A football-mad North Shields florist has unveiled a brilliant window display to celebrate Newcastle United reaching the Carabao Cup final.
Flowers From Charlotte on Wallsend Road regularly tasks mural artist Andy Morley from Creative Ginger to decorate the shop window for occasions like Valentine's Day, but this week owner Charlotte Forrest had an extra-special request. The 25-year-old Newcastle fan wanted to create a Wembley-inspired window to cheer on the Magpies as they look to win their first major trophy since 1969.
Just minutes before the final whistle of Tuesday's semi-final against Southampton, Charlotte had Andy on the phone so he could create the display the next day. The eye-catching design features a huge Magpie and the chant, "Tell me ma, me ma, I won't be home for tea, we're going to Wembley."
And the idea has delighted Newcastle fans with many stopping to take photos with the window as they go past. Meanwhile, Charlotte's Facebook post featuring the window has attracted more than 2,000 likes, as well as hundreds of comments praising the idea and encouraging other businesses to do the same.
"It was my dad's idea for the window, he is football crazy," Charlotte said.
"The whole family is Newcastle through and through.
"We get the windows done all the time by Creative Ginger and my dad said we should message them and ask for a Wembley window. I put a photo of the window on Facebook and it has just gone insane.
"The amount of messages I have had asking who did the window has been absolutely nuts. Creative Ginger has also had a huge response and been going around to people's houses and pubs doing Wembley windows.
"I didn't think it would blow up as much as it has. I thought I would get a few people saying it's class as there are a lot of football fans around the shop but I didn't think it would go as big as it has.
"I have also seen absolutely loads of people taking photos of the window as they go past."
Charlotte admitted she "felt sick" with worry on the day of the semi-final but said it seeing North Shields' Sean Longstaff score two has given his hometown a real "buzz."
Now the florist is looking at ways of getting down to Wembley for match day on February 26 so she can soak up the atmosphere but plans to head into the city centre if she's not able to find transport.
"It is going to be such as buzz to see them go down to Wembley considering where they were last year," she said.
"They are a class team and have a good manager and people want to invest in the club which is great to see."
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