Memories of North Shields Good Friday procession being collected

Stories and memories of a parade that has taken place every Good Friday in North Tyneside for more than 100 years are being sought.
The 1985 Good Friday Procession of Witness. Photo courtesy of Catherine Collins.The 1985 Good Friday Procession of Witness. Photo courtesy of Catherine Collins.
The 1985 Good Friday Procession of Witness. Photo courtesy of Catherine Collins.

The Good Friday Procession of Witness traditionally saw up to 2,000 children from Sunday schools in North Shields parade through the town, led by the local Salvation Army band.

The event still takes place today, but on a smaller scale.

Dr Kath Smith, Lead Volunteer and Trustee at Remembering the Past, is now coordinating a project to capture people’s memories of the parade.

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She said: “Our research has shown that there are very few records about the Good Friday Procession of Witness in North Shields, despite the fact that it’s an annual event which, in its heyday, was quite spectacular and involved huge numbers of people.

“We want to hear from people who remember the processions – maybe you marched in one as a child, played in one of the bands or helped as an organiser – so we can record people’s memories of this important tradition for future generations.”

The procession would begin at 10am every Good Friday with an open air church service in Northumberland Square in North Shields town centre, attended by the Mayor, MP and other local dignitaries.

Children would then march, dressed in their Sunday best, behind their Sunday school’s banner, before returning to their own local church.

Scouts, Guides and Boys’ Brigade members also took part.

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Kath added: “I was amazed when I heard how many children were involved and how well it was supported by the local community – for example, all the children would be given an orange provided by Atkinson’s the fruiter at the end of the march.

"We’ve also heard that the day would often finish with families enjoying a day out at the coast or at the funfair in Wallsend.”

Volunteers from Remembering the Past, which holds one of the longest-established digital archives of local history anywhere in the UK, are now gathering people’s stories, photos and memories of the event to add to their online archive, which can be viewed at www.rememberingthepast.co.uk

If you have any memories to share, get in touch with Remembering the Past by phone on (0191) 258 4623, or by email on [email protected]