Newcastle United isn't the only Tyneside institution celebrating its 130th anniversary this year - the jeweller Northern Goldsmiths on the corner of Blackett Street and Pilgrim Street has also been a constant fixture in the city since 1892.
Early on, as a small family business founded by a Northumbrian called Thomas Cooke, it supplied watches and marine chronometers from its Newcastle workshop to the Admiralty during World War I. Just a few decades later, it managed to thrive during the austere years of post-World War II Britain, before becoming a leader in the luxury watch market. Indeed, it was the first provincial store outside London where you could buy a Rolex watch in the UK.
In 1935 the company installed the building's famous golden timepiece - a metallic lady Venus adorning a Rolex clock and finished in 24ct gold leaf, her outstretched arms symbolising progress. The clock, which chimes every 15 minutes, has been the scene of numerous proposals over the years. It is still sometimes referred to locally as 'the kissing clock' by old romantics.
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The location has become a renowned local landmark and one of the most photographed spots in Newcastle - and it has been a popular meeting place for generations of Geordies out shopping or enjoying a night on the town. The store was once the head office for several other Goldsmiths stores around the region, before the company’s expansion throughout the UK.
Meanwhile, another Newcastle Northern Goldsmiths store (with its own gold clock) was situated on the corner of Westgate Road and Clayton Street West. In 2015, Northern Goldsmiths at 1, Blackett Street benefitted from a £1m investment which saw the listed property restored to its former glory after undergoing a full refurbishment. One of the guests at a celebratory evening for loyal clients and friends of the business was 100-year-old Deborah Storey. Born in 1915, Deborah had worked on the china and clock department in her time with Northern Goldsmiths, while her husband was the company secretary.
Today, Goldsmiths is the largest high-end jeweller in the country and has 100 showrooms nationwide. Each offers premier and designer watch brands, and gold and diamond jewellery.
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