VIPS headed to city 45 years ago
THERE were some high-profile visitors to Newcastle in 1977.
In July, Her Majesty The Queen and boxing legend Muhammad Ali missed each other by just a couple of days.
The Queen was in the midst of her UK Silver Jubilee Tour, while world heavyweight champion Ali had, quite remarkably, accepted an invitation to come to Tyneside to help raise money for a local boxing club.
Thousands turned out to give both a rapturous welcome.
And two months earlier, in May, the recently installed American President Jimmy Carter had the red carpet laid out for him when he stepped off his plane, Air Force One, at Newcastle International Airport.
Carter’s wife, Rosalynn, had launched the Friendship Force to build bridges between the US and the rest of the world.
One of the first cities to become involved was Newcastle, and exchanges involving 762 travellers were due to take place with Atlanta.
The people involved would stay in each other’s homes, experience each other’s jobs, and learn about life in a foreign country.
The Carters were keen to see North East England for themselves.
The Chronicle reported: “They packed the airport. They packed the streets. They packed the area outside the Civic Centre and they opened their arms to him. And he loved it.
“A great smile spread across his face at the airport as he was greeted by crowds waving both the Union Jack and the Stars and Stripes.”
Our photograph of the President stepping off his plane at Newcastle Airport is one of several we’ve picked from the archive which recall some of what was going on in the city in 1977.
Meanwhile, in the news 45 years ago, the first Apple computer went on sale in the United States; British firefighters went on strike over pay; and at his Graceland home in Mem
phis, Tennessee, Elvis Presley died at the premature age of 42. Ironically “The King’s” death brought about a surge in record sales which provided plenty of work at the RCA factory in Washington, Tyne and Wear.
At the cinema in 1977, hit movies included The Spy Who Loved Me, Star Wars, The Deep, Smokey And The Bandit, and Capricorn One.
In the UK pop charts, number one hit singles included Mull of
Kintyre by Wings, I Feel Love by Donna Summer, and Knowing Me Knowing You by Abba.
And on television, there were debuts for Citizen Smith, Robin’s Nest, and The Paper Lads, which was set on Tyneside and featured the adventures of group of youngsters doing their daily newspaper rounds.
Check out our selection of photographs taken in Newcastle in 1977.