Gateshead - a town in north east England with a population of 191,151. Twinned with Komatsu City in Japan, St. Etienne de Rouvray in France and Rio de Janeiro...hold on a minute! What was that you said? A grim once-industrial but now defunct town in northern England is twinned with one of the world's most exciting and glamorous cities? Surely not!

Curious as it may seem, the two places do have something in common. Not the weather, not the thrilling rhythms of samba filling the streets and certainly not scantily clad ladies parading up and down the beach but a colossal statue!

The "Angel of the North" is the result of a competition; Gateshead Council invited artists to present designs for a piece which would stand close to the A1 which would be seen by drivers as they approached Tyneside from the south. They chose Anthony Gormley's immense proposal and construction began in September 1997. It was to present an angel figure with arms/wings outspread, constructed from steel but, unlike the statue of Christ the Redeemer, it would be featureless - more of an idealised representation in very simple form.

Not only is it the largest statue in Britain but it is the largest angel statue in the world. The statistics behind it are quite remarkable. There is enough steel in it to make 16 double decker buses and at 54 metres (175 feet) it's wingspan is larger than that of a Boeing 757! It weighs 200 tonnes and stands at 20 metres (65 feet) high. Some sections were so large they had to be transported to the site from Hartlepool with a police escort - I think this is quite fitting for something so special.

Talking about the "angel, the artist said pointed out that the wings ae at a slight angle so that instead of merely sticking out at right angles, they tilt down slightly which gives an impression of encompassing and welcoming and, when I re-assessed, I could appreciate this. It is a small point but one which does alter the image.

Although the "Angel" stands close to the A1 and just as the residential area of Gateshead begins, it is also close to woodland area so that if seen from the fields, it looks as if it's growing from the trees. This, too, gives it an unworldly aura which detracts from the expanse of metal and instead lends a fairytale feel like a giant emerging from a forest.

Pictures of Angel of the North

The Angel of the NOrth

The statue sits atop a high-ish mound flat on one side so that if you approach from one direction you cannot see the "Angel" until you have climbed the hill. There's not really anything here other than the statue. In summer there's an ice-cream van but that's it. There's a pub across the road which is quite pleasant and are usually OK with visitors to the "Angel" using the toilets".

While Gormley is well-known now to people who might not previously have had much interest in the visual arts, this does not necessarily mean that all the talk is favourable. Indeed, in the early days, while the "Angel" was under construction or had just been completed, the local press was full of letters from indignant locals who thought that it was a terrible eyesore and a waste of public money. Many people I know who, at first, did not like the "Angel" (my father included) are now admirers of this kindly giant.

If you're passing, be sure to give our "Angel" a wave. We may not have the pull of golden beaches and bronzed bikini clad girls but we do have a fantastic statue. We have our own guardian angel and it serves us well!

By road from the south - from A1M, take the exit for the A167 (for Gateshead south), about a mile after Washington Services. At the roundabout take the A167 turn off and the "Angel of the North" is on your left with parking close by.

By road from central Gateshead - head south down Durham Road (A167) and through Low Fell until you come to a dual carriageway and carry on south until you hit the main roundabout and take the exit back on yourself towards Gateshead south.