The Pilots Watchouse

[Pilot]

Did you see the notice in last nights Gazette ? Its in very small print and I missed it until I got a phone call today, but it looks like the end of the road for the Pilots Watchouse a building I have been associated with for nearly 50 years. Another piece of Shields history to be bulldozed.

[sless]

blame our leader

[J Jackson]

Is it up for sale ?

[philip20]

Shhh Sless you will be sent to no 10 for detention.

[sless]

i wud rather have 6 of the best

[mr-angry]

Watch out you don't get thrown in the skip with the rest of the old rubbish.

[Pilot]

I think the plan is to pull it down

[PartyGirl]

What/where is the Pilots Watchouse?

[curly]

It will make a nice flower bed for a few years (sadly)

[sless]

It will make a nice flower bed for a few years (sadly)

pity it couldnt be made into a car park our leader would have meters straight on it

[jimmywizz]

I think the plan is to pull it down

any reason why it has to come down ?

[andysfootball]

because it's there

[PartyGirl]

It will make a nice flower bed for a few years (sadly)

pity it couldnt be made into a car park our leader would have meters straight on it

Don't get me started on parking meters!! Got a meeting with people from the Council next week and going to have to try my hardest not to have a soap box rant about it .. mainly cos it's a different department. The Council (majority of the time) are really proactive in tourism and stuff to the area but sticking parking meters up everywhere is just pathetic and no help at all.

Previously people would spend a full day down the coast and not have to worry about parking charges but now they either have to (a) get an all day ticket or (b) only spend 2-3 hours down here.

Seen 2 - yes 2 - traffic wardens working on Beach Road the other day, took all my willpower not to swerve and hit them!! I also think its sad they work in pairs!!

[Globalmyths]

Hi PartyGirl where have you been hiding

[ralph]

Yes, not wise to swear or hit them when there's two of them.

[Pilot]

Jimmy the Watchouse ceased to be the home of the Tyne Pilots 3 years ago, when the last of my colleagues retired, pilots are now also port ops officers and work out of the Harbourmasters office at North Shields. The Pilots of the Lawe go way back into the distant history of Shields, they were granted a charter from King Henry VIII for instance but that is now history, I had hoped the watchouse could become a small visitors centre and wrote to the gazette about 4 or 5 years ago but nothing came of it, I think Janis Blower intends to write on the subject in the Gazette.

[andysfootball]

could it be renovated and lived in.

[Pilot]

It would have the best views in Shields, but its inside parkland so I doubt you would get permission to convert it to a private dwelling.

[Delilahcat]

Who owns it, Pilot? That is the burning question.

[Pilot]

The freehold of the land is owned by the Council as far as I know, the building was bought with money from a fund the then Mayor of Shields raised. Ownership of the building was given to the Tyne Pilotage Commissioners, as far as I can make out.
The Tyne Pilotage Commissioners became the Tyne pilotage Authority and that authority ceased to exist in 1988 when the Port of Tyne took over responsibility for pilotage on the Tyne. The Port of Tyne then took over ownership of the building. I think it is now surplus to requirements.
I seem to remember the building was only to be used as a Pilot watchouse, so changing its use maybe is not an option.