LEGENDARY Welsh crooner Sir Tom Jones closed the show at Westonbirt Arboretum on Sunday after four days of concerts.

A sell out for months, the huge crowd had hoped for a perfect summer’s evening but was instead subjected to a deluge of unforgiving showers and were sodden way before Sir Tom even took to the stage.

Despite the downpours, the audience of mixed ages were up for a party with the sultry Sex Bomb singer and came sporting knickers to throw at the stage and ready to dance for the near-on two-hour set.

Grieving Sir Tom, whose wife of 59 years died only in April, did bring out the hits performing his most popular songs from his 50-year career including Green, Green Grass of Home, Kiss and It’s Not Unusual. But it was an overwhelmingly downbeat performance featuring some of his new material and his late wife Melinda’s favourite songs.

The compassionate crowd understood and when Tom introduced Take My Love (I Want To Give It) from the album Long Lost Suitcase and revealed it was one of hife wife's favourites, the audience was touched and broke into a spontaneous round of applause.

A number of the songs were unknown to many but revellers sang and clapped away regardless.

There was a notable absence of What’s New Pussycat, which everyone thought would come as an encore, with the show ending rather unexpectedly.

It was a brave performance so soon after such a loss and perhaps not comparable to his larger than life shows at the Glastonbury Festival or in Las Vegas but was welcomed nonetheless by many desperate to hear those unmistakable superstar vocals.