Wearside articles
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How one Wearside man was a hit, thanks to Scargill and Thatcher
A Wearside man had designs on success - and it involved the Royal family and Arthur Scargill. Bill Spalding went into production of chess sets on a full-time basis in 1986 after the success of a set he created based on the Miners’ Strike in 1984. It proved so popular that he chose The Royals’ as his latest move in the board game market. Bill made the pieces by hand at his home in Hetton. He sent a set of his latest creation to the Queen and was given “a seal of approval” for the design. He...
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Gentoo provides Wearside foodbank with vital extra storage
Help has arrived for foodbank and community hub Mickey’s Place with a welcome donation from housing association Gentoo. During a visit by Gentoo CEO Louise Bassett late in 2023, she found the people running Mickey’s Place in Sulgrave were regularly reaching their storage capacity. This was due to the number of donations they were receiving to help meet the increase in demand for food. During the visit Louise learned how many visitors Mickey’s Place was expecting over the Christmas period. She...
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16 fascinating Sunderland 'ghost signs' which give an insight into Wearside's past
‘Ghost signs’ is the name given to old adverts that were once painted onto the side of buildings which are still evident today or inscriptions of old businesses. Here’s a round up of some of Sunderland’s Ghost Signs that offer a window into the past, from old cigarette adverts to court buildings.