Throwing new light on old town of Jarrow
THESE striking photographs open a window on to a very different world.
The images show Jarrow in the middle decades of the last century.
They come from the upcoming book by Paul Perry.
Called Jarrow from Old Photographs, it is due for publication by Amberley on July 15.
Paul is the leading authority on the history of the town. He has amassed an incredible archive of nearly 70,000 historic photographs.
Paul said: “This is the 18th or 19th book I’ve written, and I’ve been digging deeper into my archive to come up with some fascinating stuff for the new one.
“Around 80% of the
images in the book will be in colour and many are unseen.”
These gritty images show Jarrow as it was in the 20th century when it was still recovering from the impact of economic implosion of the 1930s.
Paul says: “Whereas most people are aware of the Jarrow Crusade, some perhaps don’t know why it took place.
“When Palmers’ shipyard and steelworks which employed the bulk of Jarrow’s townsfolk closed in 1934, it was a devastating blow. Whole families and streets found themselves out of work.”
“The crusade was a dignified march for work and a protest against unemployment and poverty.”
Ironically, before the closure of Palmer’s and the famous crusade, Jarrow had been a relatively prosperous Tyneside town.
“Indeed it was,” says Paul. “The order books were full, the pubs were busy, and the shops were busy. The town was thriving.”
Eight decades on, Paul feels that Jarrow has long suffered from a negative image perpetrated by the national media in the wake of the 1936 crusade.
“Unfortunately, the stigma remains,” he says, “but the reality is that Jarrow is a proud town. Today it’s thriving and doing at least as well as any comparable North East town.”
Fans of Paul’s books are in for a treat as he is planning to have another three completed for publication by next January.
Of his latest effort, he says: “There is a huge interest in the history of Jarrow and towns like it. The world of outside toilets and gas mantles as seen in my books is from a different world, but people are very much drawn to it.
“Jarrow has a long, rich history dating back to Bede and I’m keen to share it with people.”
■■Any queries, you can reach Paul Perry directly on (0191) 4221131, or by email at paulperry64@hotmail.com ■■Jarrow In Old Photographs is published on July 15 by Amberley, priced £14.99. It will feature 160 images over 96 pages.