When you’re given the Freedom of North Tyneside what’s the best way to get there to collect the award? Travel on the Tyne and Wear Metro of course! That’s exactly how music legend Sting travelled (after initially heading the wrong way by getting on a train to South Shields!) to get his award from the Exchange 1856 building in North Shields.
Sting – real name Gordon Sumner – took the Metro from Monument in Newcastle City Centre to North Shields and photos of the journey were posted on his official Facebook and Instagram pages. During his speech of thanks he even mentioned that he caught the Metro and joked how he got lost by heading to South Shields!
Huw Lewis, Customer Services Director at Nexus, said: ““It was fantastic to see that Sting chose Metro on his most recent visit back to his native North East England. He was here to collect the Freedom of the Borough of the North Tyneside, so hopped on the Metro in Newcastle city centre for the short journey up to North Shields. He may even have noticed he features in the Famous Faces artwork at Monument Metro station alongside other iconic figures from the region.”
Sting originally rose to prominence as the frontman for The Police before he launched a successful solo career. He has sold over 100 million albums from his combined work with The Police and as a solo artist.