The sound of the Fog Horn bhooing is a familiar friendly sound most Shields folk will be very accustomed to - especially in Winter when it is usually followed by a tinngggg warning bell from the Groyne jetty.
However over the past few nights I've heard the fog horn sounding a lot and the streets swirling with heavy mists always gives the place a very atmospheric, mysterious feel - half expecting some spooky character from The Fog to emerge from the mist, and bang on my front door
I live very near the North pier and walking along either pier (S/N) is a nice way to spend an hour or so.
But yeah I remember the Foghorn at Souter Point when I was a young un.
And when the fog was in thick and that thing sounding.
Was it me or did everything else go really quiet when it was like that ?
So it was just Fog horn, Fog and nowt else.....Weird.
Can remember playing on the leas one night with me then mate, Alan Scott.
It was a real thick fog, hands in front of face job and we used to make his dog (Prince ) sit....then run away into the fog and lie in the grass and shout "PRIIIINCE "!.
Found us every time of course, but boy, that was some pea souper.
Don't see fog much now or is it just fond memories playing tricks.
Growing up at Marsden you used to hear Souter foghorn clearly but no one took any notice. My cousin from Devon stayed with us for a holiday in the 60s and could not sleep because of the foghorn, I called in to see her last month and she was still talking about how she got no sleep that holiday.
Jim_in_France wrote:When did the foghorn go? I can vaguely remember some news about it being decommissioned. But cant remember the year.
PS. Dont say "When it was foggy"!
Umm has it gone or do you mean from the South side? (or am I just imagining everything)
I hear it a lot over here - even in Summer. I really love going for a walk during the dark nights in wintertime and hearing it boohing and the tingggggggggg sound from - err is that from the groyne building over in S/Shields??
oooh roll on the dark nights....nah scrub that bring on the Indian summer
p-l-e-a-s-e
Babooshka, I think most are talking about the one at Souter Lighthouse up from the Grotto. As axeman says, you don't seem to see much fog nowadays. I certainly miss the drone of it...
para-wings wrote:Babooshka, I think most are talking about the one at Souter Lighthouse up from the Grotto. As axeman says, you don't seem to see much fog nowadays. I certainly miss the drone of it...
Eh? Do you live in the countryside or inner city or something because I hear the foghorn in Tynemouth but not as far away as Souter Point - my hearing isn't that acute
because there are heavy frets or fog or inclement weather..I am NOT imagining it
para-wings wrote:Maybe I just don't go out enough!
I can actually hear it from my house and I'm half a mile away from the river unless by some spooky coincidence I'm reverting back to my childhood memories
Or could hear Souter from Jarrow the Fog horn was discontinued many years ago along with the light, they do however give a test blast once in a blue moon.
I was brought up in Marsden, almost on the cliff tops and remember those foggy nights listening to Souter as I lay in bed, I found it rather comforting.
not more hot stikky nightz............. 
