Heritage Open Days, which is running from Thursday 9th September to Sunday 12th September, is a major national event offering visitors the unique opportunity to explore and enjoy buildings and places that are usually closed to the public or that would normally charge an entry fee – completely free of charge.

South Tyneside has a whole host of fascinating buildings, events, activities, tours and walks on offer, with some exciting new additions to the 2010 line up.

Grade II listed St Hilda’s Colliery in Station Road, South Shields, is usually closed to the public but will open for Heritage Open Days. The colliery played an important role in developing ventilation, lighting and safety in the mines. The head stocks and engine house still remain.

Visitors to St Hilda’s will also get the opportunity to see contemporary art exhibition ‘Pendulum’, which examines the significance of coal mining to the local area. It features the work of eight international artists through photography, paintings, collage work and mannequins.

Taking part for the first time is South Tyneside’s Recycling Village, at Middlefields Industrial Estate in South Shields, offering a behind-the-scenes visit at this excellent example of sustainable design and facility for future generations.

Those who are interested in local history can join the Local Studies Library to see South Tyneside’s Heritage Lottery-funded project to put historic images of the Borough online or they can take a stroll through the Marine Parks on a heritage walk.

South Shields Volunteer Life Brigade Watch House is also opening its doors to the public. It houses a collection of records, paintings, photographs, equipment and artefacts relating to the many ship wrecks and rescues the brigade has attended over the years.

For a general overview of the Borough and its heritage, people can hop on and off the Citysightseeing Bus Tour. The hourly open top bus service is free all day Saturday 11th September, and stops at all of the Borough’s main attractions with audio commentary on board.

Church buildings open as part of the weekend include the significant St Paul’s Church and Monastic Site in Jarrow, Christ Church – Jarrow Grange, Westoe Road Baptist Church in South Shields, St Nicholas Church in West Boldon and Whitburn Parish Church.

South Shields Old Town Hall, North East Maritime Trust, Souter Lighthouse and Whitburn Windmill are also taking part in Heritage Open Days. For events and activities visit Bede’s World and Arbeia Roman Fort. Tours are also available at Cottam Brush, Jarrow Town Hall, South Shields Town Hall and the Customs House.

For full listings, specific opening times and booking information for events in South Tyneside, and the rest of Tyne and Wear, visit www.twhods.org.uk

Copies of the Heritage Open Days booklet are also available at local libraries.

Share

Jethro Tull will be supported by South Tyneside rockabilly outfit Bessie and The Zinc Buckets.

For your chance to win a pair of tickets to see Jethro Tull, answer the following question:

What instrument is Ian Anderson, lead member of Jethro Tull famous for playing?

(a) Guitar
(b) Keyboard
(c) Flute

Send your answer along with your name, address and contact telephone number to: tourism@southtyneside.gov.uk by 5pm on Friday 3 September 2010.

Three winners will be randomly selected from all correct entries.

If you’re not lucky enough to win, you can still purchase tickets for this gig on Friday 17 September 2010 from:

The Customs House, Mill Dam, South Shields, NE33 1ES

The Customs House Shop, King Street, South Shields, NE33 1JE

The Box Office on: 0191 454 1234 or visit www.customshouse.co.uk

Share

Voter registration have been delivered to every home in South Tyneside. 

The details you provide on the registration form will be used to update the information the Council has about who is registered to vote at your address. 

The up-to-date register of electors will be published on 1 December 2010.

If your details are not on the register of electors you will not be able to vote at the May 2011 local elections.

• When you receive your form it will show the details of the people currently on the register of electors for your address
• You should check that the details are correct, cross out the names of anyone who no longer lives at your address and add the names of any new residents (including any 16-or 17-year-olds)
• If you are moving house before 15 October leave the form for the new occupiers to fill in
• If you do not have a voter registration form for your new address phone the Elections Office on 0191 424 7230 and they will send one out to you
• You can sign and return your registration form or, if there are no changes to make, you can register over the phone, online or by text.

What if I need to make changes to the form?
If you need to change any of the details, you should cross out the old details, add the new details in part 1 and include any 16-or 17-year-olds in part 2. Sign the form in part 5 and return it in the envelope provided.

What if I don’t need to make any changes?
If there are no changes to make you can register in one of four ways:

• Over the phone
• Online
• By text
• By post (remember to sign part 5 of the form)

By law you must register to vote. If you don’t register, or you give false information on the form, you could be fined up to £1000.

Share

The disruptions are due to planned roadworks on Chesterton Road which will be closed 8am and 5pm.

Stagecoach routes 1, 2, 3, 4, 10 and 11 will run along John Reid Road as far as the Crematorium roundabout to allow customers to use bus stops located at either Whiteleas Way/ Percy Scott Street or on John Reid Road.

Share

There are 5 options under consideration and the council appears committed to option 1.

A summary of the 5 options are:

Option 1
Close both Beech Street and Gerald Street in the short term, keep Connolly House open in the medium-term and develop a new model of delivery for Dementia Care in the Borough.

Option 2
Keep all 3 homes, undertaking necessary basic maintenance. 

Option 3
Keep Connolly House open but look to close in the longer term once a new facility is developed and close either Gerald Street or Beech Street, keeping the other home in the medium-term. 

Option 4
Transfer all three homes to an alternative provider 

Option 5
Close all three homes in the short-term. 

Any closures will involve transfers of residents to alternative homes and staff relocation, redeployment or redundancies.

All views expressed during the consultation period will be gathered together and fed back to councillors. The council’s cabinet, which consists of 10 Labour councillors will then make a final decision on the future of the residential care homes in October 2010.

If you are interested in the future of residential care in South Tyneside and would like to make your views known, you can do so in any of the following ways:

Complete the council’s questionnaire at http://surveys.southtyneside.info/carehomes/

E-mail your views to consultationteam@southtyneside.gov.uk 

Write to
Jane Robinson
Head of Adult Social Care
South Shields Town Hall
Westoe Road
South Shields
NE33 2RL

Or contact your local councillor. You can find out how to get in touch with your local councillor at www.southtyneside.info/councillorsandcommittees/councillorlistbyward.aspx 

 The consulatation closes on Tuesday 31 August 2010.

Share

Residents will be able to pick up a range of information with advice on insulation, recycling, composting, renewables and greener driving as well as tips on how to reduce their carbon footprint and save energy in the home.

Representatives from South Tyneside Council, South Tyneside Homes, Warmzone, Groundwork South Tyneside and Newcastle, the Energy Saving Trust, Waste Services, and the Love Food Hate Waste campaign will also be on hand to talk to visitors.

Residents will get the chance to pick up free low energy light bulbs and water saving devices for showers and toilets as well as enter a competition to win an A-rated fridge freezer.

There will also be activities on offer to keep children entertained including seed planting, reusable bag decorating, face painting and, weather permitting, a solar car challenge.

Isobel Riley, Chief Executive of South Tyneside Homes, said: “We are very committed to our green agenda and improving energy efficiency in the Borough. This day with our partners is an ideal way to give residents practical tips and information on how they can save energy in their homes and reduce the Borough’s carbon footprint.”

Share

Surgery dates, times and venues vary but details can usually be found in the Shields Gazette and on the Council’s website.

Anyone who cannot attend Councillor Hodgson’s surgeries but would like to speak to him can call him at home on 0191 489 4146. Alternatively you can email: john.hodgson@yahoo.co.uk

Share

Well now’s your chance to tell the Council what you really think because South Tyneside Council is inviting parents and carers to have their say on the childcare it provides.

The Council has a duty to provide good childcare for parents and carers of children up to the age of 14, or up to 18 for children with disabilities.

And, as part of a full assessment of childcare in the Borough, the Council is seeking your opinions on current childcare services, the quality of childcare and how childcare should be developed in the future.

Parents and carers can have their say by filling in a childcare survey on the Council’s website: www.southtyneside.info/childcaresurvey

The survey will also be distributed from schools, childcare facilities and at family events held in the Borough over the coming weeks.

The Council and its partners will use the findings from this research to ensure that the future childcare they provide is sufficient, flexible and responsive to the needs of parents and carers.

For further information or to get a copy of the survey please contact Chris Buck from the Council’s Early Years Service on (0191) 426 8132.

Share

Between May 2008 and December 2009 sixty six complaints were made. Forty six of those were against Independent councillors, the vast majority of these complaints were made by senior councillors and their stooges, a senior council officer and a person in charge of a local news organisation. Six complaints were made against Conservative councillors and fourteen complaints were made against Labour councillors.

The Standards committee (which unlike other committees does not reflect the political balance of the council – because the ruling Labour group does not want it to) saw fit to refer the majority of complaints that needed to be investigated were those made against Independent Alliance councillors!

Most of these complaints are that Independent Alliance councillors did not treat people with respect or that they brought the Council into disrepute. So what did they do? You cannot be told!

The Independent Alliance Councillors asked for all investigations, interviews and hearings to be carried out in public. This request was refused. Instead everything takes place in secret; behind closed doors.

The local Standards Committee referred a number of these complaints about Independent Alliance councillors to a quango set up by the Labour government called Standards for England. This involved multiple trips to South Shields by highly paid civil servants including someone who was believed to be a solicitor; first class rail travel obviously, overnight stays at the Little Haven hotel, taxis to every meeting and naturally subsistence payments. Who pays for this? US!

They can call whoever they like to give evidence but the Independent Alliance councillors were not allowed to call any witnesses. They can ask whatever questions they like. They record the whole proceedings, produce lengthy transcripts and reports. When Independent Alliance councillors suggested they would publish details of these interviews, they were threatened with imprisonment if they revealed any information to the public! 

Do you think this is British justice? No neither do we. We are convinced this is a deliberate attempt to silence any opposition and is a concerted effort by Labour and their stooges to remove Independent Alliance councillors from the Council. Sadly they just can’t accept the will of the electorate; Independent Alliance councillors were elected by the people to oppose the ruling Labour group and it’s time they learned to live with it.

Share

Today’s headline event in South Shields will be a Cultural Festival complete with a food village and market. The event takes place in Bents Park and will start at 12.30pm when the Rajasthani Folk Musicians kick of a wonderful afternoon of free entertainment.

In addition to the Cultural Festival there will also be a programme of events at 3 other South Shields seafront venues.

The full schedule is:

Venue 1 – Bents Park

12:30 – Rajasthani Folk Musicians
13:30 – Srishti
14:15 – Bombay Baja
15:15 – Rajasthani Folk Musicians
16:00 – Srishti
16:45 – Bombay Baja

There will also be a showcase of culturally diverse entertainers from South Tyneside.

Venue 2 – Lakeside, South Marine Park

12Noon – Milk and No Sugar Theatre (Rickshaw Airship)
12:45 – Wet Picnic (The Dinner Table)
13:30 – Avanti Display (The Water Seller)
14:15 – Milk and No Sugar Theatre (Rickshaw Airship)
15:00 – Wet Picnic (The Dinner Table)
15:45 – Avanti Display (The Water Seller)
16:30 – Milk and No Sugar Theatre (Rickshaw Airship)

All day Metro Boulot Dodo – Whispers from a Rickshaw

Venue 3 – The Green, South Marine Park

12Noon – Wired Aerial (Rosa’s Bar)
12:45 – Pif Paf (Trunk)
13:30 – Artizani (Caberet of Dr Caligari)
15:30 – Wired Aerial (Rosa’s Bar)
16:15 – Pif Paf (Trunk)
17:00 – Artizani (Caberet of Dr Caligari)

Venue 4 – The Terraces, South Marine Park

12:30 – Fairly Famous Family (Anyone for Tennis?)
13:15 – Witty Look (Unicycle Circus Theatre)
14:00 – Fairly Famous Family (Anyone for Tennis?)
14:45 – Witty Look (Unicycle Circus Theatre)
15:30 – Fairly Famous Family (Anyone for Tennis?)

For details of what’s on in Tynemouth visit http://www.northtyneside.gov.uk/mouthofthetyne/index.htm

Share