In 1980 Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister, unemployment hit a 44-year high of 1.9 million and the Tyne & Wear Metro officially opened between Haymarket and Whitley Bay after six years of construction.
Looking back at these photographs of Newcastle in 1980 and 1981 it's clear not much has changed in the city in 40 years.
The Metro looks largely the same and so does the city centre. Largely, the quality of the photos and vehicles captured in them give their age away.
The biggest change is the Quayside. Now a hustling hot spot of restaurants, bars and entertainment venues, in 80 and 81 the riverside was still characterised by its industrial past and fairly rundown.
So let's have a look back over 40 years and see how much we can recognise.
1. Great North Run 1981
Photo: Newcastle Libraries
2. The Quayside in 1980
A very different scene to the Quayside we see today. Photo: Newcastle Libraries
3. Jesmond Metro station
Jesmond station looks pretty much the same today- shows how little the Metro has changed in 40 years. Photo: Newcatle Libraries
4. A Christmas scene
The bridges and Quayside covered in snow in 1980. Photo: Newcastle Libraries