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"More cowbell..." — Christopher Walken

Some great 'In the Footsteps of Sting' Tour footage has surfaced!

On 25 April 2015, members of Sting's International Fan Club travelled from all over the world to join Tyne Idols for their 'In the Footsteps of Sting' bus tour. BBC Look North's Damien O'Neil chatted to some of them.

Many thanks to Shirley Knight for the footage.

'Forget Carter'
with Chris Phipps

29 June 2017

"Hi, Just wanted to thank you for the fantastic tour on Thursday. Despite the drizzle it was a brilliant evening, well worth the journey from Hampshire! If it had cost double what it did I would have still thought it good value. Will definitely be back for more Tyneside culture in future! Kind Regards." — Rob James

"Hi Julie, Just to say how brilliant the three of us thought last night was. Massive thanks to everyone concerned. So well organised and a brilliant talk by Chris Phipps. Learnt loads. Only complaint was that it finished too early — could have gone on for another three hours and still wanting more! Please book two tickets for the Punk tour in August." — Ed Waugh

'Him Off The Viz' Tour with Simon Donald

Various Dates, 2017

“The best bus trip ever. Laughed from the moment we got on, till we got off. Just what you'd expect from Viz, lots of naughty swear words! A trip down memory lane. Simon & Alex were brilliant. As was the rest of the team who made it possible. Well done all involved. Many thanx." — Holly & Paul

“In one word, BRILLIANT!! Despite a dull drizzly evening, my cheeks (face) ached so much with laughing and therefore also welcomed the designated pub stops that you could not, NOT include in Viz's history. Overall great load of cheeky banter full of Simon and Alex's anarchic anecdotes, it brought the much loved comic alive! Also we cannot end without giving YOU Julie, an absolute MASSIVE UNFEASIBLY WHOPPING LARGE 'THANKS' without whom this Tour would not have come to be. Cheers!" — Elaina

“A night out with a difference. If you have ever read Viz, then go on this tour. You are out for three and a half hours, you may not even be interested in half the stuff, hell Ican’t even remember half the stuff and I was sober. But the craic on the bus from Simon and Alex easily make the trip so worthwhile. Well done Tyne Idols and Simon/Alex for hosting a great night out for a pittance of a price. No money crossed my palm to write this review!”

"What a cracking night last night was! So much so I had a bad heed this morning. You'd have thought the guys had been narrating the tour for months, they worked so well together. I overheard a guy in the toilet saying it was the best night out he's had in years with 'political correctness' thrown out the window."

"Morning Julie, just to say we had a fantastic night on the Viz tour and were well impressed with the Tyne Idols staff who made the evening go without a hitch, especially dealing with the idiot who got on the bus at the pub... will definitely be going on the next one if it is repeated." — James Scott ;-)

"Good Morning Julie, Must say in VIZ terms what a F*****G brilliant night we had last night. That guy who got on the bus at the Trent House should now be a Viz character........... We all had one of the most enjoyable nights we have had in a long long time. We did not stop laughing from kick-off to final whistle and if ever the tour is on again we will be back with friends. Did not know what to expect and had a few ideas but what went on far exceeded all our expectations. Simon Donald is a truly unique guy and very funny guy and I am so proud he is a Geordie. Please pass on our thoughts on last night, it was worth every penny and more. Cheers!"

'In the Footsteps of Sting' Tour

25 April 2015

"The tour was first class, the best thing I've ever done as a tourist."

"The bus tour had my eyes watering as soon as 'Waters of Tyne' came on as we crossed the Tyne... and my tears were never far away after that... feelings so powerful. It was so interesting to hear about Sting's days in the Newcastle Big Band..."

"Just home right now. It was a whirlwind weekend a tour of Wallsend/Newcastle, and a meet and greet. I haven't yet the words to explain how wonderful it was..."

"I am at a loss for words to describe this past weekend. What can I say about the Tyne Idols Tour, all things Sting and some history of Newcastle. Bravo!"

"I was so fascinated by the landscape, the mouth of the river, the fortress right next to the sandy beach. It was great to get some background information about the area and being safely on the bus while it was raining..."

"I know this will go down as one of my best ever days... 10:00am was the Tyne Idols bus tour hosted by Ray. Amazing to see all the haunts of the musos of the Toon. Including all Sting's old hangouts. A nice chat with his old boss from the Newcastle big band..."

"I was the guy from Belfast who got on the private fan club 'In the Footsteps of Sting' tour on Saturday at the last minute. If you'd let me know if there is going to be another one and when, I'd fly over and do the whole thing again, it was that good. In anticipation..."

"The next few hours flew by with a combination of happy singing, belly laughs, and misty eyes. Your magical tour went straight to our hearts. By now, you know the BBC camera crew caught us singing the chorus, and some fun interviews with Annette, Shig, and Daniel. We saw it all: too many great locations to mention. But we laughed at the charmingly funny narration from our guide. We sang along to FANTASTIC selections of Tyneside music by artists from the Toon. But it's the kindness that has stayed with us. Picture it... we're touring through Sting country, wearing black and yellow scarves and striped shirts, hearing songs and stories, and then... Jimmy Nail and Mark Knopfler's 'Big River' comes on... and for us the very first time we'd heard it... and I'm not ashamed to say that we cried as it played, while we looked out at the sea, at the Tyne... Listen carefully... if you've never heard it before, you're in for a treat. But having heard it on that bus for the very first time? It's a moment that will stay with us forever. Thank you for a ride we'll never forget..."