VETERAN rockers who once bested Pink Floyd are hanging up their instruments after more than 50 years of gigging.

The Poachers who were formed way back in 1964 are playing a final sell-out hometown gig at the MICA Centre in Mersea on Friday where proceeds will be split between the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance and St Helena Hospice.

Back in the sixties, the group played shows all over the place and entered the Melody Maker National Beat Contest at legendary concert venue the Wimbledon Palais and the Brighton Regent Dance Hall.

Amongst their competition were The St Louis Union Blues who peaked with a number four chart hit and one year the group finished higher in the standings than iconic Another Brick In The Wall group Pink Floyd.

But after a few years, the group went on a hiatus until they reformed in the eighties and began entertaining fans again with songs from a number of decades yet again.

But now the group whose latest line up includes singer Eric Hames, guitarists Steve Conway and Trevor Cook, drummer Derek Hollick, bassist Tom Stephen and keyboard player Richard Taylor.

Mr Taylor, 72, said he had fond memories of both the group’s early days and their latter years.

He said: “We were just all good mates.

“We were all poachers at the time so named the group after something we like doing and it went from there.

“In the 1960s we were doing gigs here, there and everywhere for very little money but we didn’t mind.

“We went to the competition three times and in 1965 we beat Pink Floyd.

“But after about seven or eight years we stopped so we could all go away and have babies and mortgages.

“We reformed in 1986 and have been playing from then until the present day."

Mr Taylor said seeing people dancing and singing along to their performance was why they had carried on for so long.

“It is just so nice to be able to play music which everybody loves," he said.

“But it is becoming more difficult because of old age, a bit of ill health and unforeseen circumstances.

“It is not so much the performing – it is the heavy instruments and equipment which makes things difficult.

“You don’t want the end to come but sometimes you do have to face facts.”