Is anybody off here for a pint tonight?
ANYBODY having a night out on the town this weekend? If you’re young and trendy, you might be stopping off at this grand old Newcastle city-centre building.
Today it’s home to Revolution bar and restaurant on the corner of Collingwood Street and Pudding Chare, and it’s one of the Toon’s in-places.
Before it became a bar early in the millennium, it did have a long, distinguished previous life.
For most of the 20th century, as our main photograph shows, it was an impressive, marble-clad branch of Barclays Bank.
Older readers might remember depositing money here or cashing cheques, long before the place began selling pints, burgers, and speciality vodkas.
In fact, this corner of Newcastle has a fair bit of history.
As the 19th century eased into the 20th, a bar called the Wellington stood where Revolution is today.
It was one of many across the nation - and the region - named in honour of the famous Duke and his historic victory at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
It was demolished and replaced in 1903 by the impressive Collingwood Buildings, which were designed by architects Oliver, Leeson & Wood.
Initially meant to be a hotel, it was taken over during its construction by Barclays Bank with the work being completed by architects Cackett & Burns Dick.
For decades, customers banked in style amid the building’s marble columns, arched windows, and exquisite ceiling.
Come the late 1990s, it marked the end of an era when Barclays finally moved out.
The building briefly hosted a restaurant called Cafe Chinois, before Revolution took up residence in the spring of 2001.
With the classical-style interior still intact, it’s one of Newcastle’s most striking-looking bars.