Grandstanding on the Tyne
In search of a new cultural reputation
SAT on the south bank of the river Tyne, Gateshead has always been the poor relation of the richer Newcastle on the other bank. Its town centre, an ugly 1960s concrete concoction, looked even worse when the Metrocentre, a modern shopping complex, was built a few miles to the west. But not everyone cheered when developers proposed rebuilding Gateshead's decrepit centre.
This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Grandstanding on the Tyne”
From the June 16th 2001 edition
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