Couple posing on the beach at South Shields, UK, August 1950 (b/w photo)

These photographs celebrate the opening of South Tyneside Council’s new leisure centre, Haven Point, on 28 October. They focuse in particular on life along the foreshore at South Shields during the 1950s but also include a few images from further down the coast. South Shields has long been a popular seaside resort and also has a proud industrial heritage. Times have changed, though, and many of the old industries such as shipbuilding and coal mining have disappeared. Rather than stand still and accept this change in fortunes, South Tyneside Council is pressing ahead with an ambitious vision to transform the Foreshore, Town Centre and Riverside areas into vibrant destinations. Haven Point is a key part of this change.