ONE of Thurrock's musical success stories will be celebrating three years of performing across the borough this weekend with a 'showcase' event in the banqueting hall of Tilbury Community centre.

The Travelling Tilburys made their public performance debut at the Sandmartin pub in Chafford Hundred three years ago

The band is made up of friends whose initial aim was to provide afternoon music for the local community, basically focusing on the 'retired' end of the spectrum.

They have gone from strength to strength and will soon play their 20th afternoon gig at the Sandmartin, some time in May.

Group member Terry Meadows says: "Amazingly some people who still come along regularly were at our very first one in April 2023.

"Also we now do roughly 30 other gigs a year across the county! From the early days of The Sandmartin, we have played at other pubs, clubs, sheltered housing associations, for various WI groups, 'Age Concern' and the Thurrock Beer Festival twice!

"Bill Sach of The Travelling Tilburys, and a member at the Tilbury Community Centre (TCC), is the main man who set us up in the first place. Since then he has established a new 'Music Section' at the TCC with our own fully equipped rehearsal and function room, shared by many other local bands. He also has ambitions to extend its use to other members of the general community.

"On Friday, 17 April (7.30pm) we are holding our first 'Showcase' event of 2026 at the Community Centre in the rehearsal room. The primary aim is to showcase three of the bands from our music section. The second aim, of course, is to raise funds for equipment etc for our 'studio'. "