On Monday, November 18th, South Shields Local History Group members will welcome Ian Whitehead as their guest speaker. Ian was Keeper of Maritime History at Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums from 2002 until his retirement in 2016. He will talk about the 2013 discovery and excavation of the Willington Waggonway of 1785 and his role as the maritime specialist tasked with finding out more about the recycled ships’ timbers that had been used in its construction. Ian will also explore the importance of ship breaking and the recycling of the timber to the early South Shields shipbuilders Robert Wallis and James Evans.

The meeting will take place at Cleadon Park Library at the Nook, upstairs in Room A, on Monday 18th November between 5.15 and 6.45pm. It promises to be both an interesting and engaging meeting and visitors are very welcome with a charge of £1.