Sting: How a frozen pea factory in Leeds helped kick-start my career


During an intimate appearance at the City Varieties Music Hall today for the launch of his musical The Last Ship, which will open at sister venue Leeds Grand Theatre in April, the frontman of The Police revealed that he worked in the city during the 1970s to save up for a guitar.
He said: “When I was a student I worked one summer in Hunslet in a frozen pea factory. I worked seven days a week, 12-hour shifts, to save up for a guitar – the rest is history. So thanks, Leeds.”
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Hide AdThis story wasn’t the only one of his indicating a return to humble roots, as his childhood memories of shipbuilding – and its decline – in his native Tyne and Wear, inspired the musical.

