Tyne Bridge rivet to be auctioned for gallery

The Tyne Bridge is currently undergoing years of renovation work

A small section of the Tyne Bridge, removed during restoration works, is being auctioned.

One of the original rivets which helped hold the Grade II* listed structure together for nearly a century is being sold in aid of the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art £10m Endowment Fund, which hopes to secure the Gateshead gallery's future.

It is expected the bridge part will fetch upwards of £500 at a fundraising gala on Thursday, where local musicians Sting and Nadine Shah will perform.

Also being auctioned off are works by Damien Hirst, Antony Gormley and Anish Kapoor, as well as a week-long stay at Sting's Italian villa.

According to auctioneers Anderson & Garland, Baltic hopes to raise £95,000 for the villa holiday for 10 people, donated by Sting and Trudie Styler.

The rivet helped hold the bridge together since 1928

Renovation work on the bridge, which carries traffic across the River Tyne between Newcastle and Gateshead, has been ongoing since April 2024 and is due to be finished in summer 2028, in time for its centenary.

Original rivets have only been removed and replaced with modern alternatives where necessary.

The £10m Baltic Endowment Fund was launched in June following an undisclosed donation from Sting and aims to help sustain the future of the gallery.

Its main focuses are securing artistic programmes, reducing the reliance on public funding and maintaining free access.