Old Wooden Dolly

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North Shields, a fishing port on the north bank of the Tyne, has a long tradition of “Wooden Dollies”. In 1814 the female figurehead from a collier ship was placed at the entrance to Custom House Quay and stood there until 1850. This “Wooden Dolly” was used by sailors as a source of good-luck charms and they cut pieces of wood from her to take with them on voyages. A succession of Wooden Dollies followed and in in 1992 a sixth Wooden Dolly, as seen in this photo, was placed where the first four had been, at the entrance to Custom House Quay, and next to the Prince of Wales public house.
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