A much-loved charity concert party took its final bow last night at the seaside theatre where their jolly journey began 25 years earlier.The Press Gang has taken its dialect-soaked mix of comedy, song, poetry and prose to countless village halls, raising valuable funds for each venue.

A much-loved charity concert party took its final bow at the seaside theatre where their jolly journey began 25 years earlier.

The Press Gang has taken its dialect-soaked mix of comedy, song, poetry and prose to countless village halls, raising valuable funds for each venue.

But it has also swollen the coffers of the EDP We Care appeal by more than £20,000 over the past decade.

Sunday saw the curtain come down on another medley of “melody, mardling and mayhem” in two sell-out shows at Cromer Pier, where gang leader Keith Skipper held his first night of Norfolk “squit” a quarter of a century ago.

He said: “It is strange to say goodbye to something which has given us so much pleasure, and created so many friendships.

“The farewell is a big family reunion - among the cast and audience. But it is good to call it a day when we are still popular, rather than fading away.”

We Care founder and chairman Paddy Seligman said the Press Gang were a “phenomenal group of people” who had given tremendous support to the charity, which helps Norfolk's unsung army of carers with grants for equipment and respite breaks. And it had provided her with some fun nights when she joined them at concerts.

“It is good old fashioned entertainment, which many people prefer to television these days,” she added.

Filming of the Press Gang was also completed at yesterday's finale, for a DVD to be released soon, with some of the proceeds also going to We Care.