'My mam and dad got all these stars' autographs at La Strada in the 1960s'

A former South Tyneside woman is putting a cherished autograph book up for auction and it is filled with messages from 1960s stars.

Julie Cribb, formerly Julie Davison, has kept the book for decades - ever since her mam and dad Lily and Robert Davison compiled it from their visits to La Strada in South Shields.

It contains messages from famous names such as Val Doonican, Jimmy Tarbuck, Jackie Trent and Elaine Delmar.

And Julie’s parents made sure that each time they got an autograph, it was addressed from the stars to their daughter.

Julie explained: “I was only 10 when this was all happening. The only memory I do have is of being packed off to my aunty's on a Friday or a Saturday night, depending on who was on at the club.”

She added: “My older cousin would babysit we two younger ones until the early hours when the 4 adults would come home again.”

Lily and Robert died more than ten years ago and Julie remembered: “They lived all 67 years of their married life in South Shields, 45 years of them in the same house!’

The list of autographs from La Strada also includes Craig Douglas, Kenny Brown, Claude Powell and Helen Turner.

Among the messages is one from Irish singer Val Doonican, written in 1964, and which said: ‘To Julie, Bless You.’

Another was from Jimmy Tarbuck and said: “Best wishes to Julie, love Jimmy Tarbuck.”

To find out more about the auction which will take place in August, visit here.

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