COMEDY legend Phil Cool said farewell to fans in the region at the weekend.

The funnyman is retiring after 40 years in the business and brought his Final Curtain Tour to Barnard Castle's Funny Way To Be comedy club for a sell-out show.

The 65-year-old told fans that while he still loved entertaining audiences, he had grown tired of all the travelling involved.

“You've heard of Seasick Steve, well I'm Carsick Phil,” he said.

He joked that he'd played venues like the Sydney Opera House and Leeds Grand Theatre and now at the end of his career he was at the Parish Hall in Barnard Castle.

Peter Dixon, of the Funny Way To Be club, said: “They don't make them like Phil Cool anymore.

“He is certainly a unique talent. As he walked off stage I couldn't help feeling this really was the end of era and we were witnessing the final chapter of a wonderful part of our comedy history.”