A Metro job swap was just the ticket for BBC weatherman Paul Mooney, who was shown the ropes by former Cayman Island forecaster turned Metro customer service advisor Joe Avary.
Paul, the familiar face of the weather on BBC Look North, got the chance to link up with Joe on an early morning shift at South Shields Interchange, checking tickets, running the gatelines, and making announcements on the PA system.
The job swap came about after Look North featured Joe Avary’s amazing story, one which saw him quit his TV job in the Caymans to come and work for Metro operator, Nexus.
Joe, who is American, got the chance to do a stint in front of the famous weather screen in the BBC studio.
And he returned the favour by inviting Paul Mooney to join him on duty on the Metro network.
Joe, 47, of East Boldon, said: “It was a great wrap to the story to do this job swap with weatherman Paul Mooney from Look North.
“It was such an honour for the BBC to ask me into the studio and let me do some presenting in front of their weather screen, so it was only right that we asked Paul to come down and be a customer service advisor for a day.
“We had a great time. He loved every minute. His announcements were really good, and we he was perfect for customer services. If ever he ever gets bored doing the weather he can feel free to give us a call!”
Joe, who is originally from Albuquerque in New Mexico, has had a 23-year media career, one that took him across the USA as a cameraman and a journalist, culminating in his dream job working in the Caribbean.
As a senior reporter at Cayman 27, Joe not only presented daily weather forecasts, he also provided local news coverage for the tiny island, which is a poplar retreat for some of the richest people in the world.
Click here to read more about Joe Avary’s journey from the Cayman Islands to North East England.