People used to say tongue in cheek that when the huge Tees Transporter Bridge swung its gondola of cars and passengers across the river from Port Clarence in County Durham to the then-Yorkshire town of Middlesbrough, everyone would have to go through passport control.
But in 1974 came local government boundary changes, and Middlesbrough belonged to Yorkshire no more. Opened in 1911, it is the longest such bridge in the world and most spectacular landmark on the North-East coast. The idea was to straddle a steel structure across the river.
Construction of the 160ft high structure began in 1909, and when it was completed the total length was 850ft . For the opening ceremony, the transporter was painted red. It was repainted blue in 1961. It escaped damage during a Zeppelin raid in the Great War, but in the Second World War a bomb miraculously fell right through the structure and caused damage to the gondola when it detonated on hitting the water. In 1953 the gondola became stuck halfway into its journey during a fierce gale.
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