GWENT friends celebrated their milestone birthday by reforming their band over 40 years since they formed it.

Terry Eaton, from Croesyceiliog, and Paul Trew, from Caerleon, were both 65 on April 20.

To mark the occasion, the pair celebrated with a joint party at Caerleon College on April 18, which was attended by nearly 200 family and friends.

Last month also marked 49 years since the two friends played their first gig together with Malpas band The Majority.

The highlight of the birthday party was the reforming of the band.

Drummer Mr Trew and guitarist Mr Eaton first met through mutual friend and bass player, Roger Edwardes, in January 1966 just after the band was formed. They soon found out they were exactly the same age to the day.

They played their first gig in April 1966 in the Stow Park Hotel Newport during a dance organised by the girls from the Coop department store in Newport where Mr Trew's mother worked.

A few line up changes followed. Singer and Harmonica player Adrian Powell from Croesyceiliog joined in June 1966 and the band then won the band competition organised as part of the week long Ideal Homes Exhibition at Shaftesbury Park in the summer of 1966.

Mr Trew said: “We both remember the highlight of that week wasn't us winning but being backstage with the girls in the Miss Newport competition.”

The band then changed its name to Analog immediately after the competition because a Birmingham band had released a single under the name Majority.

Martin Hiscott joined a year or so later and the band played various gigs around Newport and the county until their last appearance at the Ebbw Bridge club in the summer of 1969.

After that Mr Trew carried on with his musical career and is still a drummer on the Newport scene.

Mr Eaton gave up playing in 1970 until the late 80s, but the pair never lost touch and they started playing together again in the mid-90s.

They now look forward to celebrating 50 years of music together in April next year.