A former Hockley man has been performing alongside Kylie Minogue in a show for United Nations troops and the people of East Timor.

Paul Calvert, a one time student at the Hockley Infants and Greensward schools was playing guitar with the Dilli All Stars group.

Mr Calvert is now an Australian citizen working and living in Melbourne with his wife Liz and children Rory and Frances.

His father Pete Calvert, who now lives in Sussex, said he still sees his son on a regular basis despite living the other side of the world.

He said: "We have been to see him every year for the last six years - it is really nice to see him and his wife and his two children.

"We moved around England when he was young, and then one day he decided to take off around the world. He stopped when he got to Australia and I don't blame him. It's a beautiful country but they live totally different to how we live in the UK.

"He was always musical and before he went on world walkabout, he was always into the guitar. I am very proud of him."

Paul Calvert plays guitar with The Dilli All Stars a group which grew out of the Painters and Dockers group, whose lead singer, Paul Stewart, had a brother killed during the troubles in East Timor more than 20 years ago.

The first public performance of the group took place on the back of a truck at the Melbourne carnival this year.

They were invited to perform their song Liberdarde live on local TV and then made a recording of the song supported by prominent Australian vocalists including Kylie Minogue.

Shortly after the Melbourne Carnival, the group performed in the company of Xanana Gusmao (CORR), President Elect of the newly freed East Timor, and were invited to fly to East Timor to participate in the show on December 21.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.