THE Princess Royal yesterday officially launched a new ferry before she took a trip across the River Tyne.

Princess Anne, who arrived at South Shields, South Tyneside, to be met by Bernard Garner, the boss of ferry operator Nexus, and Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Authority chairman David Wood, named the new vessel the Spirit of the Tyne.

She then travelled to the North Shields ferry landing, where she unveiled a plaque.

The £1.9m Shields Ferry, which arrived on the River Tyne just before January, replaces the Shieldsman, which is being taken out of service after 30 years.

She will join the Pride of the Tyne, which was brought into service in 1993, to provide the daily crossings between North and South Shields.

Princess Anne also visited a centre that is having a huge impact on the health of the community it serves, only months after it opened.

The Sunderland Customer Service Centre, in Bunny Hill, is believed to be the first in the country to incorporate a local GP practice, NHS Primary Care Centre and Sunderland City Council-run Wellness Centre.

The £7.8m centre also houses several public, voluntary and private services.

During her visit, she saw the work of a drug intervention programme, watched a children's storytelling session and met a group of elderly people who have become adept at using the internet for activities such as researching their family tree and trading on auction website eBay.

At Wrekenton Methodist Community Church, in Gateshead, she took a look through a celebrity recipe book, including one recipe donated by her grandmother, the late Queen Mother.

The book was put together to help raise funds to build the church, which is built on the site of the former Wrekenton Methodist Church, which was demolished in 2005.

The building hosts activities, advice sessions and drop-in facilities for the community. It will also provide support for more than 180 young people six nights a week.