Our Story – For the Love of the North

Hi, we’re Lucy and Paul — a husband-and-wife team with a big love for the North East and all its brilliant quirks, coastlines, and creative souls.

For the Love of the North began in 2017, just after Paul took voluntary redundancy from his role running Tourist Information Centres across North Tyneside. While those centres closed during funding cuts, we saw a spark of opportunity: people still wanted to connect with the places they loved — the beaches they played on as kids, the landmarks they passed every day, the culture, humour, and heart that make the North East so unforgettable.

We started dreaming of something small, personal, and full of pride — the kind of independent shop we’d always visited on our own holidays. A place that celebrated our region through the eyes of the people who live and create here.

💙 Northern Roots, Coastal Heart

Paul’s a lifelong North Easterner, born and bred in North Shields, with childhood memories spent caravanning in Stanhope and wandering the Durham Dales. Lucy moved to Newcastle at 11 but spent much of her childhood visiting family nearby — rockpooling in Berwick, collecting shells on the beach, and falling in love with the wild beauty of the coast.

Our shared love of the North East is what brought For the Love of the North to life — and it’s what drives everything we do today.

🎨 Celebrating Local Artists & Makers

We work closely with local artists and makers who capture the region’s magic in their own unique way — from hand-drawn coastal prints to clever, cheerful souvenirs. Collaborating with them is always a joy; there’s nothing better than giving an artist a new brief and watching what they create.

And when we can’t source locally, we stay true to our values — like printing our mugs in Stoke-on-Trent, the traditional heart of British ceramics.

🌿 Thoughtful, Sustainable, Kind

Everything we sell is sourced as sustainably as possible — no plastic, no wasteful packaging, just thoughtful design and ethical choices. And we like to give back where we can:

  • For every item of adult clothing sold, we donate a day’s worth of food to our local food bank (over £4000 raised since 2023).

  • During the Covid lockdowns, our ‘Love Will Get Us Through’ campaign raised £10,000 for NHS Northumbria’s Bright Charity through locally-inspired art prints.

🏡 More Than a Shop

We’re not just a shop — we’re a little hub of Northern joy, made for people who love this region as much as we do. Whether you’re buying a gift, treating yourself, or just popping in for a chat, we want you to leave smiling — and feeling a little closer to the place you call home.

Thanks for supporting our dream — and for loving the North with us.

With love,
Lucy & Paul
🧡 For the Love of the North