The demolition about1973 of Blaydon, a town north east of England

About 1973. Blaydon, a small town in the north east of England was demolished to make way for a new road system,
This short film shows part of the demolition

[@Magicalfilm]

I remember old Blaydon like it was a dream. I think I can recall visiting Woolworths there which had a dark wooden floor. How they allowed. Someone to rip the heart out of an entire town in exchange for a roundabout and a bus station beggars belief.

[@malcolmmcdonald6720]

Town planners with no foresight,if it had been left alone it would've been a bigger attraction than Beamish and totally authentic

[@keithgilroy1901]

Brings back a lot of memories. I grew up there during that period. I still remember the Coop Butcher for sausages and the Sunday roast. Walter Wilsons for some side bacon. A favourite Fish and Chip shop on Chain bridge road whose name eludes me. The bike shop. An Ice Cream parlour at the bottom of the street. A lot was destroyed and rubbish built in the name of progress in the 60s and 70s but at the time we all thought it was a wonderful change. A brave new world.

[@kevinburn6988]

Great video and choice of music.

[@imperatorrm]

I grew up in that area in the 1980s, I can't believe how much I don't recognise. The wall at 0:12, on the right-hand side behind the van is still there on Blaydon Highway but it's astonishing to see what the immediate area used to look like. Tore the heart out. This is the area seen at 0:12, www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.965655,-1.7115355,3a,39.5y,280.96h,91.54t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sT-vHUtm7n-Y3-Drz9MswWg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

[@beckynik-nik721]

Can you do a comparison of where 0.16 is please

[@roncarson2454]

I lived in Edward Street as a child and my grandparents lived there until the demolition began. I wish now that I had taken drawings or photos of the area before it was DESTROYED by the planners....and for what? A roadway, roundabout and a white elephant of a shopping centre. That's progress??

[@alanrogerson7608]

I lived in number 75 Edward street and my dad worked at Churchill Gear Machines, great buildings were destroyed that would have stayed up for many years to come, all they had too do was to keep the buildings and made it into a precinct, also they could have built car parks on the outskirts and made a new bus station, it would have kept it's character.

[@roncarson2454]

@@alanrogerson7608 I agree Alan. There were options without having to demolish some very good stone houses and the shopping area. When I look back on what the shopping area of Blaydon provided such as drapers, toy shop, wallpaper shop etc. and what the 'Morrison' led centre provides now, is just chalk and cheese.

[@alanrogerson7608]

I see Frank Gillings is part of this channel, I'm wondering did the Gillings family had two sons called Tom and Graham Gillings because I used to go to Blaydon Grammar School with them at the bottom of Blaydon Bank and they were in my class, can anyone tell me. this is 55 years ago.

[@alanrogerson7608]

My mum used to work at Tyne View Caterers her name was Lily Roberson.

[@fluffyspit]

Wow I had no idea...thanks for sharing.

[@music4u138]

All in the name of 'progress'. Disgraceful. I believe the chip shop and cafe featured in one of the 'Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads' episodes was very near Blaydon railway station.

[@alanrogerson7608]

Pinches fish and chip shop is that the one.

[@music4u138]

@@alanrogerson7608 I think it was called 'Eric's'.

[@alanrogerson7608]

@@music4u138 Yes that was at the bottom of Thomas Terrace and did Tommy Lewins had the paper shop, along Railway Street there was Isaac's i think they sold coal, Edward st had Ettie Pictons and Mordues shop was further along.

[@bettyprice6316]

I wonder how many of those lost buildings would be listed today?

[@alanrogerson7608]

All of them.

[@MrDennisshaw]

Thanks for sharing

[@brianbates6787]

Great little town, and a whole community wiped out for a poxy road. CRIMINAL😮

[@Silphwave]

Disgusting what's been stolen from us

[@alanrogerson7608]

All in the name of money.

[@Rupertbear27]

Such a shame--Lovely little town

[@ianwatson2387]

How ever was it allowed, criminal, not progress.

[@TheWacoKid1963]

Demolition didn't happen till at least June 1974, the new shopping precinct had only opened for new and relocated businesses a few months previously.

[@thesmithsutd8970]

Ironically enough, the precinct that replaced a lot of this has also since undergone part re-development. I can vaguely remember old Blaydon as a small kid and a lot of derelict houses, pretty draconian planning back then.

[@bruceburns1672]

!973 and it still looks like it is back in the Victorian era , and even in 2020 most of Britain still looks the same .

[@dougreed2257]

They should have left old Blaydon well alone😞 I remember laws stores for weekly shop, so sad they destroyed it, FOR WHAT?? Tch😕

[@vietgrove]

The photos at the beginning of this presentation are utterly heartbreaking. An interesting, characterful (admittedly a bit dilapidated) little town steamrollered to make way for yet more roads, it's so sad. Do you have any colour photos of just over the old chain bridge on the Newcastle side? Adamsez works, railway bridge, ord arms pub, regent cinema etc?

[@vietgrove]

The distinctively shaped wall to the right of the gas showroom in the second still is still standing I believe.

[@Glenn1967ful]

Most of the rebuilding took place in the seventies when the town centre was by passed by the dual carriageway and the new shopping centre was built. I think the old town centre was becoming too congested and some of the houses were at the end of their lives.

[@robrendle9588]

It was demolished in the 1970’s

[@alanwann9318]

The precinct is struggling on since Morrisons supermarket

[@brianupton8154]

They never make things better so why do they insist on trying.

[@peterleeson1750]

A crying shame, to destroy a town for a road system. I guess the planners took advantage of the lack of oppostion, the inability of people to mobilize any resistance. I loved old Blaydon, Woolworths all the old shops. It did feature in what ever happened to the Likely lads as a sad epitaph.Imagine planners doing the same thing to Harrogate? I think not .. Harrogate has one bit of Blaydon like precinct , not a whole town.

[@gcfcos]

Did they demolish an entire town for a new road? That sounds crazy

[@xrvenomgamer3561]

British-mechanic yeah but I'm currently living the life in this town (Blaydon)

[@paulgibson2516]

British-mechanic Pretty much.

[@TheWacoKid1963]

The church at 1:53 had a cemetery next to it, they also dug that up and moved the bodies to a mass grave at the nearby main cemetery.

[@neonskyline1]

There's a small garden centre in Blaydon that is overgrown, everybody has tried to get it, the married couple who owned it were killed in a car crash with nobody to inherit it, it just stands empty

[@Blaydoner]

Where abouts is that mate?

[@paulbocking6858]

Where did you obtainthe cine film from FRank?

[@fgillings]

My uncle, George Wardle shot the cine 8mm film. Still alive.

[@peterkennedy6704]

Can anyone remember the old lady who used to wander the streets as kids in the late 60s if you looked at her I seem to remember she got rather abusive

[@Tacsmoker]

name of the music please? me fathas family come from Blaydon, yeah fatha not father lol ;-) cheers for this, a great timepiece for history.

[@fgillings]

The music name. The newer Age. Copyright free. 4:15 minutes.:

[@Tacsmoker]

@@fgillings thanks very much for the quick reply. Great video

[@roodborstkalf9664]

Not an improvement

[@beckynik-nik721]

What's the music

[@fgillings]

The New Age. Free copyright from a dvd.

[@beckynik-nik721]

It's so zen! Still can't beleive Blaydon used to look like that