Ah Whitley Bay - used to go there (and The Spanish City) when I lived in Newcastle - working on the newspaper that article is from.
It was a right dump when I was there, mind you, in the late 90s. Shame to see it was all knocked down but looks like they're trying to do something with the site and glad they kept the dome.
Great chippy on the seafront between Whitley Bay and Tynemouth - Sea Princess I think it was called. Wonder if that's still there?