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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This week on the Local Heroes Podcast, Chris and Dan welcome David Hall, a proud North Easterner and former MasterChef contestant, for a raw, funny, and deeply human conversation about food, the fading spotlight, and finding yourself again. From the smell of Bovril on cold match days at St James’ Park, the conversation is a heartfelt tour through growing up in the North East - its rivalries, humour, and unbeatable sense of community.

David reflects on his time in the MasterChef kitchen, where his love for regional dishes like panackelty and leek pudding won the heart of the judges at the same time as meeting the harsh realities of TV production. He lifts the lid on the emotional toll of the experience, how it shaped his mental health, and what he’s learned since about resilience and recovery. Chris also admits that David was the person who first ignited his own career in food and his commitment to celebrating the local, whilst David goes on to deliver a masterclass in North East food heritage, tracing the origins of Be-Ro - the classic home-baking brand born in Newcastle — and revealing the story behind the original pink slice, a true staple of regional baking.

There’s plenty of banter too - from David’s admiration for the late, great Keith Floyd, whose chaotic charm shaped his approach to cooking, to Dan’s less-than-glowing views on Jamie Oliver and the modern TV food machine. Together, they explore how authenticity has been lost in contemporary media - and how men, especially in the North, are learning to talk more openly about struggle, pride, and purpose.

With stories of cold-water dips, and rediscovering joy through cooking, this is a moving, funny, and unfiltered conversation about what it truly means to be a Local Hero.

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This week on the Local Heroes Podcast, Chris and Dan sit down with Laura Pidcock - political powerhouse, awesome activist, and all-round good human. Born and raised in Northumberland, Laura’s North East roots run through everything she does, grounding her politics in honesty, fairness, and fierce compassion.

As the former Labour MP for the historic heartland of North West Durham, she brought her community’s voice to Parliament with unapologetic conviction, never shying away from calling out injustice or standing up for those too often ignored. In this episode, she reflects on her whirlwind years in Westminster during the chaos of Brexit, the cost of sticking to her principles, and what it really takes to hold your ground in a system that would rather you stayed quiet. Laura talks openly about the disconnect between Parliament and the people it’s meant to serve - how power protects itself, how working-class voices are too often silenced, and why real politics happens far from the cameras. Yet her optimism, humour, and humanity shine through.

With warmth and clarity, she shares how her North East upbringing taught her the strength of solidarity and the value of speaking plainly. For Laura, politics isn’t about ambition; it’s about community, dignity, and the belief that change begins when ordinary people act together. Since leaving Parliament, she’s channelled that same fire into RISE, the grassroots movement she helped build to reconnect politics with real life. Laura talks about moving beyond Westminster and rediscovering power in local action - through tenants’ unions, mutual aid, and collective organising. It’s a passionate, hopeful vision rooted in the belief that no one is coming to save us - but together, we can help each other.

This conversation is a reminder that true politics, at its best, is about community, courage, compassion and absolutely refusing to give up on people. And, of course, it wouldn’t be Local Heroes without a few food-related rabbit holes and a dash of Local Heroes anarchy.

Chris, Dan, and Laura wander from politics to pescetarianism, swapping stories about North East life, family wisdom, and why Laura believes Greggs are great business.

Funny, fiery, and full of heart - this conversation captures everything Local Heroes stands for: real people, real places, and the kind of honest chaos that makes life, and politics, worth talking about.

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