For many on Tyneside of a certain age and musical disposition, this place was a regular port of call in the 1970s and '80s.
It was February 27, 1976, and the staff at WH Smith were making last-minute preparations for the new store's opening a week later. The retailer was one of dozens, big and small, that would soon begin trading in Newcastle's giant pioneering shopping centre, Eldon Square.
Opening on Thursday, March 4, the sprawling complex at once revolutionised the retail experience on Tyneside. Billing itself at "the most modern shopping centre in Europe - in the heart of Newcastle", it brought the indoor American mall experience to North East England.
