Two former Workington Grammar School pupils who have gone on to have international success will be back in town to meet their former schoolmates today.

Alan Tarney, 70, formerly of Northside, wrote and arranged Cliff Richard's biggest number one hit We Don't Talk Anymore and Brian Kane, 70, formerly of Grey Street, is the inventor of the Mr Muscle cleaning products.

Mr Tarney was a pupil of the school for only a year, as he moved to Australia with his family in 1958.

His interest for music started overseas but he moved to London in 1969.

Mr Tarney said: "It was very difficult at first but then with my band The Quartet we started getting recording session work.

"We recorded for Cliff Richard and the Shadows.

"I then came into contact with artists and producers, I tried to write songs and it was easy to play ideas to them.

"I'd say that my biggest achievement was writing We Don't Talk Anymore for Cliff Richard. 

"It's his biggest single, it's quite an extraordinary thing. I then went on to have a career as a producer, working with bands such as A-ha, Pulp and David Cassidy.

"What a privilege to be in a studio with those artists."

Now semi-retired, Mr Tarney is married to Adele and has two children, Oliver, who works in the film industry, and Mia, who is an artist.

Mr Tarney will be joining his former schoolmates for Workington Grammar School's reunion of the 1957 intake at the Helena Thompson Museum.

He said: "I'm absolutely looking forward to it. I only knew people for one year but it will be interesting and unusual. I'm sure everybody will have a story to tell."

Dr Kane left Workington to study chemistry at Birmingham University and started his career working in Thailand, South East Asia and New York.

He moved to London in the 1980s and where he created the brand Mr Muscle.

Dr Kane said: "I was trying to get more products in the supermarkets when I thought they were going to be dominating retailing instead of little corner shops. It was successful straight away, it took off really well.

"I think young people today have got to be prepared to move and take risks. When I moved from Workington it was very daunting, but I felt I had to do that."

Dr Kane, who lives near London, then became president of the company Herbalife. 

Now retired, he owns the Wycombe Wanderers football club, and supports wildlife charities.

Dr Kane met his wife of 46 years Sandra at university.

They have three children and two granddaughters.

He said: "I'm absolutely looking forward to seeing people I haven't seen in 50 or 60 years. 

"It makes me laugh to think that I left them wearing grey trousers to go to school and now I'll see them as pensioners."

Gordon McCullough, of Harrington, is part of the committee that organised the reunion.

He said: "We've been spending 18 months organising this event and it will be nice to see our work come to fruition."

Memorabilia from the school will be on display at the museum for the weekend.