- Feel Good
- 1st Apr 2026
- 0
- 0 minute
9 memorable and hilarious April Fools’ Day pranks from the North East
From a nightclub on top of Grey’s Monument to advertising on the Angel of the North, the North East has seen some creative and hilarious April Fools’ pranks over the years.
Here’s a round-up of some of the best…
BEAMISH MUSEUM’S PENSHAW MONUMENT MOVE
Beamish Museum had a go with a cheeky video claiming they were relocating the Penshaw Monument to the museum grounds. Historians explained that ‘Lambton Worms’ had eroded the structure, so it was “safer” to move it.
“By putting it at the top of the Pit Heap, people will still have access for sledging at Christmas and, of course, egg rolling at Easter,” one joked.
THE £20 NOTE THAT FOOLED THE STREET – WITH AN UNEXPECTED ENDING
A reader’s mum in Newcastle pulled off a cheeky prank by planting a fake £20 note outside her home – secured with impressively convincing masking tape. One neighbour spotted it and tried to peel it off… but couldn’t.
Soon, another neighbour turned up, thinking it was connected to someone they’d had past issues with, and the confusion escalated. Half an hour later, the police arrived to chat to both neighbours. Mum had to step outside and admit she was behind the hilarious mix-up, leaving everyone laughing (and slightly embarrassed) at how seriously the street took it.
THE ‘SAUSAGE OF THE NORTH’ BY THE A1
Heck, the sausage company, announced plans for a Sausage of the North sculpture along the A1. Towering as tall as Big Ben, it would feature a viewing platform and a helter-skelter ride. Completely believable… until you remembered it was April 1st.
TYNE TEES TV’S BACKWARDS PIGEONS
In 1992, Tyne Tees TV aired a story about a Newcastle man training his pigeons to fly backwards. Many fell for it, including one viewer who enthusiastically told colleagues at work the next day – before realising it was just reversed footage.
ANGEL OF THE NORTH “RELOCATION”
Local radio had listeners convinced the Angel of the North was being moved, and people were suggesting sites. “Loved that one,” recalls Margaret Nicholson. “People genuinely thought it was real.”
SOUTH SHIELDS CHESS CLUB
The Shields Gazette reported that the South Shields Chess Club applied to replace the town’s Groyne light with a 60ft chess knight. Club spokesman Eddie Czestochowski added: “We considered replacing the Weebles or Conversation Piece with large pawns, and Souter Lighthouse with a giant bishop, but that may have been a little ambitious.”
NEWCASTLE MATCH CLOCK TRICK
One clever parent moved all the clocks forward while his son and friends were staying over, making them panic about missing a Newcastle match. Ten minutes of devastation later, the prank was revealed.
FREDDIE THE DOLPHIN
In 1992, a Chronicle LIVE claimed that Freddie the Dolphin, then a popular coastal attraction, had disappeared… thanks to a killer whale. Panic ensued before the reveal.
NIGHTCLUB ON GREY’S MONUMENT
In 2009, some rumours of plans for a nightclub atop Grey’s Monument (how iconic would that be?). Sadly, while the idea sounded brilliant, it was just another April Fool’s gag.
Rachael Ellis
Head of Content
After gaining a first in her BA Media and Journalism degree at Northumbria University, Rachael worked at Newcastle’s leading regional newspaper with her stories being picked up in national and global newspapers. She spent two very successful years giving a voice to those communities across the North East who otherwise…
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