Digital Issue | I Love North Shields | April 2025

I Love North Shields.

APRIL 2025 COMMUNITY: If The Kids Are United MUSIC: Coastfest Returns Your Stories: The Demon Drink Temperances BUSINESS: The Yard

@Diane Wailes

ISSUE 12

ields.com h s h t r o n e www.ilov

Hello North Shields Wow, what a month! Newcastle United winning the cup, Sam Fender and his band taking home a Brit Award and a number one record—The North East is just the best! And here in North Shields, we’ve been just as busy celebrating everything happening right on our doorstep!

From The She Show at The Exchange to hosting our Creative Café—and, of course, creating loads of fresh content for you— we’ve had a packed month. We’re so lucky to have venues bringing fantastic entertainment to our town!

We’ve also teamed up with Sira Studio to create a series of videos showcasing North Shields—the trendsetters, the creatives, and the future of our town. And yes, we now have a YouTube channel! Our first video takes you inside the Molton Building on the Fish Quay—go check it out! These videos are little works of art, bursting with our love for North Shields and proud to show the world why North Shields is special.

We also hit 8,000 followers on Instagram last month! What started as a way to share North Shields with friends has grown into something so much bigger—not just online, but as a 60page print and digital magazine created by you, the people of North Shields. Some said it couldn’t be done, but here we are, we did it together—and that’s something to be proud of!

As the town continues to regenerate, there’s a real buzz about what’s ahead—so much is happening, and it’s an exciting time for North Shields!

So, here’s the big news: May will be our last monthly issue as we transition to a quarterly publication. And what a way to wrap up—our North Shields 800 edition is going to be incredible! From September, we’ll be publishing seasonally: Autumn, Winter, Spring, and Summer. This shift gives us the space to dive into fresh ideas, explore new ways of doing things, and make each issue even better!

When we return in September, trust me—you won’t be disappointed!

Simmie Harper X

Contributors Founder/Editor-in-Chief Simone Harper ilovenorthshields@outlook.com Linkedin @simonebranson Front Cover Diane Wailes @northshieldspeople Authors Bazoox aka Gene Scandall Caroline Oswald Carol Davison Diane Wailes Jake Rusby Mark Warner Marianne Butler Mim Robson Olive Bishop Pauline Stewart Rachel Chapman Tatjana @thats.tats Sue Wilkinson Suzanne Coulson Illustrator Katie Stewart TikTok | Illustrator Jodhi Mae Rutherford @pinkpalava Photographers Coastal Captures @coastalcapturesne Lisa Young Photography Wayne Bordoli Photography @yevphotography Megan Ramsey @megramphotos About Us I Love North Shields is an independent community driven publication, supported by the public, operating as a not-forprofit, community-interest company.

Contact Facebook @ilovenorthshields TikTok @ilovenorthshields Twitter @iluvnorthshields Instagram @ilovenorthshields www.ilovenorthshields.com

News

I LOVE NORTH SHIELDS CREATIVE CAFE Thanks to Maureen Elliott, founder of Live Well with Cancer, we now have a dedicated space to co-work, create, and connect! This initiative is all about being visible, meeting in person, and strengthening our community ties. Located at 38 Nile Street, this brand-new meetup space is designed for our volunteers, creatives, and locals to come together, share ideas, and collaborate in a relaxed and welcoming environment.

Meet Your Host The wonderful Pauline Stewart, our Community Connector, will be on hand to make sure everyone feels at home, inspired, and, of course, well-caffeinated!

When? Drop-in sessions | Every Monday, 11 AM - 2 PM Tea & coffee available on a pay-as-you-feel basis, with all proceeds supporting Live Well with Cancer. Fancy something a little extra? Grab a speciality coffee from one of the amazing cafés nearby!

Whether you're looking for a place to meet people, spark ideas, share stories, or simply connect, this is the place to be.

New to North Shields?

Want to be part of something creative and community-driven?

This is your chance to meet new people, collaborate, and bring fresh ideas to life!

¼ Find us at 38 Nile Street, North Shields, every Monday.

Want to get involved? Get in touch—we’d love to meet you in person!

Pauline

News

ANNIVERSARY EVENT STAN LAUREL

By Diane Wailes A severe weather warning was never going to deter this group of fans from celebrating the life of former North Shields lad and their comedy hero, Stan Laurel. On 23rd February, sixty years to the day after the great man’s death, a contingent of the Laurel and Hardy appreciation society gathered at Stan’s statue in Laurel Park, Dockwray Square. Easy to spot by their headwear - a mix of bowlers and the iconic red fez, made famous in the 1933 film, ‘Sons of the Desert’ - they came together to remember Stan, just yards away from where he used to live.

Curious residents joined the group just in time to see a vintage car squeeze through the park gates. “Left a bit, right a bit” - the scene was tailor-made for a Laurel & Hardy comedy sketch!

The group included Stan’s great-great-niece, Claire. And it wasn’t just North East fans and family members who were there to pay tribute.

One fan had come all the way from Nottingham. Another was on a 400-mile round trip from Spalding in Lincolnshire to North Shields, and back. Now that’s dedication!

Flowers were placed on Stan’s statue, and stories were shared about his life, including the years he lived in North Shields, from 1895 to 1905.

The event was organised by the Sunderland branch of the worldwide fan club. They go under the title of the ‘Beau Chumps Tent’ and they get together every month to enjoy Laurel and Hardy movies, learn more about these kings of comedy, and basically just have a laugh.

If that sounds like your kind of thing, you can contact them through the Beau Chumps Tent of Sunderland www.beauchumps.wordpress.com

Community

R Place: Fresh Look

If you’ve walked past R Place recently, you might’ve noticed something new.

After a well-deserved makeover, the café has a fresh vibe—but don’t worry, it’s still the same warm, welcoming spot North Shields knows and loves.

Built on friendship and passion, R Place has always been about great coffee, even better cake, and a space where people feel at home. Ray and Emily’s journey from a rock music venue dream to a beloved café has been a true North Shields success story.

With dog-friendly vibes, affordable treats, and a commitment to supporting local, R Place remains the community hub it was always meant to be. Stop by, grab a coffee, and enjoy the refreshed space—it’s your place, too!

11 Nile St, North Shields, NE29 0BD

¼

Smith's Dock

Smith’s Dock is getting a fresh new chapter with plans now approved for 160 new homes, including shared ownership and affordable rent options. The dock inlets will be transformed into public spaces with green areas and play zones —bringing life back to this historic spot

Organise a Street Party Did you know you can apply to North Tyneside Council to host a small-scale community event on your street?

Whether you're celebrating VE Day 80 on May 8, 2025, The Big Lunch on June 7-8, 2025, or simply bringing your neighbours together, now’s the time to start planning. Apply at least six weeks in advance by contacting events@northtyneside.gov.uk.

Grants are available via The National Lottery for community events.

If you're hosting a small, residents-only gathering with no alcohol sales and no external advertising, you likely won’t need a licence or insurance.

Spotted Fish Quay

Community

Fundraising Fashion Show

North Shields 800 Special

For nearly six years, Live Well with Cancer has provided hope and support to those affected by cancer. Founded by Maureen Elliott, a specialist cancer nurse with over 30 years of experience, the charity addresses unmet patient needs with dedication. Now, the charity is hosting a fundraising fashion show on June 21st, 2025, at the Village Hotel, Silverlink. This sold-out event will highlight the strength of individuals impacted by cancer as they take the catwalk.

Featuring models who have faced or are facing cancer, the evening celebrates resilience while raising crucial funds. In support of sustainability, models will wear pre-loved outfits from St. Oswald’s Hospice, reinforcing eco-friendly fashion.

I Love North Shields – North Shields 800 Special What do YOU want to see in our North Shields 800 issue this May? We’re celebrating the past, present, and future of our town—and we need your stories!

PAST – Know a hidden piece of local history? A family tale passed down through generations?

PRESENT – Taking part in NS800?

Hosting an event? Sharing research?

FUTURE – What’s next for North Shields? Your hopes, dreams, and bold ideas?

This issue will be part of our town’s history— archived for future generations to discover.

To further the cause, Live Well with Cancer is seeking a sponsor to cover tickets for 20 models and donations of raffle prizes. Founder Maureen Elliott shares: 'Our fashion show isn’t just about style—it’s about strength, hope, and community. Sponsorship could make a real difference, allowing our inspiring models to take part without financial burden."

Send your ideas to ilovenorthshields@outlook.com

For sponsorship and raffle donations, visit www.livewellwithcancer.co.uk.

Save the Date – Fish Quay Celebrations 20th June 2025

Letters to Loved Ones A Lasting Tribute

One of the highlights of the North Shields 800 celebrations is taking place on Friday June 20th. The event on North Shields Fish Quay has a programme which will include a procession along the quayside involving local school children, the Blessing of the Fleet and a regatta of boats along the river. It is being hosted by the North Shields Fishermen’s Heritage Project and supported by North Tyneside Council.

Preston Cemetery in North Shields has launched Letters to Loved Ones, offering a special way to write messages to those we’ve lost. Visitors can write on seeded paper provided by E Turnbull & Son, which will be planted in the Garden of Remembrance to grow into wildflowers.

A white post-box in the Book of Remembrance Room lets visitors post their letters, or they can take paper to write later. Inspired by a young girl’s wish to write to her grandparents, this initiative is bringing comfort and is being embraced across the UK. Open daily: Nov–Mar: Until 4:30pm | Apr–Oct: Until 6:30pm

The event is currently due to start at 12.30 pm however is subject to slight change. You can read all about this event and get details of the full programme in the May issue of I Love North Shields.

JODHI MAE RUSSO CREATIVE COLLAGE ARTIST FREELANCE CREATIVE NORTH TYNESIDE "AVAILABLE FOR COLLAGE PARTIES & CREATIVE WORKSHOPS , REACH OUT VIA EMAIL OR ON INSTAGRAM"

ç @PINKPALAVA Ö JODHIJODHIMITCHELL@HOTMAIL.COM

Community

Marnie

MARNIE GOES TO

By Caroline Oswald You’d think that Marnie would have enough on her plate with her upcoming GCSEs this summer. However, she is working hard to raise £3000 to fund a trip to Mexico, where she will help to build homes for families from the slums.

Six of her friends from Marden High School are also taking part in the trip, organised by North Tyneside charity M10 Missions, which aims to “engage young people in impactful work, boosting their positive mindset and driving real change”.

The North Shields students will spend a total of ten days in the city of Ensenda on the Pacific Coast of Mexico. The youngsters will spend the first two days house building and the rest of the time integrating with the local population through sessions with children and adults in the community centre and visiting people in their homes. Marnie jumped at the chance to take part in this unique opportunity when she heard about it through school: “I’m looking forward to learning about a different culture and way of life. Hopefully we will be able to help make a difference over there.”

There are around 30 year 11 and 12 students from various schools taking part in this particular trip: “We meet in Whitley Bay once a month to learn skills like team building and how to prepare group activities for non-English speaking children.” They will also acquire useful practical skills: “We have been split into three different groups to learn about painting, roofing or building the main structure of the homes.”

One of Marnie’s GCSE subjects is Design and Technology, which is bound to come in handy.

The group will fly to San Diego where a group of American adults will assist them in crossing the border into Mexico.

For now, Marnie needs to concentrate on raising the funds to get there. She has already started by selling clothes, organising a non-uniform day at school and a raffle. Marnie is eager to enrol North Tyneside businesses in a raffle, whereby each offers attractive prizes for people locally. In line with the Mexican theme, she has already got Fish Quay favourite Lobo Rojo on board. If you run a business in the area and would like to offer a prize to help Marnie’s fundraising, contact Marnie’s dad at: tom_boden1871@yahoo.co.uk The main event Marnie has organised so far is a sponsored 27-mile walk around Kielder at the end of April, which she hopes to complete in just one day! Watch this space to find out how she and her friends get on…

To sponsor Marnie for her 27-mile hike around Kielder, go to: www.gofundme.com /f/27-miles-for-mexxx

Community

OUR EXPLORER TATJANA JOINES WOEMAN ON A HIKE Looking to get out more, experience all the advantages of being outdoors in nature, explore our gorgeous countryside surrounding us, and all that with the most welcoming group of people?

Then look no further than WoeMan Outdoors, a supportive community with the mission to empower individuals through inclusive outdoor experiences that nurture mental and physical well-being. Set up by our inspiring writer Alex Wright, @woemanoutdoors offers not only monthly hikes but also a running club, workshops and events, and a wealth of digital content from inspiring stories to practical tips designed to support your well-being journey.

Our explorer Tatjana @thats.tats joined one of the recent hikes around Beamish Park and Causey Arch and had the most fantastic day filled with laughs and inspiring and heartwarming conversations, leaving invigorated and looking forward to joining more future activities with this fantastic community.

Community

NEW TO SHIELDS DAN MCCARTHY “ felt a burning desire to do good in the world. And like someone once said to me: If you have got a passion, just follow it. See where it goes.”

Rev. Dan McCarthy.

By Jake Rusby Life could have been very different for Rev. Dan McCarthy.

Just a few weeks into his new role as Team Rector and Dan has found a place that truly feels like home.

In 1998, Essex-born Dan was coming to the end of a Law degree in Wolverhampton , setting his sights on a career at the Bar.

“ are some of the most wonderful, genuine people I have had the pleasure to meet, and I feel so lucky to be here.

But fast-forward two-and-a-half decades, and he finds himself a million miles away from the courtroom, embarking on a new chapter of his life as the Team Rector at Christ Church and St Augustin’s in North Shields.

I knew I wanted to be here the moment I got my first job here, working in the Royal Bank of Scotland on Grey Street in 2004. I think it is a restaurant now!

“ I was studying Law, I always wanted to look out for those on the outside really, those who didn't have a voice,” Dan says. “ felt a burning desire to do good in the world. And like someone once said to me: If you have got a passion, just follow it. See where it goes.”

That passion has taken Dan, 48, on an extensive tour of the country: A year volunteering at church in Ripon, North Yorkshire, led to his choosing to permanently swap his three-piece-suits for a clerical collar, as he made the life-changing decision to enter the priesthood.

Having studied Theology in London and Bristol, moves to Liverpool and Essex followed, before Newcastle became his new home in 2004. That move ignited a thirst to work longer-term in the region.

Twenty years later, after another North East hiatus in St Albans Hertfordshire, that thirst has finally been in North Shields, after a brief spell in Fenham.

“ was where I learned what this region is all about, and gave me an insight into people and the help that they might need. “ is a pleasure to be in North Shields now, especially as the town starts celebrating its 800th year. “ love the vibrancy of the place: the grit, the Arts, the sense of community. Unlike some areas where different people feel closed off, it feels like people really want to work together here.”

Invoking another local landmark, Dan tells me he views Christ Church and St Augustin’s like beacons, which will stand out amidst the darkness and draw people to a safe haven: “ see these churches as being similar to lighthouses, like St Marys in Whitley Bay. “ hope they can be places where people can come and find a sense of community, a sense of themselves and that they can be history makers in North Shields and beyond; that they can actually make a difference in the world.”

Community

THE LASSES (NUWFC) REPORT

By Mark Stutt Matches played in January, February and March: Barclays Women’s Championship v Sheffield United (A) 1-1 v Portsmouth (H) 3-2 v Southampton (A) 1-1 v Bristol (H) 3-2 Adobe Women’s FA Cup v Crystal Palace (A) 2-0 Recently there have been a lot of comings and goings in the Lasses squad - Gibson and Elson departed to Middlesborough and Haywood to Nottingham Forest. Whilst in the other direction Pritchard (on loan from Man City), Wardlaw (from Crystal Palace), Gregory (from Aston Villa and just called up to the Scotland squad) with Murphy a Republic of Ireland international joining from American college team Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

The squad has been bolstered with these timely arrivals as the Lasses have been hit with an injury crisis with seven first teamers on the unavailable list.

In the above matches, the Lasses surprisingly struggled at Sheffield United, scoring an horrendous own goal and rescued a point at the death with a header by veteran midfielder Furness.

Portsmouth was the Lasses first home match for five weeks! An entertaining end-to-end game against the League’s bottom side.

Portsmouth were promoted with us last season, but have really struggled at this level.

Hayles with a brace and Stokes (our former Lioness) got the goals.

In the first half of the Southampton away match we were terrible, and half time arrived with the score 2-0 to the Saints. The Lasses were much brighter in the second half; Murphy setting up Hayles for our first goal. Andrews rescued a point with a great near post volley.

The Lasses showed admirable determination to never quit until the final whistle, brava!

Crystal Palace away in the Women’s FA Cup was a chance to progress to the quarter finals, something the Lasses have only done three times in their existence. Palace were promoted as Championship Champions last season but have struggled in the WSL this season. It was honours even at half time, but Palace built up the pressure in the second half and the Lasses’ keeper Moan was our Player of the Match with excellent shop stopping, diving saves and successful one-on-ones. It took until the 80th minute for Palace to finally break the deadlock.

Joel wasn’t far away with a free kick for the Mags, but the Eagles’ second goal came in 10 minutes of extra time via a wicked deflection off Furness.

So another defeat to a WSL team, but to my knowledge no Championship team has beaten a WSL team in the cups this year (or ever).

The Lasses home game against Bristol City was really entertaining. Another end-to-end high scoring game finishing 3-2 to the Lasses. Elysia Boddy was named the NE Sports Writers Association Women’s Young Player of the year.

A well-deserved recognition of a player who got an England U-23s call up. The two local derbies against Durham and the big one at SJP v Sunderland will be covered in the next report.

Howay the Lasses!

Community

Monthly column by Bazoox aka Sean G Cleland Since my last article, United have had a rollercoaster of results on the pitch.

We suffered defeats away at Manchester City and Liverpool, but sandwiched in between was a chaotic 4-3 victory over Nottingham Forest at St James' Park. Unfortunately, our FA Cup journey ended at Gallowgate, with Brighton and Hove Albion knocking us out.

However, an important win against West Ham at the London Stadium gave us a confidence boost—one that proved crucial just days later.

Because, finally, we did it.

Beyond the cup triumph, we're still pushing hard in the Premier League, with Champions League qualification well within reach.

Away from football, there's something even more important on the horizon for me—my youngest daughter Joeli's graduation from Glasgow University in June. After five years of For the first time in seventy long years, we hard work studying for her Master’s in have domestic silverware in the cabinet. After Comparative Literature, she’s about to cross so many near misses, so much heartache, this the stage, and I couldn't be prouder. She’s done was our moment. You’ve probably all been on it all off her own back, without many of the a two-week bender celebrating, and rightly so! financial privileges of her peers. Me and her Ma will be the proudest people in that room, I Eddie and his team, despite injuries and swear. suspensions, delivered when it mattered most.

The build-up to this final felt different—calmer, I love Glasgow and have spent many a wild more assured—and now, we can proudly say night on Sauchiehall Street, though these days, we are winners.

I prefer a quieter pint at The Woodside in Newcastle United are Carabao Cup champions!

Kelvingrove—a Partick Thistle pub with much friendlier prices.

Before I sign off, I need to mention the sad and untimely passing of North Shields businessman John Harvey. I’ve known John since he was at school with my younger brother, and my thoughts go out to the Harvey family, as well as our lifelong friends, the Spences.

I’ll be back in May, hopefully still Palooka-ed from celebrating, and with United sitting pretty in the table.

In the meantime, stay United—and always try to be as kind as possible. That’s always been my mantra.

Bazoox Author for The Mag (once again)

vol. 1

by Art a lay a p ink @p ields.com h s h t r o n e www.ilov

Creators

MEET MIM ROBSON Mim Robson has been one of our monthly writers for I Love North Shields magazine since the first issue – we asked her a few questions to find out a bit more about her and why she volunteers with I Love North Shields Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your day-to-day life?

I have worked in community arts for about 10 years and since moving to North Shields I have spend a bit more time working on my own art-making. I am a multi-disciplinary artist and I like to mix mediums, so I might work with photography, printmaking, collage, textiles or ceramics within the same project. I am currently working on a project called 100 Days of Little Stories in which I make and share little stories of all kinds on my social media. I work self employed and freelance, and at the moment I am helping to organise a lovely little arts/music festival in the Peak District, so day to day life involves some making, some computer work, and I am doing plenty of walking, cycling and exploring in the north east now that we are coming into spring!

What inspired you to become a content creator/writer for I Love North Shields?

I met Simmie soon after I moved to North Shields and she soon showed herself to be a likeminded, creative and inspiring friend. She talked about her idea for the magazine and her experiences of setting up a community newspaper called ‘The Underground’ in The Hague.

As someone who works in community arts, I am of course interested in creative projects that engage the community, and it seemed like a brilliant idea for North Shields at this time of change. There is so much positivity in North Shields at the moment and this felt like an opportunity to contribute to that and celebrate it. I have always wanted to develop my writing more, but that takes practice, so having a monthly deadline to write an article has been great for me. Being involved in the magazine has given me opportunities to do things I wouldn’t have done, learn skills I wouldn’t have learnt, and to create a body of work that has given me more confidence and insight into myself as a writer. The high quality of content, writing, photography and production of the magazine from Simmie and the rest of the contributors has meant it has become something I’ve been proud and excited to be a part of.

Can you tell us about your favourite place in North Shields and why it holds special meaning for you?

I love the fish quay because of the opportunity to see big boats and small boats and because once I even got to go on a boat.

What type of content do you enjoy creating the most, and what message do you hope to share with our readers?

I have mostly been writing articles about things I love, such as ‘I Love Big Boats’, ‘I Love Trees’, ‘I Love Little Things’, and last month’s ‘I Love Sky’. But I have also had fun writing about waving dilemmas and seagull terror.

Can you share a memorable project or piece you’ve worked on for I Love North Shields? I interviewed a man on his boat who was going to sail it across the Atlantic!

How can people reach you?

Website – mimrobson.com Instagram/Facebook/Tiktok - @mimrobsonartist Email – ilovebigboats@hotmail.com

Featured BPAUL MCMURRAY THE NORTH SHIELDS GENIUS BEHIND DONATION GENIE

By Caroline Oswald Have you eaten today?

When Paul McMurray sees someone in need on the street, he asks them if they want a drink. If so, what would they like? Do they take milk, sugar? “We should show people some dignity instead of just assuming what they need.” This is exactly the principle behind Donation Genie, the website he has developed to help food banks and other services better support their communities.

Featured “At the start I was just doing it from my sofa and physically delivering stuff myself.”

It was during his two years working in The People’s Kitchen that Paul first started thinking about the idea: “There was a food bank that relied on donations and there were a lot of things they didn’t need. One Eastern European man always asked for dark rye bread, so I would try and put some aside for him whenever he came in. It got me thinking, how do you know that they need that?”

A few years later, after his son was born, Paul put his technology skills to use working for Accenture. The company ran a Global Technology Innovation Competition, and he submitted his original idea of a system where you could scan something while shopping, either in store or online, and it would let you know whether anywhere in your local area needed that item. The idea was well received and Paul was encouraged by Accenture to continue its development with the help of his colleagues. They trialled the idea by building prototypes to see if it could work in the shops. They came up against several issues involving the widely varying systems of different supermarkets. Paul also realised that people do not necessarily think about food banks while shopping, it is more of an afterthought when placing items in donation bins after the checkout. Nevertheless, in October 2022 they had some interest from a couple of big retailers.

However, it was not the right time as they were too busy preparing for Christmas.

In the meantime Paul was not willing to let people go hungry, so with his friend he started planning to drive around food banks with the data they had gathered to make sure they got what they needed. Whilst talking on the phone one night about the daunting and time consuming task ahead, Paul suddenly said: “Arthur, I’m going to hang up. I’ve got an idea.” The next Donation Genie was born. Paul created a website where anyone can enter their postcode to find out what their local food bank actually needs. Paul remembers: “At the start I was just doing it from my sofa and physically delivering stuff myself.” The initiative soon gathered momentum, with more of his colleagues, neighbours and people from all over the community becoming involved: “You have to just throw something out there and see if people care. It turns out they do.” During this time Paul and his friend Arthur took a car load of supplies to Sunderland and Durham food banks. There they were shocked to see numerous large storage containers full of items that could not be used in food parcels: “There was a gigantic tin of pomegranate molasses! I mean, who wants that?” They also had a shortage of other items. Paul immediately asked them: “What do you actually need?

What’s stopping you from getting it?” Thanks to Donation Genie, no family served by those food banks went without a parcel that Christmas.

It soon became evident that there was a wider demand for the service: “After my BBC News interview, I was getting messages from food banks outside of the North East as well as other organisations that provide food such as domestic abuse services, baby banks and community kitchens.” Donation Genie went national and it has now been live for two years, with over 100,000 uses at the last count. It is extremely simple for services to sign up, as data from an organisation’s website can be instantly integrated into Donation Genie. Even if a food bank does not have a website, they can update their wish lists in a matter of seconds via a ‘magic email’: “We hope we can give everyone a digital voice. We can now easily onboard anyone who is solving a food security issue.” Paul has had countless messages of thanks from organisations that can now better meet the needs of their users, as well as continuous offers of help from people and companies wishing to donate food. Every food bank now has a QR code which can be scanned to show a list of their current needs, without them having to constantly update and print posters. The website also uses AI to make items on food bank wish lists compatible with supermarket product descriptions in order to create instant shopping lists. The aim is to help shops and the public know that their donations are making the biggest impact possible on food poverty.

Featured “If you’re shopping for donations, know what is needed. Don’t just buy beans. Not everybody wants beans. At the end of the day, just be kind.”

Despite the success of Donation Genie, Paul is not sitting back on his laurels. He is currently working on a prototype for scanning individual barcodes and creating a link to places that need those items. He constantly looks for food banks and takes supplies to them in person whenever possible. Last Christmas Day Paul went round with his son delivering food boxes to meet specific needs within his local area: “I managed to find a Halal turkey and Halal Haribos for the YMCA Christmas dinner for asylum seekers.” He points out that although people often volunteer to help around Christmas, support is needed all year round and for all sections of society: “At this time of year I am looking for food banks that support people during Ramadan. Sometimes it’s hard to find someone I can pay by card over the phone, for specific types of meat, for example. The Imams are usually out helping in the community.”

Paul has an ambitious vision for the future: “I am diabetic and I was in the chemist to get my insulin. Someone came in and paid for some items like nappies and paracetamol. It got me thinking, why wasn’t I sent to a medicine bank? Because they don’t exist. The chemists have a social responsibility. What if the supermarkets had that too? In 2022 there were 2.2 million food banks in the UK, with 95% of donations coming from members of the public. There were also 12704 supermarkets. If you spread that across 52 weeks, that’s 3.3 food parcels per supermarket per week. It would only cost them £65 a week to fill the need. Brands could end up competing to get their products donated!”

However big it may get, it’s the human touch that has made Donation Genie a success: “If I see that someone has shared or tagged the website, I thank them for making sure that fewer people go hungry.” Paul shared his story at the Thinking Digital Conference at the Glasshouse last year, ending with the overall inspirational message: “Innovation doesn’t always happen here, it happens on the ground. Sometimes you need to get out there and test your ideas. Just do something.” Because of AI, the possibilities are limitless: “We have an excess of food. Now we know where we can distribute it, how many people it will feed, what recipes can be used. It’s all about the strength of the story. Fewer people are hungry. What if we could make no one hungry?”

With that, Paul notes that it is nearly teatime and asks if his son would like a Burger King. The grin on his face gives his answer. It made me think back to the notion of dignifying someone by asking what they actually want. He leaves us with the advice, “If you’re shopping for donations, know what is needed. Don’t just buy beans. Not everybody wants beans. At the end of the day, just be kind.”

To find out what is needed in your local area, go to: www.donation-genie.co.uk

Featured Q & A TACE TRAVISS BWL GOLD MEDAL WINNER AND FOUNDER OF SIREN COLLECTIVE Bespoke 1:1 Coach CF-L2 Trainer Building Badass Female Athlete BWL Gold Medal Winner

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Featured

Featured

Q: Tace, how did you first get into weightlifting?

Tace: "I started my weightlifting journey a little later than most, at 30 years old. Before I found weightlifting, I was involved in roller derby with an all-women team in Newcastle. I loved the sense of community and the intensity of the sport, but I wanted to get stronger and improve my overall fitness. That's when I started CrossFit. It was a natural progression for me because it incorporated so many different aspects of fitness, and I quickly realized how much I loved lifting weights. The more I trained, the stronger I became, and not just physically – I felt empowered in a way I had never experienced before. That's when I knew I wanted to take things to the next level and share this experience with others. I decided to pursue my CrossFit coaching certification, and from there, my journey into weightlifting began."

Q: You’ve been very successful in weightlifting. What has been your biggest achievement so far?

Tace: "My biggest achievement so far was winning a gold medal at the BWL English Championships in December 2024. It was only my second competition, and I competed in the under-71kg weight class for athletes aged 35-40. To take home a gold medal was an incredible feeling, especially since it was such a huge milestone for me. The English Championships is a major event in the sport and earning that gold medal confirmed for me that weightlifting was where I truly belonged."

Q: You’re the founder of Siren Collective, offering a program specifically focused on women in weightlifting. Can you tell us more about that?

Tace: "Siren Collective was created to give women a space where they can build confidence, strength, and empowerment through weightlifting. Weightlifting often feels intimidating for women in male-dominated spaces, so I wanted to create a supportive community where women can train without feeling judged. We offer 1:1 coaching and small group training in a safe, nurturing environment. My goal is to make weightlifting accessible and enjoyable for all women, no matter their fitness level."

Q: What role does weightlifting play in your life, both personally and professionally?

Tace: "Weightlifting is a central part of my life. Personally, it’s helped me build mental and physical strength, and it's become a vital aspect of my daily routine. Professionally, as a coach, I want to help others discover that same sense of empowerment. Weightlifting teaches resilience, discipline, and confidence, which I try to instil in all of my clients. It’s more than just lifting weights; it’s about growing stronger in all areas of life and understanding that you're capable of amazing things."

Q: You’ve had some impressive success in competitions—what’s next for you?

Tace: "I’m already looking ahead to the British Masters 2025 competition, which is my next big goal. I’m also focused on expanding Siren Collective and creating more opportunities for women to get involved in weightlifting. I want to continue providing spaces for women to feel confident and supported in their training while achieving their personal fitness goals, whether it be to compete or simply help keep strong and injury free for other pursuits such as running, swimming or cycling. I run monthly weightlifting sessions - Siren Strength Lifting Club - which covers plyometrics and strength accessory work alongside olympic lifting. I keep groups small to keep feedback personalised and having sold out every month for the past 6 events, I'm looking to create more opportunities for women to get involved!"

Q: You mentioned someone who inspired you along the way. Who is that, and how have they influenced you?

Tace: "One of my biggest inspirations is Steve Sharp, my coach and mentor. He is the founder of North Tyneside Barbells (NTB), which recently won British Weightlifting Club of the Year 2024.

Steve’s guidance and encouragement has been invaluable to my growth as an athlete and coach. He pushes me to be my best and has helped me reach new heights in my own training.

His gym has been a great place for me to hone my skills, and it’s where I first truly fell in love with weightlifting. Steve is a huge influence in the weightlifting community, and his training philosophies have shaped not only me but how I coach others."

Featured Q: You mentioned someone who inspired you along the way. Who is that, and how have they influenced you?

Tace: "One of my biggest inspirations is Steve Sharp, my coach and mentor. He is the founder of North Tyneside Barbells (NTB), which recently won British Weightlifting Club of the Year 2024.

Steve’s guidance and encouragement has been invaluable to my growth as an athlete and coach. He pushes me to be my best and has helped me reach new heights in my own training.

His gym has been a great place for me to hone my skills, and it’s where I first truly fell in love with weightlifting. Steve is a huge influence in the weightlifting community, and his training philosophies have shaped not only me but how I coach others."

Q: Tell us a bit more about Steve and his gym, North Tyneside Barbells (NTB).

Tace: "NTB is one of the top weightlifting facilities in the UK with the most supportive coaching team and athletes to boot. To be recognised as British Weightlifting Club of the Year is a huge achievement and I'm super proud of everything he's accomplished so far. NTB is known for its exceptional coaching, and it has a community of athletes who are all working towards getting stronger and building resilience but who in the same breath will cheerlead your successes along the way without hesitation. To harness a community that drives hard to see progress but celebrates the wins along the way is pretty special. Steve’s dedication to the sport of weightlifting by nurturing his coaching team and his athletes is unmatched, and his approach to training has definitely influenced how I train and also coach my clients."

Q: You recently earned your CF-L2 Trainer certification. How does this help you as a coach for weightlifters?

Tace: "The CF-L2 Trainer certification is a higher-level qualification that focuses on coaching principles, movement mechanics, and effective programming. It’s helped me improve my coaching skills, especially when it comes to weightlifting, by giving me a deeper understanding of technique and how to tailor workouts to individual needs. This certification has allowed me to offer better guidance to my athletes, ensuring they progress safely and effectively in their weightlifting journeys. It's one of many certifications I'm adding to my arsenal to keep my coaching fresh, effective and relevant."

Q: Where can people find you and join your weightlifting programs?

Tace: "I coach out of two fantastic gyms: Dauntless Fitness Blaydon and The Yard Functional Fitness in Backworth. Both locations offer 1:1 coaching, small group sessions as well as coaching larger functional fitness classes. I love being part of people's journey's whether its getting individuals to lift more effectively and hit PBs, assisting them to learn a new gymnastics skill or get stuck into strength and conditioning to stay strong and injury free for other sports. It all counts towards becoming fitter, stronger and more confident with whatever life throws your way and I'm proud to have a part in that for every athlete that crossed my path.

If you're interested in weightlifting, our next Monthly Women's Only Olympic Lifting session - Siren Strength Lifting Club - takes place 12-2pm at Dauntless at The Yard. Spaces available for Sunday 13th April Contact Tace: Siren Collective Instagram: @siren_collective Gym Locations: Dauntless Fitness Blaydon Whiteley Road, Blaydon, NE21 5NJ Dauntless at The Yard Ecclestone Close, Backworth, NE27 0RX Tace Traviss is a dedicated coach who is empowering women to embrace weightlifting and achieve their best selves. Whether you’re new to the sport or an experienced athlete, Tace’s coaching through Siren Collective will help you push your limits and unlock your full potential.

Your Stories

THE DEMON DRINK TEMPERANCE

By Sue Wilkinson

It’s no surprise that England’s “most drunken town” was a magnet for the Temperance Movement.

The “demon drink” was a big problem in North Shields during Edwardian times. The British Temperance Movement targeted North Shields with meetings, rallies, and events. Their mission was to curb the consumption of alcohol and reduce drunken behavior. Religious faith was often at the root of their campaigns.

Teetotallers were reported as “holding forth strong in North Shields every night during the week against the ‘crying sin’ of drink!”

A temperance meeting held in 1900 at Howard Hall was packed to the rafters.

Working-class communities were their main target. A newspaper story from 1842 reports on a public tea-drinking party organized by the “Bristol Brethren.”

With abstinence booming, a new Temperance Church opened at the north end of Stephenson Street in 1875. Local temperance reformers also met at: Albion Assembly Rooms on Norfolk Street Wesleyan Memorial Schoolroom on Howard Street Local churches

Mrs. Hill’s Temperance Coffee Rooms

Located on Tyne Street, Mrs. Hill’s establishment proudly flew the flag for non-alcoholic drinks. Her lushly decorated coffee rooms featured music and dance events, described as “properly conducted” with “innocent amusement” and no alcohol.

John Hunt’s Temperance Bar Saville Street West was a hotbed of heavy boozing, so it’s fitting that John Hunt opened his Temperance Bar there in the early 1900s. A famous photograph from 1910 shows his son, the store manager, standing outside the shop. The windows were plastered with signs advertising: Herbal beer Sarsaparilla Dandelion stout Lemonade

Your Stories Among his most sought-after treats were bottles filled with stringy strips of tapeworms! Hunt’s Pharmaceutical Formulas book contained recipes for everything from toothache remedies to “moustache invigorator” and “pistachio toilet powder.” People were hooked on his herbal remedies, including his infamous “Blood Mixture,” designed to cleanse the digestive system.

The Drink and the Temperance Movement The drink included Epsom salts, made from magnesium sulfate, which were manufactured at Joseph Ogilvie’s North Shields works.

John Hunt was based over the river in South Shields, where he operated a chain of nine botanical drinks shops, including one in the Market Place, as well as others in Hebburn and Jarrow. He produced a range of soft drinks and became a pioneer of herbal stores, with his shops recognized by their light blue painted fronts.

After his son, William David Carswell Hunt, was killed at Ypres in World War One, his father’s grief led him to step back from the business. John Hunt passed away in 1922, and with him, the last of his herbal stores closed. However, he had been at the forefront of an ‘alcohol-free revolution’.

The Rise of Temperance Hotels The Temperance Movement continued to make an impact nationwide, opening temperance hotels in many towns, including one on Camden Street, North Shields.

The Rex Hotel in Tynemouth opened as a temperance hotel in 1906 and remained alcohol-free until 1937.

Temperance campaigners lobbied for restricted drinking hours nationwide, leading to the Sunday Closing Act of 1881.

However, illicit Sunday drinking still thrived!

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The Business Side of Temperance Even regular spirit and ale merchants joined the temperance trend. Local businessman W.A. Wilkinson developed his own range of “botanical beverages” and “aerated waters”.

His famous SMILA mineral water was launched as “the new temperance drink” in 1898.

PINEOLA, the “younger brother” to SMILA, was introduced in 1910.

Despite this, Wilkinson’s mission was largely commercial, as he also ran a successful wine, ale, and spirit business.

His lemonade factory on King Street was famously hit by the Germans during WW2.

Coffee Culture in North Shields Strangely, the Jerusalem Coffee House on the riverfront wasn’t alcohol-free. It followed the trend for coffee houses and bars.

Nearby, on Clive Street, Greek immigrant George Kostalas set up a coffee kiosk in the early 1900s. He also ran a seamen’s boarding house and chandlery.

Kostalas brought Greek Mediterranean coffee culture to North Shields, but he was not a temperance campaigner.

His café was probably the first coffee takeaway in the town!

Unfortunately, a runaway tram hurtled down Borough Road Hill and destroyed his kiosk. Despite this setback, he later reopened!

The Decline of the Temperance Movement After WW2, the Temperance Movement faded as political and social landscapes shifted. However, the love for coffee bars, tea rooms, and non-alcoholic drinks lives on today.

Soft drinks and alcohol-free beverages have been rebranded with a healthy lifestyle twist.

Botanical alchemy thrives, though sadly, John Hunt’s celebrated “Blood Mixture” and tapeworm-infused drinks are no longer on the menu!

Your Stories

A LIFE-LESS-ORDINARY

By Geoff Holland A Blue Plaque is a great way to recognise the valuable contribution a person has made to the area during their life and who has had some connection with the building to which the plaque is attached. Just take a quick wander around the streets of North Shields, seeking out the various Blue Plaques, and you will soon begin to form a picture of the rich array of well-known folk who have graced this riverside town.

The list is impressive, from comedian Stan Laurel, one half of the famous Hollywood duo Laurel & Hardy to artist Victor Rainbird, from playwright Tom Hadaway to guitarist Hilton Valentine a member of the 1960s pop group the Animals, from the acclaimed author Robert Westall to Victorian artist Birket Foster. A similar picture can be seen around the surrounding area.

But what about the not-so-well known folk who have lived a life just a little less-ordinary than the vast majority of us, those whose unrecorded stories, known only to a handful of people, will sadly be forgotten as time marches relentlessly on. They might not need to be recognised by a Blue Plaque, but their stories should surely be shared with a much wider audience.

It was early December 1974 when we moved from our small terraced house in North Shields to the nearby sleepy village of Monkseaton. We were young with a small daughter making our way in the world and it was a busy time in our lives. The hectic festivities of Christmas quickly came and went, but slowly we began to meet our immediate neighbours. Next door lived Gladys who seemed to our young eyes just a small unassuming elderly lady with poor eyesight living quietly alone and no bother to anyone. Little did we know at the time but Gladys had an interesting back story, and boy what a story it turned out to be.

Born in 1900, Gladys had been a typist long before we moved in next door. She met her husband-to-be at a tea dance in Newcastle whilst he was a student at Durham University College of Medicine, which later become Newcastle University Medical School. They married on the 16th January 1926 and later that same year her husband graduated as a medical doctor. It was then his intention to set up practice in England.

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“It is certainly no secret that my husband is married to a white woman. We may seem to have lived a strange life through the years, but it has been one of full understanding and love for one another.

But Milton Margai was no ordinary doctor-inwaiting. Born in Sierra Leone in 1895 the son of a prominent businessman and the grandson of a Mende warrior chief, Milton was the first indigenous Sierra Leonean to qualify as a medical doctor. In 1928, on returning to his homeland to visit his ailing father, he was struck by the appalling conditions many of his countrymen were living under, and made the decision that his medical skills were much more needed in his homeland than back in England.

So began an incredible journey which, to cut a very long story of outstanding achievement short, resulted in Milton Margai becoming the Chief Minister of the British Colony of Sierra Leone in 1954. After receiving a knighthood for his service to Sierra Leone and the Commonwealth from Queen Elizabeth in 1959, he then led his country to independence on 27th April 1961. Subsequently he became the country’s first Prime Minister.

All the while his wife Gladys and their two daughters, Doreen and Joyce, remained in the family home in England as it was, “feared that her presence in Africa as a white wife might be misunderstood and ruin Milton's political career”.

As a consequence, this turned out to be one of the strangest of mixed marriages but one which was a heart-warming testimony to the love and respect that Gladys and Milton held for each other throughout their nigh on 40 year marriage. Speaking in 1961, Lady Gladys Margai said of her marriage, “It is certainly no secret that my husband is married to a white woman.

We may seem to have lived a strange life through the years, but it has been one of full understanding and love for one another. We write regularly and we have been held together by mutual interests and ties of our daughters and our grandchildren. And whenever he comes to London it is like a dream for me."

In 1963, on one such occasion, Sir Milton Margai arrived at Gatwick Airport, London at the start of an official two week visit to Britain and there to greet him, along with the various dignitaries, was his wife Gladys. A short piece of Pathé News black & white footage of the arrival happily still exists and the love and respect that Gladys and Milton had for each other is there for all to see.

In April 1964 Milton's all too short reign as Prime Minister came to an end when he suddenly died, separated from his wife and daughters, as they had been for large parts of their marriage, by nigh on 2,900 miles. As if to rub salt into the painful wound, Gladys only found out about her husband's death whilst watching the television. Now, some 62 years after his untimely death, history continues to show that Sir Milton Margai was one of the good guys, a man who made an enormous difference to the lives of his fellow countrymen, a man who to this day is still held in the highest esteem in his homeland.

And as for Gladys, she continued to live a quiet life in Monkseaton, far removed from her life as the wife of highly-respected Prime Minister. No wonder Gladys would often say to us that, “nothing really ever happens in our street”.

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DAVID DAVIS MP AND THE NORTH SHIELDS RIOTS IN 1932

By Penny Remfry

I was half-listening to the radio one evening some time ago when my ears perked up suddenly. On the radio was an interview with David Davis MP. He was talking about his grandfather who was involved in riots in North Shields in the 1930s as a member of the Unemployed Workers Movement (UWM) and Communist Party (CP). I used to work in North Shields and as part of my job I read up on North Shields history via the Shields Daily News and I remember reading about the riots in Northumberland Square in which the UWM were involved.

A Tory MP with a grandfather in the Communist Party? In North Shields? This was a story I had to find out more about! So I did some investigation. I found the radio programme but it had been edited and the bit about his grandfather’s involvement in the riots was no longer there. However, I knew that there was an account of the 1930s riots in a Community Development Project publication so I found a copy and looked it up.

The riots took place in Northumberland Square where the Public Assistance Committee was based, in 1932. They took place against a background of many years of mass unemployment and political agitation. The General Strike had taken place in 1926 and while it didn’t have much impact in Tynemouth Borough the miners remained on strike for a while and were claiming relief from the Board of Guardians (an independent local body responsible for providing what we would now call welfare payments). There was a very high rate of male unemployment and the borough had instituted a work-for-relief payments system in the early 1920s which involved men working on specified projects every other week in return for fortnightly payments. There were ongoing disputes about the level of payments and individual issues which were taken up by the unemployed workers’ committee, which became the local UWM. The local Communist Party was started in 1925, with Alex ‘Spike’ Robson as its first secretary. Most of its members were unemployed and comprised initially sailors, dockworkers and miners with others joining later. They were also members of the UWM and played an active role in it. The relationship between the UWM and the Board of Guardians and Public Assistance Committee (which took over responsibility for poor relief from the former in 1931) was fractious in the extreme and there were many mass meetings and demonstrations about the level of payment and administration of relief. In December 1931 there was a mass meeting of the UWM at which they decided to march on the offices of the Public Assistance Committee and demand representation on it. They were refused.

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“Hear not the rumble of distant drums, hear not the prophet’s paradise to come. Take the cash and leave the credit.”

In the following year the UWM again raised issues around the levels of payment. In October of that year there was a mass meeting comprising somewhere between 2,000 to 3,000 unemployed people.

The meeting decided to march on the Public Assistance Office in Northumberland Square and demand that they receive a deputation to discuss the rates of relief payment. It started off as a family affair with a band and a small group carrying the UWM banner: “Organised Fight Against Starvation” followed by several thousand others carrying placards with messages such as “Down with the Means Test” and “Down with Police Tyranny”. The offices were cordoned off by the police and the deputation was refused so the demonstrators decided to go round their route again, but they were still refused. So they convened a meeting (their meeting place was in Harbour View, Little Bedford Street). However the police decided to attack them with a baton charge and what followed was a running battle between the demonstrators and the police which went on all afternoon and into the evening. The windows of the Globe Boot Company were smashed, some policemen were assaulted and 8 demonstrators were arrested and charged with common-law riot, assault and riotous damage.

One of those arrested and charged was Walter Harrison – David Davis’ grandfather.

There was a photo of Walter Harrison at a 1936 Communist Party event in the report of the riots. I sent it to David Davis MP and asked: is this Walter Harrison your grandfather? And he responded almost immediately, yes.

David Davis was born in 1948. He was brought up by his maternal grandparents and in the interview he recalled several stories about his granddad. He says that because Walter had been a Communist picket during the war he couldn’t get a job so was around all the time and was a dominant influence in his life.

He recalls him as “a self-taught man, charismatic, fabulous speaker, great turn of phrase. So in many ways very erudite but he would come with bits of doggerel. “Hear not the rumble of distant drums, hear not the prophet’s paradise to come. Take the cash and leave the credit.” The first half of that is a piece of Robert Graves’ translation of Omar Khayyam’s Rubiyiat, I think. Or he would come out with a bawdy version of the Red Flag, you know, which ends with “the working class can kiss my arse, I’ve got the foreman’s job at last!” That sort of stuff was around in the background. And although he didn’t brainwash me in any way , you could see it in his attitude. So, a charity collector comes to the front door to collect money for a given charity, children or lifeboat or whatever, he goes and gives him half-a-crown (12 and a half pennies in today’s money) and as he comes back he’s muttering: It’s a good cause but the state should be doing it, it shouldn’t be necessary for me to give money.”

He says that he used to argue with his grandad, from the left. “I didn’t think of it as left and right. I just thought that’s obviously true, as young people tend to do. Without any inhibition of experience I knew the answers!”

Sir David Davis is now a Tory MP in a Yorkshire constitiuency. I’m not sure what this tells us about being brought up in a Communist Party household but I’m glad that his memories have been a stimulus for bringing to light some important times in recent North Shields history.

This year we are celebrating 800 years of North Shields and its ‘canny folk’. Walter Harrison and his colleagues in the Unemployed Workers Movement and the Communist Party who spent years fighting against poverty and supporting their fellows are surely amongst their number.

Source: The information is taken from one of the Community Development projects reports, all of which are available in the local studies library: Working Class politics and housing, Organising for Change, Living with Industrial Change, Women's Work

Your Stories

THE DOCK THAT NEVER WAS

By Rachel Chapman In the mid-19th century, there were plans for a new dock that would have changed the landscape from the Low Lights down to beyond Knott’s Flats.

For practical and economic reasons, the dock was never built, despite the laying of a foundation stone on the Black Middens, accompanied by a celebration of the like the town had never seen before.

The need for a dock near to the entrance of the Tyne had been talked about for years.

In the late 1850s there were public meetings and urgent representations by the Tynemouth Council and the Chamber of Commerce to the Tyne Improvement Commission about the pressing need to build such a dock.

Eventually, an Act of 1861 authorised the Commissioners to construct Tynemouth Dock, at the Low Lights, in front of Percy Square, covering 30 acres, within the next three years, at an estimated cost of £450,000.

Delays followed and it was not until the three-year deadline approached that the Commissioners resolved to lay a foundation stone in June 1864.

This was greeted with great jubilation by townspeople. Various meetings were held to discuss arrangements, and it was agreed there should be a procession from North Shields Station, through the main streets, with flags flying, church bells ringing and the cannon booming, to the Black Middens.

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Food was to be provided for 4,000 children and games were to take place in Mr Thomas Barker’s field to the east of Rosella Hall, and sports in the cricket field at Preston Road.

On the actual day, 23 June, ‘the appearance of Howard, Tyne and Union Streets was very imposing. They were gay with flags and decorations’. A very long procession, headed by the 1st Northumberland Artillery Volunteers, including the town’s key church, civic and businesspeople, Mayors from across Tyneside, the foreign consuls for France, Russia, Denmark and Sweden and local people, accompanied by bands and banners, made its way from Railway Street to the Black Middens.

Unfortunately, at Bird Street, the rain started, and along the seashore, there were ‘countless umbrellas overhead’.

After a speech, Joseph Spence, the Mayor of Tynemouth, presented Joseph Cowen, the Chairman of the Commissioners, with a silver engraved trowel and mallet. The Chairman then placed a sealed bottle containing copies of the district’s four daily newspapers and some coins in a cavity over which was placed an engraved brass plate. As the foundation stone was lowered, the band played the National Anthem, the crowds cheered, and the cannon boomed.

The crowd dispersed and ‘drenched banners, tarnished and draggled finery were everywhere visible’.

In 1865 the Commissioners obtained a seven-year extension from Parliament for the completion of the works. Sadly, the scheme collapsed for a number of reasons, including financial and the fact that after some shipwrecks at the mouth of the river, the Blyth and Tyne Railway Company said they believed the dock could not be safely constructed on this site.

This story was brought to the attention of the Old Low Light Heritage Centre by volunteer Mike Scott, who with fellow volunteer Martin Kenny, found the site of the foundation stone. Mike later made a short video called ‘Romancing the Stone – the search for Tynemouth Dock’, which can be seen at www.oldlowlight.co.uk/digital-heritage

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I LOVE STORIES

By Mim Robson @mimrobsonartist I’ve been immersing myself in a world of stories over the past year or so. Partly because I began writing each month for I Love North Shields which required me to come up with either my own stories to write about, or to research local stories to contribute to the magazine. Then in November I began a 100 Days of Little Stories project, which has pushed me to explore, create and share my own little stories, play with telling stories concisely, and find ways to interweave the stories with visuals. We tend to associate storytelling with words, but when you take in art, music, dance, drama, we don’t necessarily need words to tell stories. Some stories are so common to the human experience that they can be felt or understood with very few words.

I have been enjoying reading stories lately though. In efforts to get my niece into reading I have pulled out a pile of my old children’s books that I remember reading and re-reading at her age. The pictures were as important as the words, and I can see now that so many of the illustrations in these books have informed my creative taste and my work. We chose Little Miss Helpful from the Mr Men books, and she liked it enough that we then read Mr Busy. It’s hard to tell whether it was the story, or the being read to that she was getting the most out of. There’s something so comforting and connecting about someone sharing a story with you, even as an adult. From time to time I will call a friend up on the phone and read them a story from one of my folk tale books, which they seem to enjoy. Being read to, or told stories, isn’t something that should stop when we become independent readers, but I think it often does. We share personal stories, news, gossip, and stories enter our lives in other ways like tv, films, etc.; these things are all valuable in their own way too, but I think there’s still an important space for good, oldfashioned storytelling.

I picked up a fat copy of Grimm’s Fairy Tales at a charity shop a while ago and lugged it from house to house with me, unread, until I made the decision to read one fairy tale each night before going to sleep.

They are only a few pages long but they offer a good dose of mind-bending storytelling. I knew they were considerably skewed from the fairy tales we know now which have either been softened over time or Disneyfied, but I was not prepared for the level of unfiltered madness in the original stories. Not only are they brutal, often involving very harsh consequences and bleak ways to die, but they also frequently have characters or side storylines entering halfway through, or disappearing never to be mentioned again in a dreamscape-like way that makes no real sense and adds to it all feeling somewhat unhinged. I highly recommend reading them. They’ve opened up my mind to how storytelling can work; I think that after years of growing up with generally wholesome and

comfortable fairy tales, it has been fun to read stories that leave me feeling reliably confused, disturbed and amused. If you’re looking for some good ones to start with, I’d suggest ‘The Frog Prince’ for a badly done by princess discarded for an appearing-from-nowhere, intensely loyal manservant; ‘The Three Little Men in the Wood’, in which a young girl is granted a miserable death because she didn’t share her toast, and with at some point, a queen who shape-shifts into a duck; before moving on to the unsettling and frankly absurd from start to finish ‘A Tale of One Who Travelled to Learn What Shivering Meant’.

Reading Grimm’s Fairy Tales has provoked some discussion on why we tell fairy tales. They are different from fables, which have a moral element to them. From reading the fairy tales in Grimm’s, I haven’t generally been able to see a lot of clear lessons to take from them. But they dabble a lot with death, dead bodies, and dark characters in a much more direct way than most children’s books do nowadays. It may be that these elements were included in many of the stories as a way of making children more familiar with them, thereby, possibly making them less scary concepts to process. Wrapping up the idea of death within a fantasy story could be a soft entry for death to become a part of children’s vocabulary. Perhaps my own surprise at the on-the-nose storylines about death in Grimm’s is in part because the storybooks from my own childhood barely mentioned death at all.

Nevertheless, worth having a skim through and doing a bit of a filtering process before reading Grimm’s to any unsuspecting four year olds.

A week ago, I started rereading some old diaries from around 10 years ago when I was at university in Derby. I had the plan to read them, cringe at myself, and then bin them. But I found after a while of revisiting my younger self through these scrawled pages that I understood myself better for it, and was able to see my younger self with more compassion and kindness than I had expected to, so the binning has been shelved for

Your Stories ow. In amongst one entry that covered the daily grind of writing a dissertation, replays and thoughts on interactions with friends and family, I switch with no lead up whatsoever to one of the best stories I’ve read in a while, and which I had somehow completely forgotten about. The following is from an entry on 9th Feb 2015 and recounts a disruption to a long study session in the quiet room of the uni library: “Meanwhile, outside we heard a squealing noise that sounded like a pig. Katie, thinking it sounded like a pig, looked out of the window and said “it is a pig!” We got up onto the desks and all three of us looked down to see a pig, wearing some kind of cape (tartan), being dragged across the road on a lead. It was a massive black-haired pig. It was such a surreal moment, it was hilarious. I later found out that the pig is called Ludwig, it lives on Merchant Street, many of my friends have met him, Amy J has a photo with him, and he was in the Derby Telegraph because he stopped a robbery!

This story has made me quite happy. On the website, the article is very long, and has a video of the pig playing a child’s keyboard.”

I can’t fathom how that story got lost in my mind over the years but perhaps it got buried by many more hours in the library. It delighted me to reread it and be reminded, as local news outlets often do, that some of the greatest stories and characters can be found within our own community.

When I was around 23 I found myself working for a week or so as a barn-minder in Northern Ireland. If you’ve not heard of this job before, it’s because I’m not sure it exists. I was on a trip around Ireland when I was invited to look after a bunk barn for a week whilst the lady who ran it, who was a professional storyteller, went to a storytelling festival. Of course, I said yes. The duties were straightforward – a bit of cleaning, welcoming guests (of which there was one, for one night), and running the Saturday Studio session. The Saturday Studio was a weekly gathering in which we would all sit around in the studio space, tell stories and play music.

My role was to host it, make tea and serve biscuits, which seemed well within my wheelhouse, but I was also told in no uncertain terms by more than one person that as the host I would absolutely have to perform something. This could be a telling story, playing an instrument, singing a song – all things that at the time I had no skills in whatsoever.

I spent the next few days having a nice barn-minding time, but not without an underlying preoccupation of having to come up with some kind of skill within the next few days. Fortunately, I met a Northern Irish mountain ranger who I roped into teaching me how to play the tin whistle. So with one song barely playable under my belt by the Saturday, I managed to fulfil my host duties, and played my song well enough that a very elderly gentleman started accompanying me on the banjo until finally I brought the performance to an end by laughing so hard into the tin whistle that it screeched loudly and we all kindly agreed that the song was over.

The rest of the evening was lovely. There were around 15 people, all sat in a circle. Somebody would play music, then there would be a pause of quiet, before somebody else told a story, then another pause, and another story from a different corner of the room, and so on. At some point, attention came back onto the host again; “So what stories do you have Miriam, from England?” – I was stumped. I couldn’t remember any English folk or fairy stories whatsoever. I was sure there were some, if I thought about it, but it made me realise how little storytelling we do in England in comparison to in Ireland. The fact that this storytelling circle in the middle of nowhere was a weekly event, and was well attended was testament to the upholding of the tradition in itself. I know we have folk tales in England, but the act of storytelling in the traditional sense seems to have dwindled to the point where it would feel like a novelty to attend a storytelling circle and hear old stories passed on by mouth. I wonder why it has dropped off here, when it is such a part of the culture there, or whether it still exists and thrives but I just haven’t found it yet.

I once went on a tree walk in York Cemetery.

Cemeteries are full of lost stories, and York Cemetery is a beautiful garden of story snippets to wander through and ponder at. The tree walk was a stroll through the ivy-covered gravestones, paying more attention to what was living around them than the dead. The guide brought us to different species of trees, and told us stories and folklore attached to them. The hawthorn that is home to fairies, the dangers of cutting the elder without asking permission of the Elder Mother that inhabits it, the luck, love and longevity gifted in catching a gingko leaf – each tree with its own story. I am a person who cannot remember facts – if I ever try to retell a fact I heard once, it will be vague, and followed with “or something like that”. But I’ve remembered everything from that tree walk, years ago. This is why stories are important. They give us context, imagery and emotions to relate to and help us to learn, understand, remember... to share and connect.

So here’s to revisiting old stories, be it folk tales, fairy tales, fables, children’s books, novels or old diaries.

Here’s to making new stories, little or long, words or images, fantasy or real life robber-stopping capewearing pig tales. And here’s to making time to share, tell, retell, and to sitting back and listening.

What’s your favourite story? Got some memorable storytelling moments? Stories about storytelling?! Thoughts on fairy tales, stories and storytelling? Get in touch at ilovebigboats@hotmail.com (stories about boats obviously especially welcomed but stories not about boats also good)

SHOW

Sam At Glastonbury Pam Morton lives in Shiremoor, North Tyneside, and works primarily in acrylic on canvas.

Pam trained at Newcastle College of Art in Graphic Design in 1969. She began her career as a display artist and after her family came along, she built up a successful career in Sales. It was only in 2015 that Pam began painting again and her first ever sale, ‘Madly Deeply’, was to the wife of one of ‘The Eagles’ and is now in their home in Beverly Hills USA. “My main influence was my Mum; she was a brilliant artist. I love to paint large bold paintings that are as realistic as possible with an illustrative slant. I like to create an atmosphere, a story, and a memory of the subject so that when people view my art they can immediately be transported back to that place and moment in their lives. I like to capture beauty and emotion in all my subjects, whether landscape, human or animal portrait.” www.pjmartworks.co.uk

Art

CHRIS KILLIP A LOCAL HERO WHO CAPTURED THE HEART OF THE NORTH EAST

Chris Killip wasn’t just a photographer—he was a storyteller who gave a voice to working-class communities through his lens. Born on the Isle of Man, his journey took him across the world, but it was here in the North East (and North Shields), where he created some of his most powerful work.

Arriving in Newcastle in 1975 on a photography fellowship, he became a founding member of Side Gallery, curating and documenting life in a way few others could. His images of shipyard workers, families, and the resilience of coastal communities remain some of the most significant records of life in the region during a time of great change.

Through books like In Flagrante, Killip captured the raw reality—honest, unfiltered, and deeply human. His work is a lasting tribute to the people and places that shaped him, and in turn, he shaped how the world saw the North East.

A true local hero

Art

BEHIND THE SCENES

UPDATE MARY ANN STATUE

By Diane Wailes There was a fascinating talk at the Old Low Light Heritage Centre today, by North Shields artist, Keith Barrett, who is working on a sculpture of the escaped, enslaved woman, Mary Ann Macham.

After escaping from slavery on a plantation in Virginia, Mary Ann stowed away on a ship bound for the Netherlands. Travelling from there to Hull and then York, she eventually arrived in North Shields on Christmas Day 1831, and made her home here.

When it’s completed, the l0ft high sculpture will stand at the top of the new walkway linking North Shields Fish Quay with the town centre. The wood carving is now in its final stages. It will be cast in bronze before it’s installed in pride of place, looking out to sea - hopefully this summer.

Art

LOOK INSIDE THE YARD

If you love unique, reclaimed wood and great craftsmanship, this place is a must-visit! The father and son team has over 10 years of experience, and it shows in every piece they restore. Each visit feels like a treasure hunt, with something new and quirky to discover.

It’s by appointment only, but totally worth it for the personal touch and chance to hear the stories behind the wood.

Furniture Makers -Salvagers Northumberland Street NE30 1 DS North Shields Rob – 07915440712 rob@theyardmakers.com

Music

Organisers L to R John Smith and John Milton Peacock (Highlights PR)

COAST FESTIVAL RETURNS WITH A STAR-STUDDED LINEUP

North Shields is set to come alive once again as the Coast Festival returns for its third year, taking place from 27th-29th June 2025. This much-anticipated event promises an incredible lineup, family-friendly entertainment, and a vibrant festival atmosphere.

Festival goers can look forward to an electrifying party night on Friday, featuring headline performances from DJ Laidback Luke and rising rap star Window Kid. On Saturday, the stage will be graced by the incredible Liam Fender and the legendary Glasvegas, while Sunday will see the celebrated Lindisfarne Story Band take the spotlight, featuring local music icons Ray Laidlaw and Billy Mitchell and their 5 piece band.

Adding to the excitement, the festival’s legend slots will welcome Nigel Clark from Dodgy on Saturday, and Tom Hingley, and his band from the Inspiral Carpets, performing on Sunday.

While Friday is all about high-energy partying, Saturday and Sunday are packed with familyfriendly activities. Kids can enjoy the Rave Cave, take part in a budding DJ competition, and perform on a special stage dedicated to young talent.

The Sunday for Sammy Trust will also be hosting their popular stage, showcasing emerging young artists and celebrating the next generation of musical talent while the legendary Tyneidols double decker will host a multitude of gigs by busking musicians. In total around 150 performers will play to the North Shields crowd.

Once again, this year, Coast Festival is proud to support Quinn’s Retreat, a charity dedicated to providing respite for those affected by suicide, helping families find peace and support during difficult times.

Having previously won Best New Festival in the UK, Coast Festival were also nominated for three prestigious awards in 2024. To ensure an uninterrupted experience, regardless of the weather, all performances will take place undercover in large stage tents, allowing festivalgoers to enjoy every moment, rain or shine.

Festival Organiser John Milton Peacock shared his excitement.

“We are absolutely thrilled to bring Coast Festival back for its third year. The lineup is incredible, and we’ve got something for everyone—great music, family fun, and a fantastic community spirit. We can’t wait to see everyone there!”

Tickets for Coast Festival 2025 are expected to sell quickly, so don’t miss your chance to be part of this unmissable event in North Shields this June.

Waynebordeliphotography https://www.skiddle.com/festivals/coast-fest

History

“FOR VALOUR” REMEMBERING EDWARD JENNINGS VC

By Diane Wailes

“For Valour”: Remembering Edward Jennings VC Edward Jennings is buried in a peaceful corner of Preston Cemetery. The tranquility of the spot is in marked contrast to the events of 1857, for which he earned the Victoria Cross - Britain’s highest military award for “conspicuous bravery”, which has been awarded only 1,358 times since it was introduced in 1856.

Jennings was a mounted soldier - known as a Rough Rider - during the Indian Mutiny. One day in November 1857, while carrying a message through the besieged city of Lucknow, he heard a cry for help. He jumped his horse over a wall and found a British officer being attacked by men with swords. Jennings single-handedly fought off the attackers to rescue the wounded officer.

Unusually, two Victoria Crosses were made for Edward Jennings. The original Cross was sent to India but arrived too late as he had already left to return home. Queen Victoria was adamant that she wanted to present the VC to him personally so a second medal was made and given to him by the Queen in 1860.

After his military service, Jennings moved to North Shields, where he found a job as a road sweeper. He was forced to sell his medal for just a few pounds, to make ends meet, and died in Bell Street in 1889, aged 69. The once lauded hero was buried in an unmarked pauper’s grave.

But that’s not the end of the story. An appeal was launched in 1997 to raise the £2,000 needed to place a headstone on his grave in Preston Cemetery. The service was attended by members of the 7th Royal Horse Artillery and 101 Royal Artillery, and a volley of shots was fired over his grave. A fitting tribute to a very brave man.

[DIRECTIONS: To find the headstone: enter the cemetery by the main gates. At the mini roundabout turn left and walk past the small chapel to the end of the side road. At the end of the tarmac road, turn right onto the footpath, with the cemetery wall on your left hand side. Keep walking downhill until you see a gravestone (George M. Calder) very close to a tree; turn right at that point and head across the rough grass and, if the grass isn’t too long, you should be able to find Edward Jennings’ headstone.]

TREASURE TROVE LOOK INSIDE

By Diane Wailes A peak inside The Bell & Bucket on Norfolk Street. Work is underway to restore the place, to reopen it as a pub, with flats above. The building was originally a fire station - check out the old photos that have been uncovered, under layers of dust.

A lovely bit of North Shields history. It will be great to see it restored to its former glory and open again!

History

Your Stories History

ANNIVERSARY NORTHUMBERLAND PARK A PERFECT PARADISE By local historian, Mike Coates 2025 is a time to celebrate not only North Shields 800th birthday, but also the 140th anniversary of the official opening of Northumberland Park.

Alderman John Foster Spence agreed an offer to the council of land from the Duke of Northumberland to create a public park. It was at a time of great unemployment and work was provided for 101 local men, who under the guidance of Cpt Casimir Gomoszynski, the Borough Surveyor, cut paths into the banks of the Pow Burn, planted trees and constructed a lake, creating a sheltered park.

On 11 August 1885, local banks were closed at noon and crowds assembled, including Mayors from both sides of the Tyne. The Duke accompanied by the Earl Percy, arrived at the north entrance, proceeded down the broad walk to children cheering, waving handkerchiefs and singing. The Sons of Temperance Band and singers provided entertainment on the croquet lawn.

In thanking the Duke on behalf of the borough, Mayor Robert Tate said this recreation ground was greatly needed as the poor people of the town had been shut from the fields and could only walk on the sea shore. The Duke then officially opened the park by planting a Turkey Oak opposite the lake.

To conclude, a song composed specially for the occasion, was sung by children, accompanied by the brass band.

In 1923 a brochure by Tynemouth and North Shields Corporation described the park as “a perfect paradise, a valley through which a tiny burn flowed has been transformed into a veritable garden of the Lord”.

As a child, I remember climbing trees and making dens in this safe adventure playground where the gardeners knew our names and would tell us when it was midday and to go home for dinner, as none of us possessed watches. On summer evenings, when few had televisions, locals sat on the benches around the bowling greens being entertained.

Your History Stories

But after Tynemouth County Borough was abolished in 1974, the gardeners were made redundant, the greenhouses, potting sheds, keeper’s cottage and cabin were demolished and a decline followed. The public abandoned the park, its overgrown paths and burnt-out cars.

In 2009 North Tyneside Council pledged £3m and received £2.2m from the Heritage Lottery Fund to build a new bowls pavilion, café and toilets, improve paths, restore railings and features, provide more benches and remove overcrowded trees to open up original views.

In 2013 the park was closed for 18 months while work was carried out. As a lifelong park user, I was honoured to be part of a Project Board monitoring the work and was asked to provide historic photographs and information.

On 8 August 2015 the gates were re-opened and a public celebration day held with around 10,000 in attendance. Days later, on the 130th anniversary of the original opening of the park it was formally reopened by the Duchess of Northumberland.

Today, thanks to excellent staff and volunteers, the park is as well used as it was 60 years ago.

Mike Coates’ latest book, a special edition for the 800th anniversary of North Shields, The Powburn – its part in the origin of the town, St Leonard’s Hospital and Northumberland Park, is available to buy at the Old Low Light Heritage Centre.

Caption of the group pic on the day of official opening in 2015: The official opening party walking down the main drive after welcoming the Duchess at the main gate.

From left to right - Ivor Crowther (Head of Heritage Lottery Fund, North East), The Duchess of Northumberland, Pixie Phelan (Parks Development Officer and member of Park Regeneration Board), Norma Redfearn (North Tyneside's Elected Mayor), Mike Coates (Chairman of Friends of Park Group and member of Park Regeneration Board).

53

Hobby

LEE HOLLIS-RICHARDS

THE DELECTABLE GARDEN Hi, Lee here from The Delectable Garden. This month, I’ll be sharing how I’m adding colour to my garden in preparation for summer, along with my favourite spring walks.

During the sunny week we had in March, I started working on a border in the back garden. It’s a love-hate relationship I have with gardening. It took me a full day to dig out a small border, during which I fell over and split my trousers, exposing a bit of leg to the neighbours! The next day, I was aching so badly I couldn’t move properly for two days. However, just a couple of days later, I can’t stop admiring my pretty new border, and I can visualise the end goal of a large, mature border.

As you know, my style of gardening focuses on beauty and sustainability. I’ve planted a white hydrangea and surrounded it with English lavender, miniature roses, oregano, and salvia nemorosa to create my countryside garden theme. Japonica rubella and hellebores will add winter interest, while raspberries and strawberries will provide an easy annual crop without needing to be replanted each year!

I’ve also planted a fig tree I’ve had for over 10 years. In its life, it has produced just one marble-sized fig, which fell off before it matured. Despite not being very fruitful, I still love it. In summer, it produces huge, almost hand-shaped leaves that give off that intoxicating fig scent. You can use the leaves to make a sugar syrup or infuse alcohol, so this fig isn’t completely useless! Figs tend to produce more fruit when positioned against a sunny wall, and their roots are restricted.

Walking onions—yes, walking onions! I’m excited to plant them in the border too. The plant produces new onion bulbs that grow at the top of a stem. When the bulbs become too heavy, the stem falls over, and the bulbs self-seed. They will literally “walk” around the border. To control the spread, you can use the new, small bulbs just like you would use shallots.

Before I let you go, I want to share my top three walks for spring interest. First, the Cherry Blossom trees at The Alnwick Garden—walk through the snowy blossom of 329 trees towards the end of April/early May. Next, see the magnificent rhododendrons at the National Trust’s Cragside, which burst into colour towards the end of May. Check online to see when the magic starts! Lastly, head over to Holywell Dene to see some forest favourites—bluebells and wild garlic.

Wild garlic is my favourite thing to forage for. Pick young leaves, leaving the rest of the plant intact, and only take what you need. You can use the leaves in salads, to make garlic butter, or your own garlic pesto.

Please visit www.thedelectablegarden.co.uk for more ideas and recipes. I’d love to hear what you’re planting this year—tag me on Instagram @TheDelectableGarden.

Spring is here—head out and enjoy nature at its best!

Community

NORTHUMBRIAN TIN SOLDIER A COMMUNITY CORNERSTONE

By Olive Bishop Filled with shelves of custom miniatures, board games, trading cards and more, how did Northumbrian Tin Soldier bloom from 12 miniature figures to a hub of community and life?

Ten years ago, David Holland began a small online hobby business comprising 12 types of hand sculpted miniature figures. After meeting Simon Weir, the two decided to join forces and expand the business further, starting work from a small office in Albion House not two doors down from their location today.

It was 2019 when they launched a new range of miniatures called Cats of Crumptown on Kickstarter, and they couldn’t anticipate how wildly popular these would become. With thousands of orders to handle, their supplier couldn’t keep up and an alternative had to be found - so why not do it themselves?

And so, a larger space was acquired, heavy machinery was purchased and the intricate process of Pewter Casting was learned. David and Simon were able to fulfill thousands of orders; to this day, they are permanently stocked in Amsterdam, shipped to New York and flown to South Africa - all made from scratch from a single back room in North Shields. Still, the front of their new property remained an empty space oozing with potential, begging to be transformed into something more. This is the origin story of North Shields' very own Northumbrian Tin Soldier.

“Everything we do is community driven”. These are the words of Simon Weir, who proves this true with all they do in the shop. At Northumbrian Tin Soldier, regulars become friends who bring their families and dogs to visit, shy kids become confident teens by finding a social environment they can thrive in, and curious visitors discover new passions with the accessible events kept free or as low cost as possible.

For those already interested in card and tabletop games, Northumbrian Tin Soldier is waiting for you. Specialising in Pokemon and Magic TCG, they are recognised as an official play store for league and MTG. That’s not all though; between 24 hour charity events and sessions for One Piece TCG and Warhammer, there’s always plenty going on. With over 30 years of experience, this is also the place to go if you’re looking to sell or value your cards - and Simon Weir has assured me looking though customer’s collections is one of his favourite parts of the job.

And if none of that made any sense to you, or is something you would like to know more about, Northumbrian Tin Soldier is a welcome place to begin exploring these hobbies - try their weekly board game night on Wednesdays, with the first week free to see if it’s for you! You may even have the pleasure of meeting Dr John Watson, Simon’s dog who sat very patiently (and cutely) throughout my visit.

Northumbrian Tin Soldier Limited 13 Albion House • North Shields Tyne and Wear • NE29 0DW david@northumbriantinsoldier.co.uk www.northumbriantinsoldier.com

Recommended

VIDEO GAMES

BY OLIVE BISHOP In 2019, the developers of Tchia set out to write a love letter to New Caledonia in the form of their action-adventure game. Inspired by their childhood spent exploring these islands, this is a game made with so much love, it’s practically bursting at the seams.

Playing as the titular Tchia, a huge archipelago waits to be uncovered as part of your journey to save her father and the island‘s inhabitants from the malevolent Meavora. While young, Tchia is brave and curious, with a wealth of ways to explore at her side - at her disposal, she has a boat to navigate between islands, a hang glider to guide her down cliffs and most interestingly, the unique ability to Soul-Jump. This ability allows our protagonist to temporarily possess animals and inanimate objects, using their traits to navigate and solve puzzles; from a bird‘s ability to fly to a burning piece of coal that can ignite fires, this is an incredibly fun and unique game mechanic.

Alongside a passion for their home, the developers also bring a passion for music. The young Tchia carries a ukulele on her travels, which can be played at will to summon animals or change the weather. Players are also offered the chance to take a breath with scripted musical segments, playing along to the gorgeous soundtrack during story beats that ooze with the culture inspiring this game.

Tchia is rarely stressful, with action segments working more as puzzles than traditional combat. With a beautiful story to tell, characters to meet and islands to explore, this is a wonderful game for players of all skill levels.

@gpo_visuals

THE SIREN

LIMITED EDITION | I LOVE NORTH SHIELDS TOTE BAG GRAB YOURS HERE: WWW.ILOVENORTHSHIELDS.COM

Poetry

Jimmy

by John Dobson Sunday lunchtime, we were playing doms in the bar Nowt drastic like Ten pence the kitty and penny a knock Mind you, a pint of scotch cost nine pence then And I asked him how he came to be a fisherman.

Blue eyes twinkling, beer froth wiped from lips: “I was fifteen, hanging with the wrong crowd Getting into bother So they sent me down the pit Lying on me back in the water Hewing coal by hand with a pick I swore when I saw daylight again I would never go back, So I went to the fishing.”

He was past seventy when I knew him Face weather-lined and brown Like the sea-scarred timber of a North Sea jetty Arms hawser-sinewed, muscles granite-hard Still fishing from the wooden boat he carried to the water on his back And rowed out to the pots he hauled by hand.

He wouldn’t trust an engine: “Oars are more reliable,” he swore.

A young lad set his lip up to him once Called him old and bald, well past his best So Jimmy went outside to teach him different Then strolled back in the bar and downed his pint He never saw the need to learn to swim “I take care never to fall in,” he laughed But one grey winter’s day he must have done Boat absent from its station Seat empty in the bar No answer at his door.

The salmon lads found him, trammelled in their net Glassy eyed and lifeless, like the fish that bought his beer They knew him of course and hauled him aboard To fetch home with their catch.

vol. 1

RACHAEL MEYER, HUMANIST CELEBRANT SHARING STORIES OF LIFE AND LOVE IN AND AROUND NORTH SHIELDS, NEWCASTLE AND THROUGHOUT THE NORTH EAST. NON-RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES FOR EVERYONE. WEDDINGS: RACHAELMEYER.COM FUNERALS: GRANDGOODBYES.COM

Business

HARVEY’S OFF LICENCE CORNER SHOP If you haven’t been to Harvey’s yet, you’re missing out! Tucked away at 20 West Percy Street, this little corner shop has become a real gem in North Shields since it opened just a year ago. It’s not just your average off-licence—it’s a friendly, welcoming place packed with unique finds and everyday essentials, all wrapped up in proper community spirit.

Here’s why everyone’s talking about Harvey’s: A Favorite in North Shields In just a year, Harvey’s has built a loyal following by offering great products with a generous dose of community spirit.

1. Expanding Selection of Indian Spices From cinnamon sticks to star anise, Harvey’s caters to home cooks looking for authentic flavors. With even more spices on the way, it’s a must-visit for anyone who loves to cook.

2. Exclusive Local Products Harvey’s is the only shop in the area to stock Mrs. Darlington’s Made with Love jams, marmalades, and chutneys—favorites include ginger curd and blackcurrant jam. They also offer Farmhouse Biscuits for just £2 per pack, perfect for gifting or snacking.

3. Fresh & Authentic Indian Snacks Enjoy freshly made samosas and onion bhajis for just £1 each, or place an order for authentic Indian cuisine for gatherings of 10 or more.

4. Elegant Extras Harvey’s adds a touch of luxury with Yodeyma perfumes, featuring oriental, woody, and amber scents to treat yourself or gift a loved one.

5. Offering services like PayPoint, free cash withdrawals, and Yodel parcel pick-up, 6. Harvey’s is great—it’s a local lifeline for quick errands and convenience.

Convenient Hours Open Monday to Saturday, 9 AM to 8 PM, Harvey’s fits perfectly into your schedule.

Address: 20 West Percy Street, NE29 9ODS Phone: 07563 214333 Facebook @Harvey’s North Shields

LOCAL BUSINESS NORTH SHIELDS

Business

This month, we're shining a light on some local businesses and some of the freshest faces in North Shields' business scene. It's incredible to see new ventures popping up around town, each bringing something unique to our community. From cozy cafes to creative studios, these businesses are adding fresh energy to our streets and supporting our local economy.

A LITTLE BIT OF BALI – NUSA STUDIO

By Carol Davison | Photography by Coastal Captures After spending the last twelve years in Australia, local girl Amy Bewick is back in her hometown and has recently opened make-up studio, ‘Nusa’ in the Exchange 1856 building.

With a degree in Fine Art and a background in creative events management, Amy found a new niche when she settled in Australia. She started what she describes as a ‘side hustle’ doing festival make-up and found it was something she loved. She went on to train as a make-up artist and eventually secured a job at a television station in Darwin doing hair and make-up for the newsreaders on ABC News.

Amy’s time spent abroad has heavily influenced her new studio. Whilst living in The Northern Territories, the two-hour flight to Bali made it a long weekend destination. She loved the look of the luxury villas and hotels she saw there and this is reflected in the interior design of ‘Nusa’ which is light and airy with lots of natural wood and plants. She has given it her own twist, accenting the studio with hints of gold, in a look she describes as ‘Bali Luxe.’ ‘Nusa,’ the Indonesian word for island, has a very serene, spa-like feel to it with its pristine surfaces and scented candles.

Photography @thats.tats

Using high-end products, Amy does bridal make-up, make-up for special occasions such as proms and she also has clients in the beauty, editorial and creative world. Her aspiration is that every client feels special when they visit ‘Nusa’ and has made her studio a relaxing haven where they can feel pampered and enjoy a quiet one-to-one experience.

She describes her personal make-up style as one influenced by her work in Australia, where there is a softer, natural, beachy boho look and she is pleased to see this look is becoming more on trend here.

In addition to her work as a make-up artist, Amy has just added luxury ear piercing to her studio menu. She is offering this as a different piercing experience, specialising in the curated ear look where multiple pieces of jewellery are styled in different piercings throughout the ear. Piercing is done via needle and delicate, high quality earrings are available. Amy can discuss designs with the client and assist in choosing the jewellery.

You can find ‘Nusa’ at Suite 2, The Exchange 1856, Howard Street, North Shields, NE30 1SE. Amy can be contacted via Instagram @nusa.ncl and via email hello@nusastudio.co.uk

News

JOIN THE NORTH TYNESIDE BUSINESS FORUM YOUR FREE BUSINESS SUPPORT NETWORK Running a business can be incredibly rewarding—but it can also be challenging and, at times, isolating. That’s where the North Tyneside Business Forum comes in. Established in 2020 and led by a team of dedicated business owners, this unique community exists to connect, support, and empower local businesses across the borough. Whether you’re a start-up, a growing enterprise, or an established business, we’re here to help—and the best part? Membership is completely free!

Why Join the North Tyneside Business Forum?

Keeping Business Local & Thriving

As one of the largest peer-to-peer business networks in the North East, our forum brings together a mix of local entrepreneurs, offering valuable opportunities for networking, mentorship, and collaboration. We understand that running a business can sometimes feel like a solitary journey, but at the Forum, you’re never alone. Every member is welcomed with a friendly face and an open door to expert advice, business support, and community-driven initiatives.

The North Tyneside Business Forum isn’t just about networking—it’s about building a stronger, more resilient local economy. By joining, you’re contributing to a movement that encourages businesses to support each other, share knowledge, and drive collective success. Our events and initiatives nurture a culture of collaboration, ensuring that local businesses stay connected, stay supported, and stay local.

What You’ll Gain as a Member Peer Support & Networking – Connect with like-minded business owners who understand the challenges you face. Build relationships, exchange ideas, and forge valuable partnerships.

Expert Guidance & Resources – Gain access to industry experts and local advisors who can provide tailored support to help your business thrive.

Events & Workshops – Attend our free events and workshops designed to equip you with the latest insights, strategies, and skills for business success.

A Voice in Your Community – Influence local business policies and be part of a network that works collaboratively with North Tyneside Council to support and promote businesses in the borough.

No Cost, Just Opportunity Thanks to the support of North Tyneside Council, membership in the Forum is completely free. There are no hidden costs—just genuine opportunities to grow your business and connect with a supportive community.

Join Today!

If you’re a business with a trading address in North Tyneside, don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity.

Join the North Tyneside Business Forum today and take the next step in growing your business with the support of our community.

Events

APRIL 2025 4th April Destination Elton: The hits of Elton John 5th April Now That's What I Call the 80's!

11th April Prism Find these events + more at The Exchange 1856 theexchange1856.com/whats-on

17th April, 13:00-16:00 ARTISTS’ AGENCY CO CAFE a monthly drop in for artists and small creative businesses. at The Exchange 1856 more info at helixarts.com

12th April SISTER MOON CIRCLE 26th April ASTROLOGY POPUP Find these events + more at The Green Door throughthegreendoor.com

27th April TYNEMOUTH STATION BOOK FAIR In association with the Linksill Trust more info at tynemouthstationbookfair.co.uk

Do you have an event you wish us to cover or promote? get in touch! ilovenorthshields@outlook.com

Events

Talks at The Old Low Light Heritage Centre www.oldlowlight.co.uk/whats-on

12th April THE HUNTING OF THE WHALE Susan Lynn, a local historian with strong family links to North Shields, will share her research about the Tyne Whale Fishery 1752 – 1849, with stories of the local people who ventured into perilous waters in the days of sail. During those 97 years there were 54 different ships involved, 13 of which were lost and a total of 453 voyages (300 to the Davis Straits and 153 to Greenland).

The ships brought home a total of 2,830 whales and one live polar bear.

12nd April SUPPORTING THE FISHING INDUSTRY OVER MORE THAN 130 YEARS Mark Southerton will talk about important work to support the fishing industry along the Northumberland and North Tyneside coastline over more than 130 years. As chief officer of the Northumberland Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority, he will outline the role of the organisation in the management of fisheries and how this is balanced against the social and economic benefits of sea fishing with the need to protect the marine environment.

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Directory

NORTH SHIELDS-BASED CHARITIES & COMMUNITY GROUPS Live Well With Cancer + North Bank Café (Nile Street) Sarah’s Star (supporting people with incurable illnesses), based at the Linskill Mindstars (children’s mental health) (Albion House, West Percy Street) MAPSS - Mental Health & Physical Support Services + Little Community Hub (Bedford Terrace) Warm Welcome Hubs (various) + YMCA Community Meals North Tyneside YMCA Phoenix Detached Youth Project Pearey House Centre for Visually Impaired + Iris Community Café, Show Racism the Red Card - UK-wide charity based in Linskill Centre Yes You Can North East CIC Deaf Awareness:NE (daNE) - local charity based in Linskill Centre Smart Works - helping women into employment (collection point Hadaway & Hadaway, Solicitors) Meadow Well Connected The Bay Foodbank, Meadow Well North Tyneside Art Studio - Linskill Centre (supporting mental health) North Shields Fishermen’s Mission Linskill ‘engAGE’ community programme for over-55s Linskill Shedders Group GENTS - Guys Especially Need To Speak / It’s OK not to be OK walking group to support men’s mental health Independent North Shields (Football club) Supporters Association Churches Together in North Shields Sew Soe - Sewing for Self, Others & the Environment North Shields Litter Pickers Heritologists Remembering the Past Project (based at the Linskill Centre) ‘Lest We Forget’ Poppies Group North Shields 173 (remembering the Wilkinson’s Air Raid Disaster) Woeman: A supportive community nurturing our physical and mental wellbeing oudoors

BUSINESS SUPPORT North Tyneside Business Forum The Business Factory

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