00116 Gallery

Music lover George Smith liked nothing more than listening to Liberace

Music lover George Smith liked nothing more than listening to Liberace and Fats Waller tickling the ivories.
And after months of hard work, he had a piano which could play their music by itself, after he restored an 18-year-old pianola.
The 52-year-old warehouseman from Stanley became interested in pianolas after seeing them in a black-and-white film from the 1920s.
The self-playing pianos worked by inserting perforated music sheets.
George tracked down an American-made secondhand pianola, bought it for £200, stripped it down and set about restoring it.
He said: "I had to send away for all the materials and bought a book on pianolas.
"I did all the work myself although I have never restored anything in my life.
"It was in a very bad way when I got it and it wouldn't work."
26/02/84

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Newcastle student Andrew Abbess won the British National Parachuting Championships in

Newcastle student Andrew Abbess won the British National Parachuting Championships in June 1989.
Andrew, a sport studies undergraduate, won his first major competition for intermediates - those who have jumped between 50 and 200 times - after finishing first and second in the two categories that made up the event.
He came first in the accuracy section of the competition, where parachutists aim to land on a 1cm disk, surrounded by electronic pads which record the precision of the jump.
In eight attempts, from a height of 3, 500ft, he had an average error of just 7cm with a best of 2cm.
21/06/89

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The Northern Opera present "Prince Igor" at the Theatre Royal

The Northern Opera present "Prince Igor" at the Theatre Royal, Newcastle in May 1974.
The principal singers are right to left: Joan Trainor, Lettice Hall, John Sykes (Prince Igor), Eunice Spencer and Frances McGrail

© Mirrorpix

1970s, Entertainment, Music, Opera, Posing