Following the opening of the Tyne Tunnel between Jarrow and Howdon in October 1967, ferry traffic saw a significant decline.

The service provides a viable alternative to travelling by Metro via Newcastle, or by road via the Tyne Tunnel.

[3] Seven years later, in November 2015, Nicola Peach was appointed as the service's first female crew member.

[4][5] Peach was later promoted to be the company's first female captain in May 2016, after obtaining her boat master's licence.

The ferry's name came from the wife of North East Labour Party leader Andy Cunningham, who was later jailed for corruption.

The Shieldsman was retired early in 2007 to be replaced by the new Spirit of the Tyne, and is now a houseboat on the River Adur in West Sussex.

The vessel was the first river ferry to incorporate all of the new safety features introduced following the Marchioness disaster in August 1989.

[9] The ferry landing at North Shields was opened in July 2004, providing better accessibility and passenger waiting facilities than its predecessor.

Passengers at North Shields Ferry Landing can travel to the town centre by 19 or 317 bus.

Parts of the old ferry landing signage survives in storage at South Shields Museum.