Sting reveals how he enjoys coming back to the North East

Oct 19 2009 by Kim Carmichael, The Journal

“We went to the Quayside market,” he said. “My dad used to take us there on Sunday mornings after church.

“It was a big treat to go there, buy something small and see the ships docked.

“I bought a second-hand book, The History of Newcastle United.”

Sting also revealed in a national newspaper interview that his favourite North East landmark is Tynemouth Priory.

“I lost my virginity there. It’s a place famous for lovers’ trysts,” he said.

The visit also saw Sting meet up with keyboard player Gerry Richardson, a former flatmate who played with him in Last Exit, the band he was in before The Police.

Gerry, a professional musician who also teaches at Newcastle College, said: “We’ve been in touch throughout the years. He gets me out of my box whenever he needs me.

“We used to play some folk songs in the Last Exit sets, and some of the songs we did as Last Exit got reworked as Police songs.

“He was prolific then, and I don’t think he’s changed radically in his music either.”