The Sunderland Echo

I acquired this print today from a former colleague at the 'Echo'.  I think the pic was taken about 1963 as the first Sunderland suffix numbers didn't start until 1964.  The red and black Austin 5cwt van is driven by Tommy Arkley, he later became the Garage Foreman.

For those Blippers who may not recall the offices, looking from R to L,

Right building.  The tall glass windows allowed light into the first pre-war printing hall.  It was unsuitable for modern presses.  There was a public house built into the construction as they wouldn't move when the original buildings were erected on the site of old housing.  In my time working at Bridge Street the buildings were used as the advertising department.

Centre building.
Ground (first) floor is the garage where these vehicles were stored.
Second Floor.  If I recall correctly, this next floor housed generators and printing supplies.  The flong machines which converted the Lino-type into curved plates was manufactured here.  The reproduction of metal plates or blocks, for printing adverts was also assembled there.
Third Floor housed the Linotype machines, maybe 25 or so, which squirted 6" size strips (slugs) of hot metal lettering used to make up on the stone, a page sized assembly frame.   These were eventually pressed onto a resilient but embossable card material called a flong which was bent into a semicircular shape mould in the foundry and filled with metal. Depending on the size of the newspaper, anything from 24 - 64 pages, they were clamped around the printing press cylinders.    Top floor was used by engineers and electricians for lightweight stores.

Left Building (under scaffolding)
This was an extension onto the original building housing new presses, admin offices, Editorial, Accounts and the all important canteen at the far end (out of sight).  I recall sitting in there eating my toast and tea and watching the massive ships being launched into the Wear which was just below the window.  This was a regular occurrence, Sunderland was still a major ship builder in the 1960s.  

By 1976 the cramped Bridge Street premises were closed and an out of town modern factory was built to house new Web Offset presses.  The owners had difficulty selling the old site it but it eventually went for a knock down price to a bingo ticket printing manufacturer, the biggest in the world!  Twenty years later the site was demolished and sold for ten times the original selling price.  It became a new luxury block by 2007.  If you want to watch the ships sailing up and down the Wear now there's an excellent Chinese restaurant where the old canteen used to be.  I visit regularly, sometimes I take MrsDB.

Extras - New Echo House 2007 and the old 1930's entrance at street level.  The vans were new in April 1029