You had to laugh at these South Tyneside April Fool pranks from the past

But we wonder if they can match these great stunts from South Tyneside’s past.

See how many of these April 1 stories you remember from the archives.

Let’s start in 2016 and the tale of the giant chess piece.

Chess on a Grand scale

Our story said: “A famous South Tyneside landmark could be replaced by an enormous chess piece to mark a club’s special anniversary.

“South Shields Chess Club celebrates its 150th anniversary this year and has submitted an application to temporarily replace the town’s Groyne light with a 60ft statue of a chess knight.”

Perhaps you cottoned on to the prank when we had club spokesman, Eddie Czestochowski, saying: "We had considered replacing the Weebles, or Conversation Piece, with large pawns and Souter Lighthouse with a giant bishop but we thought that that may be a little too ambitious.”

Zac Efron and Al Pacino in Hebburn - the American version

In 2013, we produced a spoof article about BBC2 sitcom Hebburn, written by local lad Jason Cook, being picked up by a Hollywood film company.

According to our story, a company called Flairpool Productions, had bought the rights to the show and were set to re-cast it as part of the Tinseltown makeover.

Zac Efron was said to be replacing South Shields comedian Chris Ramsey in the lead role of Jack Pearson, while Al Pacino and Meryl Streep would be playing his mum and dad, Joe and Pauline, portrayed by Vic Reeves and Gina McKee.

Steffen Peddie’s character Big Keith was set to be renamed Little Keith, and played by pint-sized Austin Powers star Verne Troyer.

The Tyne Tunnel in red and white - and black and white

Cuba Gooding Jnr was also supposedly lined up to replace Neil Grainger as pub singer Gervaise.

Heartthrob Ryan Gosling was said to be lined up to play Cook’s Ramsey character, and starlets Mila Kunis, Megan Fox and Lady GaGa were reportedly in talks to play Jack’s wife, Sarah.

In 2011, The Gazette reported how Tyne Tunnel bosses were planning to colour co-ordinate the new Tyne crossing using the black and white of Newcastle United and the red and white of arch rivals Sunderland AFC.

The idea – we said – was that drivers heading north will be in the black and white tunnel, and those motoring south will be in the red and white one.

But the big giveaway was the top European conceptual behind the barmy scheme of artist Loof Lapri.

Tell us about the best April Fool’s Day pranks you remember from over the years.

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