High Street
This photo shows the junction of High St with Bridge St (left) and Fawcett St (right). It was known as Mackie's Corner. The building opposite Mansfield's is the Havelock Cinema which opened 1915 and closed in 1963. It is interesting to compare this picture with photo SDTC 007 which was taken pointing in the other direction.
Information from Len Charlton.
High Street, c 1910. High St started as a track between old Sunderland near the quays to Bishopwearmouth village the best part of a mile away. The track developed westwards into a road and by 1800 all open land between the town and village had gone. Many historic buildings such as the Exchange Building (the old town hall) had been built in High St and shops and pubs were soon fighting for space. The photo gives a great impression of the variety of shops that could be found by the 1900s. Fawcett St which ran into the middle of High St was only then starting to attract the more expensive shops.
Information from Len Charlton.
Victoria Hall and Mowbray Park lake c1905. The Victoria Hall , opened in 1872 , was the scene of a great tragedy in 1883 when 2000 children at a show were offered presents and in a rush downstairs became trapped by an inward opening door. 183 died and very many were injured. A glass encased marble memorial of a mother holding a dead child was placed in Mowbray Park and not surprisingly the hall's popularity never recovered from the disaster
The WW1 memorial was built on the other side of the lake in 1920 and this part of the park seemed to be haunted with sadness in the 1920's. Many were pleased when the hall was finally demolished by a bomb in 1941. The monument was for some time placed in Bishopwearmouth Cemetry but is now back in Mowbray Park.
The disaster resulted in the law to fit outward opening doors. to all public places.
Information from Len Charlton.
