For seven years in the 1940s, the famous statue which stands at the top of Grey's Monument in central Newcastle didn't have a head.
Earl Grey - or at least his statue - was hit by a freak lightning bolt in the summer of 1941, sending the head crashing down on to the road below. With the small matter of World War II to contend with, it wasn't until 1947 after the war had ended that efforts were made to repair the decapitated statue and replace the head.
Our photograph taken 75 years ago on July 4, 1947, shows fearless workers 130 feet above the ground erecting scaffolding so the job could begin. And as anyone who's ever been up Grey's Monument and stood on the viewing platform will testify, it can be a bit daunting if you don't have a head for heights, never mind balancing on scaffolding without any harnesses and wearing a flat cap.
