Cast your minds back 30 years when all this was happening.
Images from 1994 have been preserved in the Sunderland Echo highlights and here are some of them.
We had a visit from Princess Anne, Tony Blair was touring a new fire brigade HQ and Dave Stewart was passing on his musical expertise.
Intrigued? Here's more.
5. John's Cafe
John Parisella's cafe in Wingate was still a fantastic reminder of 1950s life when we photographed it in 1994. The cafe was taken to Beamish and reconstructed after John's death in 2006. | se
6. New on the nightclub scene
New nightclub Pzazz was ready to open in the former Chambers venue in September 1994. | se
7. Bouncing back to 1994
Fitness sessions took on a different look at Crowtree Leisure Centre in October 1994. | se
8. All new in Durham
Tony Blair was invited to perform the official opening ceremony at the newly built control and command centre at Framwellgate Moor, Durham. | se