Media release 18 March 2025
Local people invited to 10th birthday celebrations of fish quay heritage centre
Local people are invited to join celebrations to mark the 10th birthday of North Shields Fish Quay’s heritage centre.
On Saturday 29 March, from 10am to 3pm, staff, trustees and volunteers will welcome visitors to enjoy free entry to the Old Low Light Heritage Centre and its main exhibition and range of displays which tell many stories about the history, heritage and culture of North Shields. There will also be birthday cake.
The centre, in the oldest surviving building on the fish quay, and once one of a pair of leading lights guiding ships through the treacherous mouth of the River Tyne, was officially opened in March 2015 by Sir Alan Campbell MP. This followed a major programme of restoration, as the building, largely dating back to the early 18th century, had fallen into disrepair.
Old Low Light chair Linda Kay said: “The Old Low Light Heritage Centre is such an important part of the town’s seafaring history that we’re very pleased to have this celebration at a time when there is so much focus on the 800th anniversary of North Shields. In fact, the first shiels – or fishermen’s huts – were built yards away from where the building stands today.
“We’re very proud of what has been achieved and that we’ve managed to survive and develop despite the challenges of recent years. We wouldn’t have been able to do this without the support of our volunteers and the local community and we hope this invitation to join our birthday celebration will be a way of thanking everyone.”
Over the centuries the building has been used in different ways, including as an alms house for poor and sick mariners, storage for the local fishing industry, a training centre for deep sea fishermen and, until 2011, as a base for maritime volunteers.
Its development as a heritage centre was driven by different groups of local enthusiasts, including two former teachers who set up a group called ‘the Netties’, whose ambition was to bring stories of the past to life and inspire school children to find out more about the history of North Shields.
Before long, discussions were taking place with other local groups, all with a passion to preserve and promote the story of North Shields and its fish quay.
When the opportunity arose to use the Old Low Light, the growing group of Netties set up a charity, called the Net North Shields, with a board of trustees. The Net and North Tyneside Council secured funding from the European Union’s Coastal Communities Fund to bring in professional help to make the dream a reality.
In 2013, major restoration work was carried out by the Tyne and Wear Building Preservation Trust, North Tyneside Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The centre, with its popular café, has a full programme of events and activities, including talks, guided walks, concerts with music ranging from sea shanties to classical and craft workshops. The heritage gallery currently has an exhibition called ‘The Merchant Navy – Tyneside Stories’ and work is progressing on a new exhibition that will explain different stages of the town’s 800-year history.
The top floor is used as a community space for local bodies, including FLOW, a group for adults with additional needs. It also displays material from a broad range of previous exhibitions.
ends
For further information please contact Rachel Chapman, trustee and volunteer at the Old Low Light Heritage Centre on rachelc-comms26@virginmedia.com