Good series, I like the BW conversion too it adds to the feel.

Thanks for all the comments, although photos from up here it applys everywhere, and as Owen stated manufacturing replaced by financial, and service industries like call centers and retail. Now even those are suffering, got to be a better way to run a country to the benefit of all, less short term and more sustainable ways to live.

Rant Over, i will crawl back under my stone.

Rant On Mossy.

The raison d'etre for this sort of "documentary" photography is to stimulate debate and your images are doing just that.

I would have been proud to have produced this work.

Steve

Great series, I really like all the images and agree with what has been said,

it's the same here too!! in the town during the summer you can buy a stick of rock or a bucket and spade, but try to buy some shoes or a bag of sugar and you have to go back out of town to one of the large supermarkets.

Tourism is a large part of this area and it is always said that it makes the money, but it really gets to me the fact we pay council tax all year, but we cannot have the toilets open during the winter

there you go my rant added

nice pics. Losing markets and industries and talents like this are so hard especially when its what countries, lifestyles and families were built from. But remember with every demise there is a new life that begins.

Great set of pictures and I think everyone misses woolies.

My own small market town is just full of phone shops and charity shops and the number of card shops is amazing for such a small area.

Out of town shopping is the big thing here, with several scattered around.

People don't want to pay premiums to park for a couple of hours but I really don't know what the answer is.

A new government would be good but I would like a government run by normal people for example people on minimum wage working in shops and hospitals.

and then some doctors, lawyers, accountants etc NOT people that are already multi millionaires.

Also their wages should be what the average income is per family. Then maybe their thoughts on certain decisions would be different.

blimey once I get started I'm off......lol

anyway photos great and indeed in would be great to live in GREAT Britain again.

Although after all that I would not want to live anywhere else and I am proud to be British......................

Thanks Kay, Mand and Jols, seems im not the only one that finds things in these photos disturbing. The town in question (Whitley Bay) is now awash with charity shops, and parking is a real issue with the traders as the local council charge heavily and police the area looking for those that try to dodge the system.

It was in its hey-day during the 50`s and 60`s as a seaside resort, but it has declined as people go abroad, perhaps with money being tight folks will again return to its beaches and guest-houses, as has been said change can be hard but opportunity's can arise.

Im glad these have stimulated a bit of discussion, ta everyone.

The same story here in the states...so many empty places...homes as well as businesses... Woolworth's has been gone for many years though...my first job was there, back in the mid '50s...All the overgrown house's yards are very sad to see...Shirley