Pictures: Ed Sheeran visit surprises Harper Adams students

Posted 9 October 2015

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The biggest selling UK music artist of 2014 made himself at home in the Harper Adams student bar this week - after dropping in as a surprise guest on the Scott Mills Student Tour. 

Ed Sheeran and his friend and upcoming star Jamie Lawson made a dedicated trip to Shropshire on Wednesday thanks to BBC Radio 1. The university had known for weeks that it would be hosting the live radio show, hosted by Scott Mills and fellow DJ Chris Stark, and had been working hard to make sure the show was a success, but the visit by the music star came as a complete surprise to everyone on campus. 

One of the biggest shocks was for student Rosco Higgins, who had been preparing to sell Scott Mills in fake "livestock" auction but was presented with Ed Sheeran in the pen at a few minutes' notice. The gavel used by Rosco during the auction has been signed by Ed and will be sold in aid of charity by the students' RAG (Raise and Give) committee. 

Student Lizzie Spray managed to get Scott and Ed to visit netball training. She said: “I was in the sports hall training with some of the netball club when we heard screaming from outside so we ran out to see what was going on… We saw Ed and Scott at the back of the bar!

“I was calling Scott's name, trying to get his attention, when he saw me I asked if he wanted to come and say hi to the netball girls, and he said ‘yeah sure!’  So we took them both into the sports hall and had a pic with them. And Ed had a go at netball!

“We were all very highly  giddy and star struck and can't quite believe it happened. It was so casual, and then they left and we were all just laughing! It was great how they were just so chilled and wanted to come see us and say hello. It was amazing to have Radio 1 at Harper Adamslet alone Ed Sheeran!” 

The show also brought a new meaning to "parlour games" by hosting a dating show Pull the Udder One in the university farm's rotary dairy parlour - something Scott described as "surreal". Watch student Charlotte Lawson choose to "date or rotate" here.  

A package of highlights from Ed Sheeran's appearances in the show, including the moment he surprised the students and the auction, can be seen here. 

Listen again to the whole show from Wednesday.