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Coun Bill Robson, Coun Olive Kaer, Coun Doris Starkey and, disappearing fast
Wall Art and Photo Gifts from Memory Lane
Coun Bill Robson, Coun Olive Kaer, Coun Doris Starkey and, disappearing fast
Coun Bill Robson, Coun Olive Kaer, Coun Doris Starkey and, disappearing fast, Coun Jean Baty.
If it wasnt for the smiling faces, you would be forgiven to think that this lovely lady had fallen down a manhole, when this picture was taken in September 1976.
However, Mrs Jean Baty, here disappearing fast, and her fellow adventurers, were about to embark on an arduous trek through the Victoria Tunnel originally linking Spital Tongues Colliery with Byker quayside.
The party was made up mainly of members of the citys planning committee who had gone to see what conditions were like in the then nearly 140-year-old tunnel, which they hoped to open to the public.
Built in 1839, the two-and-a-half miles long tunnel had only a short working life in 1860 the colliery went bankrupt and the underground railway was closed.
Yet the trip brought a touch of nostalgia to Coun Walter Wilson who remembered the tunnel as a wartime air raid shelter.
He said: I remember going down into the tunnel from Ouse Street. It was much wider at that end, although things always seem much bigger through the eyes of a child.
That might be so, but cold, wet and pitch black in places it still was for this jolly bunch years later.
15th September 1976
NCJ
NCJ Archive
Mirrorpix
WA*5694466
Media ID 21610849
© Mirrorpix
Adventure Glasses Helmets Hole Light At The End Of The Tunnel Tunnel Wellington Boots
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EDITORS COMMENTS
In this print from September 1976, Coun Bill Robson, Coun Olive Kaer, Coun Doris Starkey, and the disappearing fast Coun Jean Baty are captured with beaming smiles on their faces. At first glance, one might assume that Mrs. Jean Baty had fallen down a manhole due to her vanishing act in the picture. However, these adventurous individuals were actually preparing for an arduous trek through the historic Victoria Tunnel. The tunnel was originally built in 1839 as a link between Spital Tongues Colliery and Byker quayside. With its nearly 140-year-old history, members of the city's planning committee decided to explore its conditions in hopes of opening it to the public. Although it had only operated for a short period before closing due to bankruptcy in 1860, the tunnel held nostalgic memories for some. Coun Walter Wilson reminisced about using the tunnel as an air raid shelter during wartime when he was just a child. He recalled descending into it from Ouse Street and how things appeared much larger through his youthful eyes. Despite their cheerful expressions captured by this photograph by NCJ from Memory Lane Prints on September 15th, 1976, this jolly bunch experienced coldness, dampness, and pitch-black darkness throughout their journey inside the tunnel. Their expedition serves as a testament to their dedication towards uncovering Newcastle's historical treasures for future generations to appreciate and enjoy.
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