Pokemon craze remembered: How the search for sticker albums swept the North East

In the year 2000, parents were joining the Pokemon frenzy which was sweeping the country because their youngsters had nowhere to stick their collections.

They travelled to nearby towns in their searches

Sticker albums were like gold dust at the time and adults desperately searched newsagent’s shelves to get their hands on the books.

Sharon Leighton scoured shops in towns such as Peterlee, Houghton, Seaham, and Sunderland in the hope of finding albums for her nieces.

Chloe Gardner, four, and sister Rebekka, seven, had hundreds of stickers which were a spin off from the popular Japanese computer game and cartoon, but they could not find that elusive album.

‘The little one doesn’t want sweets anymore when we go to the shops’

Sharon said at the time: “The girls have been collecting them for four weeks now and have about 400 between them.

“The little one doesn’t want sweets anymore when we go to the shops - she’s only happy with Pokemon stickers.

“We have been everywhere looking for the albums but none of the shops can get their hands on them. Other parents are facing the same problem. They are like gold dust.”

Newsagents told the paper that the books were flying off the shelves. Tell us if you remember the album craze.

Or perhaps there was a different trend which was sweeping the country when you were young.

Tell us all about it. Share your memories by emailing [email protected]