Generous drinkers at a Gateshead micropub gave a Peruvian cyclist lasting memories of Geordie hospitality by putting him up in the Hilton for a well-needed rest.
The Microbus on Wellington Street may have only been open a matter of months, but it has already proved that it has some of the kindest drinkers in the region. Punters enjoying a few pints on Sunday got chatting to a cyclist called 'Phillippe' who had travelled 33,000 miles before arriving in Gateshead as part of a tour of the UK.
After asking where in the area he could put up his hammock for the night, drinkers were quick to hold a whip-round collection so the man could spend a night at the nearby Hilton hotel. Microbus co-owner Gary Moore said the idea came from regular Dennis McClean on the "spur of the moment" with all of the customers chipping in to raise the £108 to cover the cost of the room.
