THE Beatles split up 30 years ago. Well, we're pretty sure they did. After all, it says so in all the books.

But you could be forgiven for thinking otherwise. Most groups that gave up the ghost that long ago would be either completely forgotten or little more than a misty, water-coloured memory - which ever way you look at it, a thing of the past.

But not The Beatles. For a group that ceased production longer ago than most of you have been alive, they are still surprisingly vital.

Their latest CD, 1, a collection of their chart-topping hits, is currently dominating the British album charts, while there are more Beatles tribute acts doing the rounds than you can shake a mop-top wig at.

One of the best, The Silver Beatles, will be providing some top-rated festive entertainment at The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth on Christmas Eve.

The group, which is based in Portsmouth, certainly offers value for money. Unlike some tribute acts, whose laughable take-offs seem to be designed to insult rather than flatter, the original The Silver Beatles are painstaking in their recreation of the real Fab Four.

As well as the wigs and costumes - the standard kit of any lookalike group - The Silver Beatles employ stage backdrops and original 1960s music equipment (including Vox amplifiers and period guitars) to offer an authentic evocation of the mop-tops and the mania they inspired.

They have earned widespread praise for their act (which, we are told, encompasses at least six significant eras of The Beatles).

Cynthia Lennon was so impressed she gushed: "They look alike, sound alike and even think alike - it's uncanny!"

The Silver Beatles are at The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth, on Christmas Eve. Tickets cost £6. For more information, call the box office on 023 9286 3911.

ANDREW WHITE

The Silver Beatles, Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth, Christmas Eve