A RATPACK-style trio who performed across East Lancashire in the 1980s will reunite for a charity performance.

Bobby G Wilson, Billy Magee and Terry Gallagher will return to the stage after more than 30 years for a one-off reunion concert at Thwaites Empire Theatre in Blackburn to raise funds for Rosemere Cancer Foundation’s 20 Years Anniversary Appeal.

Mr Wilson, the trio’s Darwen-based leader who has had treatment for cancer, said the group drew huge crowds in the 1980s, packing out working men’s clubs and pubs with their performances featuring songs from the likes of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.

He said: “We used to have the best time together, we got on like a house on fire.

“We performed in clubs and pubs all over Lancashire and Yorkshire and we used to pack places out.

“But when I got married and had children I couldn’t go out gigging anymore so we lost touch.

“Then we met up again after nearly 40 years and decided to do the show.

“It’s absolutely wonderful to be back in touch and we are doing something that is going to help Rosemere.”

Mr Wilson, who is a Savile Row trained tailor, underwent surgery for prostate cancer in October 2014, the same year he lost his sister to a brain tumour.

He said: “After the surgery, I was advised to try pilates, which is where I met Karen Wilson who works at Rosemere.

“She told me they were trying to raise 1.5 million pounds and I thought we could put a show on to help raise the money show support for the wonderful work being done at Rosemere Cancer Centre.

“There’s a lot of the big C about these days and we need to do everything we can to eradicate it.”

Rosemere Cancer Foundation is half way towards its £1.5million 20 Years Anniversary Appeal target which will fund a trio of groundbreaking projects at Rosemere Cancer Centre in Preston.

The centre treats patients from all over Lancashire.

The trio will perform January 20 at the Thwaites Empire Theatre.

Tickets for the show are priced at £12 with concessions at £10 and are available from thwaitesempiretheatre.co.uk/event/reunion. Proceeds will be donated to Rosemere Cancer Foundation.