Chris Cordner

As the UK’s annual spider season approaches, the Sunderland Echo revisits archive photographs from 1995 to 2012 showing local residents encountering tarantulas and other spiders at venues including Washington Wetland Centre, Pennywell Youth Project and Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens. The feature highlights several memorable images, including a Chile Rose Tarantula and a spider found inside a car, and invites readers to submit photographs of large spiders discovered in their homes.

The Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens is preparing for a £13.6 million transformation that will take it into a new era. The attraction is scheduled to close on August 29, 2026, and reopen in late 2028. Before its closure, the Sunderland Echo revisits photographs taken between 2002 and 2014, featuring celebrity visits, vintage fairs, a Brownies sleepover, theatre performances, fundraising events and other community memories.

Sunderland High School achieved a 100% pass rate across 12 A-level subjects in 2016, with 26% of passes receiving A* or A grades, before the school closed permanently. Its final GCSE results were also celebrated, although the achievements were accompanied by sadness over the end of the school’s 132-year history. Headteacher Angela Slater and head of sixth form Jackie Robson praised the students and staff for maintaining their focus despite the closure.

Sixteen-year-old Sunderland driver Charlie Benson made his GT racing debut at Silverstone in a Ginetta G56 for 24-7 Motorsport. After qualifying sixth, he recovered from suspension damage in the opening race and finished sixth in the following 100-minute endurance event alongside co-driver Ben Taylor. Benson highlighted the experience, consistency and local support he gained, and will next compete at Brands Hatch in September.

Residents of Sunderland recall their school work-experience placements in the 1970s and 1980s, including jobs at Luxdon Laundry, Fulwell Library, Newcastle Road Baths, local hospitals, a water company, a wholesale chemist, the DHSS and a pathology department. Sue Paxton says her placement at Fulwell Library helped launch a long career in libraries, while Alex Crawford’s hospital experience preceded physiotherapy training and work at Sunderland. The memories highlight the range of opportunities available locally and form part of the Sunderland Echo’s wider nostalgia coverage.

IGNIFI has relocated its 25-strong team from Washington and West Sunniside to a 1,650-square-foot head office at Sunderland Software Centre. The healthcare and pharmaceutical marketing agency expects the larger, shared workspace to support collaboration and future recruitment. The move followed discussions with Sunderland City Council and adds IGNIFI to a growing community of creative, technology and healthcare businesses at the centre.

Stafford Accountancy has moved to a larger open-plan office at The Yard in Riverside Sunderland after more than doubling its workforce. The firm, led by Mark and Lyndsey Everett, says the relocation has helped increase revenues, improve recruitment and create room for further expansion. It plans to grow revenues and service lines while continuing to invest in its team; The Yard is now mostly occupied by eight businesses.

The remaining Edward Thompson site on Richmond Street, Sunderland, is being demolished to make way for housing within the Riverside development. The company operated in the city for more than 150 years, becoming the world’s biggest bingo-card manufacturer, supporting newspaper promotions, raising millions for charity, constructing bingo halls overseas and printing ballot papers, including those used in Nelson Mandela’s election. The piece looks back at the firm through Sunderland Echo archive photographs and invites former employees and local residents to share memories.

Sunderland-born, Melbourne-based writer and comedian Justine Sless is returning to Sunderland to launch her novel Before I Sing You This Song, due for publication by Crear Publishing on October 3. Set in Sunderland in 1978, the book is inspired by comedian Bobby Thompson and incorporates extracts from his material with his family's permission. Its central character, Elsie Bishop, is a Hendon woman who seeks to perform stand-up comedy in working men's clubs, exploring class, gender and misogyny through an authentic pitmatic voice. Sless will also donate copies to her former school, Southmoor Academy.

A photo-led retrospective celebrates the Ivy House pub in Sunderland as it reopens after a five-week major refurbishment. Archival images show the venue in the 1980s, 2003 and 2004, including patrons watching England play France, highlighting more than 150 years of local history and inviting readers to share their memories.

Sunderland will commemorate Merchant Navy Day on September 3 with a ceremony at City Hall, where Mayor Robert Hutchinson will raise the Red Ensign. The event will include a welcome in the Council Chamber and speeches from the mayor, Deputy Lieutenant Paul Callaghan and council Armed Forces Champion Paul Donaghy. Members of the public are invited to attend, and those wishing to do so must contact the mayor's office by August 28. The ceremony marks the city's 12th consecutive year of raising the flag and honours generations of Sunderland residents who worked in the Merchant Navy.

Fourteen-year-old Sunderland ballet dancer Belle Collier used an Ignite Bursary to buy new ballet shoes and continue pursuing dance. The programme, run through Culture Start Sunderland and Sunderland Culture, has awarded more than £82,300 through 172 bursaries to 138 young people facing financial or social barriers. Belle’s mother said the funding eased the cost of lessons, competitions and equipment while boosting her daughter’s confidence. Independent evaluation found that most recipients reported greater encouragement, confidence and accomplishment in their chosen creative fields.

A photo gallery revisits Sunderland-area public gatherings for the 1999 and 2015 solar eclipses at locations including Tunstall Hills, the National Glass Centre, Penshaw Monument and Boldon School. The images recall local residents and students watching the events, as the North East prepares for a solar eclipse in 2026 expected to last from 6pm to 8pm.

A nostalgic photo-led feature recalls the Raleigh Chopper and other toys that were popular with children in Sunderland and South Tyneside, including Tiny Tears, Clackers, Subbuteo, Action Man, Katie Copycat and Thunderbirds. The Raleigh Chopper’s renewed attention follows news that its manufacturer’s owners filed for insolvency. Readers are invited to share memories of favourite toys and presents they wanted during childhood.

A six-bedroom, three-storey period house in Sunderland’s Thornhill Conservation Area is being marketed by Bradley Hall for £495,000. The property retains substantial original character and period features but requires some refurbishment, offering buyers the opportunity to create a bespoke family home.

Sunderland Brick Festival will take place at CitySpace Fitness Sunderland on 22 August 2026, featuring speed-building contests, master-builder challenges, scavenger hunts, gaming zones, LEGO displays, traders, rare and retired sets, loose bricks, minifigures and accessories. Tickets start at £8 for adults and £6 for children, with family tickets available for £20; children under five enter free with a paying adult. Early Bird tickets include an additional hour and a free LEGO gift, and visitors are encouraged to book entry slots in advance because they often sell out.

A nostalgic Sunderland Echo feature marks National Bowling Day by revisiting archival photographs of local ten-pin bowling. The images show members of the Sunderland Young Bowling Club, residents from Sycamore Care Centre, the Sunderland Tenpin Bowling Centre’s managers, and students from Venerable Bede School socialising before a planned trip to Lesotho.

A two-bedroom semi-detached bungalow on Hillingdon Grove in Hastings Hill, Sunderland, is being marketed by Hunters Sunderland for £185,000. The property is described as being in very good condition and suitable for downsizers, with two reception rooms, a spacious kitchen, two double bedrooms, a modern bathroom and attractive gardens. It has no onward chain and is close to local amenities, Sunderland’s coastline and green spaces, with road access to Newcastle and Durham via the A19.

A four-bedroom detached home in South Shields, converted from the former Marsden Miners' Hall, is being marketed by Leary and Holmes for offers around £585,000. The property retains historic character while offering modern features including a sauna, rooftop terrace, hot tub, snooker table and cinema.

Graham Low and his children, Max and Jessica, discovered that their ancestor Harry Low was a major Sunderland player who represented the club from 1907 to 1918. Low won the First Division title, played in the 1912/13 FA Cup Final, and featured in Sunderland's 9-1 victory over Newcastle in 1908. He declined a Scotland call-up to play in Sunderland's FA Cup semi-final, later served in the Royal Navy during the First World War, and became landlord of the Fort Hotel before dying in 1920. The family has connected with his legacy through research and a Sunderland shirt he wore in the 1912 FA Cup final.

The Fans Museum in Sunderland will host The Golden Era of K-Pop on August 24, featuring tribute performances celebrating BTS, Demon Hunters, BLACKPINK, TWICE and other major artists. The event will also include face painting, merchandise stalls, sweets, refreshments and family-friendly seating. Doors open at 11:45 a.m., the event begins at noon, and tickets cost £5.

John Miles Jr. will lead a one-off tribute concert, John Miles: “Music Was My First Love,” at The Customs House in South Shields on November 1, marking 50 years since his father’s biggest hit. The show will feature John Miles’s singles in its first half and music associated with artists he performed with, including Joe Cocker and Tina Turner, in its second. Musicians Paul Thompson and Terry Slesser are also scheduled to appear. The elder Miles, a South Tyneside native who died in Newcastle in 2021, achieved major international success with “Music” and performed with Tina Turner, Jimmy Page, Joe Cocker and Andrea Bocelli.

Photo memories from the 2014 Split Festival at Mowbray Park in Sunderland show spectators enduring torrential rain while continuing to enjoy performances, including The Generals. The gallery captures fans sheltering under umbrellas, chatting during storms and watching the main-stage acts.

Family consent for organ donation in the North East and Yorkshire has fallen from 69% in 2020/21 to 57% in 2025/26, contributing to more than 60 deaths in the North East in 2025 among people waiting for transplants. NHS Blood and Transplant is urging people to join or confirm their status on the NHS Organ Donor Register through its “One in a Million” campaign. Families from Roker and Seaham, whose daughters Beatrix Archbold and Kayleigh Llewellyn received life-saving heart transplants, are backing the appeal and encouraging people to discuss their wishes with relatives.

A photo gallery revisits Greggs staff and stores across Sunderland from 2004 onward, featuring branches in Fulwell, Pallion and elsewhere. It coincides with Greggs opening a new drive-through in Pennywell, which includes indoor seating and is expected to create 20 jobs.

A nostalgia-focused photo gallery revisits a 2013 night out at Brogans in Sunderland city centre. The gallery features submitted photographs of people enjoying the venue and invites readers to identify themselves, share memories, and suggest other Sunderland nightlife venues for future retro coverage.

A Sunderland Echo feature recalls local people who supported the Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War. Sunderland volunteers Bob Qualie and Nixon Rowell are highlighted, alongside South Shields-born Eileen O'Shaughnessy Blair, the wife of George Orwell. Qualie joined the International Brigade in 1937, while Rowell volunteered but was prevented from serving by illness. The article also commemorates Sunderland merchant captain Joseph Andrews, whose SS Thorpehall was the first merchant vessel to break Franco's naval blockade of northern Spain. Their stories will be discussed at a free 'Mackems For Madrid' event in Sunderland on August 5.

Sunderland City Council has received a £24,000 grant for the fifth consecutive year from the Keep Britain Tidy-administered Chewing Gum Task Force. The funding will support specialist equipment and public awareness efforts, with cleaning focused on high-footfall areas including Seaburn, Roker, Sea Road and Southwick Green. The council says the equipment will remain available for year-round use, while Keep Britain Tidy is urging residents to dispose of gum responsibly. The task force is funded by major gum manufacturers and aims to reduce the environmental and financial costs of gum litter.

A three-bedroom semi-detached house on Hope View in Ryhope, Sunderland, is being marketed by Michael Hodgson, Sunderland, for £145,000. The property includes a living room, dining room, kitchen, three bedrooms and a bathroom, along with front and rear gardens, a patio, lawns and outside storage. It is situated near schools, shops, amenities, the A19 and Sunderland city centre.