The Shields Ferry is taking to the airwaves for a new series of features on a local radio station.
The cross-Tyne service is being brought into focus on Radio Shields, who are profiling it in a new segment titled ‘Ferry Tales’.
It will cover everyday life on board, including interviews with customers and crew, delving into its history, and its place in the heart of the community as an iconic public transport service.
Radio Shields is a community radio station, based in South Shields, which was formed in 2019 to provide local programming. It relies on donations and grant funding to keep it going and is run entirely by volunteers.
The Ferry Tales feature was the brainchild of presenter Risaria Langley, who came up with the idea after catching the Ferry from South Shields to get to a dance class in North Tyneside.
Risaria presents an afternoon show called Fun Fare, and has set aside parts of her programme, which is broadcast every Monday and Wednesday, 3pm-4pm, for the Ferry Tales feature.
She said: “I love the Shields Ferry and I’m really excited to be featuring it on my radio show.
“It’s undoubtedly an iconic local service. I want to celebrate that through these broadcasts. The ferry is a great part of our area and our local heritage.
“I really want to capture daily journeys, chatting to customers, not just about the Ferry itself, but also about their journey and why they are making it. I want to speak to people from the area and people who are here on holiday. I want to get people’s memories of the ferry when they were children, and chat to people who use it for their daily commute to work.
“I also want to feature the ferry crew. The people who make it run successfully every day and hear their stories. There are some great characters there and I’m looking forward to them coming on the show.
“I’ve used for the ferry for many years, and I was inspired by a recent journey I took. Someone in my sea swimming group invited me to a dance class in North Shields, and when I decided to go, I caught the ferry over from South Shields. That was the moment I knew that this amazing service would be the source of some really wonderful features on Radio Shields.”
Kev Leonard, Customer Services Operations Manager at Nexus, said: “We are delighted to welcome Radio Shields on board to showcase the Shields Ferry.
“From its proud history and place at the heart of the communities it serves, to the anecdotes of our many customers and our brilliant crew, we have a great story to tell.
“Ferry Tales promises to be an excellent series. Radio is great medium to look at what the Shields Ferry does and what it means to people in our region and further afield. I hope our customers tune in and have a listen.”
Radio Shields is a local community radio station situated in South Shields.
They pride themselves as the 'voice' of the community and are proud to serve South Shields, Tynemouth and beyond, broadcasting live from their state-of-the-art studios in South Shields town centre.
The station broadcasts full-time, showcasing local events, news, and activities within the local area, mixing it up with the latest music from the charts, as well as music from the past 60 years.
Radio Shields is available on DAB, through smart speaker, and online at www.radioshields.co.uk