Wednesday 9 February 2022 marks the 50th birthday of the historic visit of Paul McCartney’s band Wings, which was completely unplanned, unannounced and unexpected. Wings would go on to release their acclaimed album “Band On The Run” in the following year. 

In an interview with The Times McCartney said: “To give you a taste of what it was like, we would look at a map and say, ‘Ashby-de-la-Zouch. we like the sound of that. So, we drove there, and no offence to the people of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, but it didn’t seem like much more than a signpost.

“Then we discovered that [the University of Nottingham] was nearby so we showed up there. Our roadie went up to the bar and said, ‘I’ve got Paul McCartney in the car park, wondering if he can do a gig’. The guy said ‘pull the other one’ before being convinced to come out to the car park. I’d be there waving out of an old van.”

The band got the University community to come together and listen, for a good night all round, before having to get back in their van and jet home. It wasn’t just another day but a special day in the life for UoN students who, with a little luck, got to hear the legendary performers again and again and again. It marked a great start for a band that just kept getting better and we’re very proud to have let ‘em in for a roaring reception.

There could be as many as nineteen hundred and eighty five Paul McCartney puns in this article, think you’ve spotted them all? Let us know on @UoNStudentLife.