CELEBRATING ten years as a band, The South will be playing Frome's Cheese and Grain on Thursday, March 23.

With former members of The Beautiful South the nine piece outfit are also marking more than 30 years since the formation of the original band in the 1980s.

Vocalist Alison Wheeler and sax player Gaz Birtles from the original band feature in the line up in Frome as the group tour the country reviving their blend of soft rock and ballads.

These include A Little Time (a number one single), Perfect 10, Rotterdam, Song For Whoever, Old Red Eyes Is Back, Good as Gold, Don't Marry Her plus more singles and album tracks including some by The South.

Since Dave Hemingway, the original singer, left the group at the end of 2016, Gaz has moved across to front the band with Alison and taken on vocal duties.

The Beautiful South formed in 1988 by Paul Heaton and Dave Hemingway, who had formed the Housemartins previously.

After The Beautiful South split in 2007 former members created The South to keep their unique sound alive.

This year the band have played a string of gigs including ones at Leeds, Blackburn and Woking with plans for more this summer including festivals.

If you can't catch them in Frome then on Friday, March 22, they'll be at the Marine Theatre in Lyme Regis before moving on to Devon and Cornwall at the weekend.

The band today consists of Alison Wheeler (vocals), Gaz Birtles (vocals), Phil Barton (guitars), Steve Nutter (bass), Dave Anderson (drums), Karl Brown (percussion), Gareth John (trumpet), Su Robinson (sax), Andy Price (keys).

The debut South album, Sweet Refrains, was recorded at Cow Shed Studios in London in 2012 some 23 years after the original group's debut album.