Bush flies out after UK visit
President Bush left Teesside Airport at the end of his controversial four-day visit to Britain.
The American President and his wife boarded Airforce One just moments after arriving back at Teesside International Airport from a four-hour visit to Prime Minister Tony Blair's Sedgefield constituency.
Mr Bush left the presidential helicopter Marine One to walk the short distance across the tarmac to the steps of the presidential jet Airforce One. He was met by the guard of honour of police officers who had been on duty at the airport throughout the day, and also a number of US Air Force servicemen, who saluted their president as he boarded his jet for the trip to Washington. Within minutes of Airforce One clearing the tarmac of Teesside Airport, an identical Boeing 747, Airforce Two, was beginning its departure, with a number of aides and members of the press who had made the trip to England with their president.
Earlier, on the soccer pitch behind the Blairs' home, Mr Bush bade farewell to Mrs Blair with a kiss and an affectionate pat on the head before boarding his Marine One helicopter. Mr and Mrs Blair stood waving as the President's helicopter and three others bearing the rest of his party took off into the afternoon sky.
Even once the President's helicopter was long airborne, the Blairs stood by their house, waving into the sky as the helicopter fleet made its way the airport.
21/11/2003 17:14 | 
