Cliff Richard in Shropshire: New Zealand superfan talks ahead of Shrewsbury show

Because if Paul Dyer started to add up how much he’s planning to spend on his hero this summer, he’d probably have a panic attack. Or have to sell a kidney. Or need a long, serious chat with his bank manager.

The New Zealander will make a return trip of 36,500km this summer to see Cliff Richard in Shropshire.

He’ll jet out from Auckland to London, before driving to Walcot Hall on June 21 to see his very own pop idol.

Not that Shropshire will be Paul’s only stop-off during a month-long sojourn to the other side of the world. He’ll also head out to see Cliff in Denmark before attending every one of his English gigs in June and July.

“He’s the best,” says Paul, simply. “That’s why I’m doing it.”

Paul is an out-and-out mega fan. In his spare time, he writes to American chat show host Ellen DeGeneres, whom he tries to persuade to interview Cliff. He also runs a radio station, streaming 24/7 content by… you guessed it. This is getting too easy, isn’t it.

He’s met the great man, of course. Two years ago, he made a similar return journey from New Zealand to the UK so that he could meet Sir Cliff at London’s Royal Albert Hall. But the 33-year-old is embarking on his biggest tour to date in June, when he’ll spend a month in Europe watching his hero.

“This is only the second time that I’ve done it,” he says. “The first time was for the 75th birthday in 2015. That was a big party. This one will be an even bigger event though. I can’t wait to see him in the UK and Denmark. Cliff’s just an amazing singer and he always puts on a great show. I just love his music and he’s a really good guy too. I can’t wait to see him live this summer.”

Cliff is heading to Shropshire this summer as he prepares for his Just Fabulous Rock ‘n’ Roll Tour. The UK’s most successful hit maker is visiting castles and historic locations across the country in a series of fully-seated outdoor summer concerts.

He is particularly looking forward to heading to Shropshire’s Walcot Hall on Wednesday June 21.

He said: “It’s great to be getting back on the road. We are all looking forward to a fabulous few weeks of rock ‘n’ roll and I am especially pleased to be heading to historic Walcot Hall.

“I believe this is the first time there has ever been a rock ‘n’ roll concert in the grounds of this beautiful country estate so it’s going to be a lot of fun. The whole tour is going to be really exciting. I am certain I’ll see some familiar faces in the crowd as well as some new fans and I’m looking forward to having a great time.”

Cliff’s 10-date tour follows the recent release of his incredible new album Just…Fabulous Rock ‘n’ Roll.

He returned to his roots to record the album of his favourite songs from the golden era of rock ‘n’ roll. Those include Cliff’s renditions of seminal tracks such as Roll Over Beethoven, Great Balls of Fire, Sweet Little Sixteen and his very own debut single, Move It. The album also features a duet with fellow idol Elvis Presley on Blue Suede Shoes.

Unsurprisingly, Paul thinks the new album is great. And he’s looking forward to hearing tracks this summer.

His Cliff obsession started when he was a boy and the pop star headlined a gig in Auckland. “I was 11 and it was 1995. It was a great show. It was absolutely amazing. Ever since then, I’ve seen him on TV, watched the videos and been to concerts. Over the years, I reckon I must have seen him 15 times. I’ve seen him in New Zealand and the UK.”

Paul’s internet radio station, Cliff Richard Radio, gives him an opportunity to delve deeper into Cliff’s canon of work. He started the station four years ago and has met thousands of other fans from around the world via Facebook – “We’ve become one big family” – with a monthly report revealing 6,000 listeners from 37 countries tuning in.

Two years ago, Paul made his first visit to the UK to enjoy met the star on his 75th anniversary tour, at the Royal Albert Hall. He recalls:“It was the 17th of October and I met him before the show. He was celebrating the second year of Cliff Richard radio. We got to see the rehearsal. I watched him perform for an hour which was amazing. He was very polite and very down to earth. I couldn’t comprehend how friendly he was and how amazing he was. He just put me at ease. It was almost like meeting a friend. The conversation just flowed. “Cliff loved the radio station. He couldn’t believe there was a radio station that plays his songs 24/7. “I told him how I’d started it in 2013 in October. I did it because when I was growing up there wasn’t much Cliff on the radio, other than Living Doll and Summer Holiday. I read that UK stations didn’t play him much and some of the songs were almost banned because he was no longer considered cool enough. “But Cliff has so many albums and so many songs that nobody gets to hear. I wanted to do a radio station that plays nothing but his music. It took me a few months to do. I paid for the licensing and I was away. It’s all not for profit. I just run it out of my own funding.”

Paul’s radio station gets listeners from around the world. The top country is always the UK but has a monthly report and gets fans from 37 countries, with 6,000 listeners tuning in. The station focuses on Cliff, with a few songs by The Shadows and Cilla Black.

Cliff’s new album is his 102nd – and Paul owns the lot. He’s got a vast collection of vinyl and video cassettes as well as autographed memorabilia. His favourite is a signature that Cliff signed when they met at the Royal Albert Hall, which reads: ‘Many thanks for all you’ve done’.

Paul adds: “I think I’m such a fan because he’s really down-to-earth. He is a genuine guy. He puts on amazing concerts and is always good to his fans and puts out great songs. He’s totally iconic. The best. And he’s lasted 59 years, which is incredible.”

Paul, who sells TVs, cds and computers for a living, is saving hard to have the trip of a lifetime this summer. “It’s going to be a great mix and it’s all outdoors. I can’t wait to see a different side of England that I’m not used to seeing. It’ll be great to see all the parks and the historic houses.

“I leave New Zealand on June 5, my 33rd birthday will be in London on June 9, then I’ll go to Denmark for his shows before doing the English tour. If I’m lucky, I’ll get to meet him again when I’m on the road.”

It sounds like the best Summer Holiday of all time.