A POPULAR Black Country Variety show returns to Bromyard's Conquest Theatre for the fourth time tomorrow (Saturday).

The show stars Tommy Mundon, a 68-year-old Halesowen man who has been performing comedy for 40 years.

He explained the popularity of the show: "The Black Country people in Brom-yard are very closely knit.

"In my mother's and grandmother's time, people from the Black Country went over to Bromyard to do hop picking and fruit picking.

"In Halesowen they were renowned for making nails. Most of them had nail shops at the back of their houses, working for themselves. So come September they'd down tools and go off to Bromyard or Tenbury.

"It was a chance for them to earn a lot of money and get some fresh air.

"Therefore the Black Country humour is all about nostalgia. It's what they like in Bromyard."

Treading the Conquest's boards alongside Tommy will be singer Maggie O'Hara and the 81-year-old comedian and journalist Harry Harrison.

Tommy said: "Harry does Black Country poems and jokes - he's sharp as a needle."

Tickets £6/£5 from 01885 488575. The show starts at 8pm.