North Tyneside Good Friday parade memories sought

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

Memories are being sought of the Good Friday parade which has taken place in North Tyneside for more than 100 years.

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.

Volunteers from Remembering the Past want to gather people's stories, photos and memories for an online archive.

Dr Kath Smith, lead volunteer and trustee, 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 10:00 BST with an open air church service in Northumberland Square in North Shields town centre

Once attended by the mayor, the town's MP and other local dignitaries, children would march behind their Sunday school's banner, before returning to their own churches. Scouts, Guides and Boys' Brigade members also took part.

The project to is part of the four-year North Shields High Street Heritage Action Zone programme to revitalise the town's historic centre.