“Why don’t you come along to the next Music and Movie Heritage Tour?” said Paul.
We thought that a cultural trip around Newcastle and Gateshead while on board a vintage double decker bus sounded like great fun – so along we went…
Paul is Paul Irwin, who along with Ray Laidlaw (most will know Ray as the drummer with world-famous local band Lindisfarne), provided the backing track and commentary for this tour of the music and film cultural heritage hotspots in our local metropolis.
And a most excellent tour it was, from the pick up point near to Central Station to the return three hours later, with Lindisfarne’s ‘Run for Home’ very aptly playing through the first-rate sound system. The music, combined with the iconic concert, movie and TV posters which decorate the classic Atlantean bus, provides the perfect backdrop for the superlative commentary on the locations the tour takes in.
Delivered informally and with plenty of humour, Ray’s narration is packed with a wealth of fascinating information, personal experiences and anecdotes about the music, venues, movies and TV that have helped to define our local area.
From one of the few remaining locations used in seminal 1970s film ‘Get Carter’ – which precipitated a family feud over an item of furniture – to the site of the very first UK concert by rock giants Led Zeppelin, or the place you might have spotted Tina Turner buying a packet of crisps, this outing is an absolute joy, and topped off with two stops at excellent local watering holes was undoubtedly enjoyed by every single one of us. And that’s without the amazing highlight – which I’m not allowed to reveal – that on its own makes the ticket price more than just good value for money.
To find out more and book a tour – and this is just one of a range of great excursions provided by TyneIdols – see www.tyneidols.com, search for ‘TyneIdols’ on Facebook or follow @TyneIdols on Twitter.
by Mark Robinson