Shoal of knitted herring being sold to raise money for North Shields heritage centre

When the exhibition ended last week, it was decided to sell the fish to raise money for the centre, with the centre is asking for donations of at least £2 per fish.

The fish have been part of a popular exhibition ‘That’s Women’s Work’ about the changing roles of women in fishing and maritime industries over the past 150 years.

Nina Brown, a trustee and volunteer at the Old Low Light, who coordinated the exhibition, said: “The fish were knitted by local people and Old Low Light volunteers in a ‘lockdown spirit’.

"We were touched to hear people say that knitting the fish gave them the chance to support a community effort during a difficult time.

“Overall, they provided a wow factor, with visitors to the gallery smiling when they walked in and saw them hanging from an original herring net.

She added: "Now, after nine months on display, we’re selling them to raise much needed funds for the heritage centre which like other venues has suffered financially due to periods of closure and restrictions over the past two years.”

“When we were planning the exhibition, we asked people through social media if they would like to help us by knitting herring.

"After a few days we were delighted to have about 100 attached to the net. However, the fish kept coming and before long our shoal expanded to about 250.”

The Old Low Light Heritage Centre is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 3pm.