Nine VIPs we welcomed to Sunderland's shops - from agony aunts to sports heroes

Shot putter, soap star, science expert: We've got the lot

We've welcomed plenty of VIP visitors over the years.

Lots of them took the time to open shops, pubs, leisure centres, university buildings and here are some of them. But which did you get to meet.

Was it Lord Winston in 2011, Colin Jackson in 2015, or maybe Geoff Capes in 1985.

We've said hello to soap stars Kevin Kennedy and Shaun Williamson and here they are once again, thanks to these photos from the Echo archives.

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