Remembering Palmer's, the Sunderland shopping arcade with a leaky roof and floods of wonderful memories

There’s a Sunderland shopping arcade which used to sell records, bikes, football boots and fishing rods.

It is 50 years since shoppers last has a chance to browse round Palmers Arcade. It was long since demolished.

But plenty of you have memories of it and especially the shops which filled the little shopping mall.

Willie Watson’s for sports gear

Here’s a reminder of a story from 2017 when Echo readers remembered the shops and how the arcade had a leaky roof as well as a smell of leather.

Willie Watson’s shop was great for all your sporting needs.

One reader remembered "walking through and the smell of the leather" while another got his first bike from Palmers "as a reward for passing my 11+".

Train sets from Lermans

There was Lermans toy shop where you could get train sets and Palmers shop which was great for push chairs.

There was the music shops which had excellent guitars for sale and Hugh Mitchells shop shop which was just at the entrance of the arcade.

Some of you remembered the tackle shop where you could buy fishing rods.

One reader remembered Browns the photographers. Another recalled Reeds jewellers and plenty of you remembered the pram shop.

Snuff which was not to be sneezed at

There were memories of a tobacconist back in the days when pipes were the fashion, and where you could stock up on snuff.

The site where the arcade once stood was pictured in September 1972 when the bulldozers had almost completed their demolition job.

If you have memories of shops in Palmer’s Arcade, tell us more by emailing [email protected]