Rocking and rolling in Shields

For not only has the rock ’n roller himself come forward, but so too have so many of the people who know or knew him.

And the name of this popular chap? None other than former South Shields record shop owner Stewart Campbell.

Yet despite all the interest that the photographs have generated, Stewart cannot remember why they were taken.

However, he believes they were shot when he was working for United Biscuits.

Featuring Stewart, dressed as a teddy boy, one of them shows him dancing with his ex-wife Loral, while the other features him looking through some rock ’n roll records.

Although Stewart is now 76-years-old he still loves listening to the music that has played such a big part in his life – since he was a lad.

“I am still rocking and rolling,” says Stewart, who is the DJ at a 1950s rock and rock night, which takes place at the Boldon Legion Club every second Friday night (more of that in future articles).

“I got into rock and roll in the 1950s when I lived in Edinburgh, I grew up with it.”

Although Stewart has worked for both United Biscuits and MI Dickson over the years, he will probably best be known as the owner of a record shop in South Shields.

“I ran Second Time Around record shop, in Boldon Lane, South Shields, (where Lidl is now) from 1975 to 1985.”

So it was hardly surprising that so many people took to social media when Stewart’s picture popped up on Facebook following his appearance in Time Of Our Lives.

“After the photo appeared and it went on Facebook, I have had contact from people from all over the world.”

One call in particular, from someone closer to home, left Stewart astounded.

He recalls how someone recently got in touch with him to say they had once travelled to Boldon Colliery for a wedding.

Coincidentally, on the day the photo appeared in the Gazette, the people whose wedding it was, got in touch with him – for the first time since 1965.

“It was an amazing coincidence,” he says.

Back-tracking to the record shop, Stewart says he sold all sorts of music upstairs and downstairs.

“Wherever I go, people recall the record shop. It was base for a lot of bands and all sorts of things happened there. A lot of people’s education in music started there.”

In the decade that Stewart had the shop, he remembers one incident that still makes him smile to this day.

He says there used to be a place in the back of the shop where one particular customer would sit and listen to old 78rpm records.

“On one occasion I locked the shop and set the alarm at 5pm before going home to Boldon Colliery.”

Once home, Stewart couldn’t remember seeing the man leave, so he went back to the shop.

“Two hours later, he was still sitting there listening to the records.”

Last week we featured a wonderful article, written by former South Tynesider Kenneth Connelly, about a night out at the Latino club in South Shields where Jerry Lee Lewis was topping the bill.

And here’s another coincidence, Stewart was also there that night.

l Next time, Stewart not only recounts that occasion, he also tells us about meeting the famous rock and roller in person.

l What are your memories of Second Time Around, or any of the other record shops that used to be in South Tyneside?