Remembering when Dennis Taylor used the Sunderland Town Hall clock chimes for a Mackem music masterpiece

The end result was a wonderful piece of classic music with a Mackem theme.

Dennis Taylor was the man who created it. The talented composer came up with the Wearside Suite and it included the notes which were chimed by the clock in The Bridges.

His inspiration was the Town Hall Clock

It happened back in 1997 and Dennis was struck by the notes which came from the clock which had originally come from Sunderland Town Hall.

To give you some more reminders of Sunderland in 1997, here are some other stories which made the headlines.

End of a football era - and the start of a new one

It was the year when Roker Park hosted its last football match and these were the scenes at the end.

That same year, fans flocked to the Stadium of Light where Niall Quinn scored the first ever goal.

Children from four Sunderland primary schools used copies of the Sunderland Echo to create an exhibition of paper sculptures.

Frank Bruno was a big hit

The banner for Wearmouth Colliery was handed over by NUM officials to the Stadium of Light.

And boxing champion Frank Bruno was a hit when he made an appearance at the Monster Truck Show. Here he is flexing his muscles for Margaret Richardson.

Share your memories of Sunderland in 1997 by emailing [email protected]