(29 Nov 2017, 11:00 pm)MurdnunoC wrote The 92 is the route you're thinking of and it was indeed operated by North Eastern Bus Services. Before deregulation, the route was operated by Go North East as the 92 since about 1981/82, before that, I think it was assigned the 26 route number.

My only real recollection of Easyway is that they operated the 60/61 between Gateshead and the Metrocentre. They may have continued to Felling Square but I'm not a 100% sure. They also bore an all-white livery with orange stripes, IIRC.

Pretty sure the 26 was Fawdon - Felling. It may have operated via Church Road at one point (either in that guise or a previous one), but almost certain it went up Beacon Lough Road.
Then it changed and was Gateshead - Barley Mow. Probably coincided with the metro.

I used that 92 with my Grandma. I remember her saying that we wouldn't be using it much (hence the foggy memories of it), as she didn't like it. I'd been at school a few years too, so bus use had been limited compared to years prior.
So on the few times we did head out, we used a competing service or walked down to Durham Road - which probably led to the confusion with Big Orange in the linked thread. Ironic, that the choice of services available partially led to the demise of North Eastern and Easyway. 
I have no doubt the predatory tactics of Go Ahead played a part too.

I also remember standing at Gateshead Metro prior to and during de-reg, seeing an advert on the wall opposite and her trying to explain why Northern was changing its name. I can't remember her response.