08/06/2026
Here's my complete list of thank yous followed by some final words about North Shields and its community.
I want to thank Vicky Cutherbertson(who was instrumental from the beginning), Ann Shipley & Ruth Holliday from the North Tyneside Council for all their help. Kudos to the designer (team?) of the North Shields 800 logo that sparked the idea! Thanks to the installation crew. Thanks again to Simmie Harper and her crew at I Love North Shields, Dylan from Tune Army Records - North Shields for all their efforts with the shirts and the people that bought them. Thank you to The Wheel House and The Engine Room, North Shields for helping me advertise them. I asked for help, and the people of Shields grabbed my hand. This is the community in which you live! Thanks to the craftspeople that made the bench: blacksmith James Wilkinson Blacksmith and Metal Sheets Ltd that made the plaque. Thank you to ITV News' Tom Barton and his camerman Daniel Broomes for the wonderful piece they did on the bench.
This gift to the town of North Shields doesn't even come close to the gift that this town gave me; the most incredibly loving man I have ever met; my husband, Hilton Valentine.
Only North Shields could have shaped a man like Hilton, because it was members of this community that took care of him when his mother died. He would have been sent to a boys home were it not for his friend Harry's parents, Harry & Frances Dixon, stepping up and fostering him. They welcomed him into the family as one of their own, providing all the love and support he needed to pursue music. To Hilton, they weren't Mr & Mrs Dixon, they were Mam & Dad and from that moment forward, he now called Harry, Brother.
Hilton was proud from where he came. He couldn't wait to show me around all the places that were special to him in Shields; Northumberland Park being one of them. He spent countless days there playing football, hide & seek, climbing trees, collecting conkers (ask your parents or grandparents about the game of conkers), and he even broke his arm there! It is because of this strong connection he had with the park, that I chose it as the location for the bench.
North Shields, with its incredibly rich history, has so much to celebrate and I feel fortunate to be here during its 800th birthday. Hilton's love was the driving force compelling me to give back to the town that gave so much to me.
I hope the bench serves as a lasting reminder of a joyous year of celebrating this community.
Happy 800th Birthday to the wonderful people of North Shields!
All the best to its future,
Germaine
