This would have been 2.30/3.00 - traffic from the Tyne Bridge, was backed up all along to the Redheugh Bridge. Normally buses would be able to miss a chunk out, but were stuck in the traffic/adding to it.
As for the 21s, I have never seen them like that during the day in the school holidays the day after a Bank Holiday. Apart from the area around the Tyne Bridge, traffic was light in most places I was at.
RE: Go North East