Mayfair Ballroom

Mayfair Ballroom was a ballroom and concert hall situated on Newgate Street in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The oblong room was built to hold 1,500 people and had a small stage along one of the longer walls. It was opened in September 1961 by the Mecca organisation.

Artists that played the venue, early in their careers, include AC/DC, The Who, Free, Pink Floyd, Queen, the Police, Shy, the Prodigy, Black Grape, the Cross, Kylie Minogue, Daft Punk, Tin Machine, U2, the Clash, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Faith No More, Judas Priest, Bodycount and Nirvana, The Glitter Band among others. Led Zeppelin's first ever live performance in the United Kingdom was at the Mayfair Ballroom on 4 October 1968, albeit billed as "The Yardbirds featuring Jimmy Page". Free's final live performance in the UK took place at the venue on 20 October 1972. At the end of the show, guitarist Paul Kossoff broke the neck of his cherished Les Paul guitar after uncharacteristically throwing it into the air in frustration. In 1999 the Mayfair was demolished and replaced with a retail and entertainment venue called The Gate. The closing night was attended by 5,000 people.

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Newgate Court

Newgate Court is a student accommodation building in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The 185,000 sq.ft building was designed by Urban Innovations and contains 575 student bedrooms. The building sits on the site of the former Newgate Shopping Centre which opened in the 1969. Outlets of Subway and German Doner Kebab are located on the lower floor facing Newgate Street. A 265-bedroom hotel and business centre owned by Dalata is also part of the development and houses an indoor crazy golf course.

Grainger Market

Grainger Market is a covered market in Newcastle upon Tyne. It opened in 1835 as part of the 19th-century Neoclassical redevelopment of the city, Grainger Town. Designed by architect John Dobson, the market replaced older markets that were demolished during the construction of Grey Street. The market is home to over 100 businesses. The Grade I listed market is situated in the heart of the Newcastle city centre, adjacent to Grainger street. The market originally consisted of two main sections: the Eastern section, which functioned as a meat market laid out in a series of aisles, and the Western section, a large open hall that served as the vegetable market. The market is home to a small branch of Marks & Spencer, a market stall known as Marks and Spencer's Original Penny Bazaar, which opened in 1895.

Bigg Market

The Bigg Market is a site of historical significance in Newcastle upon Tyne and dates back to the Middle Ages, when it was the site of a thriving marketplace that formed an important part of the Great North Road. The market was named after a type of coarse barley, called bigg, that was widely sold from the stalls. Other nearby markets included the Cloth Market and the Groat Market. The Bigg Market is located close to Newcastle Cathedral. Newcastle's old Town Hall, which was built between 1858 and 1863 was located in St Nicholas Square (between the Bigg Market and the Cloth Market) and served as the meeting place of Newcastle City Council between 1863 and 1968. More recently the Bigg Market has become known for its drinking culture and disorderly behaviour. It has more than 20 bars and restaurants housed in its 31 buildings, many of which are listed buildings in a state of some disrepair. In February 2015 the business improvement district company for Newcastle city centre received initial support of £202,800 from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Approximately £2.9M of combined funding is expected to be used to reinvigorate the Bigg Market by recreating the historic area in a commercially sustainable manner.

Sunlight Chambers, Newcastle

Sunlight Chambers is a listed residential and commercial building on Bigg Market in Newcastle upon Tyne. It was designed by architects William & Segar Owen in a modified Baroque style and was named after Lever Brothers' Sunlight detergent brand.