The Lost Dudes of Royal Quays: forgotten public art figures found in the undergrowth

Plenty of people pass the International Ferry Terminal at Royal Quays without knowing that a small crowd has been standing on the grassy hill near its entrance for around a quarter of a century. They are The Dudes, a public artwork by the Nottingham-born artist Permindar Kaur, and local heritage site I Love North Shields has been asking what people remember about them.

Thirteen figures on a hill

The Dudes was made up of thirteen powder-coated figures in bright blue and red, each with a shiny helmet and boots. They were one of a number of pieces commissioned under Art on the Riverside, the public art programme that accompanied the redevelopment of Royal Quays, which officially opened in 1998. Other works from the same era named in the article include Tyne Anew, the Lightning Clock, the Prophecy Monolith, Sea Dreamer's Rest and Pointing Child.

Rediscovered in the undergrowth

Writer and photographer Geoff Holland went looking for the figures in June 2025, having not seen them for some time. He found them still there, but half-hidden by a mass of foliage, and had to push through the undergrowth to reach some of them. His photograph above shows several of the figures, their paint now faded and chipped, standing among the long grass with trees closing in behind.

It is a familiar story for public art of that period. Commissioned with fanfare as part of a regeneration scheme, many pieces have since slipped out of sight as the surrounding landscape has grown up around them.

Share your memories

I Love North Shields is now trying to build a record of The Dudes and the other riverside artworks from the Royal Quays years. It is asking for photographs, memories and stories, whether that is a snapshot of the figures when they were new or a recollection of walking past them on the way to the ferry. Details of how to get in touch are on the original article.

Remember The Dudes, or another piece of Royal Quays public art? Let us know too.