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This is a view of Marsden Bay from the The Grotto Pub looking North , just off right centre is Camels Island where many children , including me had many adventures . In the far distance is South Shields Pier .
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| Marsden Bay 1954 - the Mother and the bairn are taking an awful risk as the cliff edges easily crumble and fall on the beach .Courtesy Shields Gazette | The same view but taken 50 years later on Good Friday 2005 . |
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Marsden Rock , both mini and maxi versions . A couple of years ago the right hand side of the Rock became unsafe and had to be demolished . The Black & White picture shows how it was circa 1970 .
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| Camels Island or Velvet Beds 2005 . In front of the Island and just to the right is the remains of a jetty , thought to have been built by the Romans . Boat trips from Shields to the Island and Marsden Bay existed in the 1800,s , it was the only way to get there due to the lack of roads . |
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| Carol Stewart and her Uncle Dave on Marsden Beach , near Marsden Rock Circa: 1950 . Sadly , Uncle Dave is no longer with us . | Carol Stewart on Marsden Beach Circa 1955 - a kids paradise . Notice the acres of clean sand , compared to how it is now . |
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| This is one of the lovely "Economic" buses at Whitburn , making its way from Sunderland to South Shields via Harton Lane . Its was a smashing service but you must not be in a hurry as it kept a strict timetable . |
The "White Horse" is a well known landmark on Cleadon Hills and many stories explain its origin . The most credible concerns a Whitburn nobleman Sir Hedworth Williamson .Every day , he and his wife would ride along Marsden beach but one day she went riding alone . She was seen galloping towards the rock , which was in those days still attached to the mainland and was last spotted riding into an opening in the rock . She was never seen again and it was presumed that her body and that of the horse were swept out to sea . Sir Hedworth lost interest in his estate and gave some money to Peter Allen who was the tenant at the Marsden Grotto pub . As a memento to his former masters kindness he scratched out a white horse with Tar and Lime-wash on Cleadon Hills for all to remember . This picture dates from around 1970.
South Shields Harbour and Pier taken from the Lawe Top . The Lawe Top Beacon was erected as a navigation aid in 1832 by John Turnbull , costing £60 .A view of North Shields Flats and Lloyds hailing station ( Pier into the river ) viewed from the Lawe Top .
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The "Harbour Light`s " pub (Lawe Top) and two canon captured by the British Army at Sebastopol. . A view down Ocean Rd and on the right is the Memorial (1890) to William Woodhave who invented the first Lifeboat- just beside it , under the cover is the Lifeboat " Tyne" . This boat was built in 1833 by John Oliver & Sons of South Shields and is nearly a direct copy of the first Lifeboat called the "Original" built 1789. It was presented to the Port by Thomas Forrest , a South Shields shipowner . The builders yard was on the Lawe , on land that was used by Readhead & Softley for their first shipyard . It was last used to enact a rescue in 1882 . On Dec 5th 1882 , the Norwegian brig "Olaf Kyrre" grounded on Herd Sands . The "Tyne" took the men off her . A few days later she went to the help of the schooner "Flidat" , which has also grounded on Herd Sands and rescued 2 crew .
It is the 2nd oldest preserved lifeboat in the world . It was retired in 1894 and in its 60 year life it saved 1028 lives. It was very badly damaged by a bomb in 1941 as seen below. The oldest lifeboat is the "Zetland" , also built in South Shields but now at Redcar . Her build date is listed as 1800 , but most sources place her construction as having been 1802 .
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| The "Tyne" Lifeboat after being bombed in 1941 | ||
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| A post card of the "Tyne" lifeboat issued in 1907 - kindly donated by Ray Buck of Northallerton . | ||
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| The "Tyne" lifeboat at the Coble Landing | The oldest lifeboat in existance is the "Zetland" , also built in South Shields but now at Redcar . Her build date is listed as 1800 , but most sources place her construction as having been 1802 . |
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| This painting depicts the "Providence" lifeboat in action , "A wreck off the South Pier, South Shields, 1861", by John Scott . The painting has been on display in the South Shields Museum and Art Gallery since the late 19th century. (Reproduced courtesy of Tyne and Wear Museums.) |
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On the left is the lovely old South Marine Park lake with its indigenous family of swans . It is over a 100 years old and thousands of kids (and adults, including me ) have sailed their boats and gone fishing for "tiddler`s in this lake . On the right is Herd Sands looking towards the Harbour , it is a magnificent beach but oh! the sea is cold .
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This is the Harbour beach and the Groyne (the small pier in the distance ) . It was built to stop the beach being swept into the river by the incoming tide - it seems to have done its job very well . Below , the Groyne , before and after , a much needed coat of paint in 2001 .
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