Aycliffe promo featuring 16-year-old schoolgirl dubbed Claire 'Fanny' Adams unbelievably outdated 35 years on

WHEN we opened one of the Newton Aycliffe picture packets in The Northern Echo archive, we discovered far more than we had bargained for.

Yes, there were the expected old aerial views, plus pictures of buildings and vehicles that looked wonderfully outdated.

But there was also evidence of a promotional campaign run by the Aycliffe Development Corporation in 1980 which – 35 years later – looks unbelievably outdated and outrageously sexist. It becomes even more incredible when you learn that the model, schoolgirl Claire “Fanny” Adams, was just 16.

The Northern Echo in July 1980 explained how she was selected: “Claire was picked after a search through the phone book to find a pretty girl with the surname Adams (and she insists she is as innocent as the advert).

“She said yesterday: ‘My parents like it and are very proud. I like Aycliffe and agreed to do it for nothing.”

It becomes staggeringly unbelievable when you learn that “SFA” is supposed to mean Selective Financial Assistance, which was a Government fund for business promotion.

Sweet Claire Adams appeared in half page adverts in The Times, Financial Times and Daily Telegraph, and the £15,000 campaign sparked controversy.

But not in the way you would expect.

There weren’t complaints of sexism – in fact, this campaign was rather tame compared to “the nubile charms of a naked Newcastle model” which had promoted Aycliffe in 1979’s campaign.

The complaints were that Aycliffe was being very rude to Margaret Thatcher’s Government, which had slashed the amount of SFA available to Aycliffe.

Town publicity officer Tom Sterling told the Echo: “Some people might think we are putting up two fingers to the Government, but that’s not true. I’m sure they’d be delighted that we are trying our best to create new jobs.”

Later in 1980, the Corporation printed 10,000 brochures to send to businessmen. These featured “the lovelies of Aycliffe” – eight girls in swimwear.

“Drop in and size up a new town’s assets”, urged the Evening Despatch newspaper at the launch of the £16,000 brochure, which was called Anatomy of Aycliffe.

Publishing the pictures of the "Aycliffe Angels", as they were dubbed, and their vital statistics, the paper explained: “Aycliffe Development Corporation created a storm of controversy, and gained thousands of pounds of free publicity last year when they used a nude girl in a series of national advertisements.

“A spokesman said: ‘These (new pictures) will be much more tasteful adverts, though they will have just as much impact.’”

It is just that using sexually suggestive adverts, at least one featuring a schoolgirl, to appeal to businessmen is something that, 35 years later, we wouldn’t countenance.

Aycliffe Angel: Hilary Ecclestone

Which leads to the obvious question: what happened to the lovelies of Aycliffe: Claire Adams, Pauline Chan, Mandy Pick, Gale Church, Jaqui Kerr, Paula Kitching, Hilary Ecclestone and Christine Wheatley?

And please let us know if any of the other pictures trigger any memories.