Shop shutters open eyes to Wallsend’s past
Shop around for your fill of local history. Tony Henderson reports
Shop shutters turned into a window on Wallsend’s past have been the focal point of the town’s Local History week activities.
As part of a project to brighten up the High Street and town centre, and to spark fresh interest in local heritage, 18 shop shutters are now decorated with images from Wallsend’s rich history. The scenes range from ship launches and trams to workers leaving Swan Hunter’s shipyard, a former cinema on Station Road, and the narrow streets of old Wallsend.
Two images now appear on the shutter of AD Tackle. One is of the liner Mauretania under construction; the other shows the World Unicorn tanker taking shape in 1973 at the bottom of Leslie Street.
A highlight of Wallsend Local History Week, which started on Monday (June 30) was a free walking tour of the shutters on Wednesday, led by Steve Allerdyce of Wallsend Local History Society.
The 1948 marriage photograph of his parents, Sylvia and Alex, features on the shutter of a wedding and prom shop. “This has created a lot of interest,” Steve said.
One shutter features a 1960s photo of Christine March dancing at Wallsend Memorial Hall.
The hall, known as ‘The Mem’ is home to a 1920s ballroom where Christine’s granddaughters Katie and Lucie take their dance lessons today, and where her parents met on the dance floor in the 1940s.
“The photo on the shutters of The Mem was taken when I was 12 years old. I did ballet from the age of three then went on to do tap and ballroom until I was 14,” she said.
“I spent most of my time dancing and competing. My mother was so proud of the dancing, and she made all my dance dresses on an old-fashioned treadle machine. We’d go to the hairdressers and get our hair done for the competitions.
“I’m so proud to see my own granddaughters dancing now in The Mem and doing competitions of their own. Having this photo up on the shutters is a lovely thing for our family.”
Her daughter-in-law, Sherrie Lee Lowther, said: “When we saw the shutters we couldn’t believe it, we’re all delighted.”
Helen Telford, principal of Move It Studios CIC, which has operated from the Memorial Hall for the past nine years and has just under 200 students, said: “I’m a member of the Wallsend High Street Transformation Board and when they asked for old photos, I immediately thought of the many generations of Wallsend families who have danced at the Memorial Hall.
“Sherrie Lee gave me the wonderful photo of Christine and we sent it in. Sherrie Lee’s two daughters Katie and Lucie are dancers at Move It Studios, so it’s a lovely connection. When it appeared on the shutters it was an amazing surprise.
“Wallsend has a strong history of arts and culture and it’s brilliant to see that being recognised by this project.”
The project, supported by North Tyneside Council business liaison officer Wayne Young, relied on photographs and historical notes from Wallsend Local History Society. It was funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund under the Towns and High Streets Innovation Programme, led by the North East Combined Authority, and forms part of the council’s Ambition for Wallsend initiative.
Councillor Carl Johnson, North Tyneside cabinet member for Regeneration, Culture and Economic Development, said: “The Wallsend shutters scheme has been a real success, with lots of positive feedback from businesses and the wider community. We’ve heard about former shipyard workers calling into the shops to talk about the shutters and share their memories.
“As well as the shutters, we have given grants to more than 30 businesses in Wallsend to smarten up their shop fronts.”
Wallsend Local History Week was organised by North Tyneside Council, North East Museums, Wallsend Local History Society and Friends of Segedunum. The week featured films at Segedunum about shipbuilding, a talk on the 1835 Wallsend Colliery disaster, a community art map, and walking tours of historic sites across the town.
The programme concludes with the Wallsend Festival in the town centre and at Segedunum tomorrow (July 5), and at The Green on Sunday.
Full details can be found on the North Tyneside Council website.