The Sunderland shop owner who had 1,000 skateboard fans backing him
A huge campaign was under way in Sunderland this time 47 years ago.
Whole families and one of Wearside’s best known shop owners joined in.
If you were a skateboard fan, you might remember 1977 and the year when more than 1,000 parents and children signed a petition demanding facilities in the town.
Joseph’s shop owner led the way
They weren’t alone in their battle either. High-profile shop owner Michael Joseph was right behind the campaign and even organised the petition.
He told the Echo at the time: “Every skateboard we sell, the parents say they would like to see somewhere provided for the children to use them.
“We have been collecting names for only one week. In another week or so I will be presenting it to the council.”
12 year old also collected signatures
Skateboard enthusiast Gary Gamblin, 12, also collected signatures for a petition. He and his friends wanted the council to build a skateboard area on the reclaimed Silksworth pit heap.
The youngsters even discussed where the money would come from for such a scheme.
They believed that funds which are raised from the Sunderland Borough Lottery could be used to provide a skateboarding park.
Shear success for a Sunderland boy band
Tell us if you were one of the skateboard campaigners.
As a reminder, here are some other stories which made the news that month.
Five Sunderland boys hoping to make a name for themselves in the world of pop music were Shear Khan who, since their formation 18 months earlier, had made considerable strides in the local music industry.
670 bowlers can’t be wrong
Sunderland Indoor Bowls Club, which was going to be held at Crowtree, had attracted 670 men and 160 teams after an initial registration session.
The winner of the first Sunderland lottery turned down the chance of a slap-up lunch with the Mayor - so she could attend to her home help duties.
Florrie Turnbull, 44, from Hetton, was buying groceries in a corner shop when a council official told her that she had won the prize.
Minutes later she was sipping champagne with the Mayor of Sunderland, Coun Tom Bridges.
But because of her home help duties she turned down the chance of a civic lunch afterwards.
Tell us about your memories of life in Sunderland back then by emailing [email protected]