EDITOR'S VIEW: There are times when flying flags in South Tyneside gets people all of a flutter

You don’t need me to tell you that flags have a habit of causing bother.

Raise one and, before long, somebody somewhere is either cheering, complaining or commandeering a cherry picker and ripping them down from lampposts.

While flags may be nothing more than glorified blankets, they are also symbols… and symbols don’t half stir emotions.

Which is why I returned from my annual leave (in a country flying a red and yellow striped flag) to find a complaint stewing in my inbox about the Gazette’s coverage of flags in South Tyneside.

The issue centred on calls being made for South Shields Town Hall to fly the Pride flag for the whole of Pride Month.

As ever, we dutifully reported the debate, gave different viewpoints space to breathe and covered the developments as they, like a hotel blanket, unfolded.

The missive in my inbox from a reader gave the Gazette a dressing down accusing us of stoking divisions in the community by repeatedly posting about flags being flown from the town hall.

We were derided for lacking political awareness and of adding more fuel to an already heated debate.

I understood his concern. These issues matter deeply to many people and emotions can run high.

But the Gazette cannot ignore contentious debates simply because they may provoke strong reactions and the occasional accusatory email.

Our responsibility is not to stir arguments - despite what many people may think - it’s to report them fairly, accurately and responsibly.

That means covering Pride marches, council decisions, objections, celebrations, England flags fluttering over pubs during the World Cup and, yes, even heated debates over what flies above our civic buildings.

Will some readers disagree with our coverage? Of course - and we love to hear your voices - but disagreement is not the same thing as bias.

We will continue to report debates like this from all sides and, where emotions are running high, try to do so responsibly.

After all, if you can’t occasionally run something controversial up the flagpole, what’s the point of having one?

Gong, but not forgotten

Two big figures of this parish were recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours List - Tom Fennelly and Paul Mackings.

Congratulations to both.

Tom, Honorary Secretary of South Shields Volunteer Life Brigade, received an MBE in recognition of his services to search and rescue, while Paul, the new leader of South Tyneside Council, was honoured with the same for services to business and the community in the North East.

And it just so happened that I found myself in South Shields meeting up with a well-known former editor of this esteemed organ who is no stranger to honours himself.

Rob Lawson (or Boss, as I still call him) edited the Gazette for a few years before being demoted to the Sunderland Echo (I’m joking Rob) and living in a city where he really made his name. So much so that he too received royal recognition - an OBE, no less - for services to education.

As ever, Rob was on fine form and full of tales about South Shields characters past and present. But with an OBE under his belt (awarded in 2022), I did wonder how one should properly address him. A bow? A curtsy?

‘It doesn’t matter,’ he indicated. ‘As long as you get the coffees in.’

Duly noted!

Good to know these honours don’t go to people’s heads.