These music fans came from all over Shropshire to see their favourite 80s acts at Shrewsbury Quarry's Back to the 80s concert last weekend. But Rich Tauchar - see inset picture - travelled a little bit further than most: he came from California

An American music fan made an exhausting 10,000-mile round trip to attend Shrewsbury Quarry’s Back to the 80s concert – and all because of Shropshire’s Carol Decker.

Rich in the audience

Richard Tauchar was listening to a 1980s music compilation at home in California and heard T’Pau’s China in Your Hand for the first time in years. Impressed, he went on to the internet to see what Carol was up to these days.

“I saw a link to the Back to the 80s series and realised this sort of thing had been going on for a while and I’d been missing out all this time,” he said, from his home in Folsom, east of San Francisco.

And so Mr Tauchar, 48, decided it was time to cash in his spare Air Miles and “visit my 80s self”.

• See also: Concert was too quiet

He said: “I left my home early Friday morning local time (Friday afternoon in UK), then flew from San Francisco via Dallas to London-Heathrow, arriving on Saturday morning.

“After strolling along Portobello Road on market day, I hopped on the train at Marylebone Station for the three-hour journey to Shrewsbury.

“I had arranged lodgings in Trevellion House via the internet, so I walked there and checked in.

“Then I set out for the concert.”

Carol on stage in the Quarry

Mr Tauchar managed to find a spot near the front but, like many people who attended, he said the music simply wasn’t loud enough.

“The rain couldn’t have been timed any worse,” he added, “but in retrospect I think it only adds to my concert memory – dancing in the rain with strangers in a strange land. It was totally cool!

“I especially wanted to see acts from the 80s on their English home turf and somehow Shrewsbury seemed ideal. I do not regret my decision, and definitely had an experience I will always treasure.”

The next day, he had time for a quick look around Shrewsbury before returning home.

“On Sunday I attended church and was invited to lunch by some hospitable church members.

“Then I hopped back on the train, this time to Birmingham Airport.

“I flew with RyanAir to Dublin on Sunday evening, followed by yet another short night of sleep, then got up at the crack of dawn to fly from Dublin to Heathrow, then Heathrow via Dallas to San Francisco, upon which I immediately drove to meet up with my wife and daughter at – of all things – a Coldplay concert on Monday night.”

Rich back home in California this week. He is holding a T'Pau CD

After the show the Tauchars travelled three-and-a-half hours to sleep at his mother’s house, and then the family drove home to Folsom, where the IT specialist went straight to work.

Mr Tauchar said that he will always have fond memories of his exhausting weekend visit to Shropshire.

“I enjoyed the show, but the thing I’ll keep with me most is the memory of friendliness and camaraderie, whether or not alcohol-inspired, of the boys and girls of Shrewsbury and the surrounding area, who made me feel very welcome.”

He added: “And you can let Carol know that my wife, who was a Lufthansa stewardess in the late 80s and early 90s, met her on a flight when China in Your Hand was in the charts. She thought that Carol was an extremely nice person.”

“In fact, it was that story that contributed to my investigating her on the website, which led me to attending the concert.  And that’s entirely true.”

Carol Decker told the Shropshire Star that she was “very flattered”.

“I just want to say I’m incredibly grateful and I just hope I was worth the effort.

“I hope he enjoyed the concert and everyone else on the bill as well”

By Andrew Owen