Sunderland now to Sunderland in 1999



Recently moved back to Red House after 20 years and realised how many cars there are around now to '99, remember being one every 100 yards are so back then.
Which makes the centre less of a pull. People can get to out of town centres much easier now.
Bars are quieter now on a Friday and Saturday neet as young uns don't drink as much as we did. In the olden days people worked on heavy industry Monday to Friday so W/E's were drinking time.

Now people work 7 days a week so a lot of people can't go out at the W/E's.
Bars are quieter now on a Friday and Saturday neet as young uns don't drink as much as we did. In the olden days people worked on heavy industry Monday to Friday so W/E's were drinking time.

Now people work 7 days a week so a lot of people can't go out at the W/E's.
 
Last edited:
Has sunderland got a large amount of homeless in the town centre?I truthfully cant remember seeing any the last time I was up,busloads down here however.Sunderland just needs a decent cash injection into the city,when you say your from sunderland everyone down here thinks everyone in sunderland works in Nissan and has it easy.

There's a few like most big towns. You don't see as many beggars in Sunderland as you do down Grainger Street though.
 
+ The bus station and museum have improved. Trains to London if you're up early.

- Much smaller library (WDSC). Holmeside is an absolute tip and the river banks are still criminally underused. No more trains to Manchester/Liverpool. Vaux.
Riverbanks comment is massive. The potential all along is absolutely huge. With a bit of clever thinking and some backing imagine what it could be like along from Liebherr/SoL to the seafront.
 
Just drove through Newcastle west end /elswick and the top of westgate Rd .Nowhere in sunderland is as rough as that shit tip ,it’s wick round there like .No surprise that’s where the grooming gangs where operating .
My lass is born and bred Benwell, she asked me the other week if I'd consider moving through there. Simply replied with; "Not a f***ing chance".
 
St. Peter's Campus
Park Lane Bus Station
Seafront regeneration
Echo 24 building
Keel Square
Sunniside regeneration
Actually having a cinema
Bridges Expansion
Museum and Winter Gardens regeneration
Mowbray Park modernisation
Northern Spire
Transformation of the Old Cinema into "The Point" (Can you imagine what this looked like on the town back then)
National Glass Centre
Sunderland Aquatic Centre
Hilton Hotel
Metro Expansion
Beacon of Light
Empire Theatre redevelopment and hosting of west end shows

Given people complain about Sunderland now, can you imagine what it must have been like then? I didn't grasp that as a child obviously, but still...
This will be ignored.
 
Yes, the trade of it. Newcastle city centre was never as predominantly based around actual heavy industry to the extent that Sunderland or Middlesbrough was, with the exception of the Stevenson yards. There was always more soft industries and finance there which allowed more historic capital to build within it. The Quayside even was outside of the city historically.

They got rich off the back of other places digging the coal!
You may well be correct on the aesthetics of the student accommodations however they will bring a huge investment into the city. The change, over time, the same huge influx of students have made to Manchester has to be a good target to replicate.

Its true, this is big business. Cities up and down the land are actively promoting student accommodation into the urban centres. Sunderland should do the same
 
Last edited:
I was in Manchester at the weekend, the number of homeless people was overwhelming. If that is the type of change that shiny new students will bring then I’m not in favour.

I worked in Lancaster and it's all geared up for the students in terms of accomodation. For the size of the place / population, the numbers off homeless folks seems very high. I don't recall seeing that many in Sunderland when I worked there.

Preston, around Fishergate has quite a lot too. Again, lots of students at UCLAN.
 
I was in Manchester at the weekend, the number of homeless people was overwhelming. If that is the type of change that shiny new students will bring then I’m not in favour.

Why would you assume that the increase in homelessness in Manchester, or anywhere else for that matter, is a direct result of the increases in student accommodations?
 
Which makes the centre less of a pull. People can get to out of town centres much easier now.
Bars are quieter now on a Friday and Saturday neet as young uns don't drink as much as we did. In the olden days people worked on heavy industry Monday to Friday so W/E's were drinking time.

Now people work 7 days a week so a lot of people can't go out at the W/E's.
Bars are quieter now on a Friday and Saturday neet as young uns don't drink as much as we did. In the olden days people worked on heavy industry Monday to Friday so W/E's were drinking time.

Now people work 7 days a week so a lot of people can't go out at the W/E's.
Aye, with most working 21 days now a week I worry for my kids' future 🤗
 
Was a better night out back then
Agree, i was a lot younger then and life was simpler , but the town is improving we just need the blank cheque to sort out the holmeside , blandford st areas etc . Things do take so long to happen in Sunderland which can be frustrating but there are far worse areas of the uk
 

Back
Top