EP40 | Terry McDermott | Grit, Graft and The Great North Sea | Local Heroes Podcast

What happens when a fisherman swaps the North Sea for a mission to preserve his hometowns heritage? In this lovely conversation, Terry McDermott, chair of the North Shields Fishermen’s Heritage Project, takes Chris and Dan from diesel-scented decks and 40-foot waves to statues, school trips and a living legacy on the North Shields Fish Quay.

He recalls the 800 Years of North Shields celebration - 300 schoolchildren singing on the quay, 30 boats parading the Tyne, tugboats spraying arcs of water under the Lord-Lieutenant’s command - gathering people, honouring workers, and keeping stories alive. Founded in 2015 by Terry and the late Henry Howard, the project began with a child’s question: “Where’s the statue for fishermen, Grandad?” From cold calls to potential funders to learning how to do things “by the book,” Terry shares a fundraising journey built on passion and persistence.

Fishing runs in his family - his Granda worked the boats, and so did he. He’s lost friends to the sea and speaks candidly about the danger, laughter and loyalty that defined life on deck. Dyslexia shaped his path too; school failed him, but the sea - and later, community work - gave him the purpose that drives him today. We explore the creation of the “Fisherman” and “Herring Girl” statues and the untold history of the women who followed the herring down the coast, gutting fish for pennies and singing through exhaustion.

For Terry, it’s not nostalgia - it’s education. He wants children to grasp the industry’s reality: trawl models in classrooms, trips to working quays and fisheries, and memories that last a lifetime. North Shields Fish Quay is changing - from fishing to food vendors, trawlers to taverns- but Terry welcomes progress as long as its roots stay visible.

The project now preserves memory through a hand-turned Book of Remembrance and the Key Master’s Diaries, soon to be digitised for schools.

And yes, there’s time for the usual Local Heroes banter: haddock over cod, curry with chips, vinegar on mushy peas, and a toast to the Low Lights Tavern, where the North Shields community still thrives.

This episode is a warm, salt-soaked love letter to people, place, hard work and purpose - and a masterclass in turning community passion into lasting impact.

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