This was graffiti-scarred Longbenton railway station 45 years ago.
It was a time when youth gangs were common, and areas around the towns and suburbs of the North East were often daubed with spray paint marking the presence of bored local youngsters.
Back in June 1976, the lads and lasses of the North Tyneside neighbourhood had been busy marking out their territory here.
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This was clearly the domain of Longbenton Aggro Boys or 'LBAB' as their graffiti tag denoted. They were one of many gangs well known around Tyneside in the 1970s.
Longbenton railway station had become operational as relatively recently as 1947, and was clearly already down at heel less than 30 years later.
Opened by the London and North East Railway, it was constructed of red brick in a design not unlike some of the stations of London Underground.
In the late 1950s a concrete footbridge was built over the lines to connect the platforms, and waiting rooms were added.
The station was used by thousands of staff working at the nearby Government offices known as ‘the ministry’, or Benton Park View to give it its full title.
The railway station closed in early 1978, reopening as a stop on the new Metro line which began operating in August, 1980.
It was further refurbished in 1999 and artwork was installed in 2001 to, perhaps ironically, combat graffiti issues at the station.
Don't forget to check out our Memory Lane local history website that's packed with archive photographs and has an easy-to-use picture colourisation tool.
