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THE cheer went up as the bridge finally blinked, allowing two cruisers crammed with schoolchildren to glide underneath.

Yesterday was the first time the £22m Gateshead Millennium Bridge swung into action to allow ships to pass.

The old, once heavily industrial quaysides provided a perfect backdrop, together with the other Tyne bridges, as the riverside quickly filled with smiling office workers abandoning their desks to enjoy the moment as word of the event spread.

Even the sun made an appearance to make the scene complete.

There was pride from local politicians and, judging from the reaction of the public yesterday, pride from them too, even amid grumbles that, perhaps, the money would have been better spent elsewhere.

But one could sense real personal pride among the construction workers for Harbour and General, which had done its bit to bring to life an exciting design.

Men like senior foreman Tom Douglas, born within sight of the new bridge in Newcastle, who laughed as he told of the lad who operates the construction company's safety boat.

He has already saved three members of the public who fell into the river, as well as a 1950s Russian cycle which workers found at the bed of the river 50ft down.

"Working on a project like this is just about a once in a lifetime experience," said Mr Douglas.

It was a sentiment echoed by Foppe Haanstra, head of the company's sister firm in Holland, who had come over specially, and Keith Mutch, who designed the bridge's hydraulic system which provides the bridge with its unique rolling movement.

Mr Mutch said: "I hope this bridge is still here in hundreds of years time, and, unlike the Transporter Bridge on the Tees, I sincerely believe it will still work."

After the bridge was lowered again, dignitaries and journalists took the chance to stroll over the structure and watched a small ship bearing the name of the North-East's ancient name, Bernicia, float by.

It was a quiet moment until a small girl, one of the 150 Gateshead schoolchildren who had been in the boats piped up: "Well, it was all right. Better than school anyway."