Fish and chips have become a staple of the quintessential British experience, but each serving varies from place to place.
Whether it's at the seaside, in towns, cities, or hidden gem fish and chip shops, the North East is no different to the rest of the UK, and great fish and chip shops can be found everywhere.
In particular, in Darlington, there's always plenty of fish and chip shops to visit.
Digging into the archive here at The Northern Echo, we have managed to uncover some classic fish and chip shops from Darlington and County Durham that you may know or may have heard relatives talk about.
Bimbis are one of the great names of North East fish and chips.
Their founder was Mary Bimbi, who settled in Annan, Dumfries, where they ran the first chippy.
Most Italian immigrants into the Durham coalfield at the start of the 20th Century set up ice cream cafes rather than fish and chip shops.
Mary went back to Tuscany to be educated in a convent, and then returned to Britain with her new husband, Lorenzo Bimbi, to set up an ice cream shop in Ashington in Northumberland.
Another one followed in Seaside Lane, Easington Colliery, which also did fish and chips, and then they opened in Durham in 1958.
With their sons in the business, it expanded to having 13 shops from Newcastle down to Darlington.
Lorenzo died in 1978, but Mary carried on serving until she was 94, when the Bimbis sold their business.
Alan's Fish & Chip shop in Farrer Street, just about opposite the Hopetown Carriage Works. Alan's is now a curry takeaway.
Farrer Street is one of the older terraces in the Hopetown area of town.
The street is named after James Farrer, the Scottish archaeologist who was the Conservative MP for the South Durham constituency, which was centred on Darlington, from 1847 to 1865
Shildon Fisheries in Church Street in October 1981, which served its fish and chips in copies of The Northern Echo.
It was around this time that, due to health and safety regulations ordered that a sheet of greaseproof paper had to be wrapped around the fish
In Newton Aycliffe in November 1982, you could get skinless haddock and chips for only 65p, showing the massive changes from then until now.
Take a look at some of the images from years gone by of some of the fish and chip shops (and vehicles) from Darlington and County Durham:
This van is brand new, having been made by Herbert Raine's coachbuilders in Spennymoor for Mrs E Hughes of The Batts, Bishop Auckland. She ordered this £125 horsedrawn fish and chip trailer in May 1922 when she put down a £70 deposit and paid off the balance at £10 a month
Bimbi's on High Row, Darlington. Picture courtesy of Darlington Centre for Local Studies
Bimbi's on High Row, Darlington. Picture courtesy of Darlington Centre for Local Studies
Bimbi's on High Row, Darlington. Picture courtesy of Darlington Centre for Local Studies
Mary Prestledge of Shildon Fisheries in Church Street in October 1981. In front of her, ready for wrapping, is a copy of The Northern Echo - you can see the Hear All Sides letters column. It was around this time that, due to health and safety regulations ordered that a sheet of greaseproof paper had to be wrapped around the fish
The Americana fish and chip shop in Bondgate, Darlington, on July 28, 1981
In Newton Aycliffe in November 1982, you could get skinless haddock and chips for only 65p
Bob Richmond serving fish and chips in Surtees Street, Darlington, in April 1971
This picture was published in the Echo's former sister paper, the Evening Despatch, on October 25, 1967, under the headline "Fish and chips Chinois". It said: "The cooking of traditional English fish and chips was taken over by the Orient when Darlington's first Chinese fish and chip shop opened last night at 14 Lawson Street. Shirely Chan is seen at work serving meals ranging from prawns and rice, curried chicken and rice to, of course, fish and chips"