Sunderland memories: Crowtree Leisure Centre, the 'pop man' and Santa at Joplings

Well, today we’re reliving those fond memories of trips to the swimming baths (and the snack for afters), last orders in the pub at 10.30pm and the shops you would always visit on a trip into town.

There’s nothing more comforting than a trip down memory lane, and Sunderland Echo readers have been telling stories from their past for this week’s Throwback Thursday.

Meeting your mates at Crowtree, looking forward to a Thursday night pop delivery and a mad dash for the last bus home on Friday and Saturday nights form just some of your stories – and we have loved reliving these moments with you.

Visit our Facebook page here to add your own memories to our post. Here are some tales from your younger days.

Swimming at Crowtree, High Street baths and Newcastle Road

Kelly Sharratt: “Curry and chips after swimming at Crowtree and a hot chocolate.”

Heather McCully: “High Street baths on Tuesday night for the swimming club.”

Sandra Duncan: “Swimming and ice skating at Crowtree Leisure Centre.”

Ann Malcolm: “High Street baths on Saturday morning then saveloy dip while waiting for the bus home.”

Nicola Loftus: “Splash in at Crowtree on a Friday night.”

Louise Tait: “Ice skating at the Crowtree, waiting in a huge queue to get in.”

Donna Marie Stokoe: “Leisure centre swimming on Saturdays or ice skating.”

Bottoms up! Taking a delivery from the pop man

Kelly Sharratt: “Sykes pop van coming on a Thursday tea time.”

Julie Beck: “Alpine pop vans delivering pop.”

Julie Root: “Villa pop man selling sarsaparilla.”

Julie Odams: “The pop man.”

Jayne 'Stout' Brown: “The Villa pop man.”

Linda Robinson: “Pop delivery to your door, Alpine we got.”

Coleen Morris: “Taking the empty pop bottles back to the shop to get some money.”

‘Meet you at C&A!’ Hitting the shops

Karen Atkinson: “Joplings money, little baskets in Joplings for kids to shop the sweet department.”

Sophie Southam: “C&A, Joplings, Woolworths, Dewhirsts.”

Caroline Mitchinson Lawther: “Santa in Joplings!”

Alison Williams: “C&A … everyone’s meeting point.”

Julie Odams: “Joseph's Toy Shop, C&A and Binns.”

Margy Palmer: “Borrowing a bike for the a few hours [from] the second-hand shop for sixpence.”

Alan Emerson: “Half day Wednesday in the local shops!”

Jackie Shields: “Sgt Peppers shop where everyone bought their jeans.”

Rochelle Louise Nixon: “Woolworths pick and mix.”

Raising a glass to Sunderland’s nightlife

Sharon Lynch Harding: “Beehive. Painted Wagon. Old 29 and the last bus home packed to the rafters.”

Peter Fletcher: “The Mecca on Friday night. Tiffany’s at the Mecca Saturday night and Sunday night at the Rink, late 60s.”

Lindsey Maddison: “Getting the free bus over to The Nightclub on a Wednesday, Thursday rock night in Pzazz and all weekend at the Rink.”

Ian Clarke: “The glass floor in The Old 29.”

Alison Williams: “The Upper Deck pub on a Saturday afternoon after [going] to Wimpy.”

Donna Gray: “Running for the last bus home when the pubs closed at 10.30pm.”

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