world are stocked, along with wine and unusual cordials (elderflower, rosehip, nettle), in the adjacent premises under the appealing onomatopoeic name of Glug.  http://www.mmm-food.co.uk.  I've only just spotted the new shop, but it has in fact been open since APril/May 2013.

I do love Grainger Market.  One of my earliest memories of Newcastle, that I can date at least, is sitting in this cafe (below) which has recently become a Noodle bar.  It was cup final day 1974 when Newcastle were beaten by Liverpool.

I sat with my mam and looked out of that window over there.  Now that deserves another plaque! (see earlier blog post: David Williams Grainger Street plaque)

Grainger Market: The pizza that sells like hot cakes

Grainger Market: The pizza that sells like hot cakes: While big chain restaurants invest huge amounts of money on improving their brand name it seems that the word of mouth still serves well for...

New chip shop - Pilgrim Street

Following from my post of 5th September 2013 http://novumcastellum.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/new-cafe-bar-for-blue-carpet-square.html , this is another business that I was glad to see the back of: Pizza al Taglio, on the corner of Pilgrim street and Market Street. 

There has been a succession of failed takeaway businesses at this location so don't know if it's in a difficult position for a takeaway (probably not since there are two sandwich shops nearby and a Pizza/kebab shop nearby) or if there were just flawed businesses . Following the demise of O'Brians sandwich shop, there was, I think, a Polish venture called Pierogi. I don't know what they sold, I don't know if it was even Polish; but I do know that in Russian, the word Pirogi means "pies" - and that looks a bit similar to Pierogi. Not a good start to a business if passers by - your potential customers - have to guess what you are offering. 

This cafe/ takeaway - whatever, soon closed.  In its place, a pizza slice takeaway opened. At least it was clear what they were selling even if you couldn't work out what the takeaway was called - they did take the trouble to explain, perhaps condescendingly, how to pronounce the name, by adding a translation to the shop sign (Peets-al-tal-yo). 

OK I found that a bit irritating, but my main problem with the shop was that it was promising authentic Italian pizza experience - freshly prepared, using fresh ingredients to an authentic rustic Italian recipe - what a crock of shit. I did try one- I must admit I was sold on the description and they did look appetising. But, it wasn't fresh or authentic, nor was it fast food. I expected that there would be a proper wood firing oven in which whole pizzas were cooked, ready to be sliced and served up. No, there were no cooking smells in the shop, no heat from the kitchen, in fact, no sense of anything being cooked at all on the premises.  What I got was a precooked slice of pizza which was then put in a microwave or steamer (or something) to warm it up.  Very disappointing, about as authentic as Pizza Hit slices and not as tasty; and certainly not a patch on that other pizza slice company"Fresh Pizza By The Slice" in the Gainger Market: http://graingermarket.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/pizza-that-sells-like-hot-cakes.html, http://www.newcastleeats.co.uk/post/18612079659/review-of-pizza-by-the-slice-grainger-market.

Passing this shop last week, I noticed that there was a new sign above the shop "Town Fry" and a poster in the window announcing that a traditional fish and chip shop will be opening soon.  I'm not sure if there will be enough demand for fish and chips at this location - on a lunchtime at least (I'm sure I might be tempted), but I wish them success in this venture.

Why Newcastle?

Im Washington born and bred, neither a Makem nor a Geordie, my footballing allegiance is to Sunderland, proud of heritage of my home town, love Sunderland but feel a closer connection to the city of Newcastle.

My affiliation and affection with Newcastle the city goes back a long way, for as long as I can remember: shopping trips, as a child, being dragged around various department stores eg Fenwicks, Binns, Bainbridges and the Grainger market - one of my favourite places and one if my earliest memories of Newcastle is drinking in a cafe here.  I remember also trying to make sense of all the construction work - it seemed at one time, in the Seventies, that Newcastle streets were like maze of blue wooden construction hoardings when Eldon Square and the Metro were being built .

My dad is from Newcastle and I have fond memories of visiting my grandparents home in the west of the city - with the journey back home all along the Westgate Road - excitedly looking out for the Vagas style lights on the bingo hall on the corner of Clayton street (now the O2 Academy).

As a teenager, I gravitated towards Newcastle as a shopping centre, frequenting places such as Handyside arcade, music shops (Igot my first acoustic guitar in Kitchens music store which was located in the now defunct Fusion bar on the Blue Carpet, and my first electric guitar from Paul Garvey(?) music shop which was situated in some prefab units located next to the round multi-storey car park at the Haymarket), buying records from the Kard Bar (as well as pachoili oil an incense sticks), HMV (where Scott's is now on Northumberland street) and on the top floor of Callers Pegasus shop which was located where SuperDrug and HMV are now.

And of course I loved the City Hall which was a venue for many of the heavy rock acts I went to see from about the age of 12 onwards.

In my twenties and thirties I gravitated towards Newcastle for the nightlife - the Studio, Mayfair, Bigg market, Quayside, Jesmond and latterly the Central Station area and "Diamond Strip" of Collingwood Street and Mosley Street.

I have worked in Newcastle city centre now for well over 20 years, and have enjoyed exploring the city centre - finding new places, rediscovering ones I'd forgotten about; lamenting the loss of some old buildings and new dodgy developments. I like to explore the town when out running on a lunch time: the Quayside, Ouseburn valley, Spillers Wharf, St. Peter's Basin, Byker, Jesmond Dene, Exhibition Park, Gateshead Quays, Dunston, Gateshead Stadium and riverside.

There is some great architecture in Newcastle and Gateshead, old and new, and many attractions. This blog is not intended to be a tourist advert nor it it intended to cover every notable site or attraction, so I make no apology for things that I might be expected to include but haven't.