THE people of the past did not live in black and white. They lived, like us, in fabulous, glorious, multi-hued colour.

But their lives are recorded in old black and white photographs.

What would it be like to step back and time and see life as it was in their day, lived surrounded by all the colours of the rainbow.

Middlesbrough historian Paul Menzies has managed to do just that. Paul has been researching the Boro's history since 1977, collecting images as he went. Lockdown gave him the opportunity to play with some of the latest computer programmes and learn how to transform faded monochrome into a riot of colour.

"At times, I felt I had literally walked from my office into another dimension," he says in the introduction to his new book, Middlesbrough – A Colourful Past. "It was time travel to a world of long ago, but it was happening now. A totally different experience from looking at images in monochrome. It was as if I could see and touch yesterday's world today."

The Northern Echo: The Royal Exchange in Exchange Square was built in 1868 to replace the old customs house in St Hilda's, and it featured a large hall where the iron market was held each Tuesday and Friday. Just outside it, and looking towards it, was the statue of

The Royal Exchange in Exchange Square was built in 1868 to replace the old customs house in St Hilda's, and it featured a large hall where the iron market was held each Tuesday and Friday. Just outside it, and looking towards it, was the statue of ironmaster John Vaughan, unveiled by Sir Joseph Whitwell Pease on September 29, 1884. When Dorman Long moved out of the exchange in 1977, it became a derelict eyesore and it was demolished in 1985. Now the A66 flyover goes right over its spot, slicing the town in two and removing this grand piece of Victorian architecture

It is a valuable experience. Middlesbrough was a Victorian boom town. Living generations have only seen some of the great buildings of Exchange Square (above) in derelict decline, before the A66 flew through, but here they are suddenly restored so they look as they did when they were brand new.

For some people, it is an emotional experience. Paul writes about how moved he was when he coloured up images of Smith's Dock, where his grandfather worked in the 1920s. "It was amazing to see the coloured images from that time – suddenly I was sharing scenes that were part of his daily life, in full colour, as he saw them."

Paul says: "The world has always been experienced in full colour by those who lived in the past, so why shouldn't we see it as they saw it!"

The Northern Echo: The Corporation Hotel, on the left behind the blue-and-cream Corporation bus, was built in 1863 opposite Middlesbrough's splendid town hall. The legendary Cockney actress Wendy Richards, star of Are You Being Served and EastEnders, lived there as a

The Corporation Hotel, on the left behind the blue-and-cream Corporation bus, was built in 1863 opposite Middlesbrough's splendid town hall. The legendary Cockney actress Wendy Richards, star of Are You Being Served and EastEnders, lived there as a child as her parents ran the hotel. It was demolished in the early 1970s. The lady on the right with the pushbike is struggling with a remarkable load: she seems to have a toy car on her handlebars

Middlesbrough – A Colourful Past by Paul Menzies is published by Eaglescliffe's DestinWorld Publishing, 304 pages of full colour for £20. It is available from retailers like Waterstones and Amazon, as well as from the publisher's website, destinworld.com

The Northern Echo: On June 14, 1917, King George V and Queen Mary visited to Teesside to boost the war efforts of the growing female workforce in the vital iron and shipbuilding industries. Raylton Dixon & Co built more than 600 ships in its Cleveland Dockyard, and its

On June 14, 1917, King George V and Queen Mary visited to Teesside to boost the war efforts of the growing female workforce in the vital iron and shipbuilding industries. Raylton Dixon & Co built more than 600 ships in its Cleveland Dockyard, and its founder was the great-grandson of George Dixon who dug a stretch of canal on Cockfield Fell in 1767 and sparked the idea of connecting the south Durham coalfield with the sea at the mouth of the Tees

The Northern Echo: Working class life in Middlesbrough was hard. In this 1912 view of Hilda's Place, in the old quarter of the town, the children and their mothers (there are no men on the picture) have gathered around the communal pump. The yards were regularly

Working class life in Middlesbrough was hard. In this 1912 view of Hilda's Place, in the old quarter of the town, the children and their mothers (there are no men on the picture) have gathered around the communal pump. The yards were regularly visited by epidemics of disease which in the 1890s, a government inspector said was due to the 3,000 privy middens that were next to the homes. The raw sewage in the middle of many streets cannot have helped the situation. In this picture, though, the yard appears to have been paved with scoria bricks, which are something of an obsession of Memories. Scoria bricks were made from blast furnace slag and, as the picture illustrates, they could be washed and brushed clean of all detritus, unlike the earthern or cobbled yards that went before

The Northern Echo: Middlesbrough was connected to the Stockton & Darlington Railway from 1829 and its first station was a wooden hut near the staithes at Port Darlington. A more substantial station was then built in Commercial Street, but when the line to Redcar opened

Middlesbrough was connected to the Stockton & Darlington Railway from 1829 and its first station was a wooden hut near the staithes at Port Darlington. A more substantial station was then built in Commercial Street, but when the line to Redcar opened in 1847, Middlesbrough got a third station in Sussex Street, near what is now Cleveland Police's town headquarters. It is this station that is seen here on August 10, 1868, all dressed up to welcome Prince Arthur, Queen Victoria's third son, when he came to open Albert Park. He also went to the Exchange building, which allowed it to become known as the Royal Exchange

The Northern Echo: Middlesbrough station was designed by architect William Peachey, who also did splendid work in Darlington and Saltburn until he fell from grace when the railway company discovered he was taking backhanders from builders. The station of 1877 added to the

Middlesbrough station was designed by architect William Peachey, who also did splendid work in Darlington and Saltburn until he fell from grace when the railway company discovered he was taking backhanders from builders. The station of 1877 added to the Victorian splendour of Middlesbrough, even though the Germans did bomb and destroy the huge trainshed on the right of the picture during the Second World War. The statue of John Vaughan is by the same Scottish sculptor who created Joseph Pease's statue for the centre of Darlington. In fact, one of the four friezes around the plinth is almost identical to one on Pease's statue - do you think Sir Joseph Whitwell Pease noticed when he unveiled the statue in 1884 that the sculptor had copied a frieze from his father's statue?

The Northern Echo: The St Hilda's area of Middlesbrough was the first to be developed next to the original Port Darlington. It is now a rundown by evocative place, with the town hall clock still standing. The town hall was built in 1846 and hosted a banquet for WE

The St Hilda's area of Middlesbrough was the first to be developed next to the original Port Darlington. It is now a rundown by evocative place, with the town hall clock still standing. The town hall was built in 1846 and hosted a banquet for WE Gladstone on his visit in 1862. On the right is the Talbot Hotel, which was known locally as "Sackers" or "the Dog". A talbot was a type of hunting dog, which explains the second nickname, but can you explain "sackers" for us?

The Northern Echo: The new railway community of Middlesbrough, next to Port Darlington, had its own market from December 12, 1840, the streets surrounding the town hall often overflowing with stalls

The new railway community of Middlesbrough, next to Port Darlington, had its own market from December 12, 1840, the streets surrounding the town hall often overflowing with stalls

The Northern Echo: Middlesbrough - A Colourful Past by Paul Menzies

Middlesbrough - A Colourful Past by Paul Menzies

The Northern Echo: The Oxford Palace of Varieties was one of Middlesbrough's first music halls, which opened in 1867. Dan Leno, Vesta Tilley, Marie Lloyd, Harry Lauder, Harry Houdini and a young Charlie Chaplin all performed here, although the big act that was

The Oxford Palace of Varieties was one of Middlesbrough's first music halls, which opened in 1867. Dan Leno, Vesta Tilley, Marie Lloyd, Harry Lauder, Harry Houdini and a young Charlie Chaplin all performed here, although the big act that was appearing when the picture was taken was Professor Duncan's Marvellous Collie Dogs - the professor controlled his dogs without any whips as they performed their tricks. The music hall, in Lower Feversham Street, shut in 1907 and was destroyed by a bomb in 1940

The Northern Echo: Corporation Road, Middlesbrough, from Paul Menzies' new book

A 1913 postcard of Corporation Road showing the pre-First World War splendour of Middlesbrough, with the shops full and illuminated by flickering gaslights, and the people well dressed in white collars and hats, plus the boys are wearing plus-fours, which are ideal for jumping on a bicycle