HE may not be aiming for the heady heights of Tubular Bells but Alcester has its very own Mike Oldfield – and he’s releasing an album full of songs inspired by the town.

Mike who has lived in Alcester for seven years, recorded Streets of Alcester in the town’s own A435 Studios and it features performances from other local musicians; fiddle and whistle player Tom Keeling, composer John Bond-Evans, instrumentalist Pete Butler, and harmonica player and folk singer Vaughn Hully, all of whom will be familiar to anyone who has caught their impromptu performances at the Holly Bush.

Mike said: “It has always been my ambition to record an album and Alcester has provided the perfect inspiration and platform.

“The town has a wealth of musical talent covering all genres and Streets of Alcester is a celebration of that.

“In terms of its appeal, the album crosses all age barriers and features songs that most people will recognise, with our individual styles and accompaniments adding a touch of freshness to the original version.”

The 14-track CD is full of familiar titles like Annie’s Song and Streets of London, and will be sold in selected shops along High Street, as well as being officially launched in a special show at the town hall in November.

And Mike will be packing up his guitar and CDs to ‘tour’ the album, as he travels extensively as part of his job.

He added: “As the album is a non-profit making venture, I’m certainly not going to make my fortune from it.

“I will just be happy if people enjoy the album, which I hope will be the case judging by the amount of interest it seems to be generating in Alcester.”

The Streets of Alcester is available in local shops now.