BACK to The Sixties today to reach into the vaults and dust of a few images of some of the "beat groups" that entertained in village halls, social clubs, public halls and general dances throughout Worcestershire in the days before disco.

We have stacks of these filed away and so if your fave raves of the day are not here, we might have another dip in some future week and feature them then.

Although the local group scene had been chugging away for several years, with most a copy version of Cliff Richard and The Shadows, when The Beatles suddenly exploded across the nation in 1962 it really took off and by the end of 1963 there were more than 30 groups – generally known as either beat groups or even rhythm groups – playing in Worcester alone. While other neighbouring towns like Evesham, Malvern, Kidderminster and Tenbury Wells had their own scenes.

Here are just a few of the bands and characters who played across Worcestershire back then, some of whom went on to greater things and others who didn't. There's an early shot of Dave Mason, probably Worcester's most successful musical export apart from a chap called Elgar, and one of Luther James Grosvenor in his Spooky Tooth days, before he became part of Stealer's Wheel and then really hit the big time as a member Mott the Hoople, albeit with a name change to Ariel Bender.

Great days indeed.