Wearside News Briefs

This week’s news from Wearside includes the rescue of a blind duck, a shop owner’s concerns about potential flooding, and the announcement that Roker Pier is scheduled for repairs next year. Geraldine, a blind duck residing at Whitburn Pond in South Tyneside, required intervention from an animal charity following reports of her being “bullied” by other ducks. Local residents alerted the Sunderland-based animal charity Pawz for Thought after observing the bird “stumbling about” and experiencing attacks. Lorraine Thornton, representing Pawz for Thought, stated that upon taking Geraldine in, they swiftly determined she was either “blind” or possessed “very poor eyesight,” which hindered her capacity to survive in her natural habitat. Fortunately for Geraldine, two volunteers, described as having a “soft spot for disabled birds,” adopted her mere minutes after her arrival. However, Geraldine was not the sole animal featured in the news this week. Durham Cathedral has recently initiated a trial program permitting visitors to bring their dogs inside. Hazel Isgate, who relocated to Durham three years prior, mentioned that she had visited the cathedral multiple times with her husband, who consistently had to remain outside with their dog, Wilson. She explained, “But then you feel guilty, so you are rushing around because somebody is stood outside.” She added, “This enables you to all go in together and enjoy it together.” Andrew Usher, the chief visitor officer, stated that this initiative aims to help everyone “feel welcome.” Roker Pier is scheduled for repairs next year, a year and a half after sustaining damage from Storm Babet. The pier was previously declared unsafe and consequently closed to the public; however, Sunderland City Council has now submitted a planning application for its repair. According to the council, work cannot commence before April to prevent disturbing birds, such as the ruddy turnstone, which nest along the structure. The planned repairs encompass replacing corroded and absent steel components, mending concrete, and restoring the decking, railing, and support structures. Shopkeeper Bakhtiar Ali expressed concerns that his business could experience recurrent flooding “over and over again” because of a blocked drain. On Tuesday, Chester Road in Sunderland was closed following a burst water main at the Western Hill junction. Mr. Ali, proprietor of Sultan Halal Superstore, stated that his shop had “luckily” avoided flooding on this occasion, but had been inundated four years prior when a different pipe burst. Mr. Ali reported that £3,000 worth of shop stock was destroyed during the previous flooding incident. Northumbrian Water confirmed that it had replaced the pipe, and Sunderland City Council indicated that the gully outside the shop was cleared in December 2023. A sapling originating from the felled Sycamore Gap tree is slated for planting on a farm that will be operated by autistic individuals. John Phillipson, who heads the North East Autism Society charity, which manages the site near Chester-le-Street, County Durham, described it as a “real honour” to receive one of the tree’s 49 saplings. Mr. Phillipson commented, “Hopefully [we will] see it blossom into the kind of tree that we saw the Sycamore Gap tree was.” For updates, follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor, and Instagram. Story ideas can be submitted to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.