The decades of change

The sixties, seventies and eighties were decades of great change. Many towns and cities were redeveloped with projects that dramatically affected the character of the place. People’s shopping habits were altered as supermarkets took over from traditional stores and corner shops. Leisure habits were changing too, as cheap air travel led to the arrival of the foreign package holiday and a new range of leisure facilities were developed at home. Fashions, as ever, were changing in this period, reflecting radical changes in society and the ways in which we viewed ourselves. Transport also evolved, with a move away from the railway and buses, creating a strain on the roads, which led to new road schemes.

These changes in people’s habits and lifestyles were keenly felt in Jarrow, in the north-east of England, as the town’s traditional industries, particularly based around its shipyards, declined. The last shipyard closed in 1983 and much of the old dock area has been reclaimed for new industries but local author Paul Perry recaptures it all in this fascinating portrayal of the town and its people over the course of these most nostalgic decades.