The town halls and civic centres of the major towns and cities in the North East of England are typically the grandest buildings in the town and the primary statements of civic pride in the locality. The buildings date from many different periods, from the Georgian era to the present, and exhibit a wide range of architectural styles, but all were built to demonstrate the confidence and success of the region. In this book author Michael Johnson traces the historical development of the town halls and civic centres of the major conurbations in the region - Newcastle, Sunderland, Durham, Middlesbrough, Gateshead, Jarrow, South Shields, North Shields and Darlington. These buildings are extremely lavish and well designed, and many replace older structures that were no longer fit for purpose. They are also powerful statements of local and regional pride. Together, they express the distinctive cultural identity of the region. This book will be of interest to all those who would like to know more about the history of the North-East of England, as well as local architectural groups.