THE MODS went on the march again when a live performance of rock opera Quadrophenia by The Who sparked a wave of 60s nostalgia in Manchester last night.

Hundreds of fans turned up to the city's Nynex Arena in traditional garb of badge-covered green Parka coats complete with fur trimmed hoods. One contingent went a stage further and arrived in real style, riding motor scooters — the ultimate form of transport for any self-respecting mod.

They met up first at Manchester's oldest motor cycle dealers, Horner's on Ayres Road, Old Trafford, then travelled in convoy, headlights blazing, to the concert. Some, like 27-year old housing officer Emma Edwards, still live in the era they regard as simply the best.

Emma, from Levenshulme, rides a lilac-coloured Vespa scooter, sports a Mary Quant hairstyle and has a flat completely kitted out 60's-style, even down to the cooker and Dansette record player.

She said: "I love the Mod era. Everything was so cool, the people, the music, the culture — and there was a mood of optimism then which has gone now. People had more get up and go."

Brothers John and Robert Horner whose Old Trafford dealership dates back to 1926 were delighted at the gathering of the mods.

"It's just like old times," said John, 59, who admits that, for many of his customers, the old times never went away.