This Turners documentary presented by John Grundy is a nostalgic meander through one aspect of the social history of Newcastle upon Tyne and a review of a thousand years of shopping in the city, its evolution as a major retailing centre from the days of the street trader on the Quayside and the creation of the first department stores in the world, to the rise of Eldon Square. The film includes many stills of photographs, adverts, illustrations and other archive material to tell the story of...

This Turners documentary presented by John Grundy is a nostalgic meander through one aspect of the social history of Newcastle upon Tyne and a review of a thousand years of shopping in the city, its evolution as a major retailing centre from the days of the street trader on the Quayside and the creation of the first department stores in the world, to the rise of Eldon Square. The film includes many stills of photographs, adverts, illustrations and other archive material to tell the story of Newcastle's retail history. Title: Newcastle Past & Present Title: Shops & Shopping [over high angle view of Grey Street & Grainger Street] John Grundy walks towards the camera surrounded by people in a busy street. Title: Presented by John Grundy General views follow of a busy Newcastle city centre, showing the crowds and shop window displays. John Grundy walks through the entrance to the Eldon Square shopping centre. In a studio and on camera Jimmy Donald, voluntary city guide, outlines the tradition of many Tynesiders to visit the city centre to shop or window shop. John Grundy stands next to vegetable and fruit market stalls and buys some fruit. Jimmy Donald continues his story on camera. A still black and white photo’ shows the Handyside arcade, now demolished. John Grundy joins a crowd looking at a street artist's work. A woman at a fish or meat stall serves a customer in the Grainger Market. Some general views of the market follow. General interior views of the large shopping mall at Eldon Sqaure. Most of the leading high street stores are represented including Fenwick’s and Bainbridge’s. Bainbridge’s, reputed to be one of the first department stores in Europe, began trading in Newcastle in 1838. A man reads a storyboard with an outline history of Bainbridges’s in one of the shop’s windows. Stills follow of old print of buildings adjacent to the Tyne and old maps of Newcastle. A still photo shows a page from a book entitled a ‘table of rates and regulations of the Leather Market, High Bridge, Newcastle’. The story moves on to the Bigg Market with a history going back to 1554, a market held originally for the sale of barley. An old print shows the old buildings of the Bigg Market, another print the imposing St Nicholas Cathedral not far from the Bigg Market.. A 19th century print shows the nearby Cloth Market, originally known as the flesh or meat market. An old map shows the Side and Sandhill areas, the site of the old Cale Cross market where traders sold butter, eggs milk and poultry. Another print shows the old market place, where fish was also sold until 1826. A still shows a declaration or act titled ‘New Fish Market (Copy, Act or Order of Common Council) . An old print shows the Guildhall on the Quayside. A covered area near the entrance became the new site for the fish market.In voiceover John Grundy explains that the open colonnade shown in the print is now filled in. Another old print shows a poor area of Newcastle, where people had access to the ‘Monday Market’ at Sandgate, and unsold meat from the previous Saturday’s flesh or meat market was sold off cheaply. An illustration shows a clothes fair which was an offshoot from the Milk Market, later to become known as Paddy’s Market. Old photographs follow of Paddy’s Market, so called because of Irish immigrants who were its main customers. Other photos show groups old women examining clothing, and clothes laid out on the cobbled street near the quayside in the sunshine. A photograph shows crowds of people at the Sunday Quayside market which eventually incorporated Paddy’s Market. A later photo from the 1960’s shows a still thriving market almost a hundred years later. This is followed by contemporary footage showing the crowded Sunday market in 1990 with a wide range of stalls from clothing to hot dogs for sale. General view of the Tyne Bridge from the Quayside. Stills follow of a painting of the old stone built bridge originally built around 1250 then destroyed by flooding in 1771. Another print shows precariously built timber houses and shops overhanging the sides of the bridge. The shops on the bridge included shoemakers, mercers (a dealer in fine fabrics), milliners, cheesemongers and booksellers. An old print shows the Quayside area of the city, where new shops are beginning to open. Another old photograph shows one of the narrow streets or chares which lead down to the quayside. General views of the frontage of the English heritage office in the Sandhill area of the city and a pub called the Cooperage on the quayside, which from 15th century to the 1970’s was a cooper’s or barrel makers. In Sandhill, the film shows a building called the Red House, one of the few surviving from the old part of the city. Next, the Bessy Surtees house probably the most famous survivor of early Newcastle, re-fronted in the 1660’s and a prime example of a merchant’s house. John Grundy speaks on camera with a backdrop of Bessy Surtees house. Photos are shown of the interior of the building with fine ceilings and wood panelling. Grundy crosses Dean Street as he speaks off camera of the outward expansion of shops from the quayside. He walks away from the camera towards the city centre. An old print shows one of the barriers to a swift expansion of the commercial side of the city. Where Grey Street and Dean Street stand, there used to be a deep valley or dene. By the end of the 18th century this was filled in, and an old print shows the steep hill of Dean Street looking down towards the quayside area, it formed a link between Sandhill and Mosley Street. More 18th and 19th century prints show many of great streets and buildings for which Newcastle is famous. John Grundy introduces the work of Richard Grainger, one of the architects of the ‘new’ Newcastle, famous for the Grainger Market, a meat and vegetable market. A view of an invitation to a celebratory dinner shows the opening date as October the 22nd 1835. A print shows some of the two thousand individuals who attended. Other prints show the interior of this new and spacious market. General  views of the market in 1990 follow. John Grundy joins the crowds walking past the shops and stalls. On camera, Jimmy Donald, voluntary city guide, talks about the Grainger Market. He continues his story over general views of the market. He says it’s more of a general market now, but before the war it was still mainly a vegetable and meat market John Grundy enters the General Weigh House within in the market. For a small fee he weighs himself on a set of scales. A receptionist writes the reading on small ticket and hands it to him. An old print shows another Grainger building, the Royal Arcade in Pilgrim Street in 1832. Another old print shows the inside of the arcade where glazed domes provide daylight. It contained shops and offices and eventually a post office. The arcade was soon redundant as the expansion of streets moved ever northwards. Footage shows the Royal Arcade as a rebuilt replica and part of Swan House. Another building by Grainger, the Central Exchange from 1837 is shown in a 19th century print, and then as an overhead view on film at the triangular conjunction of Grey Street, Market Street and Grainger Street. In 1906 the famous Central Arcade was built into the structure. A view in the arcade shows the full length skylight and the attractive glazed tiles which decorate the walls. An old photograph shows some very old survivors of city buildings, some small shops or houses possibly 16th century but looking semi derelict. These often belonged to basket makers and other craftsmen selling directly to the public. The photo shows Humbles basket shop in the Cloth Market in 1858. On Castle Stairs, a cobbler displays boots and shoes on a table just outside the window of his shop. A boy studies a range of clogs hanging on a wall. Another old print show a butchers at Akenside Hill. A print shows the great fire of 1854, which destroyed much of the quayside area. Streets were reconstructed but office premises replaced many of the shops which existed there. Photographs taken before and after the fire show the wealth and density of building along the quayside. One photograph shows a broad view of the quayside and the devastating effect of the fire. Another 19th century print shows the spacious interior of another shop, showing shop staff often apprentices at work. The film shows an indenture for an apprentice who was expected to commit to seven years apprenticeship. An apprentice working for Thomas Kidd a retail and wholesale draper at 110 The Side opened his own shop in 1838. The name Bainbridge was soon recognised as that of a leading trader in the city. The film shows a photograph of Emerson Muschamp Bainbridge. John Grundy speaks from inside Bainbridge’s as he outlines a number of Bainbridge’s innovations. Rolls of material are on sale in the shop. An advert in the Newcastle Courant in June 1838, mentions a hosiery department and a silk department. In the store John Grundy explains that evidence show that by 1849 Bainbridge was operating what may have been one of the first multi-department stores in the world. A shot of an old insignia for Bainbridge’s follows, possibly a letterhead or a receipt. The insignia shows his cousins name Muschamp, a new partner in the business from1842. Another old print shows the shop front trading in the 1850’s as Bainbridge and Co. A newspaper cutting from 1886 shows an item reporting that Bainbridge’s had installed a pneumatic cash carrier claimed to be the only one in England at the time. A diagram from a patent abridgement shows how it works. A demonstration shows it working in practice, using compressed air in a tube to carry cash from the shop floor to the accounts department. An old print shows hansom cabs and carriages parked outside Bainbridge’s with large window displays showing items for sale. A letterhead or some other official stationery shows an illustration outlining the extent of the Bainbridge shop in the city centre in 1925. General view of Bainbridge department store in Eldon Square where it moved in the mid 1970’s.  Len Brothers, Manager of the Silk Shop at Bainbridge’s, speaks about his memories of working at the store. Another old photograph from the late 19th or early 20th century shows a Northumberland Street with a number of horse drawn vehicles parked near the pavement. In the photo another Newcastle store flourishing at around the same time as Bainbridge, Robson’s Upholsterer’s and cabinet makers. Shot of Reid’s the jeweller’s insignia appears, established in 1778 this is another local business of long standing. John Grundy enters their premises, built in 1906 on Blackett Street. Inside, views show the highly decorated ceilings and bespoke glass cabinets for displaying jewellery. John Grundy is shown a watch by a member of staff. A number of other public clocks are shown in other parts of the city. In voice over Jimmy Donald explains how they were all controlled by a master clock at Reid’s An old photograph shows the premises of Amos Atkinson the boot and shoe manufacturer. In 1892 they opened premises in Northumberland Street a building noted for its ornate plastering or pargeting on the outside walls at first floor level, although this feature only appeared later in the 20th century. Another old firm is Coxon’s the drapers, an old advert for the firm is shown. This was established in 1849 but later taken over by Binn’s. A photograph shows the Chapman’s furniture store near the civic centre founded in North Shields in 1847. The film shows their store on Market Street. By the turn of the century many of the older Newcastle retailers were firmly established businesses. Photographs show Scott & Son’s umbrella shop, followed by W, Stewart tea dealers, then Tylers boot and shoe shop, Inman’s chemist shops which eventually became part of the Boots chain. Other photos show a variety of shops showing off their wares with window and shelf displays. Photographs of wine merchants Glendenning’s of Blackett Street show a well organised window display with rich dark coloured cabinets and shelves for displaying wine bottles. Another photograph shows the window displays of Jackson of Clayton Street, the tailor became well known in the North East, with the motto; ‘Small Profits & Quick Returns’. Marks & Spencer opened a penny bazaar in 1895: a painting shows its premises in the Grainger Market. But the most famous Newcastle store shop, Fenwick’s of Northumberland Street, opened in 1882. Old illustrations and photos show the first shop at 5 Northumberland Street. John Fenwick’s portrait is followed by a photo of their later premises at 37 and 39 Northumberland Street. Another photograph shows the grand extension of 1913 where keen shoppers converge on the newly opened premises. John Grundy stands outside Fenwick’s and speaks to camera. The film shows close ups of the ornate ceramic tiles and detailing that feature over most of the exterior of Fenwick’s store. He leaves the store, and walks down the narrow lane at the side of the building to show some of the original stonework of the doctor’s house which was part of the original store on that site. Interior photographs show Bainbridge’s store followed by a Fenwick’s catalogue advertising the changing fashions over the life of the store. Photos of old advertising bills and hoardings follow showing dozens on one wall all demanding attention. An old catalogue shows ready to wear clothing for children as well as other clothes and shoes for adults. Interior photos show women’s clothing on display. Picture postcards show promotions for a number of products from local stores. Trams and trolleybuses show advertising on their exterior coachwork. Fenwick’s colourful advertising was a well-known sight on trams in Newcastle. The film cuts to a fruit and vegetable market stall, followed by a stall selling wool and fabrics. Some street traders became quite well known and old photographs illustrate some of them. A photograph from 1880 shows Shoe Lace Tommy, Mrs Richardson sells fruit outside Newcastle Central Station in 1900. An old organ grinder poses in Northumberland Street. A band plays down Northumberland Street, John Grundy listens to the band as he stands nearby. The crowd applaud as the band finishes. Len Brothers, former manager at Bainbridge’s, speaks on camera about customer relations. Old film shows home delivery of tea by Rington’s tea and coffee merchants. Other old photographs show delivery boys and bicycles and small horse drawn carts outside shop premises, Photographs from the First World War record soldiers and weapons. Bainbridges supplied army uniforms when local army supplies ran out of the right material. Many people were taken out of their usual jobs in shops and stores to do war work as old photographs show. Some stores had to petition military authorities to release their best assistants from wartime training to help sales. At the end of the war photographs show bunting and flags adorning the facades of Bainbridge’s. The depression in the 1920s to the 30s lead to some businesses failing. A photograph shows an empty Coxon’s store in Market Street, with Binns taking over their premises in 1928. A photograph shows the converted shop with the Binns brand name over windows and on the building. A photo shows Mawson, Swan and Morgan’s shop on Grey Street in 1935. The film cuts to Marks and Spencer’s Penny Bazaar in the Grainger Market, where in voiceover John Grundy tells of the five shilling limit they put on goods sold to the working classes in 1926 a limit not lifted until the 1940s. He looks casually around some of the items on sale in the Penny Bazaar. Old photographs show the North East Exhibition of 1929, a number of Newcastle shops promoting their goods and services. Scotts the umbrella manufacturers have an open fronted stand with a board above showing the addresses of their city stores. Northern Goldsmiths have their own well-presented stand. Newcastle breweries advertise and show off their range of ales and beers. The North East Exhibition launched their famous Newcastle exhibition beer. Services were also represented. A photo shows the stand belonging to the British Social Hygiene Council providing services and education to combat venereal disease. Other photos show stands for Bainbridge’s and Carricks the bakers. Another photo shows the extensive frontage of Bainbridge’s in Grainger Street. A newspaper advertisement from 1923 announce the opening of a grocery department at the Bigg Market end of Bainbridges. Another photo shows the entrance to Bainbridge’s gentleman’s hairdressing saloon opened in 1929. General view of the Farnon’s department store. A man completes a display of children’s clothes in one of the shop’s windows. The film cuts to a photograph of a tram crossing the High Level Bridge in 1923, providing a new tram link between Newcastle and Gateshead. Another photo shows the building of the Tyne Bridge around 1928, providing greater access to the city centre shops. Photos from Lowe and Moorehouse’s store in the 1930s show changing fashions and spacious shop floors. A newspaper advert shows the opening of C&A Modes of Northumberland Street in 1932 in what appears to be a new art deco style store. A photo of a new British Home Stores building follows opened on the same date that year 15th of September. Another newspaper advert shows C&A had a sale on the opening day. Next a newspaper advert announces the opening of Marks and Spencers new superstore on the following day, September 16th. A newspaper announcement from October 1932 shows that Woodhouse’s new furniture store opened in numbers 72-76 Northumberland Street, with offers of free gifts on the opening day. During this period photographs show some of the new extensions made at Blackett Street by Fenwicks. Some interior photos follow of the new facilities. The film cuts to this 1930s building in the ‘international moderne’ style. John Grundy walks into the extension entrance. The building was designed by Newcastle architect Robert Mochlen(?) John Grundy describes the building. John Grundy speaks to camera on Northumberland Street. A still print show the premises of the Newcastle Co-Operative store on Newgate Street. A newspaper announcement tells of the opening of a portion of new store on the 10th September 1932, the full building being finished and opened on the 1st of September 1934 as another newspaper announcement statements. The film shows one of the towers of the building and a large barometer on one of the tower faces. A view of the full front of the building reveals the buildings individual art deco style. A view of the clock shows that numbers have been replaced by the letters of the word ‘Cooperative’ making up most of the clock face. The film cuts to the interior of the building showing a staircase, with small figures supporting the hand rail. Black and white footage [Turners film from 1947] follows of Newcastle: the Barras Bridge area with trolley bus overhead cables and traffic going past St Thomas’s church and the Haymarket, followed by views of Neville Street and the Turners shop on Pink Lane, where staff help customers with developing film and other enquiries. Another view shows the Great North Road, and also buses and traffic travelling along New Bridge Street towards the Laing Art Gallery. Stills shows Newcastle businesses preparing defences such as sandbags next to buildings to protect themselves against the threat of war damage. Photographs show ration books with bacon, butter, sugar and other food allowances. Jimmy Donald speaks on camera about rationing and how people managed during war time. A still picture of a wartime cartoon from a newspaper pokes fun at rationing. Jimmy Donald continues his narrative on camera. A still photograph shows Tilleys restaurant in Newcastle. A photograph shows a domestic air raid shelter built in a garden, and another shows lorries queuing in a street being loaded with the remains of a series of terraced houses demolished by bombing. A picture shows land girls, women workers recruited to help the farming industry during the war, posing with their spades and garden forks. The next photograph shows children being sent out of the cities and towns during evacuation, another shows workers in an office. A newspaper advert shows a wartime promotion for Jackson the Tailor. The next photo shows a victory parade along a main street by members of the armed forces. Members of a street party dance in a street. Furniture sales picked up after the war, still photos show some old furniture shops at the foot of Percy Street. Photos show some of the stores in Newcastle decorated with flags and bunting for the coronation in 1953. The film shows the elaborate pargeting on Amos Atkinson’s shop which was done in celebration of the coronation. A still photo shows one of the newer shops opened in the 1950s, Eve Browns on Northumberland Street. Photos show the extremely busy fashion shop. A general view of the shop shows it now owned by McDonalds fast food chain. An old photograph shows Moses shop, which had closed by the 1960s. An newspaper advert for Henry A Murton’s of Grey Street underlines John Grundy’s commentary that it too had ceased trading, Binns photo illustrates it’s new ownership by House of Fraser, Bainbridge now John Lewis. Photos show demolition of other city centre buildings signalling change in the second half of the twentieth century, where modern shopping precincts and buildings often sit uncomfortably with the older buildings of Newcastle. A photograph shows the old Empire theatre which was demolished to make way for the Newgate shopping centre. Photographs show footbridges erected in Northumberland street to help traffic congestion. Old photographs of Blackett Street, Eldon Square, John Dobson’s green market, Bourgognes public house show all had vanished under 1970’s redevelopment. The film shows the new British Homes Stores and C&A shops which were redeveloped by the owners. A newspaper headline tells of Callers shop in Northumberland Street being destroyed by fire in 1969. Newspaper photos show the building at the height of the blaze. Photos show other stores that have closed, Isaac Walton, Mawson Swan and Morgan, Marcus the furrier, Woolworths on Northumberland Street, the Handyside arcade, Harkers furnishers and Amos Atkinson. A still photograph shows Grainger Street around the late 180’s, with horse drawn vehicles making up the main traffic along the cobbled street. John Grundy states that the development of Northumberland Street as a main shopping precinct has had a detrimental effect on these older shopping areas. The film follows John Grundy walking past Marks and Spencer. A view of the Eldon Garden shopping centre follows. General views follow of shops as they are now. John Grundy walks down some steps and stops at the Cooperage pub on the quayside. A general view follows of the quayside looking east. With the Swing Bridge and the High Level Bridge behind him, John Grundy on camera concludes his story. Credit: Newcastle upon Tyne City Libraries & Arts in association with Turners Film & Video Productions. Credits: Series Producer John Grant, Directed and Photographed by Peter Brock, Research and Script John Airey, Music Composed by John Kefala-Kerr, Editor Hilton Davis, Sound Recordist Julian Brannigan Acknowledgements – Bainbridge, John Lewis Partnership, Banana Music, Capital Counties PLC, English Heritage, Farnons Limited, Fenwick Limited, Fine-Cut Facilities, The Light Programme, Newcastle Chronicle & Journal, Newcastle City Council, Newcastle upon Tyne City Libraries & Arts, North Eastern Co-operative Society, Northumbria Police, Reid & Sons Limited, Turners Archive…and the people and traders of Newcastle. © Newcastle upon Tyne City Libraries & Arts/Turners Film & Video Productions 1990.