Friday nights would be the lads. Lasses would probably be more prevalent on a Saturday
John
So, I moved here late summer 1982. I was already familiar with the town and from visiting my sister and her circle of friends over the years preceding. And they were quite plugged into the social scene and involved in, initially, the Sunderland South Constituency Labour Party, all manner of co-op ventures including the bunker, which taps into the music scene in the town, particularly, for example, the old 29. Having lived on the marshes in North Lincolnshire prior to moving up here, obviously it was something of a culture shock and I think it’s important to stress that Sunderland was a completely different place to the one it is now, what with the pit and the shipyards and all its associated industry. People were funded, optimistic and vigorous, and that was reflected in social activities. Very much so, so I mean I was lucky in that I had an ‘in’. I wasn’t coming in as a complete outsider and had to find my feet. It was already provided for me, if you like.
Needless to say, I spent a significant portion of my time in the various boozers in the town. I suppose if we had a set route it was an automatic thing I would have said and become obviously more random as the night wore on. I think it’s important to mention that 7 o’clock to half past ten, you were drinking like the clappers as well, because you’ve got this three and a half hour window. So yeah, I suppose we’d start in what, the Ivy House, and then, I was living in Argyle Square at the time, and then Albion, well, Chaplins as it is now, and then Buller, I think. And then, I mean obviously this is before the bridges chopped the town in half. Black Bull, went in there quite a bit as well. They used to have bands on and all. For example The Toy Dolls. I mean, I don’t think there would have been a Toy Dolls if they didn’t play the 29 every other weekend or whenever. I mean that whole wandering, bumbling around from pub to pub was stopped when they built the bridges. I don’t think you can underestimate what an important thoroughfare Crowtree Lane was back in the day.
Friday nights would be the lads. Lasses would probably be more prevalent on a Saturday and that sort of thing. I presume it was a safety measure, really, so neither could see what the others were getting up to and it cut the fights down a bit. Thursday nights used to be dead busy as well, somehow. I think the pits and the shipyards payday was a Thursday. Who thought of that idea?! I mean, you know, productivity on a Friday. There was one place that impressed me. There was a restaurant called Harleys. That would have been the last port of call. If anybody got enough money. There was an Indian on the corner of Crowtree Lane and Maritime Terrace. Melting Pot, that’s it.
This memory is part of the Bishopwearmouth Townscape Heritage Scheme collection