297-299 High Street

DESCRIPTION / STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
These later 19th century commercial premises are still known as Dietz’s shop, after the family who had lived and traded as Pork Butchers here since sometime before 1899. The distinctive Art Deco frontage was introduced by Alfred Edward Dietz, and is what distinguishes the building from others in the vicinity. It is in sand glazed tiles with green fluting to a stepped parapet, with richly textured and vibrant green glazed roof tiles, and distinctively Deco lozenge-shaped window apertures. Unfortunately the windows have been lost, and the Deco shopfront replaced, but it is described as being of green and black glazed tiles with chrome bands. It is an especial shame considering that most German families anglicised their names after the wars, but the Dietz sign was still proudly displayed until recently. MATERIALS Glazed tiles ARCHITECT Shopfront: Parnall & Sons (Newcastle Branch) DATES 1875
Shopfront 1933 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION The original owner of the shop was O J Burn. The Dietz family seemed to favour ‘keeping up with the times’ as Frederick M Dietz (Alfred Edward Dietz’ father) had previously renewed the shopfront in 1899. Originally it had been a traditional Victorian design, with timber panelled stall riser and wide entrance alcove adjacent to the accommodation entrance door on the left. He transformed it, however, with a red granite stall riser, vast window space with only one intermediate column placed adjacent to the curved glass panel at the relocated entrance to the right. This may have contributed to the choice of red granite for the base during the rebuilding of the Blue Bell in 1924-7, before the 30s shopfront was installed. German Pork butchers were common on Tyneside from the late 19th century, although many later anglicised their names to avoid the prejudice developed during the wars. LOCAL LIST