The town of Jarrow in the north-east of England transformed in the
nineteenth century when heavy industry, particularly coal mining and
shipbuilding, began to dominate the town. At its peak 80 per cent of the
town's working population were employed in the shipbuilding industry
until 1933 at the demise of the Palmer shipbuilding empire. From this
time the town relied upon ship repair as the mainstay industry, up until
the last ship repair yard closed in 1981. Although the docks continued
for another decade, they have been largely filled in today, and new
industries have been attracted to the area during the redevelopment of
the town. In this book well-known local author and photographer Paul
Perry presents a portrait of a town and a way of life that has radically
changed over the decades, much of which has disappeared today, showing
not only the industries and buildings that have gone but also the
people, street scenes, many popular places of entertainment and much
more. This fascinating photographic history of lost Jarrow will appeal
to all those who live in the town or know it well, as well as those who
remember it from previous decades.
