Pictures of Maggie's baby seem African rather than Arab. South Shields has had a large Yemeni community since the 1890s. This was soon joined by merchant seaman and their families from Somalia. However both Arab and African communities were referred to locally as Arabs.
The company Woolworth's, mentioned in dialogue, was the original five and dime chain store that opened in the U.S in 1879. It survives as the sporting goods chain Foot Locker. The Woolworth chain ceased operation in the UK in 2009.