PAUL Heaton and Jacqui Abbott have announced they will be appearing on stage as part of Forest Live at Westonbirt Arboretum next summer.

With special guest Billy Bragg they will be at the arboretum concert organised by the Forestry Commission on Friday, June 15, 2018.

Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott’s latest album Crooked Calypso charted at no 2 making it their highest release as a duo to date following on from two further top five albums in 2014s What Have We Become and Wisdom, Laughter and Lines released in 2015.

Paul Heaton, one of the UK’s most successful songwriters with some 10 million album sales under his belt, first came to public attention in the early 80s as front man of Hull-based indie poppers The Housemartins best known for their third single Happy Hour and their No 1 acapella Isley Bros cover Caravan of Love.

In 1988 Heaton formed The Beautiful South, who released 10 hugely successful albums. Jacqui Abbott was lead vocalist in The Beautiful South from 1994 to 2000 and she sang many of their signature hits including Rotterdam, Perfect 10, Don’t Marry Her and Dream A Little Dream.

The Forest Live gigs will see them play material from their albums as a duo and songs from The Beautiful South and the Housemartins.

Tickets costing £33.50 (plus £3.85 booking fee) will be available from 9am from the Forestry Commission box office on 03000 680400, or online at www.forestry.gov.uk/music