China Town
Sat. 3rd March., 2001

Here, next to the Co-op building in Newgate Street, once site of the Rainbow Rooms and Dolce Vita the new leisure and retail complex rises.

In the distance the Brewery Offices in Barrack Road is visible, but not for much longer; that new building will block the view.

Between the new building and Gallowgate lies Stowell Street, now home to the centre of the commercial activity of the Chinese community.

From the height of the cranes, it would appear that the new building will be about the same height as the adjoining Co-op building.

This is as much as there is at the moment, and it looks like a basement area is taking shape with some tubes ready for the utilities.

We are promised a multi screen cinema and other leisure resources here, all encased in a swooping cylinder of steel and glass.

On the corner of Stowell Street and Darn Crook is Rosie's Bar, for years the Northumberland Arms. Publicans have an inscrutable desire to change perfectly satisfactory pub names. They  must have a clause in their contracts that demands that they dream up the most absurd pub names and sweep away the well known and often historical handles

From here to the west Stowell Street is occupied by Chinese restaurants and other businesses. Chinese New Year is always an explosive and fun time here!

The buildings here all date from the turn of the last century, with later modifications. That leisure complex building site has an entrance to the left at a position near that fire engine.

This one way street has decorative flat cobbles and Chinese decorations on the street furniture and strung across the road.

This street comes to life after dark with many parties arriving by taxi, car and on foot.

During the lunchtimes the buffet restaurants are most popular; eat as much as you want for a fixed price.

The little spikes keep the goblins and dragons out of the rubbish!

The chic canopy is redolent of the 1920s as is the Broadway lettering, but the whole is attractive and modern looking. This style, although perhaps not so heavily ornate, is experiencing a revival.

Looking from the west Wellbar House towers in the distance, over the more human sized buildings of Stowell Street.

The Chinese community Web site lists all of the businesses in the street and is well worth a visit.

The Town Wall runs to the rear of these buildings and thence to the site of the Westgate, adjacent to the Stoll Picture House, now the Tyne Theatre and Opera House.

The end of Stowell Street is marked by its junction with Bath Lane and the Town Wall. Here is Herber Tower, dating from the 13th century. It was restored in 1770 by the Company of Armourers, Curriers, and Feltmakers, who used it as a meeting hall.

Curriers treat leather after curing by beating and scraping, thus tenderising it before its use in clothing or straps.

That dome belongs to another unconnected building, Big Luke's restaurant, at the junction of Bath Lane and Rutherford Street.

Note the pretty green street name plate. The name is spelt out in English and Cantonese.