To help celebrate North Shields’ 800th anniversary, Wonder Wheel Studio & Gallery is proud to present a very special exhibition of photographs documenting the town’s once-thriving fishing industry.
The exhibition ran in the Exhibition Area of North Shields Library (first floor) from 13th October to 1st November 2025, and is now on display in Wonder Wheel Studio & Gallery for the rest of 2025. The exhibition showcases 14 framed photographs selected from the Fishing Industry publication released in 1988.
This remarkable collection combines the work of Nick Hedges, Tony Patterson, Sharon Bailey and Stan Gamester, who together captured the people, trades and spirit of North Shields Fish Quay in the 1980s. Their images follow the journey from sea to market, recording the daily graft of fishermen, the bustling market, and the industries that kept the community afloat. Rather than romanticising the past, these photographs offer a clear-eyed and deeply human record of working life at a time of change.
The original publication, entitled ‘Fishing Industry’ – produced by Side Gallery in 1988 – was intended as a portable exhibition that could be displayed anywhere. Few complete sets survive today, and many of these images are hard to find even online, making this an exceptionally rare opportunity to see them in person.
The framed photographs on display have been carefully presented using reclaimed frames, in keeping with Wonder Wheel Studio & Gallery’s ethos of creativity, sustainability and local connection.
This exhibition is both a tribute to the hardworking fishing families who helped shape the town and a celebration of North Shields’ 800-year story.
Availability for Purchase
Wonder Wheel Studio & Gallery is now able to offer these beautifully framed photographs for sale, directly from the studio, at a price of £100 each.
So come and see a piece of Shields’ past brought vividly back to life – and then take it home with you!
