Newcastle United isn't the only Tyneside institution celebrating its 130th anniversary this year - the jeweller Northern Goldsmiths on the corner of Blackett Street and Pilgrim Street has also been a constant fixture in the city since 1892.
Early on, as a small family business founded by a Northumbrian called Thomas Cooke, it supplied watches and marine chronometers from its Newcastle workshop to the Admiralty during World War I. Just a few decades later, it managed to thrive during the austere years of post-World War II Britain, before becoming a leader in the luxury watch market. Indeed, it was the first provincial store outside London where you could buy a Rolex watch in the UK.
In 1935 the company installed the building's famous golden timepiece - a metallic lady Venus adorning a Rolex clock and finished in 24ct gold leaf, her outstretched arms symbolising progress. The clock, which chimes every 15 minutes, has been the scene of numerous proposals over the years. It is still sometimes referred to locally as 'the kissing clock' by old romantics.
