Take a trip down memory lane with Snapshots of the 1970s Berwick book

‘Snapshots of the 1970s’ draws upon the contents of the vast Photo Centre collection, now held in Berwick Record Office, and it follows on from two earlier publications about the 1950s and 1960s – all of which have been compiled by volunteers from the Friends of Berwick & District Museum and Archives.

The 1970s were a decade in which the town underwent many physical alterations. On the high street, the prominent Waterloo Hotel was demolished to make way for the new Boots store.

Across the river, the Dock Road embankment was removed and part of its railway viaduct was blown up. It was also the last decade in the long history of Berwick Shipyard, one of the town’s most significant employers.

Social changes included the growth of employment for women, with opportunities at Pringles, Jus-Rol and Allan Bros, and there were developments in the town’s leisure culture with new nightclubs and venues for young people.

The political turbulence of the 1970s was reflected in several industrial disputes and strikes in the town, which mirrored a wave of national discontents.

About one third of the pictures in the new book are in colour and they include a series which records the many street parties that celebrated the Silver Jubilee of 1977.

The pictures are prefaced with a timeline of life in Berwick during the 1970s, based on stories reported in the Berwick Advertiser.

The book is now on sale for £12.99 at Berwick Record Office in Berwick Library and at Grieve’s in Church Street.