Pictures from happy days in the 1970s and 80s

We have a sea of young faces in today's picture spread, ranging from the 70s to the 80s.

The earliest photo features members of St Gregory’s Junior School football team, who were appearing in The Green (the Gazette’s old sports paper), in the Autumn of 1977.

Shields Gazette Memory Lane scanned hard copy February 1982 no old ref number
Ten year olds Claire Conway and Claire Smith from St Gregory's School, present a cheque to Mrs Joan Bradshaw, of the Michael McGough Research Fund for Liver Disease in Children. — Shields Gazette Memory Lane scanned hard copy February 1982 no old ref number Ten year olds Claire Conway and Claire Smith from St Gregory's School, present a cheque to Mrs Joan Bradshaw, of the Michael McGough Research Fund for Liver Disease in Children.

placeholder image — Shields Gazette Memory Lane scanned hard copy February 1982 no old ref number Ten year olds Claire Conway and Claire Smith from St Gregory's School, present a cheque to Mrs Joan Bradshaw, of the Michael McGough Research Fund for Liver Disease in Children.

Five years later, and children from St Gregory’s were back in print when they presented a cheque for £50 to Mrs Joan Bradshaw, who was secretary of the Michael McGough Research Fund for Liver Disease in Children.

Shields Gazette Memory Lane scanned hard copy October 1977 no old ref number
St Gregory's Junior School team. Back row, left to right: A Minchella, G Welsh, M Haley, M Brewer, T Szalay, S Scourfield, S McGurk, P Askins, J Livingstone. Front row, left to right: A Cairns, D Chapman, A Kelly, M Balfour, A Moore. — Shields Gazette Memory Lane scanned hard copy October 1977 no old ref number St Gregory's Junior School team. Back row, left to right: A Minchella, G Welsh, M Haley, M Brewer, T Szalay, S Scourfield, S McGurk, P Askins, J Livingstone. Front row, left to right: A Cairns, D Chapman, A Kelly, M Balfour, A Moore.

The money was raised by the school and parents’ association at a children’s disco.

That same year, it was the turn of the St Wilfred’s Under-16 netball team to appear in the Gazette.

The girls were photographed after winning the North Durham County netball tournament for the third year in a row. It must have been quite an achievement!

What can you tell me about any of the youngsters pictured, and indeed, any of the other people featured here?

Shields Gazette Memory Lane scanned hard copy September 1976 no old ref number
Keen drummer Kim Sambridge aged 17 years. — Shields Gazette Memory Lane scanned hard copy September 1976 no old ref number Keen drummer Kim Sambridge aged 17 years.

There certainly seems to be quite a story behind the “Bread Not Bombs” demonstration being staged by the four members of the Christians of Justice and Peace, based at St Gregory’s Church.

And what can you tell me about drummer Kim Sambridge and Kevin Oliphant, who won a portable typewriter back in 1974?