South Shields

Template:GBmap South Shields is a coastal town in South Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England on the south bank of the mouth of the River Tyne, with a population of about 90,000.

Overview

The town was once famous for its shipyards and its coal mines, but the last ship builder (Readheads) closed in 1984 and the last pit (Westoe Colliery) in 1991. Today, the town relies largely on service industries, leisure and retail, with many residents commuting to work in Sunderland, Gateshead and Newcastle upon Tyne. For many years South Tyneside had the highest unemployment rate in mainland Britain, but between December 2002 and June 2004 unemployment fell by 24%, so the borough climbed up to 21st in the highest unemployment table. This was the 8th best performance out of the 23 local authorities in North East England.

South Shields has six miles of coastline and three miles of river frontage, dominated by the massive piers at the mouth of the Tyne. These are best viewed from the Lawe Top, which also houses the cannons that once defended the river.

The town has extensive beaches and the Leas, which stretches along more than three miles of the town's coastline, is a National Trust protected area. Marsden Bay, with its famous rock, is one of the largest seabird colonies in UK.

The Grotto, a pub built into the cliff opposite Marsden rock, is the only pub/restaurant of its type in Europe.

As well as being the largest town in South Tyneside, South Shields is also the region's most popular seaside resort, a status it has built up thanks to marketing itself as Catherine Cookson Country. Thousands of people come to see where the famous author was born and brought up, before visiting the fairground and promenade on the seafront.

History

A large Roman fort, Arbeia, has been excavated in South Shields on the Lawe Top, overlooking the River Tyne. Founded c AD 120, it later became the maritime supply fort for Hadrian's Wall, and contains the only permanent stone-built granaries yet found in Britain. It was occupied until the Romans left Britain in the 5th century AD. A Roman gatehouse and barracks have been reconstructed on their original foundations, while a museum holds artefacts such as an altarpiece to a previously unknown god, and a Roman-era gravestone set up by a native Palmyrene to his freedwoman and wife, a Briton of the Catuvellauni tribe. There is also a tablet with the name of the emperor Alexander Severus (d. AD 235) chiselled off.

Bede mentions a nunnery founded in AD 648 by Hild. This probably occupied the site where St Hilda's church now stands in the market place. Like many other parts of Britain and Europe, the North East suffered from Danish raiders, with the monasteries at Lindisfarne, Tynemouth, Jarrow and, in AD 865, Hild's nunnery, being sacked. The Vikings did not escape unscathed, however: AD 789 saw Danish longboats destroyed on Herd Sands, now Sandhaven beach. Halfdene and his host in AD 872 wintered on the Tyne and raided North Northumbria (Bernicia) and Scotland before occupying and partitioning South Northumbria (Deira) in Yorkshire.

The first reference to 'Scheles' (fishermens' huts) occurs in 1235, and the town proper was founded by the Prior and Convent of Durham in 1245. On account of the complaints of the burgesses of Newcastle an order was made in 1258, stipulating that no ships should be laden or unladen at Shields, and that no shoars or quays should be built there. South Shields then developed as a fishing port.

Salt panning along the Tyne began in 1499, and achieved major importance; Daniel Defoe speaks of the clouds of smoke being visible for miles, while a witness in 1743 mentions two hundred boiling-pans. Glass manufacturing was begun by Isaac Cookson in 1650 and there were eight glass works by 1827. Coal mining and chemical manufacture also became important. South Shields had the largest alkali works in the world.

In 1644, Cromwell's Scots allies under Colonel Stewart captured the fort on the site of Arbeia.

Turner made an engraving of Shields on the River Tyne in 1823. This is now in Tate Britain in London. He also painted Keelmen Hauling Coals by Night in 1835, having himself rowed out into the Tyne at Jarrow Slake in order to do so.

The town became famous for its maritime industries and the Marine School was founded by Dr Thomas Winterbottom in 1837. Originally in Ocean Road, it is now part of South Tyneside College in Westoe Village, and has an international reputation. The world's first self-righting lifeboat was designed and built in South Shields by William Wouldhave.

South Shields was able to elect an MP after the Great Reform Act of 1832 and was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1850 under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835. It became a county borough in 1889 with the passing of the Local Government Act 1888, and remained as such until 1974 when it became part of the Metropolitan Borough of South Tyneside in the County of Tyne and Wear.

The Shields Gazette, founded in 1881, is the oldest provincial evening newspaper in the country.

The impressive Town Hall of 1910 bears a copper weather vane in the form of a lifeboat. The town's crest (pre-1974) featured the lifeboat and the associated motto - Always Ready - which was later adopted as the motto of South Tyneside.

Zeppelin airships raided the Tyne in World War One and the town's seafront amusement park was attacked in 1915. In World War Two, South Shields suffered well over 200 air raid alerts and 156 people were killed. Many houses were damaged, particularly by incendiary bombs and parachute mines. One direct hit on the market place killed more than 40 people who had taken shelter in tunnels below the square.

Regional Identity

Most residents of South Shields also identify themselves as "Geordie", a term commonly associated with all residents of North East England. There is no consensus as to the true ambit of the expression. Some natives of the region consider it applies only to those born on Tyneside, whilst others go further still and claim that only those who were born or live north of the River Tyne are in fact Geordies. Disputes over the origins of the term serve only to obscure its true meaning in a contemporary context.

A less commonly used colloquial term, specifically for people from South Shields, is Sandancer (sometimes written as Sand-Dancer or Sanddancer). This term is said to derive from the town's attractive beach and its Yemeni population. The Sand-dance was a popular music-hall act that parodied Egyptian and Arab culture as it was understood in Britain at the time. The term is now rarely used and is often considered to be pejorative.

Famous Residents (past and present)

William Wouldhave, a parish clerk who was the inventor of the first functional lifeboat
Richard Wallace Annand First Victoria Cross recipient of the Second World War
John Barbour Clothier, inventor and manufacturer of the Barbour jacket
Sam Bartram Goalkeeper for Charlton Athletic 1934 to 1956
Lord Blyton of South Shields, Labour Party politician
Elinor Brent-Dyer Author of the Chalet School stories
Jack Brymer Eminent classsical clarinettist
Albert Burdon Comedian
Daniel Conway Digital artist AKA Arcipello
Catherine Cookson Best-selling novelist
Warnerford 'Warney' Cresswell Footballer for South Shields, Sunderland and Everton, capped 16 times for England.
Corbett Cresswell, Winner of the FA Vase three times with Bishop Auckland FC
Will Downey With his brother, pioneer photographer (Hartley Mine disaster; movie shots of Queen Victoria; royal photographers)
Sir William Fox three times Prime Minister of New Zealand
Sheila Graber Animator
John Gray Professor of European Thought at the LSE in London.
John Erickson Professor of Politics at Edinburgh. NATO adviser
Harold Heslop Trade unionist and writer
Eric Idle Part of the Monty Python team
George Irving Actor in films and TV. (Anton Meyer in Holby City).
Arnold Josephs Cup Final and International soccer referee.
Alex Kapranos Singer in the group Franz Ferdinand
John Simpson Kirkpatrick Hero of the Gallipoli campaign in WWI.
James Kirkup Poet
Baron Avro Manhattan Writer
The Rev. Brother Daniel Matthews, SSF Minister General Society of Saint Francis
Barry McSweeney Poet
James Mitchell TV script writer - 'Callan' etc.
Stanley Mortensen International footballer
Charles Mark Palmer Ship builder
Dame Flora Robson Actress
Francis Scarfe Poet and critic
Ridley Scott Film director and producer
Ernest Thompson Seton Naturalist and writer
Eileen O'Shaughnessy Wife of George Orwell
Steve Simonsen footballer for Tranmere Rovers, Everton and Stoke City
William Stobbs Book illustrator
Andrew Ernest Stoddart Captain of England at rugby and cricket
George Frederick Stout Philosopher
Muriel Willa Rupert Bear verse writer
Sir Frank Williams Formula One team owner
John Woodvine RSC actor
Lord Wright of Durley Lord of Appeal
Dale Meeks Actor from Emerdale (Simon Meredith)
Phil Brown Former football player and former manager at Derby county

Politics

South Shields is a safe Labour Party Parliamentary seat, currently held by cabinet minister David Miliband. South Shields has never elected a Conservative MP and is the only seat in the country not to have done so.

The borough council (South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council) is also controlled by Labour.

The town also has a local independent political party, the Progressives. This broadly centre-right party was formed in the 1950s to address hostility towards the Conservative Party. The Progressives have no representation beyond South Shields. Having controlled the old County Borough of South Shields council until 1974, they still hold several seats on the borough council.

Yemeni community

South Shields is a town of wide ethnic diversity. There is a large Asian population, including a long-established Yemeni community, the largest outside of Yemen. The main reason for the Yemeni arrival was the supply of seamen, such as engine room firemen, to British merchant vessels. At the time of the First World War there was a shortage of crews due to the demands of the fighting and the Yemenis were recruited to serve on British ships at the port of Aden, then under British protection. Eventually a small community was established in South Shields as they paid off the ships. After the end of the war, when returning local seamen went to get their jobs back, Arabs were accused by many of having taken them all. This caused the anger that would fuel one of the first race riots in the UK. In WWII some 4000 Tyneside seamen were lost, including 800 Yemeni Arabs.

Transport

The Tyne and Wear Metro links South Shields to Newcastle and Sunderland city centres, and Newcastle Airport. There is a Metro station in South Shields town centre (on King Street), with further stations at Chichester, Tyne Dock and Brockley Whins. A new station is planned for Simonside.

There is a pedestrian ferry service connecting the town to North Shields, on the opposite bank of the Tyne.

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External links

SouthTyneside.info - Local Council Website
[1] local site with interesting history of the town and extensive photogalleries.
South Shields Sanddancers South Shields website showing the town from the peoples perspective, noticeboards, pictures, business listings and loads more.