East End Community & Voluntary Sector Forum

Time Line

Year

UK and World Events

Community Events

Personal Events

1860 . St Michael's, Byker built  
1900   St Anthony's, Walker built  
1901 Queen Victoria dies after 60 year reign    
1902 .  

Grandmother born. Lived in a caravan under Byker Bridge

1910     Mam born in Byker at the Salvation Army. From her birth, she had a good life, lived to be 86, had a big family and was a good mother.
     
1912 Sinking of Titanic   Great-grandparents moved to Walker from Ireland
1914 Outbreak of World War I  Hexham Avenue built Peter Giles, a 17 year old Byker lad, shot as a deserter, by comrades, for being back late from leave.
1918 World War I ends    
1920   Walker Estate & Rochester Building built My Granny moved here from Ireland.
1921     I was born 28th May
192? Wall Street Crash - start of Depression Population of Byker (including St Anthony's and St Anne's) was 43,000. Population of Byker in 2002 - 8,500.  
192?   Velvet City demolished  
1930     I was born in Walker Road, near Ouseburn Glasshouse Bridge and attended Ouseburn School.
1930s  

Pits closed down.

Various spice, egg & kipper factories in Ouseburn.

Broken Kippers

Pottery Bank and St Anthony's Estate built.

Shipbuilding ongoing

 
1933 Jarrow March Building started on St Martin's Church, Byker

Cambrian Estate, Diamond Row built.

 
1937   Holy Jesus Hospital residents move to Spital Tongues Born late 1930s at Kirkwhelpington
1939 Outbreak of World War II Air raids

People say nearly every street in Byker had a theatre

I was married
1940     In the 40s we all had to sleep together in one bed with an army blanket and slippy mat or coat to cover ourselves up to keep warm
1940s   Bombing of Goods Station Shieldfield and East End.  
194?   The sugar warehouse was bombed and went up in flames - the whole East End smelt of toffee for days.

Gas tank fire started by incendiary bomb.

Naval yard bombed.

Born in Byker and lived in one room with Mam, Dad and two sisters till I was 7 years old.
1945 World War II ends    
1950     Married and moved to Gosforth

I remember we would get the tram from Byker down to Walker

 

1950s   Food rationing continues after the war

Mid 1950s, Hungarians and Czechs move to the area

Shipbuilding starts to decline

 

In the 50s we would go and have fun at the local church where the vicar would let us have records to play and have a dance with the lads who the girls had crushes on
1953 Coronation of Elizabeth II   Moved to Walker and had a proper house when I was 7

We got our first TV

We had a street party for the Queen's crowning. We all got a mug.

1955     I was born
1960   All local cinemas close down

St Anthony's house built

 
1960s   Development of new estates on outskirts of city - people move out. Several of us born in 60s.

2 daughters born

1961 Start of Beatlemania Maling Pottery closes early 60s I moved to live in Heaton with my grandparents.

Went to my first dance

196? Cuban Missile Crisis    
1963 Assassination of John F Kennedy    
1965   St Michael's, Byker site redeveloped in mid 1960s.  
1968 British Army moves into Northern Ireland

Outbreak of Vietnam War

   
1970   Byker Wall development starts

Community Development starts in Byker

Joined Residents' Group
1970s   Lads still got jobs in shipyards and docks through dads and uncles

?Local shops: Parrishes, Wilks, Evan, Pledges, Hardys, Woollies.

Late 70s: closure of shipyards

Mum worked in Parrishes

Reached pension age

Mother died

Son born

1975   Belmont Methodist Church built  
1979 Thatcher government elected

 

Newcastle Women's Aid begins

Walker Health Project starts

Byker City Farm opens

Founder member of Community Association - still going

Met my partner

1980     I was born

Became active in community

1980s Cheap package holidays available

World economic recession

Decline of docks

High levels of youth alienation and unemployment

83 - first child; 84 married & bought first house; 85 - second child

84 - first married; 87 - first daughter

1982 Falklands War   Moved back to North East

Visited Byker as a student

1983     Had my first child
1984 Miners' strike    
1985 Live Aid   Father died; I moved to Whitley Bay

5 grandchildren born

1986 Community Care Act

Chernobyl

National Trust launches Youth Project in Newcastle

Parrishes closes

 
1989     I bought a house in Walker Vale
1990   East End Parent & Toddler Forum forms I move back to Newcastle
1990s     90 - married; 92 - first child; 94 - second child; 96 - third child

93 - first child; 94 - start work in Byker

1991 91 & 92 - Riots in Newcastle and Liverpool

Gulf War

   
1993 Berlin Wall comes down Youth exchange to Hungary  
1995   Women Away forms

BARC move to 11-13 Raby Cross

Golden Wedding
1996 National Lottery starts Byker Resdients'  Forum

East End Partnership starts

Thomas Gaughan Community Centre and West Walker Community Wing open

Start work in East End
1997 Labour elected Byker Sands Family Centre opens

Ouseburn Partnership starts

 
1998   Byker Community Education Project opens Began post in community
1999 Regional dispersal of asylum seekers begins Going for Growth starts Started uni
2000   National Trust Inner City Project moves to Holy Jesus Hospital Started working in Walker

Second child born

Second time at uni

2000s   Much less employment - lack of choice

Money-rich private development alongside the Tyne

 
2001 Sept 11th World Trade Center

War in Afghanistan

East Area Asylum Seekers' Group starts  
2002   East End Partnership ends