Ocean Drive

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The success of my previous weekend trip as an Explorer North East inspired me to repeat the exercise. I was up bright and early to catch the same northbound bus for a connection in Middlesbrough. Redcar was still slumbering this week. They were possibly saving themselves for their destiny with TV stardom in the real life soap opera finally set for airing next week. The World Cup got in the way in June. The country awaits! I swapped to my X9 bus towards Newcastle. The beauty of travel by public transport is that it allows you to concentrate on the scenery, not the road. I discovered the microbrewery scene was alive and well with two thriving in the centre of old Billingham. I am not sure how I missed this last week, but I am sure they will get my custom at some point on my Saturday travels. My destination this week was South Shields, so I hopped off the bus on the outskirts of Gateshead at the Heworth Interchange. I nipped down the stairs to connect with a Metro. The real time display flashed 3 minutes. Good timing.

If you had read any of my previous recent blogs, you will have noted that I was becoming almost a semi-regular on Tyneside. However, a lot of it remains a mystery to me and reading a book about the Jarrow March got me thinking about how I had never set foot there. It was on the Metro route to South Shields, so there was no excuse not to change that fact this morning. The train branched off at Pelaw and headed towards Hebburn. The most striking thing about Hebburn from the train are the enormous yellow cranes down by the Tyne. My eyes though were drawn to the allotments by the line and more to the point, the sheds or pigeon huts which carried various signs on them. In a game of one up manship, a pub sign had been hoisted above one. A few plots along, another carried a full size HMV shop sign. My personal favourite was North Skelton Post Office, although I doubt they'll be cashing any pensions there. I made a point to check whether North Skelton Post Office is still actually open in the next few days. I alighted at Jarrow. It doesn't look like it today, but in the 8th century this place was one of the centres of Christianity in Britain. The Monastery of St Paul was home to Bede, a much vaulted scholar and historian. A faded plaque near the Metro station paid tribute to the fact. The Vikings later paid a visit and things were never quite the same. Henry VIII finished the job. I was surprised therefore to see that the shopping centre was named the Viking Centre and a statue of 2 invading warriors was bearing down on the shoppers from Grange Road. There were few folk around on this Saturday morning, which suggested that retail therapy was taking place elsewhere. The Vikings have left their mark on the town, but the other statue is of a figure who probably made more of a lasting impression. Charles Palmer opened his shipyard in 1852. He provided jobs for the town and built over a 1,000 ships through the years. The town population rocketed tenfold in the 40 years after the start of shipbuilding. The closure in 1933 is the major historical event for the town, even surpassing the Bede years. At the time, 80% of the population were in some way dependent on the shipyard and in a move to cut the national shipbuilding capacity, Palmers closure left many without work. In those days, it wasn't as easy as Norman Tebbitt would suggest decades later to get on your bike and head off for pastures new. However after 3 long years, the Jarrow men organised their march to London to highlight the plight, to protest about the high levels of unemployment and show their desire to work. Alas, they were largely ignored when they got there. It would take another World War to change things. The Palmer statue faces Jarrow Town Hall. An imposing redbrick creation, it is where the Jarrow marchers set off in October 1936. One of the key supporters and local MP was Ellen Wilkinson. Ellen hailed from Manchester, had an early flirtation with the Communist Party and broke into Parliament as MP for Middlesbrough East in 1924. She re-entered Parliament at Jarrow in 1935 and supported the march when many at the helm of the Labour Party were sitting firmly on the fence. She would later write a book on the Jarrow struggle in 1939 - "The town that was Murdered". It didn't die and struggles on. Ellen Wilkinson didn't get to be the 3rd statue. Her name lives on in the town with the two large tower blocks next to the Town Hall being named Ellen Court and Wilkinson Court. I returned to the Metro and left for South Shields.

It was only a few stops. Bede - where I would return later, Tyne Dock, Chichester - pronounced in this part of the world as Chychester and then alighting in the heart of King Street, South Shields. The 4th biggest town in the Tyne & Wear conurbation. I walked away towards the docks, passing what was the original location of a monastery on the site of St Hildas Church. The South Shields we know today was built on industry, shipyards and fishing and it lies just beyond the Market Place. A large modern designed British Telecom building guards the entrance to the area. A mural across the road details the history of South Shields. It extended quite away down Commercial Road and was obviously well liked. There was no hint of graffiti along the length of the painting. A curious mix of modern art was located on the corner facing the BT building. Glasses on tables. I tried a few photos to amusement of a passerby. I walked down Mill Dam towards the old dock and the river beyond, stopping to photograph the Steamboat pub. I had seen the flag at previous South Shields FC matches on my travels. This is Catherine Cookson territory. A plaque on the wall down near the old Seaman’s Mission advised that her Colour Blind novel was set in this area. Cookson wrote over 100 novels and sold over 100 million books. She used her upbringing in this area, as an inspiration for some of her writing. The Customs House at the foot of hill was a thriving centre of commerce, but is now home to a cinema and a theatre. A mix of events were advised from tribute bands, through to The Drifters to the usual round of Strictly Come Dancing spin off tours that roll out at this time of year. The coffee shop was doing well - aren't they always? I stood and surveyed the River Tyne. The Shields ferry was about to set sail for the north bank. My bus ticket actually included the trip, but I figured there was not enough time today. The landscape was dominated by Tyne Dock to my left and 2 huge ships in front of me. A Thomson TIU vessel at the North Shields cruise terminal and the DFDS ferry to the hinterlands of Amsterdam - often known as the party boat. I walked back along the riverfront and up into the Market Place. Along with the interesting architecture of the BT building, the immediate area has another interesting building known as "the Word". What is "the Word"? As well as housing the library, it holds the grand title of the National Centre For The Written Word which I thought was quite appropriate as I was writing in my head at this point. Do they offer advice for unpublished authors in Montreal, I asked myself? South Shields is also the home to oldest provincial evening newspaper in the UK - Shields Gazette. Founded 1849 - so the written word has a strong tradition in these parts. The mission statement includes becoming home a home for North East writers. The building contrasted with the 18th century market place building. The Saturday market was in full swing, as I headed for King Street.



King Street is full of really attractive old buildings. South Shields come to think of it is full of really attractive old buildings. In King Street, you need to look up. Up above the corporate shop fronts. An old guy saw me taking snaps and voiced his opinion that they were indeed "grand". The Metro line cuts across at a raised level half way down. I carried on going until I found the South Shields Museum & Art Gallery. It was free entry and housed a potted history of South Shields and an exhibition entitled King Coal, reliving the heritage of the area. The most surprising aspect of the story of the town is the Roman history, but I will come back to that subject shortly. The town has a strong Merchant Navy connection and lost the highest proportion of men of any town in the UK in World War 2, who were part of that service. The latter didn't surprise me, but I hadn't reckoned on this town being at the town being at the forefront of UK salt production in 1743. There were 200 salt pans on the go at that time. A rather impressive stone lion guards the equally impressive old Free Library next door. A plaque says he was only put here in 1988 to mark the pedestrian scheme in King Street. The Spoons - The Kilpatrick - over the road is an equally impressive building and is also guarded by an animal. A large statue pays tribute to John Simpson Kilpatrick, who is said to have led 300 injured men to safety with his trusted donkey, Duffy, during the Gallipoli landings in 1915. He was born in South Shields and jumped ship from his Merchant Navy post in 1910 - ironically in Newcastle - New South Wales. After a series of jobs in the intervening years, he joined up apparently with the intention of getting back to England. He never made it. He was killed by a sniper at Anzac Cove on May 19th 1915, but is remembered in dispatches and Australian military folklore. I nipped in Spoons to find with disappointment that it was of the few that hadn't been upgraded to the free coffee refill venues.

I retraced my steps and turned back up the hill, passing the estate agent community of South Shields and headed towards the Town Hall. A couple headed towards me. The lady tripped over a kerb. . The bloke with her grinned. She reminded him in colourful language that his face would be rearranged, if he didn't remove his smirk promptly. I tried not to follow his lead for fear of getting a slap too. South Shields Town Hall is a seriously large and another impressive building in a long line across town. It was built between 1905 and 1910 and is described as "the most convincing expression" of the industrial prosperity of the time. The front entrance is dominated by a statue of Queen Victoria. A decision had been taken to erect a statue to Victoria in 1901, but it was not until the Town Hall had been finished that a space was created. It was finally displayed in 1913! The 145-foot clock tower overlooks the surroundings. A groom and his merry men arrived for a wedding ceremony. They checked their options. Nerves were not helped, when they discovered the pub across the road was not yet open. I headed back down the road and encountered no further feuding couples.

Ocean Road is a bit of icon in the North East. It is known for curry. A concentration of eateries are bunched together as South Shields heads towards the seaside. The streets to either side are home to a large Bangladeshi community, but South Shields is no stranger to diversification. As a result of the Merchant Navy connection, South Shields became home to large population from Yemen at a time when this was not commonplace in the UK. The Yemeni community dates back to the 1890s. US boxer, Muhammad Ali paid a visit in 1977 and had his marriage blessed at the Al-Azhar Mosque, the first purpose-built in the UK. A documentary film apparently recorded events - "The King of South Shields". I had other food on my mind, other than curry. Ocean Road is also home to Colmans. Family Run Since 1926. It was founded in 1905 and has been on Ocean Road since the 1926 date. Colmans. Seriously good fish and chips. Temptation got the better of me. I hadn't been for about 5-6 years, although I had visited their new outlet in the so called folly known as Ghandi Temple a mile or two south on the sea front. I know good fish and chips. I have Whitby blood in me. However, Colmans has my vote as the top fish and chip emporium in the North East. I do not say that lightly. I took my takeaway prize and walked down towards the sea. Enjoy the photo. If in the area, take a detour and visit. They have a lovely restaurant next door. The Lighthouse Family track - Ocean Drive - plays in my mind.



Ocean Road breaks out into seaside with the North and South Marine Parks either side on approach. The restored lifeboat - the Tyne - is housed under a wrought iron canopy. This is the 2nd oldest lifeboat in existence. The lifeboat concept was invented in South Shields in 1790. Boat builder, Henry Greathead and local Parish Clerk, the splendidly named William Wouldhave, answered the calls of a local committee to design a boat capable of withstanding heavy seas after a ship, The Adventure, foundered offshore with the loss of all hands the year earlier. I wandered down to the beach – a superb piece of flat sand as most are in this part of the world - and gazed across at Tynemouth Priory on the far side of the Tyne. The area just to south of here is the finish of the Great North Run. On 8^th September, the locality would have been rammed with athletes and spectators. Today even though it was still the school holidays, only a few folk wandered around. The fish and chips went down a treat, by the way. I retraced my steps up Ocean Road. They have street furniture in the shape of icecreams and shells and at the end of the street where I intended to turn, a Roman soldier. The North East is known for the end of the Hadrians Wall, but lesser known for the Abeia Fort on the south bank. It was once the supply port for the Romans, but is now hidden away behind an old primary school. The position is elevated, offering a clear view overlooking the entrance of the river (or at least it would have been back in the Roman times before being surrounded by a series of Victorian terrace houses). A reconstruction of one of the old gates gives an idea of the size of the fort. In the far corner, the commanders quarters and accommodation block have also been recreated. A few other visitors strolled around on what was now a warm afternoon. I had a look round the small museum, where various finds including gravestones and skeletons are housed.

Time was pressing on now and as always, there is a football match to find. South Shields Football Club are having a revival. They were once with nearby Sunderland and Newcastle in the football league, but joined neighbours Gateshead in slipping to a lowly status. South Shields, inspired by former Sunderland, Middlesbrough (and Argentina) star Julio Arca, have had a series of promotions and risen from playing in exile in front of the proverbial 3 men and a dog at Peterlee, through Northern Leagues 1 and 2 and all the way into the top flight of the Evostik League. Arca has now retired, but they maintain a cultured style of play and have invested heavily in the playing staff. Mariners Park is slightly out of town, but adjacent to the Bede Metro Station and easily reached from town. Bede is an industrial estate and home to the Barbour clothing company. I have been a number of times. Why pay over the odds in a retail shop, when the factory has much better value. Once the preserve of the green wellington hunting, shooting and fishing brigade, the company is having as much of a resurgence as the football club and has diversified from the trusty wax waterproof jackets into more of a fashion statement. I had a few minutes to spare, so I nipped into the factory store. I have enough Barbour jackets – the majority purchased here, but I always like to look in case there are any bargain “samples”. The shop was busy with a range of locals and a sprinkling of international tourists, who had chosen to spend their Saturday afternoon looking through the rails on a South Tyneside industrial estate.

I walked back round to Mariners Park in about 5 minutes and paid my £10 entry. I was in expensive territory in the Evostik League. The pitch looked immaculate and better than some at the highest level. I have seen South Shields away from home and one thing they always do well is a flag. A good selection – including that from the Steamboat pub – were hung on the stands. One absentee was the South Shields Baku Branch flag – last seen at Marske in the Northern League days, although to be fair getting to very game from Azerbaijan must be a bit tricky. A healthy crowd of over 1,100 had assembled, although with Sunderland being at home this afternoon a few Metro stops away they often have higher. The opponents today were Nantwich Town from Cheshire. They huffed and puffed, but neither side created a great deal in the first half. The game swung on a penalty. It was an unnecessary handball, there was much protesting after guilt was established and the keeper was duly dispatched the wrong way. 1-0. South Shields ran out comfortable 4-0 winners and I scurried back to the Metro to make sure I got back to Heworth to catch the intended bus back towards Teesside. I did. It was 40 minutes late. I needn’t have rushed after all.

Appendix 1

Evostik Premier League

South Shields FC 4 Nantwich Town 0

Date: Saturday 1st September 2018 @1500 Hours

Venue: Mariners Park, Shaftesbury Avenue, Bede, South Shields.NE32 £UP

Attendance : 1141
Scorers : 1-0 Briggs (South Shields) Pen 54 Mins, 2-0 Gillies (South Shields) 61 Mins, Harmison (South Shields) 78 Mins, Adams (South Shields ) 81 Mins.

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Comments

[Rainyb]

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[Rainyb]

Thanks for sharing.