Eldon Square History - Newcastle upon Tyne

[@TheGreatest1974]

It WAS an act of architectural vandalism perpetrated by bent property developers giving bribes to people. Newcastle centre lost magnificent buildings when this happened. I believe the same suspects were responsible for the destruction of the whole of old Byker too. A whole community of people who all knew each other, grand hotels, magnificent Victorian pubs, a whole way of life demolished because of pure greed. The people who found themselves ‘removed and then rehoused’ found themselves homes in the monstrosity of ‘the Byker Wall’ a giant block of flats in a line. Or they were given a house in the ‘new’ Byker housing estates, where there was no community and no one knew their neighbour. The sheer amount of historical buildings in Newcastle that stood in 1970 but were gone by 1980 is absolutely obscene. The culprits were jailed I believe but the damage was done.

[@boogalaloopala2738]

It was a comprehensive corporate 'brutalist template' imposed upon many major cities up and down and across the UK - Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and others were subjected to and suffered very similar experiments, the lives of many millions of urban people with no say in the redevelopment that would affect their daily lives. Opposition to corporate dictatorship must also become 'template' in the form of solidarity groups, Tenants unions - Get organised people! :)x

[@Tinker1950]

Very true.

[@da90sReAlvloc]

​@@Tinker1950 and the metro center in Gateshead, they've ruined that now

[@stevecampbell7589]

M&S extension did not create the 'new' bus station at Haymarket. Haymarket bus station was there before Eldon Square Shopping Centre was built. It was refurbished in the 90s after the Old Bus Station under Eldon Square. Then slight refurbishment in the noughties. Worsick Street Bus Station has only in recent weeks been pulled down just off Pilgrim Street closed in 1996. There was another bus station on Marlborough Crescent, now the Centre of Life. Haymarket is the oldest bus station surviving. There was also a small Newgate Street bus station too which is now just a few bus stands by the old multistory car park at Green Market. There was also a Coach Station on Gallowgate opposite St James Metro station. Now a tower block and partially built over by St James Bvd. Haymarket is the busiest bus station in Newcastle and has always been the major bus station. Eldon Square and Haymarket bus stations are seperate to one another. Haymarket serves the North Tyne coast and Northumberland and the Scottish Borders with a few local services by Arriva which is the main operator out of Haymarket. Eldon Square is for services into County Durham and South of the Tyne with the occassional service to the West of Northumberland and into Cumbria and occasional local services by Stagecoach. The main operator out of Eldon Square is Go North East. Where this bus station is now was already part of the former bus station as this is where buses would lay over between services as buses would go into the bus station from under the Eldon Garden bridge, drop off on the left and emerge from where John Lewis loading bay is now and then pull in to park in the lay over bays. Some services, the local town ones mainly used to enter the bus station in the same way and then take a U turn to the right to access their stops on that side and exit the way they came in. There used to be another bus station on Prudhoe Place on the Haymarket side. These days, majority of stagecoach services dont use the bus stations

[@jlily8909]

I lived in Newcastle back in the early nineties, I always enjoyed the Green Market, was a real, authentic slice of life in the city, where everyone mixed, it felt like a real hub of life. Sad they never replaced it, as indoor markets are so important, especially now that things are opening up again, and foodies need a refuge. Indoor markets give a sense of authenticity (see Borough Market in London, Oxford Covered Market, etc).

[@JordanReeve]

I think it’s such a shame of what happened with green market, and that now it will never Be replaced

[@davideaguarinigilmartin-pr8154]

Do keep your videos coming. I was a planning student in Newcastle in the late 80s, and then worked in planning in the NE til 1998. Spent 13 fantastic years there, so it's great to reconnect with the NE, Newcastle and planning case studies via your videos. Only chanced across them yesterday and already hooked. Well done, Jordan.

[@annelder7048]

i came across your film in a very roundabout way while I was reading about a young doctor who had rooms in 1 Eldon Square in 1820's. The book is a called 'The Diary of Thomas Giordini Wright Newcastle Doctor 1826-1829'. Fascinating reading, mentioning many areas of old Newcastle,all now gone. Heartrending to see the demolition of the Square . I am all for progress but not ugliness.

[@joshuaevans7090]

Great video. Really interesting ☺️

[@JordanReeve]

Thanks mate!

[@marksinclair6518]

Well done Jordan for uploading all these great uploads

[@JordanReeve]

Thanks Mark!

[@paulgraham1999]

Another great video. Brought back a lot of memories, Going back as far as 1977 and seeing it evolve over the years. I'd love to see a more detailed one on the contstruction of Monument Metro station. A project that was started not that long after Eldon Square had opened really. I have vivid memories as a child of the hoardings, The Blind Accordian player standing outside the entrance to Eldon Square, Then one day in 1981 seeing the hoardings gone and the Monument in full for the first time. After having worked inside Monument Station at various levels. It fascinates me that they managed to pull off such a major project in the heart of the city and keep everything around it operating, and not disturb a historic Monument that was found to only of had 6ft 2 inches of foundations I'm told!!

[@JordanReeve]

The construction of the metro around monument seems an interesting idea!

[@tigger4246]

Another excellent and well researched video👍🏻 Newcastle city council have always been the same, unfortunately! Keep these interesting videos coming.

[@blacktapes3475]

Nice video - it brought back a lot of memories. Eldon Garden was always empty, we used to go to the cafe in there but even when it opened the shops were never busy and I'm pretty sure there were some units that were always unoccupied. I remember the Green Market being very busy on the other hand. It was always a bit scuzzy compared with Eldon Square and even the shops along that side of the centre seemed lower end (though I used to love the sewing shop) but it obviously attracted a lot of people.

[@anthonyhoran2543]

Great historical overview. I come from Gateshead and always hung round old Eldon square ( the hippy green as it was called). More history of the north please

[@JordanReeve]

Can’t beat the Eldon green

[@xxxTheManOnFirexxx]

Goth & Emo green in 2010

[@davideaguarinigilmartin-pr8154]

Two comments: 1 - Handyside Arcade - great to see you include reference to that. It was a really cool arcade, if a bit run down by the 80s, but the kind of place that if it had withstood redevelopment to the disaster that was Eldon Garden in the early 1990s would have been perfect for independent retailers and F&B in the 2000s - especially in the post-Covid era. 2 - Greenmarket - what a shame, and again, oh the irony in a post-Covid world. Remove an open market with independent stallholders, replace with a big chain. Fast forward just a few years, and Debenhams is in receivership and NCC have plans to create new smaller market spaces like Ridley Place, Savile Row, next door Grainger Market (I understand from another one of your vids). Hindsight really is 2020.

[@JordanReeve]

I really think I missed out not being able to visit handyside arcade. Seems the type of place that would do well with independent stalls nowadays. And would definitely do better then Eldon garden. Which I’m Always amazed hasn’t been redeveloped yet And I agree with green market being one of the biggest lost opportunities. Just to bring a department store that wouldn’t last 10 years to the site and other big retailers.

[@Bicyclehub]

I remember Handyside Arcade well, Fynd and the Kard Bar. It always seemed to be well attended, especially at weekends. It had a particular alternative character different from all the other arcades. All the hippies loved it. The Animals started out in the Club-a-GoGo upstairs. I guess that the planning department thought that the Handyside wasn’t delivering the economic returns that a prime site should. In hindsight, what a regrettable mistake.

[@kevlewins]

So good, love the videos

[@lewisa1539]

Very interesting video! Loved learning the history... I didn't realise that Eldon Garden was a completely different shopping centre!

[@lewisa1539]

Must add, however, that the brick look is definitely outdated!

[@lewisa1539]

Also, haha, Debenhams has now closed down completely in Eldon Square, so what's going to fill in such a huge space there?!

[@JordanReeve]

Eldon garden is a weird place to visit anyway. I’m not sure what’s going to take Debenhams space but it’s a loss of a major anchor store which Eldon square needs to fill

[@raywkal]

Great video! Very interesting and well researched. Thank you!

[@JordanReeve]

Thanks glad you liked it!

[@johndurkin6382]

Really informative and interesting, great stuff

[@JordanReeve]

Thanks!

[@MrBoutland]

Please keep making the videos, your very informative

[@JordanReeve]

Thanks so much!

[@kevinhughes2440]

Just subscribed great channel.

[@JordanReeve]

Thanks Kevin!

[@revpeterlaws]

This is an excellent video. Thanks for this. Will subscribe!

[@JordanReeve]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@jacquelinesmith8029]

Thank you Mr Reeve 😉

[@da90sReAlvloc]

Anyone remember when the 3 bears were on the loose in Eldon square, i did a video about it

[@georgeedwardscott7159]

you should have gone onto the roof of eldon square (car park) some amazing views across the city rooftops.

[@JordanReeve]

Yes ive been up there before, such a lovely view!

[@iandougall7169]

Muhammed Ali opened Eldon Square shopping centre I recall

[@leeharwood9624]

Great video mate Newcastle has a history not a lot of people know about it how it was a spectacular kingdom and had 24 turrets and towers with o er 6 miles of wall it was also called monkchester in the middle ages due to the sirian monks that came on pilgrimage and were said to defend the town and protect the people do to the special connection they felt to the city due to the gods/ ancient men but not of this world who once lived and ruled to kingdom - the ancient history of Newcastle upon Tyne

[@kino-cathedral]

7:03 is that a restaurant spaceship thing? Which big shops was it near to?

[@leogreen6116]

You used to get into the cafe in bainbridges. Called John Lewis now. It was wonderful to see such a cafe inside a shopping centre and wish it was still there today.

[@barbnala8360]

@@leogreen6116 it was a mother and baby feeding place when it first opened

[@parallaxview6770]

@7.10 - The Pit !

[@1258-Eckhart]

I left a request under the Ouseburn Pt 2 video ...

[@JordanReeve]

Sorry man, ill check that out

[@aandnfishing496]

it’s quite refreshing to see someone so young actually give a &@/-!!! quite knowledgeable it seems also… i remember it all from the early 80s onwards…i seen the harlem globetrotters in eldon recreation centre…which i’m not sure you mentioned,the centre i mean,not that i seen the harlem globetrotters there;) eldon sq seems a little sterile now if you know what i mean…no character 😢

[@leeharwood9624]

The northeast had a full electric bus service in the early 1900s

[@georgeedwardscott7159]

such a pity we lost all those great looking building for a modern pile of shite. hope NCC take note.

[@JordanReeve]

Such a shame building preservation came around after the demolition of so many lovely buildings

[@hexusG4Z]

Really good video mate, also Berwick is pronounced 'Bear-Rick' said quickly just FYI.

[@JordanReeve]

thanks! and will make sure to get that right aha

[@simonsmith6720]

Berwick (the border town in Northumberland) is not pronounced 'Bear-wick' at all... try 'Berrick' to rhyme with Derrick. Bewick (Bewick Court Tower block) is pronounced B-you-ick and it's name comes from Thomas Bewick: born Northumberland, died Gateshead

[@hexusG4Z]

@@simonsmith6720 Yeah dude, that's why I said 'Rick. not 'Wick'. Though I suppose the Bear is kin of a shorter sound like Ber - Rick said quickly.

[@ld6433]

Really interesting video pal 👍🏽 its awful how bland both Eldon square and metro center are now! There is a video on KZbin of the metro center when it first opened and it's beautiful! Check it out if you haven't already..

[@JordanReeve]

Thanks mate! Wish they both had some of their original character still. And I will have to check that video out

[@ld6433]

It's called "Gateshead MetroCentre 1987" :)

[@matthewsmith2787]

I wonder if this shopping centre contains asbestos ?

[@JordanReeve]

Interesting point, I imagine there is potential given the buildings age. But would have thought during the remodelling of the public sections this would be removed / covered up

[@bencoatesworth7731]

Both had a great personality before intu came along and chained them into their corporate look

[@JordanReeve]

Couldn’t agree more, never got to experience either before the intu blandscape

[@bencoatesworth7731]

@@JordanReeve i did but was little so can barley remember it

[@davidsumner4335]

Interesting video and have been even better without that awful background noise. Had to pack in watching after 5.30 mins. Pity!

[@jimmyoconnell6167]

It destroyed beautiful buildings that stood there

[@FozzQuaker]

I remember the old bus station in Eldon Square, how people didnt die of carbon monoxide poisoning I will never know, lol

[@Vince_uk]

A magnificent heart of our city destroyed for dubious reasons by a very corrupt individual T Dan Smith.