Yahoo News Swimming pool and cemetery among weirdest North East polling stations for General Election
Seasoned voters will be used to casting their ballots this General Election in the traditional backdrop of primary schools or church halls.
However, on July 4, some voters will be heading to some slightly more unorthodox and quirky polling stations. In the North East, eligible voters, armed with photo ID, could be heading to venues ranging from pools to cemetery offices, to art galleries.
Here are some of the more exotic polling stations in the North East this time round.
Tynemouth Pool, Beach Road
Some voters in North Tyneside will have the pleasure of visiting Tynemouth Pool to participate in the General Election this year. This usually serene venue made headlines in March 2022 when quick-witted firefighters freed a 12-year-old boy trapped in a gully at the side of the pool by cracking open a bottle of shampoo and shimmying him out.
Whitley Bay Cemetery and Crematorium, Whitley Bay
No doubt, some residents of Whitley Bay may be in for a bit of a shock or even spooked at the prospect of casting their ballot at their local cemetery. The macabre venue was opened in 1960 but had a former life as a cemetery and chapel.
It became Grade II listed in 2003.
The Guildhall, Sandhill, Newcastle
The Guildhall is one of the most architecturally significant buildings in Newcastle and has been is Grade I listed since 1954. The Quayside landmark courted controversy in August 2019 after plans were discovered to convert part of the building into a Hard Rock Cafe.
The plans divided local opinion, with some branding the plans "ridiculous".
Fulwell Mill, Sunderland
The mill and its tearooms are an election-fan favourite and the venue will be up yet again as a polling station.
According to the Sunderland Information Point, this beautiful landmark is the only working windmill in North East England. It was built back in 1808 from magnesium limestone from local quarries, and following a restoration during the 1970s and 1990s now offers visitors a chance to take a step back in time as a fully functioning windmill.
Shipley Art Gallery, Gateshead:
The iconic Shipley Art Gallery is home to one of the most revered collections of ceramics, wood, metal, glass and textile exhibits outside of London. The gallery opened its doors for the first time in 1917 after 504 paintings were bequeathed to the institution by local lawyer Joseph Shipley.
The gallery and Northumbria University now offer the Henry Rothschild Bursary for Ceramic Artists for five artists starting out in their careers. The Shipley is managed by Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums for Gateshead Council.
