Angel at 10

What are your thoughts or memories of the Angel of the North?

jessica hoskin
i am very privalleged to be cellebrating the 10th year of the angel as i first saw when the angel was installed the figure has a beautiful image and remings me when i see it what a lovely part of the world i live in

cookie
it is a wonderful site and it is peaceful

gillian cooper
I find it very intresting because i am learning about it at school when i was younger i went there and i found it very fasanating

emily carter
i am 11 and i find it very interesting as we are learning about it at school

Paul Dickinson
Im A Aussie who use to live in Newcastle ,my wife a geordie took me there and I thought it was the greatest thing i have seen,here in oz we have the big banana,big prawn,big pineapple but you jave a angel that is 10 times bigger than what we have ,you willalways have a angel that will be looking after you and all of newcastle

binxin zhou
I love it. I only recently change job to gateshead and travel pass it everyday. To me it is such a striking piece of art, so inspiring! For people of ambition or needs to bounce back, it means strength from the inside. Money is well spent, more business will created by people who is inspired.

Annie Davidson
I remeber when loads of hundereds of people went to see the angel of the north and they did a dance as the shaddow and i got interveiwed by ITV News

Daniel
I think it is a piece of scrap and money could have been spent on somthing better such as conservation

Edward Wilson
I think the angel is brilliant and make a point of having a look at when coming down from Glasgow whenever visiting The North East a couple of times a year

moshmonstersrule!!!
i think its a big and mighty sculpture and deserves respect its full of wonder i love it

Jane Carr & Andy Carr
We saw The Angel of the North on Saturday 15th November 2008. We both thought it was fantastic.

jubes
whilst paying a visit to relations in Cramlington December last year I saw the Angel for the first time. I believe it to be a wonderful landmark after a long journey it gives the viewer a sense of place and tells you that you have arrived in the North. A beautiful monument to the miners of the past and a grand figure of hope for the future. Lucky you Gateshead must be nice to live under the watchful eye of an angel.

Wendy Ward
We love the Angel Of The North!!! We always get the train into Newcastle from Durham and have watched out for it ever since they first put it there. My little lad looks for it now and first to see it buys the dinner in the TOON!!!!! It defnitely maes me smile :0)

carol walsh
the ginger geordie is an amazing structure. She is to me like a ship and I love her.The only thing missing is something to do when you get there. There was one ice cream van and nowhere to sit ...apart from on the grass....But if I had a car and lived in england I'd be up there all the time.

Dan James
I remember going up to watch the Angel being lifted into place. I was awestruck then, and still am every time I stand by it. My two kids now look out for it with excitement. For them, the Angel has been there forever.As for the critics...Well, so many people moaned about it being a waste of money. What else would we want as a symbol of pride? Imagine the injustice, the site of a former colliery, swallowed up by another 'Yellow M.', or faceless retail world. No thanks. As symbols of pride go, the Angel worked out to be worth every penny.

Alexander Ardalich
It is a superb piece of sculpture just as the white horse it on the chalk background.

Rob McGinley
In my opinion no where near as symbolic to our great region as the Tyne Bridge, the Angel is non the less a truely wonderful icon...I love it.

joshua
i think is is a wonderful structure.

Stan Osborne
Loved teh close up of it

James Skeldon
I have worked overseas and in many countries for most of my working life and I am now 60. Although we have had the Tyne Bridge as a symble of our area it is just another bridge and not as big as the one in Sydney Harbour.To have a land mark as unique as the Angel is inspiring.

Vivien Egan
I have always loved The Angle of The North but her wings do no not look right. Still I am glad she is watching over us and people around the world know where to have a great party. The North- East! Happy 10th Birthday Angle.

Lyndsey Smith
I was born in Gateshead and migrated to Australia in 1960. The Angel of the North welcomes me home each time I visit. She represents my working class roots and remains to me one of the most brilliant icons of the world. Be proud, stand straight and tall and welcome!! I just love her and all she represents.

Bradfordbelle
It is a stunning piece of art - I do so love it !

DGB
It is a great symbol for the region. Let's face it there are not a lot of great landmarks in the area. This is unique and brings interest to the area.

Dean Meakins
At first i thought thats just another horrible landmark to put Newcastle on the map but when i first visited the sight quite some time ago, its stunning!! I adore such landmarks as this and this has helped NewcastleGateshead by encouraging visitors to the area. This is an excellent feature of NewcastleGateshead, and hope for more in the future. One thing though, i would prefer (as with some other people) for it to be painted rather than looking like its rusted away all them years.

MH
Durham cathedral and Penshaw monument are illumunated, why not the 'Angel'? It can't be on safety grounds, surely?

Jamie
I totally disagree with these people who see it as ugly and a monstrosity - it is a beautiful sculpture and when I saw it for the first time three weeks ago (its over 200 miles from my home!) it amazed me and it is in my opinion - the BEST icon in Britain and is a stunning landmark. I LOVE the angel!!

Joan Davidson
When it was going in I thought I'd hate it - but I loved it at first sight and I still do. It's one of the great icons of the UK.

Tom Newbery
I was in Durham over the weekend on business so just had to see the angel.In somerset we have the willow man but the Angel iscertainly awesome

joseph friend
it is a great tribute to the skills of the workmen of the north-east.

robert dixon
since the main route through the north changed people traveling through the north east did,nt have an icon like they did with the tyne bridge on the old route now we have one of the best the angel of the north

Judi Tymec
I live in the USA and recently visited my friend who lives in Birtley. This was my trip ever to the UK and while we visited many sites and shared many things the day we went to see The Angel of the North was my favorite day of my entire two week trip. The pictures we took with 2 of his children (his wife and 2 others stayed home) are my very favorite of all my photos. This was his youngest, age 6, daughters first trip up close also and while she was at first a bit scared of its size she quickly calmed down and we have wonderful photos of her standing as the Angel and on daddy's shoulders to see how tall she could be. She had a Barnaby bear from school with her and had to write a short journal or what she did with Barnaby over the weekend and she added Barnaby's trip to the Angel in the journal as well. I cannot wait until I am back in the UK visiting again and as soon as I see The Angel of the North I will know I am close to those whom I care about deeply. I look forward to stopping by The Angel for more pictures on my next visit as it is more than art now to me it is a reminder of a very special day.

michelle head
i love the angel, when i travel north on the train it tells me that i am almost at my destination!!

Peter Wilson
When the Angel of the North was erected, I lived in Ryton, and used to pass it regularly, and if I had been on a long journey, I knew I was nearly home when 'The Angel' came into view

maizie
I live in the NE and I think this so called angel is horrible. A true blot on the landscape.

Annalise (Malta)
The first time i visited the North East it was a must to go near the angel, it might be just another sculpture but its magnificant the height and the work it took to be done makes one think how artistic people think can create art from anything. Nearly every city in the world has a sculpture the Geordies have their angel.

Steve Ellwood
I'm the first to admit that when it was first installed I thought it was a total waste of money - the usual argument that the cost of the sculpture could have been better spent.However I now think that this is indeed an icon of Tyneside, not the main icon of course, that is the Tyne Bridge.The Angel of the North is very dramatic when seen from bot the A1 and on the train from the South.I have been surprised to hear train passengers from outside of the area making a point of looking out fr the Angel and remarking on its magnificence!I still say the only thing that is missing from the sculpture is tha it isn't illuminated at night - now that would be a sight to behold.RegardsSteve Ellwood

chris p
Unsure at first, but now another great Icon for Tyneside , along side the bridges over the Tyne ,Sage, City Centre,St James Park. where else in the world would you live. Happy 10th Birthday.

Alan Heward
It's a load of er...........(s)crap !

Brenda Blake (Wilkins)
I think it's horrible, I totally agree with Alan H

Ellen
I was suprised after a recent visit to Newcastle how much "The Angel" has become Newcastle's generic symbol. It's on all the tourism leaflets and it now seems to be how the City refers to itself.

J R Peace
Body a great piece of steel sculpture, wings would do a "flasher" proud, remake them in a conventional mode!

Nick Clark
I think people who criticise the Angel have no soul. I never get tired of driving past it. It has become an iconic feature of the North East and is now part of our cultural heritage.

Yuko Motoya
I think this project was fantasitc! I live in london currently,but really wanna go to New castle only to see this! It must be more amazing than Stone henge.

Kathleen Andersson, Sweden
I think it's great, a fantastic sight as you drive north - my kids think it's really cool, too, we have nothing similar in the south of Sweden where we live. I think Gateshead can be proud of its development and forward-thinking attitude! Look at the Baltic and the Sage, what a difference to the area we grew up in forty years ago!

Janine
My Fiance proposed to me at the Angel, so now the landmark will always be special to me

Jon Bratton
Exiled Geordies used to say as you were leaving to return to the NE "Spit in the Tyne for me"Now perhaps it's "Say hello to the Angel for me"As an icon, it's up there with the Tyne Bridge

Pamela
I came home from the states, my sister woke me up from a jet lag...............screaming you have to see ...............it your home

John Dodds
It is an absolute disgrace I cringe every time I see it. What an impression of thie North this monsrosity gives.

G Miller
Hi, have always wished the angel was lit up of an evening time. We hurried up to have a look (take a few pics) during your broadcast earler today. We left disgruntled as joe public "moi" could not even get to view this once in a decade event. All we could see was the lit up "REAR END". No provision had been made for the public to see the Angel in all its glory "FROM THE FRONT" very dissapointed to say the least. Mr G Miller

G Miller
I think the Angel should be illuminated at night.

Elsie
I love it, but would like to see it on higher ground so that it can be seen from a far longer distance.

amy hepburn
i been a geordies 4 14 years come on newcastle the angel of the north is one of the best things that has happen gatestead

Sam.S
Every time I travel and when I return home on the train, you see it and you know your nearly home. I think it is a great landmark and when people see it they instantly know there in Newcastle.

stuart
those that complain should really look at themselves. It is an icon, not just teh NE but the UK. The NE is a power house of the country and this is just one of those icons. Still without complainers where would we be....onj top of the world with this angel

madelyne
didn't like it all at first, rust coloured monstrosity - however, it has definitely grown on me, feels like you are being welcomed back home with open arms when you drive past!

Richard Hemingway
One word AWESOME

Ann Porter
I like the angel very much it is a lovely sight when you have been away and you know you are home when you can see the angel.

Chad Hilton
I first saw the Angel in 2003 and was simply stunned. It is beautiful - strong - and absolutely present. There's nothing tentative about the Angel. I'm from a poor coal mining region of the U.S., and only wish that the strength and resilience of the people from my own region had an equally powerful artistic analog.Love it.cbh

Greg Robinson
I am at University in Nottingham and when I drive back i know i am at home when i see the Angel. I love and its as part of the North East as the Tyne Bridge!!

Sally Hope Lincolnshire
Stunningly beautiful and inspirational. We come to Northumberland every year for our holidays and we know we're nearly at our destination when we see it on the skyline. We are fascinated by the angel - and sorry - we do slow down as we go by.

Frank Lappin
When are they going to take off that ugly, rusting metal mould and let us see the beautiful statue they keep talking about? It must be inside somewhere!

Peter Grove
I studied in Newcastle for 4 years leaving in 1990, at first I wasn't sure about the Angel but now I think it's magnificent. When I see the Angel I know I am nearly back 'home'.