Final farewell for North East presenter Mike Neville

Family, friends and colleagues have gathered in Gateshead this afternoon for the funeral of Mike Neville.

The former Tyne Tees presenter died peacefully in hospital on Wednesday September 6th.

People from across the region have paid tribute to Mike, including former colleagues, some of whom described him as 'the best in the business'.

Mike was born in Willington Quay, North Tyneside, on 17th Oct in 1936. He was a pupil at Anderson Potter Infant and Junior School, then Stephenson Memorial Secondary Modern in Howdon. He left school at 15 before completing his two years’ National Service in the 1950s. He married his wife Pam in 1962.

Mike described himself as 'a true Geordie'; born a stone's throw from the River Tyne. Mike started his career, not in the studio, but on the stage. The young actor made the move to Tyne Tees in 1962, just three years after the station went on air, working first as a continuity announcer.

Mike left Tyne Tees to join the BBC in Newcastle two years later, becoming the face of the nightly news programme, Look North. By now, North East viewers had taken Mike to their hearts, and he also enjoyed national fame, appearing on the magazine show Nationwide. Even so, Mike chose not to make a permanent move to London, remaining instead in the region he knew and loved.

In 1996, Mike left the BBC and returned to where his broadcasting career had begun, at Tyne Tees Television.

His funeral service took place at St Mary's Church, Whickham.