The days when going out in Sunderland meant no camera phones - but lots of fun and a great atmosphere
It might only have been 30 years ago but Sunderland’s nightlife scene has changed massively since the 1990s - especially how we recorded it all.
They were the days before BC - before camera phones that is.
‘People just went out and had fun’
And in the latest episode of the Sunderland’s 90s Nightlife series, we look at how people were less self-conscious before the days of social media.
But those days are also not well documented in photos.
John Shaw, Julie Garland, Jason Bushby, Bob Senior, Alison Vaulkhard and Bryn Hanson all looked back at an era when everywhere was busy and with a good atmosphere, largely thanks to the different licensing hours.
Also in the episode - called 1990s BC (Before Cameraphones) - Phil Monk also recalled: “People just went out and had fun.”
Loads more episodes to enjoy
Jason Bushby remembered: “Nowadays, everyone likes to look good. They are on Instagram, they are getting their pictures taken. They are not as relaxed, so they don’t enjoy themselves as much, I wouldn’t have thought’.
Our series is now well under way and here’s a reminder of the first seven episodes which you can catch online.
Episode 1: Called Old Skool. Our interviewees discuss their memories of music back in the 1990s including Nirvana, rave, dance and trance.
Episode 2: The very people who ran Idols and Annabels shared their memories - and there were lots of them!
Where you met before going clubbing
Episode 3: We asked people for the first thing that came to mind when they thought of the 90s night scene in the city.
Episode 4: A look back at Chambers, particularly through the eyes of John Shaw who was a DJ there in the 1990s.
Episode 5: Called The Safety of the Pack. We looked at the places where people met before going to their favourite nightclub.