How one Wearside man was a hit, thanks to Scargill and Thatcher

A Wearside man had designs on success - and it involved the Royal family and Arthur Scargill.

Bill Spalding went into production of chess sets on a full-time basis in 1986 after the success of a set he created based on the Miners’ Strike in 1984.

Bill’s bid to make it big in USA

It proved so popular that he chose The Royals’ as his latest move in the board game market.

Bill made the pieces by hand at his home in Hetton.

He sent a set of his latest creation to the Queen and was given “a seal of approval” for the design.

He said in 1986: “They are caricatures because that is my style.”

Bill’s Miners Strike set featured Margaret Thatcher and Arthur Scargill among others.

‘At the third stroke’

The sets are made in polyester resin and Bill was hoping for particular demand from Americans.

To give you a flavour of life on Wearside back then, the news headlines also included;

The Sunderland Singers were celebrating after the group reached its 50th anniversary.

The man behind the speaking clock - Brian Cobby - came to Sunderland to spread the word about the change in the number that people should dial.

He was famous for the lines ...."at the third stroke the time will be ..."

It’s your memories we want of life in Sunderland in the 1980s.

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