Whitley Bay

Whitley Bay is a town in North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. It is on the North Sea coast. The town, which has a population of about 35,000, was originally a holiday destination for the people of North East England and Scotland and remained popular until the 1980s. The town is now widely seen as a dormitory town for Newcastle upon Tyne. Was known as Whitley until the 19th Century, when a body was taken to Whitby instead of Whitley, so the Bay was added to avoid future confusion.

Related Topics:
North Tyneside - Tyne and Wear - England - North Sea - North East England - Scotland - 1980s - Newcastle upon Tyne - 19th Century - Whitby

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It is administered as part of the borough of North Tyneside, but until 1974 it was administered by Whitley Bay Borough Council and by Northumberland County Council.

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Whitley Bay was famous for its permanent seaside fairground called The Spanish City, which was demolished for redevelopment in the late 1990s. The Fairground returns to the town on Bank Holiday weekends, but is now located on 'the links', an expansive seafront park adjacent to the former Spanish City site. The fabulous Spanish City Dome is to become the centre piece of a multimillion pound regeneration of the sea front, which will include hotel and leisure developments. The Dome has had a number of uses over the years as a Ballroom, Amusement Arcade, and Laserquest, most recently it became a live music venue playing host to several bands including an appearance by Ash in 2001. Also has Saint Mary's lighthouse.

Related Topics:
Fairground - 1990s - Ash - Saint Mary's lighthouse

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The Ice Rink was also the region's premier concert venue until the Newcastle Arena (now MetroRadio Arena) opened in 1995. The venue played host to the top names in the music industry throughout the 1980s and 1990s, such as The Cure in 1985, Oasis in 1994 and the Stone Roses in 1995.

Related Topics:
Ice Rink - Newcastle Arena - 1995 - The Cure - 1985 - Oasis - 1994 - The Stone Roses

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Whitley Bay, nearby Cullercoats and Spanish City are all mentioned in the Dire Straits song Tunnel of Love.

Related Topics:
Cullercoats - Dire Straits

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The Park View Shopping Centre opened in 2004, which addressed the balance between entertainment and retail in the town centre. However, the closure of many existing shops and the fact that some existing retailers plan to move into the new Shopping Centre leave doubts as to whether this development can help in the task of redressing the entertainment/retail balance. Also the standard of architecture and quality of the shops within the centre leaves a lot to be desired and it is questionable that this new shopping centre is going to be the significant driver in the regeneration of the town that many had been pinning their hopes on.

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Whitley Bay remains a popular centre of evening entertainment, with many bars and restaurants, such as the Fire Station, the Bedroom and Blue. It is especially popular for stag and hen nights, with people comming from all over Scotland and the north of England.

Related Topics:
Scotland - England

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Whitley Bay is around eight miles from Newcastle upon Tyne and is connected to the Tyne & Wear Metro, with stations at Whitley Bay, Monkseaton, West Monkseaton and Cullercoats. Only about 20 minutes from Newcastle city centre on the Metro

Related Topics:
Tyne & Wear Metro - Monkseaton - West Monkseaton - Cullercoats

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