Eighties pop star reveals which Shropshire border location is his perfect escape

A tiny village on the Powys/Shropshire border may seem a strange choice of home for the lead singer of the 80s group The Christians.

But Garry Christian says Llanrhaeadr Ym Mochnant is just the escape he needs from his busy life in the music world.

"I'm someone who sometimes has to say 'I'm off, tarra' and disappear for a bit. And this is a perfect place to come," he said.

"I love this part of the world, Shropshire and the Welsh border, it's really special."

He and the current line up of The Christians are about to embark on a busy year.

They are touring with Belinda Carlisle, starting in Birmingham on Friday, and later in the year with Level 42 starting in Wolverhampton on October 8.

Between the tours The Christians own gigs include Shrewsbury's Theatre Severn on April 20.

Garry's life today is a world away from the Liverpool he grew up in, where inequality in many forms led to deprivation and eventually to the Toxteth Riots.

The Christians' music reflected on that society - described by the band itself as socially aware soul.

"It was the time of Boys from the Blackstuff, when Margaret Thatcher came to power," he said.

"If you were black, it was impossible to find a job in Liverpool. Toxteth was like a powder keg bubbling away, police would raid the pubs for seemingly no reason and it had to blow up sometime, which it did."

"The lyrics of our songs struck a chord and it was great to make them our own."

The1987 double-platinum debut album, "The Christians", entered the album chart at number two and featured the Top 30 singles "Forgotten Town", "Hooverville, "Ideal World" and "Born Again".

A cover of the Isley Brothers' "Harvest for the World", saw all proceeds going to British Third-World charities. They also performed with other Liverpool artists Paul McCartney, Holly Johnson and Gerry Marsden on a version of "Ferry Cross The Mersey", released in aid of those affected by the Hillsborough football disaster, which stayed at number one for three weeks.

The name came from the three brothers in the band, Garry, Russell and Roger Christian and was also, coincidentally, their songwriter/guitarist/keyboards player Henry Priestman's middle name.

In the mid 90s Garry moved to Paris to produce a solo album and also became known at The Midnight Cowboy for his late night show for a French radio station.

But after five years he retured, The Christians reforming and touring at the end of the decade.

Today's line up is completely different with Joey Ankrah, Lead Guitarist/Vocals, Neil Griffiths Acoustic Guitar/Vocals, Mike Triggs, Keyboards, Bobby Kewley Bass Guitar/Vocals and Lionel Duke and Craig Connet, drums/percussion.

And is today's world any different from those depressing times of the 80s?

"There is a long way to go but we are going in the right direction," Garry said.

"The current generation look at life, at colour, gender, religion, with very different eyes."

Despite having his Llanrhaeadr home for a couple of years and enjoying the countryside with partner Emma and Spaniel Bertie, who sadly passed away a couple of weeks ago, this week was the first time Garry had been up to its most famous landmark, Pistyll Rhaeadr.

"It is truly magnificent and I will certainly be exploring it more."