▁de pression , ▁and ▁the ▁' 3 0 s ▁were ▁the ▁most ▁difficult ▁time ▁in ▁living ▁memory ▁for ▁people ▁in ▁these ▁areas . ▁The ▁north ▁was ▁hit ▁so ▁hard ▁in ▁the ▁Great ▁De pression ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁struct ural ▁decl ine ▁in ▁British ▁industry . ▁St ap le ▁indust ries ▁such ▁as ▁coal , ▁steel ▁and ▁ship building ▁were ▁smaller , ▁less ▁modern ▁and ▁efficient ▁and ▁over - st aff ed ▁compared ▁to ▁contin ental ▁riv als . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁north ▁east ▁( including ▁S under land , ▁M idd les br ough ▁and ▁New castle - up on - Ty ne ) ▁this ▁was ▁especially ▁so . ▁The ▁north ▁east ▁was ▁a ▁major ▁centre ▁of ▁the ▁ship building ▁industry . ▁The ▁De pression ▁caused ▁a ▁collapse ▁in ▁demand ▁for ▁ships . ▁Between ▁ 1 9 2 9 ▁and ▁ 1 9 3 2 ▁ship ▁production ▁decl ined ▁by ▁ 9 0 %, ▁and ▁this ▁in ▁turn ▁affected ▁all ▁the ▁supply ▁indust ries ▁such ▁as ▁steel ▁and ▁coal . ▁In ▁some ▁towns ▁and ▁cities ▁in ▁the ▁north ▁east , ▁un emp loyment ▁reached ▁as ▁high ▁as ▁ 7 0 %. ▁Among ▁the ▁worst ▁affected ▁towns ▁was ▁J arrow , ▁where ▁un emp loyment ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁famous ▁J arrow ▁March , ▁in ▁which ▁un emp loy ed ▁workers ▁march ed ▁ ▁to ▁London ▁to ▁protest ▁against ▁un emp loyment . ▁ ▁The ▁north ▁west , ▁a ▁centre ▁of ▁the ▁text ile ▁indust ries , ▁was ▁also ▁hard ▁hit , ▁with ▁places ▁such