Remembering the smoke-filled days of the old Sunderland bus station

It was dark, smoky and had dodgy lights in the ceiling. That's the old Sunderland bus station.

Yet somehow, it retains a fond place in your hearts. We know because we shared an Echo archive photo of it from 1996.

A huge response from Wearside people

More than 24,000 people took a look when we posted it on the Wearside Echoes nostalgia page on Facebook. It's the specialist Sunderland Echo social media page dedicated to memories of our fantastic past.

You had plenty to say about the old station. Most of you said it was full of fumes - and yet some of you also said: "They were the days."

Swimming, sausage and chips, and a bus home

Let's have a look at your comments.

Simon Jones:"Swimming at the Crowtree, sausage and chips from Parkers then the bus home. What a time to be alive."David Lewis: Class memories. With the ticket office on the right of this pic . Massive queue on a Friday of people renewing their bus pass for the week ahead."

It had big lights in the ceiling. Some worked

Christopher Jones: "Wow this brings back memories! Spending most Saturdays in Sunderland with my gran, then traipsing into the middle of that bus station to get the 215 (Sunderland-Bishop Auckland bus) back home. I always remembered those big lights in the ceiling, there was always a few not working! There was always a massive queue for the toilets too."

Keith Trott: "This is why us Mackems are immune to a chemical warfare attack."

Lorna Button: "I remember it from the 60s and 70s. All those petrol exhaust fumes gassing us half to death."

Fumes, noise and the world went on

Clare Holl: "Omg. Yep fumes and noise. And we all just got on with it."

Les Potts: "Who said you can’t taste a photo."

Ian Pyley Pyle: "Those were the days and the leisure centre was mint back then."

Mary Percy Hird: "Cor I can smell the fumes lol."

So much more to enjoy at Wearside Echoes

Many of you expressed surprise that the bus station was so empty in the photo. To explain, it was National Car Free Day and our Echo photographer caught it at a particularly busy moment for callouts.

More than 450 of you liked the post and there's plenty more like that to enjoy on our Wearside Echoes Facebook page.

It contains loads of old photos, comments, stories and much more besides. Why not join our growing membership of more than 8,200 people and enjoy a daily trip down Memory Lane.

And get in touch if there is an iconic Sunderland building you want us to feature. Email [email protected]