This month is Local History Month and there are heritage and history events going on all over the country. If you're in Sunderland, the booklet with all events is here.
We're only ten days into the month of May as I write this but already I've been on three events with another to follow later this month.
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| Elephant Tea Rooms, Sunderland High Street |
This was followed by a Sunday stroll along the river Wear looking at Bygone Transport and Industry. It was a brilliant riverside walk setting off from Cox Green and learning more about local sites like the wonderfully named Girdle Cake cottage and the Victoria Viaduct whilst keeping a keen eye out for wildlife like otter and kingfisher.
And on Wednesday this week I went on a vintage bus (pictured above - the 'vintage' bus is one I remember from my childhood; I'm definitely getting old!).
The bus took us all on a Magical Mystery Tour – exploring heritage sites around Sunderland with time to disembark and explore inside. Guided tours of each venue were given by dedicated volunteers.
We visited three sites, two of which I'd never been to before. These were Sunderland Maritime Heritage Centre and the Bowes Railway.
We also visited Ryhope Engines Museum, and as I'm from Ryhope and have visited the museum many times before it was good to see so many from the bus enjoying their first visit.
On the vintage bus I sat next to a chap I'd never met before. We starting chatting and it turned out he came from Ryhope too. I told him I'd been researching the history of Ryhope for the novels I've been writing that are set there in 1919 and I gave him one of my bookmarks. To my utter surprise and delight, he'd heard of the books, I was over the moon. Then he said: "Well, I'm not as famous as you but my name's Jim Pace."
Jim Pace.
Let's think about that name for a minute.
In all of the research for all of my novels I've been writing set in old Ryhope, I've been using books that have been written by Jim Pace. Ryhope Heritage Society even have the Jim Pace collection of photographs of old Ryhope.
It turns out that the Jim Pace I'd been sitting next to on the vintage bus was only the son of the Jim Pace whose books and photograph archive have been integral to my research for my novels. What an amazing coincidence and what an incredible day it was.
I'm still to experience my final event of Sunderland's local history month in a couple of weeks' time and I'll be blogging about that too.
It's been a wonderful way to experience Sunderland's heritage and history and I fully encourage everyone to take part and get involved - it's all free too.
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