I’ve been in spottys cave I used to work in the park, they were opening it up to make an attraction for the illuminations, you could only travel about 10 yards into the cave, and it’s obviously was man-made there was a rock fall and you couldn’t get past it, if you went onto the top footpath, you could see where it was subsiding, I love local history I grew up in Seaburn and studied the history of Sunderland. Unfortunately, a lot of the history of Sunderland. was lost during the Second World War then during the 50s and 60s development, when they were building the road in front of Fulwell Mill they discovered the remains of a Roman fort and Saint Peters Church one of the oldest churches in the UK built in 600s as part of the monasteries there’s a wealth of history all round sunderland if you know where to look. I particularly enjoyed your stroll along the Roker Sea front. The thought of Roker with no, Bellamys and I noticed the old nightclub with the Chinese roof looks like it’s gone. You’ve brought back so many memories I was born in 1960 in the old police house in Maud Street fulwell and had a misspent youth between the fairground and the old pier until the early 1980s when I moved away, it’s been a trip down memory lane, thank you very much really interesting. Just thinking, have you covered Alexander Bridge If you stand next to the stone wall on the south side of the bridge The wall is covered in shrapnel. There was a police box that stood there, and it suffered a direct hit during the war. There was a policeman inside who was never heard of again. Again, thank you

This is the BEST video of the north east I have come across on you tube. I thought the music would be irritating but it wasnt. Your knowledge and old photos are very impressive. Please do more on all areas of Sunderland, from Tunstall hills to the rifle range at Whitburn, there is so much history that is lost on those from outside the area. How about one on the Cauld Lad of Hylton or the monks summer retreat at Finchale Abbey approached from across the bridge. BTW, your nanas right about toddlers piddling in the paddling pool😂.

Thanks...great trip down memory lane,,I was born and bred in Sunderland in 1948...sadly leaving in 1986...Ha'away the Lads today against Blackburn

Nice. A couple of additional nuggets for ya… When I was a kid I was told they discovered a nuns skeleton on the cliffs of Holy Rock. My uncle Ronnie used to man the coastguard (as it was called back then) station and I used to pop in on a Saturday to look through the massive U Boat binoculars that had been knicked from the Germans. 😂

Fascinating history content, so many brilliant 'Do you knows? ' Keep these videos coming please x😊

Well this is a little gem of a mini documentary well done pet.

Mackem County. We really do have a fantastic beach.

Thanks again for yet another great historical fact-filled video. It's lovely finding out little snippets of history, about my home town, that I never knew about. I look forward to the next one. Keep up the good work 😊👍

Having been born and bred in Sunderland Roker Pier has always been called a "pier" despite that it is in fact a breakwater. A pier is a long jetty from which ships can be embarked or disembarked. The lighthouse at the end of Roker Pier makes that a bit impractical . But "Pier" its is named and to the locals a pier it will always be.

Th last place I lived before leaving England in 1975 was Park Gate, which is a street on the other side of the Park. Did not spend much time on the beach though! The Roker Hotel bar was my local pub back in those days.

Fantastic video,I learned a lot of things I didn’t understand when I saw them as a child also brought back the memories of Roker beach being so full of people that if you didn’t get there in good time you struggled to find a space so a early bus to the Weatsheaf and a fast walk down Roker avenue was essential 😊

Thanks for posting it was so informative, I used to go fishing along the old north pier when I was a young lad in the 60's

I really like these longer form videos. I watched this right to the end and will watch again. This is basically my morning walk and you have illuminated it further. You must have been out early in the morning as there are very few people about😀

It’s really interesting to see and hear so much information about an area I know well, excellent video!

Love the content! and the 40 min video, Keep up the brilliant work. Would love if you could do more about South Shields :)

Very informative and the accent is amazing. I have genealogy of most people in the NE

Roker born and bred good video. Keep them coming

Thank you

Class spent so much time there 👌

I did enjoy your video, and got all the way to the end! Well done, it was hugely enjoyable. The area around the North Dock has changed beyond all recognition. Although I'm from the Garths in the East End, my father's family were all Barbary Coasters, living along Dame Dorothy St, and my Granda, originally a shipyard riveter, had an allotment overlooking the North Dock, but I recognise almost nothing now. I thought that the gun battery was on the South Pier, and that was why the Barracks were built overlooking the South Dock? Maybe there was a battery on both sides, eh? There is also a tunnel running the length of the South Pier, in which we bairns used to play. My dad watched them 'demolish' the Holey Rock. According to him, the army blew it up! As a bairn, we used to play on the Cananball Rocks, collecting willicks and catching crabs. Did you know that if you catch two crabs and put them in the same pool they will either make baby crabs or have a fight? By the way, your Ma was wrong about the paddling pool water. There was nowt wrong with it, except that it got a bit cloudy because of the sand. Your videos are very much appreciated by this long time exile. Thank you.

Love your videos of Sunderland. Keep it up, so interesting.

I grew up playing on these beaches and piers ^^ Thank you so much ❤ Can’t wait to show me mam… ^^ PS. Never heard that about Spotee before! I grew up being told he was a French or Italian sailor who got shipwrecked, and who begged and did odd jobs for locals to survive 🤷‍♀️

Fantastic

I haven’t lived in the town now, for a long time, so it’s long time I’ve been down, if you stand on the the Little Pier look over to the entrance of the South Doc entrance there’s defensive buildings, builtings from the Napoleonic war

When the illuminations started you could go in those caves

Holey Rock was blown up in 1937, probably when the people of Sunderland were distracted by an FA Cup win! 🙂

the gun emplacements are on the South side of river, still there on google maps

Between the NORTH Pier and the OLD short pier, there is a shipwreck that is still visible above water today on NEEP ;TIDES

To this day anything lost on the beach from Roker to Whitburn will wash up at the next high tide at the Cat and Dog steps, The owner of a small ball bucket and spade shop at these steps made a nice profit as he got most of his goods back on the next tide :-)

Fab

Another interesting snippet of Sunderland's history. Nicely documented. It may be just me but I found the bouncy camera work a little unsettling. You can improve future videos by ditching the generic musik. Your voice-over and the visuals are sufficient. Keep making pieces like this.

did you know there is a pill box in Whitburn village on the coat road . you will have went past it 100s of time and not noticed it and l s lowry use to sat at the hotel that is now the grand . he would do small drawings on the napkins and give them to the staff . the story i was told wen i worked there

Are you from Middlesbrough? I am 🤭

never went on public toilets in Sunderland, still do not in Sweden. They smelt like hell and were disgusting.

You seem to know what your talking about.

Custy.

As a geordie lad, I didn't know much about Roker, but now I do, lol ❤ you are awesome

Well done, pet. Great video. I worked I Sunderland a couple of times and went down the harbour to eat my lunch, I remember Doxfords ship building, and they launched 4 ships a year that were general cargo or ferries. I even temember Thatcher closing them, [the yatds], and they sold off all the models of each ship. I could not afford yo buy one,or I would have loved to!