Just a few weeks after a special guest appearance with his old mate Jools Holland, Chris Difford returns to Carlisle this weekend for another special show.

He will be supporting pop superstars Madness at their rearranged gig at The Sands Centre on Sunday.

The ska legends return to the city after playing Kendal Calling in 2016 and performing at Carlisle Racecourse in 2015.

The band have seen 15 of their singles reach the top 10 in the UK charts, including greatest hits including Our House, It Must Be Love and their only No.1 single, House of Fun.

After playing at the park this weekend, Difford will be off to the US for a Squeeze tour, before returning to play a series of his own UK dates later in the year which will include a return visit to Carlisle.

Difford has postponed his solo gig in Carlisle to go to the US. He will perform in December alongside fellow singer-songwriter Boo Hewerdine.

He said: “We recorded an album called Fancy Pants three years ago but haven’t found the time to tour it yet.

“We’ll be playing some songs from it, but there will be loads of Squeeze songs as well and lots of storytelling and a Q&A.

“I do enjoy the storytelling very much. People enjoy the attention to detail you can get into. They want to know where the songs are coming from.”

Along with Glenn Tilbrook, Difford was one half of the songwriting team that provided a string of hits for Squeeze in the Eighties - timeless classics such as Take Me I’m Yours, Cool For Cats, Up The Junction, Another Nail In My Heart and Hourglass, as well as hit albums such as Argybargy, East Side Story and Some Fantastic Place.

n Chris Difford and Madness play The Sands Centre, Carlisle, on Sunday. Tickets from www.ticketline.co.uk.