When Sunderland got on board the Jobs Express - and more 1981 memories

The 1981 campaign was big business across the UK and Sunderland joined in.

It involved the youth of the country going on the march to highlight the need for employment.

A whole weekend of campaigning

Wearside’s section of the Jobs Express arrived in London for a big rally and march through the Capital in November that year.

Twenty young people from Sunderland joined the North East contingent which travelled by coach for a whole week-end of meetings, demonstrations and entertainment.

The Sunderland contingent took a banner from the Southwick Neighbourhood Action Project.

Pocket money from the NUM

The Jobs for Youth campaign and London rally was sponsored by a number of organisations, notably the Trades Union Congress, Youth Aid, the British Youth Council and the National Union of Students.

Sunderland’s contingent was marshalled by Sunderland Trades Council and secretary Mike Peel.

Food and accommodation for the youngsters while they were in London was provided by the rally organisation.

Sunderland went to six figures

But pocket money for the Wearsiders had been donated by the Wearmouth Colliery NUM, the Inland Revenue Staffs Federation, NUPE’s local authority branch, Wearside Pensioners Association, NALGO (Sunderland) and the Trades Council.

Tell us if you were among the marchers 43 years ago.

To jog your memory some more, this was also in the news that year.

More than 6,500 householders in the Wearside area were due to change to a new telephone number.

They would all switch to the new £2.5million electronic exchange at Stoney Lane.

Residents in Castletown, North Hylton, Fulwell, Seaburn, and Southwick, were due to be given their six figure number.

A spokesman for British Telecom, Ann Jackson, said at the time: “The electronic system will mean large savings in repair costs to the exchange as automatic fact-finding equipment has been installed.”

The teenage life saver from Sunderland

A rough sea with huge waves didn’t deter Sunderland girl Margaret Stubbs, 17, from going to the rescue of a 10-year-old boy and helping to save his life.

And for her part in the rescue, Margaret was presented with a Royal Humane Society award testimonial on vellum.

Margaret was on holiday at Winthorpe in Skegness when she saw the youngster get into difficulties in the sea.

She and two others helped to rescue the boy.

She said in 1981: “The sea was very rough and it was deep but we got him back all right and took to a first aid station.”

Share your own memories of Sunderland life back then by emailing [email protected]