The days when he rubbed shoulders with the likes of Eric Clapton, The Moody Blues and Noel Redding seem like an age away for Pembroke rock guitarist Jack Castle.

But the critically acclaimed songwriter and guitarist, whose only album with seventies band Mirkwood remains one of the rarest of all time with a collector’s value of more than £600, still believes the best is yet to come.

“It takes a lot of hard work but I’m playing better than ever before, and I’m probably more proud of my new album than I am of my Phd,” said Jack, who moved to Pembroke two years ago and has been honing his complex guitar acrobatics since.

“At the moment I am working on two things — resurrecting some of the songs I wrote for the original Mirkwood album that were never recorded, and putting a band together again.”

Originally from Kent, Jack and fellow guitarist Mick Morris united in their desire to pursue progressive rock and formed Mirkwood, which made its first and last recording at Jack’s house in 1973, on a Revox reel-to-reel tape recorder.

Only 99 copies of the album were pressed and the majority were snatched up by family, friends and local followers.

Soon after, the group disbanded, but the popularity of the record rocketed. Thirty-five years later, companies are producing more copies and the album has been made into a CD.

A review of the Mirkwood album by Classic Rock Society this summer read: “This fine piece of work features a band that could have gone on to great things had they turned professional.”

However, after completing his Phd, Jack became a lecturer in Bristol Business School and it was some years before he fully immersed himself in music once again.

“I find Pembrokeshire very inspiring,” he added.

“I’ll wake up every morning, have a cup of tea and there will be a song in my head.”

Jack’s new album, The Line, features guitar trickery that would drive rock fans wild, as well as some acoustic love songs, sung for his wife, Jane.