South Shields blogger Gary Wilkinson hits 500,000 worldwide hits for North East stories
Gary Wilkinson, a 60-year-old South Shields blogger, has reached a milestone of 500,000 worldwide hits for his stories on the social and cultural history of the North East region, which are now read in more than 30 countries.
A South Shields blogger is celebrating after noting up an incredible half a million worldwide hits for his stories that aim to inform and record the social and cultural history of the region.
Gary Wilkinson, aged 60, who lives on the Lawe Top, hit the 500,000 milestone last week but he’s confident the blog, called alikvi.com, which went live in February 2017, will reach a million much faster due to the huge popularity and growing support his stories are getting throughout the world.
The blog is now read in more than 30 countries, including throughout Europe, USA, Russia and Mexico and features musicians, songwriters, singers, writers, playwrights, artists, photographers, entertainers and actors.
”The only rule I have is that an interviewee has to have a link to the North East,” said the former St Wilfrid’s school pupil.
With more than 600 interviews online, Gary said: “It can be relentless. Forming ideas from the minute you wake up, seven days a week, then contacting people, interviewing them either face to face or via telephone, and then transcribing the notes.”
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“To be honest, it’s the only way to do it. Unless you’re prepared to put in the hard graft there’s no point in undertaking work like this. The advantages by far outweigh the disadvantages and getting to meet so many interesting people is incredible.”
Leaving school in 1982, Gary later studied photography and video production at Gateshead College. He has subsequently produced many video documentaries detailing Tyneside History.
Gary recalled how some “big moments” inspired him, like seeing his first photograph being developed, or his first video film on the video editing machine.
The Tube
But he said getting tickets for Tyne Tees TV iconic The Tube live music programme in the 1980s transformed his life and way of thinking: “The cameras, the lights, the stages. Oh, the buzz was brilliant - and that was before so many amazing bands performed. I just loved the experience and wanted to capture the essence of that in the blog.”
The blog is named after Gary’s great uncle Alexander who was born in Russia in 1880 but left around the time of the revolution in October 1917 and became a merchant seaman based in South Shields.
He said: ”I wanted just a short sharp name something original. I came across this in my family research. It was unusual because most of my family ancestors are Irish”.
The blog which started off covering South Tyneside music, arts and culture now covers the whole region.
Gary said: “I never thought I’d ever be interviewing producers of The Tube or actors from Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.”