The Bonfire Night when South Shields bid for a sparkling world record 40 years ago
Shields bid to simultaneously set alight 10,000 sparklers
Cast your minds back to a chilly night on the seafront 40 years ago.
That’s when up to 50,000 spectators were due to converge on South Tyneside's giant firework display which was set to include bouncing bombs across the harbour.
Organisers were also planning to simultaneously set alight 10,000 sparklers and if they managed it, the feat could end up in the Guinness Book of Records.
As it turned out, 100,000 people came to watch the display at Little Haven Harbour.
A Shields Gazette report from the occasion said: “The event finished with a world record attempt in which 10,000 people lit sparklers simultaneously and a huge firework display.”
The council’s publicity officer, Peter Gillanders, said at the time “It was a great success.”
We would love your memories of the event and to give you more of a taster of the time, here are some other November 1986 South Tyneside highlights.
Selwoods Garage in Sunderland Road, South Shields was selling the brand new Ford Orion 1600L - complete with sunroof and boot spoiler - for £6,500.
South Shields councillors were considering plans for free parking in the town to counter the threat from the MetroCentre.
The North-Eastern Co-op was given approval to build a new supermarket on the site of the former Crawford’s Bakery in South Shields.
Porters bar restaurant in Winchester Street was doing Sunday lunch specials for £2.75.
Jean Heilbron was holding dancing lessons for people who wanted to learn in time for Christmas. Modern ballroom and sequence dancing sessions were on offer at her studio at West Avenue near The Nook.
Share your own memories of South Tyneside life in 1986 by emailing [email protected]