Friday 2 August was opening night for Sheepfolds Stables, a £4m entertainment venue on the north bank of the Wear that replaces the scrapyards and derelict land that used to lie between the Stadium of Light and the river with bars, restaurants and event spaces. People who were there spoke of an enjoyable evening of live music and drinking in the sunshine.
A footbridge is being built to link Sheepfolds and the stadium with Keel Square, which lies a couple of hundred yards upriver of the traditional city centre. There is a conscious effort to refocus Sunderland on the axis running from the 2,000-capacity Empire Theatre and its associated arts spaces through the office development on the site of the old Vaux Brewery to the football venue. After years of stagnation, there is finally a sense of progress.
