Group home biography of tyne valley

190 Heaton Park Road – or 94 as it was until renumbering in 1904 – was a one off. The three-storey double-fronted half-timbered facade still distinguishes it from neighbouring houses.

And the balcony and iron railings, as shown in the photograph below, which dates from around 1910, would have left nobody in any doubt about the status of its owner. The photo is reproduced with permission of Newcastle City Library.

Built to order

However, it was the interior which made it unique.

As you can see from these beautifully drawn plans, which can be viewed in Tyne and Wear Archives, it was designed for (or even by) Edward G Brewis and from the outset incorporated studios, a dark room and a print room among the usual living space.

The exterior looks a little different from the photograph so either it was modified before being built or was altered later.

Edward George Brewis was born in Gateshead, the youngest child of a publican and his w