Chas and Dave have been performing together for more than 40 years but, rather more impressively, they have maintained a genuine friendship off stage since 1972.

When I ask pianist Chas Hodges what the secret is behind such a great bond with guitarist Dave Peacock, 70, I’m a little surprised by his response.

The 72-year-old says: ”I have an allotment so I can grow all my own vegetables and Dave came down yesterday, bringing a tray full of horse manure, which was nice of him. I love horse manure, so I shovelled it on and then we had a cup of tea. It is the little things that have kept us good mates.

“I’ve just got a new greenhouse which I’m really pleased about and I’m looking forward to growing a greenhouse full of tomatoes this year.

“The fresh air is great after you have done a bit of song writing, as it gives you a chance to clear the cobwebs and do a little bit of weeding instead.”

The band, renowned for its cockney sound, is performing at the Watford Colosseum next Saturday.

Chas grew up in north London and fondly remembers his passion for being on the stage.

He says: “I’m very happy to be coming back. I have lots of happy memories from the area when I was younger, including going fishing at Pickett's Lock.

“If people missed out this time, I can guarantee we will be back at the Millfield soon - we should have booked two nights!”

He fondly remembers his passion for being on the stage beginning in his home town.

Chas says: “My very first gig was in a pub Edmonton when I was 13 and part of a skiffle band, which mixes jazz and folk with homemade instruments.

“I remember doing that gig and doing a lot of Lonnie Donovan songs, as he was a big skiffle artist and someone came along and gave me a pound note. They told me it was for the show and from there, I thought this was the life for me.”

Chas started in the music industry in earnest in 1958 when he backed American musician Jerry Lee Lewis in a band called the Outlaws as a teenager.

He says: “I knew straight away that I wanted to play like him. That’s how I started, by singing his songs and playing piano like him.

“I started touring America with the band and found myself singing in an American accent. I felt like a fraud and I wanted to be myself, so when I came back, I rang up Dave, who I had been friends with for at least ten years and suggested me and him getting together.

“I told him I had ideas about writing songs about things I know and singing in my own accent and he was up for it and that was the start of our band.”

Chas first met Dave, who grew up in Ponders End, in 1963 and they developed a strong bond almost instantly.

He remembers: “An old mate picked me up one night after I had been performing. He was in a band too and his bass player was Dave and it all went from there. We didn’t think of getting together initially because we were both bass players in our respective bands but when we did get together, I gave up the bass as I was getting more into the piano.

“Our family became friends and are still friends, so everything just fell into place and has worked well over the years. My wife is friends with his sister and she was best friends with Dave’s wife who sadly died in 2008.”

It is not just their friendship that has stood the test of time but also their unique “rockney” sound, which has remained popular for decades.

Their most famous hits include Rabbit, Ain’t No Pleasing You, Down to Margate and Gertcha and all incorporate a distinctive cockney tone, keeping them close to their London roots even after so many years. Their debut album One Fing 'n' Anuvver released in 1975 also included the track Ponders End Allotments Club, which may be where Chas first encountered the green-fingered lifestyle.

Chas reckons the reason people keep coming to see their shows is due to the pair regularly updating their tunes.

“When people come to see us, not only will the see us do our hits, they will also hear things they have never heard before. We always put something a little bit new in to keep the life going and get people to keep coming back time and time again.”

The lifelong Spurs fan admits he will never stop performing.

He says: “My whole life, even while I was at school, has only been about playing music. If I don’t do a gig at least once a week, I feel like there is something missing. It is my life - along with my allotment.”

Watford Colosseum, Rickmansworth Road, Watford, WD17 3JN, Saturday, September 10, 7.30pm. Details: 01923 571102, watfordcolosseum.co.uk