Grey days of austerity and rationing

We step back in time to the 1950s. It was a decade which began with ailing, bombed-out Britain toiling under the grey skies of postwar austerity and rationing, but ended with Prime Minister Harold Macmillan telling the nation: "Most of our people have never had it so good.

- By DAVID MORTON

Our 10 photographs from the Chronicle archive - one image for each year of the decade - recall some of what was going on in Newcastle during the 1950s. From 1952, we see a striking panoramic view taken from the top of Grey's Monument showing Grainger Street which, apart from buses, appears to be devoid of traffic. From 1950, we see two famous screen actors of the time, Trevor Howard and Jean Simmons, shooting a scene for the film The Clouded Yellow, one of the first to use areas of Newcastle as a location backdrop.

In May 1955, Newcastle United were celebrating a 3-1 victory over Manchester City at Wembley, securing the Magpies' third FA Cup win in the space of five years.

And, from 1959, we see one of the new breed of diesel locomotives - which over the next decade would replace steam engines in the UK - stopping at Newcastle Central during a run between London Kings Cross and Edinburgh.