'Heroes'

John Simpson Kirkpatrick is a name that will be familiar to many Shields folk, and to generations of schoolchildren brought up on tales from the first world war.

Simpson Kirkpatrick was the South Shields-born 'soldier with a donkey' who served at Gallipoli, and won international praise for his courage and heroism. Enlisted in the ANZAC forces, Simpson Kirkpatrick was a stretcher bearer who commandeered a donkey to help him in his work - earning him the nickname 'soldier with a donkey' - and rescued countless wounded soldiers under heavy fire before finally being killed in action as he tried to save another wounded comrade.

A service of remembrance was held this week for the life and work of Simpson Kirkpatrick. He was a hero in sense that most of us think of heroes - doing brave deeds and acts of great courage, saving others' lives, often at the risk of their own
We are all familiar with Superman swooping in to save Lois Lane at the last moment. We also make heroes of sporting figures. And what about news reporters braving crossfire to bring us the latest news on our forces in the Gulf?
What do all these people - a soldier, sportsmen and women, a film superhero, a fictional spy, a chef, an actor, singers and a TV reporter - have in common? The answer is that they all have personal qualities and characteristics that we admire, and that we would like to have ourselves.
It is easy to look to the media, to television and to films, to find our heroes. This gives us heroes on a grand scale, that hundreds of people admire, and whose talents and attributes are often well rewarded.

But what about our local heroes? What about our firemen, our policemen, our doctors and nurses, who everyday save lives and help the injured? What about our teachers who help to shape the minds of our young people?

Our local heroes are just as important as the international personalities who we choose to publicly admire. These are people who make a real difference to our community, often with little or no reward, sometimes without even a simple thank you.

People like charity workers and volunteer groups, meals on wheels deliverers, lollipop ladies, kind neighbours looking after each other. These are the heroes that should receive our thanks and praise, people who are prepared to devote their time and talents to making the small differences that make our community a better place to live; these are the people whose personal characteristics and qualities we should be striving to emulate.

The Gazette sponsors an annual awards ceremony to recognize service and achievement in the Borough. At a national level, the honours system is designed to recognize achievement - like the recent Damehood for Margaret Barbour.

These are ways that ordinary people are recognized for extraordinary achievement. But sometimes it is the quiet and private word for someone who has made a difference that can mean the most.

I was recently asked to contribute an essay to a book by Sarah Brown, the wife of Chancellor Gordon Brown. It asked me to describe someone who had helped me on my way. I chose a primary school teacher from the 1970s.

Harry Pieniazek taught at my primary school near Leeds. I was never in his class, but he drove forward all the after school sports events, in all weather, at all standards. He made a real impact on my schooling.I was delighted to name him as a hero, and even more delighted to receive a letter from him telling me he is still teaching at the school.

So next time you see someone who you owe a vote of thanks - don't hesitate!