A North Shields based heritage group is calling on members of the local community to help them bring the area’s rich, diverse history to life in a unique way.
The North Shields Heritology Project (NSHP), has announced the dates of its next Memory Cafés, inviting local people to come and chat about what life was like on the North Shields Fish Quay between 1850 and 1980, over a cup of tea.
Attendees will have the opportunity to share any memories, or stories, and any photos from the period with the project’s researchers. Emerging technologies such as virtual reality and immersive sound, will be used to bring history to life at a number of digital heritage events at venues across the town once the research is completed.
NSHP Secretary, Dave Young, said: “Our aim is to reveal the history of the North Shields
Fish Quay from 1850 to 1980, a period of immense social change, through the eyes of the
ordinary working people who populated ‘Low Town’ – once known as ‘The Street of all
Nations’ because of the huge diversity in its population.”
NSHP Chairman, Jonathan Barrand, added: “We want this to be a unique experience, and not just a simple timeline of facts and figures. Inspiring, and often tragic, there are some amazing stories to be told, which we’ll bring to life through the spoken word, music from the period, and re-enactments of actual events.”
NSHP has secured a number of grants from local charities and organisations to fund the
project, including Karbon Homes, RW Mann Trust, John Laing Charitable Trust, Hadrian
Trust, and the Venator Community Bright Ideas fund.
Melanie Rees, Community Connector for Karbon Homes, which awarded the project £1,000 through its ‘investing in communities’ fund said: “North Shields is an area steeped in diverse history and when we first heard about the heritage experience project, we were keen to be able to help NSHP bring this to life.
“Projects like this, which celebrate the history of an area, really help bring communities
together and help people to feel pride in the place they live. We’re looking forward to hearing the stories the project captures from local people, particularly those who are Karbon residents.”
The next cafes are taking place on Saturday 14th September from 10am-4pm at St
Columba’s Church on Northumberland Square in North Shields, and Sunday 15th September from 1pm-6pm at The Exchange on Howard Street in North Shields.
To find out more about the project or to get in touch with any contributions, please contact Dave Young (Secretary) via email heritologists@gmail.com
The North Shields Heritology Project 