The former boss of the Tyne and Wear Metro has shared his memories of the Queen’s “tremendous” visit 20 years ago.
Mike Parker accompanied Queen Elizabeth II on board the Metro when she officially opened the Sunderland branch of the network during a royal visit in 2002, the year of her Golden Jubilee. After her death on Thursday at the age of 96, the former Nexus director general paid tribute to the long-serving monarch and looked back on what was a special day for the North East.
Mr Parker told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the Queen’s death had left him “very sad, along with the rest of the country” and recalled her being “not the person I expected her to be” when they met. Her Majesty unveiled a plaque at Park Lane Interchange in Sunderland to celebrate the official opening of the new Metro line on May 7, 2002, before taking a train to Fellgate, where she was collected and taken for her next engagement.
