Queen Elizabeth II: Memories of Sunderland and Prudhoe visits

Memories of Queen Elizabeth II and her visits to the North East continue to be shared following her death.

In May 2002, she opened the Sunderland branch of the Tyne and Wear Metro, in the year of her Golden Jubilee.

Mike Parker, the boss of the firm at the time, accompanied her on board for about 20 minutes, as they slowed down at stations lined by waving children.

He said she seemed to have a "sixth sense of when and how to wave" as he recalled the journey.

The Queen unveiled a plaque at Park Lane Interchange in Sunderland to celebrate the official opening of the new Metro line, before taking a train to Fellgate where she was collected and taken to her next engagement.

"We went past some pigeon lofts and told her that there were racing pigeons there," Mr Parker told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"She told me that they had racing pigeons at Sandringham and they were looked after by an Italian employee there, who had used to be an ice cream seller.

"It was all very friendly and very natural, it was so much easier than I thought it would be to speak to her."

The Queen officially opened the Metro when it first launched more than two decades prior, on 6 November, 1981, and took a train from Monument to Gateshead, as well as opening the QEII Metro bridge over the River Tyne.

In May 1982, alongside her husband Prince Philip, the Queen then travelled to Northumberland to open Kielder Water, the UK's largest artificial lake, following its seven-year construction.

In May 1998 she was welcomed to Prudhoe by its then mayor Lorna Garrett.

The town was the first stop on a tour of the county that also took in Vindolanda Roman Fort at Bardon Mill, where she saw excavations in progress.

She visited Prudhoe following work to improve both the town's high school and the East Centre youth service building on Front Street, where crowds gathered to catch a glimpse of her.

Pupils from nearby Prudhoe West First School's choir sang for the Queen while she visited.

"She was very generous and so polite to everyone, she greeted everyone in a lovely manner and she was asking all about the town," Mrs Garrett said.

"So many people were out on Front Street. It was quite strange - it was just our little town, and the Queen was there. It is a lovely memory to have."

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