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Wearside stories you may have missed this week

BBC Dan Hudachek wearing a green jumper and glasses. He is holding a 1928 bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale. In the background are shelves filled with objects and photographs.BBC
Beamish Museum revealed collections it has kept behind the scenes

Metro trains were back on after flyover safety works and Beamish Museum opened up its weird and wonderful archive.

Here are some stories you may have missed on Wearside this week.

Metro services resumed after structural works

A yellow and white Metro carriage is full of people on their commute.
Metro services were effectively cut in half following the closure of the Gateshead flyover

Tyne and Wear Metro services were back up and running to all destinations after work to prop up a dangerous flyover.

The service was effectively cut in half before Christmas when trains were stopped from running through the tunnel under Gateshead Highway.

  • Read about the Metro travel disruption here

Warnings after dozens walk along unsafe pier

Groups of people walking along Roker Pier on Saturday around sunset, photographed from the beach.
Roker Pier has been closed for repairs since October 2023 when it was damaged by a storm

Roker Pier in Sunderland had to be re-secured after dozens of people walked along it.

The unsafe, storm-battered pier had its gate lock cut open last weekend, prompting warnings from Sunderland City Council.

  • Read about how several people were told to leave the pier here

Mayor argued case for takeover of Northern trains

North East Combined Authority Kim McGuinness sitting on a chair with her hands in the air. She is wearing a patterned green top of tree images and has blonde hair.North East Combined Authority
Kim McGuinness weighed in on taking control of the train company Northern

The North East mayor Kim McGuinness said she wanted to join other regional leaders to take over the running of rail company Northern Trains.

Her call coincides with a government White Paper on English devolution.

  • Get the lowdown on her argument here

Beamish Museum opened its weird and wonderful archive

Shelf stuffed with lots of teddy bears of all different colours - mainly white and brown.
Many local people have donated their collections to Beamish Museum

Beamish Museum in County Durham, which charts 20th Century life, revealed objects in its huge archives which are rarely seen by the public.

Items included a 1927 bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale and one man's extensive Marilyn Monroe memorabilia collection.

  • Check out the Beamish's unseen archives here

We tested your knowledge of the region's quirkier stories

The Great Sunderland Raccoon Escape

As 2024 came to a close, we shared a quiz testing your knowledge of the region's quirkier stories.

A message in a bottle launched from Roker Pier appeared in which country a year later?

Sam Carling, from Crook, became the new youngest MP to head to Westminster, but how old was he?

Three raccoons that escaped from Sunderland Training and Education Farm were tempted back by which fairground food in January?

  • Think you know? Try the North East 2024 quirky news quiz here

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