Whilst many English nationals take full advantage of cheap flights and the close proximity to Spain and France in order to go sun bathing on sandy beaches, it should be noted that England herself has more than a few gorgeous coastal areas and Whitley Bay is home to more than its fair share of them. In fact, Whitley Bay was a popular tourist destination for both Scottish and English nationals before air travel became as widespread and cheap as it is today.
Whitley Bay served as something of a bargaining chip between Edward I and Pope Nicholas VI in relation to the issue of the need for funding in order to allow for an expedition force (the polite term for a raiding party hell bent on pillaging and looting) to be sent to the Holy Land whilst on Crusade. Historical records show that there was a considerable amount of negotiation between the Vicar of Rome and Edward, although Edward finally managed to best the Pope and secured a very generous valuation schedule which would go some length to keeping the overheads that would be incurred in relation to the crusade at a minimum.
Like many other English towns which had relied heavily upon industrial production and manufacturing such as coal mining and steel production, the economy of Whitley Bay took a rather considerable nose dive when these industries went into decline. In a bid to recoup some revenue and establish some semblance of economic identity as well as independence, moves were made to reinvent Whitley Bay as a holiday seaside resort town.
One of the most famous landmarks of Whitley Bay was the so called Spanish City a permanent fixture within the confines of the city and it was a fairground that was a popular landmark both with native citizens of the town as well as tourists who visited it. Built in 1910, the fairground was subsequently closed down in order to make way for new developments within the area including a school and housing. However, there has now been calls made to revive the Spanish city in order to stabilize the economy.
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