RUARDEAN guitarist Phil 'the hat' Mitchell of the band Something Else celebrates half a century of playing music with a gig in Lydney later this month.

Phil says: "Back in 1962 I passed Lydney Town Hall where The Beatles were playing.

"At that time they were just another band and not at all famous and I didn't hear them play as I was on my way to perform too.

"They did rather well in the end though and I did manage to see them in concert a couple of times afterwards."

Phil, from Huddersfield originally, has played in France, the Midlands and the North of England as well as locally.

He says: "When I was 13 I heard a record by Rick Nelson. He had an amazing guitarist called James Burton and it blew my mind. I knew at that point I wanted to be a guitarist."

Phil came to the Forest from Yorkshire when he retired from engineering at the age of 58.

He says: "This is just a really lovely place. The weather is better and the people are great."

•Phil's band Something Else are playing at the Lydney's Roadhouse (ex Kings Bar) on November 20.