Swinging '60s; EXHIBITION STEPS BACK 40 YEARS TO LOOK AT LIFE ON TYNESIDE

Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), Oct 13, 2008

Byline: By LAURA CAROE

AN EXHIBITION is set to bring back memories of Tyneside during the 1960s.

The 1960s: Did Newcastle Really Swing? questions whether the city lived up to the popular idea of the swinging '60s and examines what life was really like in the region.

The exhibition, at the city's Discovery Museum, includes clothing and toys from the era, including the board games Twister and Frustration.

Images of the Revlon counter at Bainbridges and a photograph of the demolition of Sycamore Street, in Elswick, Newcastle, by local lensman Jimmy Forsyth, are also on show.

Mum Sophie Hays, from Elswick, Newcastle, was at the gallery with her daughter Cara, six. She said: "I am really impressed. I like the dresses and toys.

"I really liked looking at how Newcastle used to be and how it has changed.

"It is quite an informative exhibition."

The 27-year-old barmaid added: "Cara thought it was really good and liked the toys best."

And dad Chris Cornwell, 44, from Durham, was with his children Clare, 12, and Nicholas, nine. He said: "I think it is brilliant.

"I have all these kinds of things in my loft.

"I remember the '60s like it was yesterday. We really like the toys, clothes and shoes."

Curator Graham Bradshaw said: "We will be looking at the fashions of the time, how people spent their work and leisure time and we have also collected stories and memories from people in the region.

"We are interested in exploring whether life in Newcastle lived up to the popular idea of the swinging '60s."

Newcastle United programmes from the '60s are also on show.

Appliances including a telephone with a manual, a Hoover and a hairdryer from the era are on display.

Industries and retailers, including Fenwick and Bainbridges, and images of the city then will also feature in the show.

For more information, call (0191) 232 6789 or visit www.twmuseums.org.uk/ discovery

CAPTION(S):

STEP BACK IN TIME: Emma Pybus, of Tyne & Wear Museums, checks out exhibits from the 1960s; ALL ON FILM: Demolition in Elswick, 1961, and Bainbridges' Revlon counter 1968; REMEMBER THESE? Laura Brown arranges some typical fashions from the era