Film celebrating life of Burnley guitarist to be shown at Worsthorne Arts and Crafts Fair

David Parkinson and Mike Guttridge holding the poster of The Who, a band The Avalons supported at the Astoria Ballroom in the early 1960's.

Ken Stott’s new film, plus a display and a presentation named When We Was Fab! will pay tribute to Mike Guttridge, lead guitarist of The Avalons.

It will be shown at St John’s Church on Monday at 6-30pm during the Worsthorne Arts and Crafts Fair.

The film is a nostalgic look back at the local rock ‘n roll bands of the early 60s and is dedicated to Mike, who died in November aged 73.

David Parkinson, lead singer of The Avalons, said: “Mike and I were friends from our school days and although life took each of us in many different directions, we always found time to get together and make music.

“Mike always had the patience to teach me something new on the guitar and we were jamming together just two weeks before his death.”

The Avalon’s highway to rock ‘n roll success proved to be full of pot holes and they skidded off into oblivion in 1966.

Mike then joined several other local groups, including The Up Town Band, and supported many of the top pop stars of the day, including The Who, The Walker Brothers, Duane Eddy, Little Richard, PJ Proby, Elton John and Long John Baldry.

Barrie Sharpley, who helps to organise the craft fair, performed with Mike in The Up Town Band, and played charity gigs as duo, Two Shades of Grey.

He said: “It was always a pleasure to perform with Mike and I will miss him, not least at the fair where he and I would have done a few songs together.”

Mike worked in both the NHS and local government but was also a qualified psychologist and went on to set up his own company, which offered motivational and business support to organisations at home and abroad.