A Bigg Night Out in Newcastle in May 2009

10 Bigg Night Out images as Newcastle enjoyed its party reputation in 2009

by · ChronicleLive

Journey back in time almost 17 years through this pick of photos which transport us back to 2009 for the end-of-week Bigg Night Out in the city centre. They show groups of pals out around the Bigg Market in the May of that year and they are clearly having great fun.

One picture is from Evolution Festival, the city's once-annual music event, to show what else was happening around Newcastle at the time. Our original Bigg Night Out series, which ran from 1992 until 2012, captured the heart of the city's party reputation in weekly scenes taken by Chronicle photographers.

Back at the time Tinchy Stryder's Number 1 actually hit number one - for three weeks starting in April - and other May chart-toppers included The Black Eyed Peas' Boom Boom Pow and Bonkers by Dizzee Rascal. Those who remember those days may recall seeing the likes of X-Men Origins: Wolverine; Star Trek and Angels & Demons at the cinema while Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian was released at the end of that month.

In a sign of how the world has changed since, Russia was the host of the Eurovision Song Contest which took place that May in Moscow. The song Fairytale by Alexander Rybak, of Norway, won.

Over here the MP expenses scandal was hitting the headlines. And 2009 brought some key moments for the toon.

The Hancock Museum was reopened by the late Queen, as the Great North Museum: Hancock, and The Cooperage pub closed its doors on the Quayside. And masses mourned when much-loved Newcastle United manager Sir Bobby Robson died that summer.

Cheers - this smiling group raise a glass to a Bigg Night Out
Hitting the Bigg Market for a May night out
Stylish ladies bringing a blast of colour to city streets
Styling it out in the Bigg Market