Sculpture commemorating the Sunderland song “Shipyards” Installed in Roker Park

A sculpture marked with the lyrics to the Sunderland song “shipyards” has been installed in Roker Park.

The song, sung by Matty Longstaff who sings as the Lake Poets and became hugely popular after it was used on the Netflix documentary “Sunderland Till’ I die” as its theme song.

He said the lyrics were “rooted in the city” but represent “everybody from the North East, [as] we all come from a post-industrial heritage,” he said.

“We used to make things and now we don’t, but we can still be proud of what we achieve.”

The sculpture forms part of a wall that will act as a backdrop to new amphitheatre seating overlooking the park’s Grade II-listed bandstand, which is currently undergoing renovation after being fenced off for years by decay.

Roker Park, located on Sunderland seafront, is a Victorian era public park that has recently experienced large scale regeneration, with the creation of a new cafe.