Coordinates: 54°57′11″N 1°32′46″W / 54.953°N 1.546°W / 54.953; -1.546
Pelaw /ˈpiːlɔː/ is a district that forms part of the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead in Tyne and Wear, in north-east England. It lies in between the older settlements of Heworth to the West and Bill Quay to the East with Wardley to the south and the southern bank of the river Tyne forming the northern border.
Pelaw came into being due to the huge Victorian factory complexes of the Co-Operative Wholesale Society ("CWS") which was the manufacturing division of the then burgeoning Co-Op company, which grew up along the length of the Shields Road. This mile long stretch of red-brick industry was home to factories making clothing and textiles, furniture, pharmaceuticals, household cleaning products, quilts, books and magazines and the world-famous "Pelaw" shoe polish. The factories created Pelaw and were practically its sole employer during most of the twentieth century but due to inevitable foreign competition, the prevailing economic climate and government policies of the times, the majority of the factories were closed and demolished between the mid 70s and early 90s to be replaced in recent years by modern housing estates. Two of the original CWS buildings, the Shirt Factory and the Cabinet Factory, are extant. The Shirt Factory no longer manufactures garments and was a private concern and the Cabinet Factory in Bill Quay, which later became a major Brentford Nylons plant, has been transformed into a modern business park by the name of Stonehills. The last factory to be demolished was the shirt Factory.
Don't you cry, don't you look so sad
We both knew somehow this day would come
I know you want what is best for me
And I need to see you smile
From where I started off to where I am
It's a million miles, I can't go back there again
But no matter where I go from here
You will be part of me from now on
For every door that opens up
When another has to close
You got to trust me now
Be strong and let me go
Watch me now as I go my way
The time has come
And I gotta say I'm not afraid
Watch me now, every step I take
I feel stronger, so much stronger
The road ahead is a mystery
Your love is here
Oh and I believe inside of me
Watch me now, I can stand my ground
I will be alright, yes I'll be alright
You were someone who believed in me
When I wasn't even sure of myself
And I always will remember how
You were always there to help
And I heard so many things from you
And I'm ready now to try them out in the world
Though it hurts too much to say goodbye
We both know (We both know)
There's no other way
I will feel your loving arms
When I'm out there in the cold
'Cause all of my thoughts of you
Will still be mine to hold
Watch me now as I go my way
The time has come
And I gotta say I'm not afraid
Watch me now, every step I take
I feel stronger, so much stronger
The road ahead is a mystery
Your love is here
Oh and I believe inside of me
Watch me now, I can stand my ground
I will be alright, yes I'll be alright
You will find me running back sometime
When I really need a guiding hand
We'll be closer than we were before
And I know that you will understand
I know you'll understand
Watch me now as I go my way
The time has come
And I gotta say I'm not afraid
Watch me now, every step I take
I feel stronger, so much stronger
The road ahead is a mystery
Your love is here
Oh and I believe inside of me
Watch me now, I can stand my ground
I will be alright, yes I'll be alright