THE Gateshead Dispensary is to enjoy a new lease of life.

The Grade II-listed building is a monument to the town's battle with cholera in the 19th Century.

Now it is home to Business Travel, which has spent thousands of pounds refurbishing the property.

Business Travel founder Christine Nugent said: "We looked into the history of the Dispensary, and while it wasn't a conscious decision, I think we've reflected some of that history in the choice of dcor."

Business Travel, launched in 1984, manages travel arrangements on behalf of some of the region's biggest companies.

The Gateshead Dispensary was established in 1832 by the Reverend John Collinson to treat victims of cholera.

Sanitation at that time consisted of outdoor toilets and ash pits, which were rarely emptied and often overflowing. This, combined with the fact that there was an average of eight people in each household, was largely to blame for the outbreaks of cholera and typhoid.

The worst cholera outbreak came in 1849 when more than 3,700 people died in Durham and Northumberland.

Mr Collinson left Gateshead in 1839, but the dispensary continued its work. In 1914, more than 15,000 patients were treated at its surgery and its staff made 13,094 house calls. It closed in 1946.