| Abstract |
A fading industrial port keen to re-invent itself for the 21st Century - a regional capital tucked into the North-East corner of the country, off the international map but with some impressive architecture amid the crumbling warehouses, a fiewrce sense of regional pride and a decent football team, perhaps the only reason the city is know beyond its own country. If this sounds familiar you might be surprised - for this is not Tyneside but Barcelona only two decades ago. |