Classic car enthusiasts, gardeners and people with an interest in local history should pay a visit to North Shields Fish Quay next Sunday (22 May 2022).

Members of the North of England Classic Car and Pre-War Automobiles Motoring Club will be staging a show at Clifford’s Fort, outside the Old Low Light Heritage Centre from 10am to 4pm.

Green fingered volunteers and friends of the heritage centre will have an outside plant sale from 10am until all plants are sold. All profits from the sale will go to the heritage centre.

And for the first time in more than two years, the heritage centre will be open to the public on a Sunday, so visitors will be able to buy coffee and cake in the café and visit the heritage gallery from 10am to 4pm. They will also be able to find out more about the history of North Shields and the fish quay and to view the latest exhibition ‘Folk who Shaped Shields’ which focuses on four great people – John Foster Spence, John Dobson, Richard Irvin and Sir James Knott – whose contributions to the town are still benefiting the local community – and the display ‘Deeds not Words’ about the life and achievements of North Tyneside suffragette, Norah Balls.

Centre director Guy Moody said: “We are delighted to welcome back our classic car friends and that our green fingered volunteers are taking the opportunity to have their first plant sale of the year.

“We are also pleased to be in a position to give Sunday opening a try. Before the pandemic we were open seven days a week, but lockdowns and restrictions have resulted in reduced opening hours due to financial pressures and the need to boost our volunteering team.

“However, we are confident that the two events will attract sufficient visitors to our café and gallery to cover our costs for the day. We are very grateful to the classic car owners, and all our volunteers and friends involved in the plant sale for supporting the heritage centre. The same must be said of North Tyneside Council who have granted special permission for the events to go ahead inside Clifford’s Fort.”

He added: “We have more special Sunday events planned in June and are very close to having enough people to open every Sunday, thanks to lots of new volunteers joining the Old Low Light team.”