Football hero salutes a champion teacher
Award-winning special needs teacher Karen Lewton was delighted to receive her plato from footballing legend Peter Beardsley at a special event staged in her school.
Karen, a teacher at Valley Gardens Middle School in Whitley Bay, was devastated when work commitments meant that she missed the North East ceremony in June where Peter was our star guest.
So we arranged a personal visit, with help from the Newcastle Chronicle and Chris Tipple, chair of the regional judges.
Karen, who retired this summer, is no stranger to footballing heroes; two former pupils play for Newcastle United and her cousin was the late Bill Shankly, who helped transform Liverpool FC into a footballing superpower.
Karen, who retired at the end of term, said: 'It was an amazing day and I'm so grateful'.
