1. In 2002, the Angel was voted one of the Eight Wonders of Britain, along with the Houses of Parliament/Big Ben, Stonehenge, the London Eye and Windsor Castle. There was disagreement over the remaining three wonders, with adults choosing the Eden Project, York Minster and Hadrian’s Wall, while teenagers opted for Alton Towers, Blackpool Tower and the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

2. It’s one of the most viewed pieces of art in the world – seen by more than one person every second!

3. The construction team took 22,000 hours to build the Angel; engineers, designers and draughtsmen worked for another 2,500 hours.

4. Maintenance inspections are only needed every seven years.

5. The Angel will soon have a curvaceous rival, ten miles away beside the A1 – the “Goddess of the North”. Due for completion in 2007-8, the giant reclining figure, nearly half a mile long, will be created from millions of tons of mining spoil.

6. It’s made of 3,153 pieces of steel.

7. When a huge replica of Alan Shearer’s no. 9 shirt was draped onto the Angel before Newcastle United’s appearance in the 1998 FA Cup Final, Antony Gormley was said to have been very touched by the gesture. The handiwork of loyal fans who’d catapulted it into place, it was taken down after just 20 minutes when the police arrived.

8. Cast in the plinth are 52 huge bolts – each three metres long!

9. The Angel’s engineers, Arup, have also worked on 20th-century icons the Sydney Opera House and the Lloyd’s building in London.

10. A collection of poems by local writer Peter Mortimer has the catchy title I Married The Angel Of The North.