Whitley Bay fans paint the town blue and white

Apr 29 2009 by Tony Henderson, The Journal

WHITLEY Bay is being turned blue and white ahead of the team’s big Wembley trip. The club have become the North East’s only footballing success story this season by reaching the final of the FA Vase on May 10.

And the town is taking advantage of the team’s victories on the pitch.

North Tyneside Council will decorate the streets with ‘Whitley Bay for Wembley’ signs later this week.

And ahead of the posters going up, traders decorated an old department store in blue and white stripes to help motivate the team and the town.

Shop owners and their families turned up with their brushes to paint the hoarding covering recently-closed the T&G Allan store.

The decorating decision was made by Whitley Bay Chamber of Trade as the town bounces back from the blow of the closure of T&G Allan, Woolworths and Marks and Spencer stores in the centre. Whitley bay for Wembley signage will be added by North Tyneside Council by Thursday.

The paint was donated by chamber member and local businessman Michael Finlay of Finlay’s Décor on Park View who rolled up his sleeves along with vice chairman Karen Goldfinch of Made to Treasure, Blue Papaya’s Mike Leydon and Rachel Lambert and their six-year-old daughter Maya, Vikki Milne, owner of Blueberry Square, and other volunteers.