William Shakespeare Mural

If you're a fan of William Shakespeare and are looking to take a tour of the places that are associated with the Bard, then you might think of Juliet's balcony in Verona, or Macbeth's Dunsinane Hill in Scotland.

But I bet Heaton in Tyne And Wear didn't pop up on your list. Down at the bottom of South View West in Heaton there is a mural of William Shakespeare on the gable end of number 47.

The mural is believed to have been crafted during the 1970s as part of the renovation efforts undertaken after the demolition of the south-western section of the street, which included tidying up the gable end.

Looking around the area there are so many street names that are inspired by Bill including Hotspur Street, Malcolm Street, Mowbray Street and five roads with the word Stratford. This may have been due to a chap called George William Stanley who was the lessee of the Tyne Theatre for many years. Stanley was a big fan of the Bard and in 1864 was keen to mark the 300th anniversary of Shakespeare's birth.

Stanley was a neighbour and good pal of Alderman Addison Lee Potter who owned this area. He wanted to create a community where people could live and work surrounded by the names of Shakespeare's characters in the hope that this would inspire the locals to learn more about Shakespeare's work.

The big tree stops you from getting a really clear photo, so maybe have a visit in the winter.