Merseyside music man Gerry Marsden is bringing his timeless sounds to Cromer pier this month.

He formed his first group in the late 1950s, calling themselves, The Mars-Bars featuring himself on guitar and lead vocals, his brother Fred on drums, Les Chadwick on bass, and Arthur Mack on piano.

They worked the same Liverpool/Hamburg circuit as the Beatles, whose manager Brian Epstein signed them in 1962.

The following year, under the direction of producer George Martin, and called the Pacemakers, they burst on the scene with three consecutive No.1 hits – How Do You Do It, I Like It and You'll Never Walk Alone – proving themselves serious competitors to the Beatles.

Over the next few years most of the group's hits were actually written by Gerry including Don't Let The Sun Catch You Cryin' and his signature Ferry Cross the Mersey.

The group disbanded in 1966 but was reformed by Gerry in 1974. They continue to tour in the UK and worldwide.

'I love being on stage performing for people all over the globe', he said.

Gerry Cross The Mersey is a journey down memory lane with Gerry performing all the great songs from his repertoire interspersed with stories and anecdotes from his days on the road.

Gerry wrote his autobiography 1993, to tell the story of a streetwise boy, whose hunger for fame saw him as a friendly rival to the Beatles. The book became the basis of a musical theatre production Ferry Cross the Mersey which toured the UK, Australia and Canada.

Tickets for the Gerry Cross the Mersey show on Saturday May 17 at 7.30pm are £18.50 (£17/50 concessions) through the box office on 01263 512495.

To win a pair of tickets to the show enter the competition in this week's print edition of the News, on sale now, by returning a coupon by noon on Wednesday May 14 .