Exhibition of mod life goes with a real swing
YOU can step back to the Swinging ‘60s – albeit briefly – in a new exhibition which has just opened in Newcastle.
‘It’s my life ... and I’ll do what I want’ celebrates mod and 1960s culture with a specific focus on the North East.
The exhibition is being staged at Newcastle City Library and runs until the end of March. Entry is free.
It is the brainchild of Jools and Paul Donnelly from Gateshead. The husband and wife team have been avid collectors of all things vintage since the late 1970s with a particular focus on 1960s mod memorabilia.
Their combined passion for the mod culture has culminated in this mini exhibition, which coincides with the publication of their new book Club a’Gogo and The Mod Scene of 1960s Newcastle.
Jools said of the book: “Using extensive interviews with original mods and clubgoers of the North East we tell their story – a story of what it was like to be young during those halcyon days in Newcastle.”
As for the City Library exhibition, she added: “The collection on view includes vintage ladies’ and men’s mod clothing, shoes and accessories and collectable mod magazines, records and books showcasing the mod scene of 1960s Newcastle.”
Paul and Jools have done much in recent years to keep the name of the legendary Club a’Gogo alive – from successfully lobbying Newcastle Council for a blue heritage plaque to be installed at the venue’s former site on Percy Street to publishing a number of well-received magazine titles – and from hosting live music, social and retail events, to establishing a dedicated Facebook page.
Club a’Gogo and The Mod Scene of 1960s Newcastle is on sale now via www.clubagogo.co.uk/productpage/club-a-gogo-the-mod-sceneof-1960s-newcastle
‘It’s my life ... and I’ll do what I want’ is running now at Newcastle City Library and continues until the end of March.