There were plenty of magical moments as Harry Styles made his huge homecoming at the Emirates Old Trafford cricket ground on Wednesday night. Not least when he halted the show in front of 74,000 fans to find his first ever school teacher in the crowds.
Pop superstar Harry had repeatedly told the crowds how special it was to be playing his "home show" just around the corner from where he grew up in Holmes Chapel in Cheshire. And part way through the show he had fans cheering as he halted the music to try and locate his "first ever school teacher Mrs Vernon" who he had heard was in the crowd that night.
After a frantic search of the stadium, Harry said he'd spotted Mrs Vernon, with images beamed onto the big screens. Harry then waxed lyrical about the impact she had had on him in his "formative years".
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Cheshire-raised Harry attended Hermitage Primary School in Holmes Chapel, before heading to the village's Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School as a teenager and it appears a number of his teachers were in the crowd. Harry asked Mrs Vernon from the stage: “How are you? I heard you’re retiring," as images of his school teachers were beamed on the big screens.
In a touching moment he then said. “I just want to thank you for everything in those formative years. Thank you so much.
"It means a lot to me that’s you’re here tonight, you were truly wonderful teachers. Thank you from the bottom of my heart and it means a lot that you’re here and I’m dedicating this next song to you.”
He led the crowd in a huge cheer for Mrs Vernon. But before launching into Canyon Moon, he couldn't help but quip to the audience: “Can you imagine dealing with me when I was 4?" to huge laughter.
He swiftly added: "I was very fun.”
Canyon Moon was indeed a fitting tune to dedicate to Mrs Vernon as it refers to happy times in school days. It contains the lyrics "I'm going, oh, I'm going home."
The special moment came as part of a hugely emotional homecoming show for Harry and for his fans. He said: “This is an absolute pleasure to be here at my home show, I cannot begin to tell you how much it means to me to play here tonight and all of you for coming.”
He told the crowds that his family and friends from his home town were all in the crowds. He added: “Some of the happiest times of my entire life have been making these last couple of albums, and some of the happiest times of my life have been right around the corner from here. So it feels pretty perfect to me playing these songs to you here tonight.”
Harry, wearing a blue and red top with a sequin-festooned red cherry badge, played a blistering hour-and-a-half set under blue skies at the Emirates Old Trafford Stadium to a sold out, capacity 74,000 strong crowd. He will return again for a second night on Thursday, with the weather set to be even warmer for night two.
Fans headed out in their most glamorous attire for the show, many donning the now signature brightly coloured feather boa for the gig, as Harry himself customarily does at the end of the show. He played a host of his fan favourites and biggest hits including Golden, Matilda, As it Was, Sign of the Times, Watermelon Sugar and Kiwi.
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