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South ShieldsSouth Shields is a town in South Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. It is on the south bank of the mouth of the River Tyne. It has a population of about 90,000. Several famous people were born in South Shields including Catherine Cookson and Hollywood director Ridley Scott. South Shields is famous for its maritime industries, both building and educational. Many warships were built on the Tyne in both world wars. Pioneering Lifeboats were first built and launched in South Shields. Now it is a town of over a 100,000 people of many ethnic backgrounds. There is a large Asian population, including the largest Yemeny population outside of Yemen. The renowned Ocean Road is famous for having more Indian restaurants per square mile than anywhere else in the World, including India. The slang term for people from South Shields is Sanddancers, a term that derives in part from the fact that the town boasts an attractive beach, and in part from its Yemeni population. The Sand-dance was a popular music-hall act that parodied Egyptian and Arabic culture as it was understood in Britain at the time. The Leas, part of South Shields' coastline, is a National Trust protected area. Marsden Bay, with its world-famous rock (part of which collapsed in recent years), is one of the largest seabird colonies in UK. The Grotto, a pub built into the cliff at Marsden, is the only pub/resturant of its type in Europe, having been built on a site originally used by the smuggler Jack the Blaster. A large Roman fort has been excavated in South Shields, named Arbeia, it was the supply fort for Hadrian's Wall. Amongst the archaeology uncovered, a Roman gatehouse and barracks have been reconstructed on their original foundations. A museum holds artefacts such as a Syrian gravestone and a altar piece to an previously unknown god. South Shields is also the birthplace of: Transport The Tyne and Wear Metro links South Shields to Newcastle city centre, Newcastle Airport, and Sunderland. There is a Metro station in South Shields town centre (on King Street), with further stations at Chichester, Tyne Dock and Hebburn. There is a ferry service connecting the town to North Shields, on the opposite bank of the Tyne.
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