THE road to the stars will also lead to Oswaldtwistle in 2003 as big names from pop and showbiz line up to perform in the town's Civic Theatre.

Singer and songwriter Midge Ure, magician Paul Daniels and comedian Bobby Davro are among the performers on the glittering roll-call revealed by Hyndburn Borough Council Leisure Services.

And there will be everything from Gilbert and Sullivan to brass bands and light opera for lovers of traditional entertainment.

The new year will start with the king of abracadabra presenting An Evening with Paul Daniels on Thursday, January 30 -- two hours of magic, humour and story-telling from a long life in theatre, clubland and television.

The performance starts at 7.30pm and tickets are £11/£10 concessions.

Midge Ure -- a hit-maker across four decades -- will be on stage on Tuesday, March 4.

From Slik and The Rich Kids to Ultravox and probably the most famous super-band in history, Band Aid, Midge has enjoyed critcal acclaim, scooping Ivor Novello and Grammy awards along the way.

The show beings at 7.30pm with tickets costing £12/£11 concessions.

Three days later, on Friday, March 7, the pace and style changes dramatically when Bolton's famous son Fred Dibnah appears with his new one-man show.

The legendary steeplejack, television presenter and raconteur has enjoyed great success with his TV shows Fred Dibnah's Industrial Age, Magnificent Mountains and his latest, Buildings of Britain.

Now, he is taking to the road with a show full of stories and gentle northern humour.

Bobby Davro will be on the Civic Theatre stage on Friday, March 21, at 8pm, with his show Not In Front Of The Children.

The comedian is presenting his first theatre tour for four years and, as the title siggests, he promises outrageous, quickfire comedy, impressions and cheeky audience participation. Tickets cost £12.50/£11.50 concessions. There's a show with difference on Saturday, March 29, when Chas 'n' Dave set up Two For The Road.

The duo will perform all their singalong hits, of course, but will also regale their audience with tales from their 25 years together.

If you'd like to know what Princess Margaret told them over dinner and all about when Chas became the fourth Beatle tickets cost £11/£10 concessions for the 7.30pm performance. The legendary Blues Band will appear on Thursday, April 17, at 8pm. The group widely acknowledged as the master purveyors of rhythm and blues -- Paul Jones, ex-frontman with chart-topping Manfred Mann; Dave Kelly, sideman to Howling Wolf and John Lee Hooker; Tom McGuinness; Gary Fletcher and Rob Townsend -- promise a night of wall--to-wall hits.

Tickets cost £12.50/£11.50 concessions.

For more information of Hynburn Council events in the new year contact the Accrington Information Centre in the Town Hall, tel 01254 380293, or log on to www.leisureinhyndburn.co.uk