‘An awful building’ - Shields Gazette readers reflect on the former Central Library as demolition starts

Demolition work at the former Central Library, on Prince George Square in South Shields, picked up pace this week with the site being earmarked for student accomodation.

The site is the last that needs to be cleared to to facilitate the proposed relocation of South Tyneside College from its current Westoe location to South Shields town centre.

The Central Library building has been disused since the opening of The Word in 2016.

Many shared their memories of the old building on the Shields Gazette Facebook page, with some reflecting on Saturday jobs, the fish in reception while others expressed their dislike for the former library.

Find out what they said below:

Linda Grierson: “Worked in that library, both on the library floor and upstairs in the offices. Awful building after working in the lovely old library in Ocean Road.

“Open plan offices and floors too big to adequately heat in winter and too flippin’ hot in the summer.”

Robert Holmes: “Who remembers renting videos from the library bit downstairs? And the goldfish in the reception.”

Deidre Bell: “It was a horrible building to look at and to be in. Didn’t like downstairs either.”

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Andrew Hodgskin: “Had my first Saturday job at that library and spent many an hour downstairs in the music library as a kid.”

Louan Robertson: “Used to be the highlight of any trip to the library seeing the fish in the reception area. My son, now 18, used to love to see them too.”