Forget Wembley and stadiums, Widnes holds a cheeky early chapter in Freddie Mercury’s meteoric story. In 1969, Freddie (then known as Farrokh Bulsara) travelled with local band Ibex, led by Widnes guitarist Mike Bersin, performing here at Wade Deacon Grammar School and homespun gigs around the town. One ex-classmate still recalls watching a young Freddie strut across that school stage, microphone in hand and style not yet seen before in our little town.

That same year, Ibex performed at the then Wade Deacon’s girls’ school hall and the nearby Coach House, small venues that could never have predicted this future frontman’s global fame.

Wisps of green dye still swirl around the legend, telling of how Wade Deacon unwittingly gifted Freddie Mercury an iconic stage prop. One minute he’s the shy piano boy from Panchgani, the next he’s twirling a bare mic like he owns the place. And for a brief moment, he did right here in this Widnes school hall.

Freddie’s time in Widnes left its mark. Those early gigs helped shape the swagger that would later define Queen, giving him space to experiment and command a stage. And then there’s the story locals love to tell, the broken mic stand at Wade Deacon. What could have been a disaster turned into pure magic: Freddie kept singing, twirling the top half like a prop. That improvised move became iconic, a signature stance that followed him from school halls to stadiums. It’s a twist of fate Widnes can proudly claim as part of rock ’n’ roll mythology.

Widnes may not host museum plaques or grand statues of Freddie Mercury but if you ask locals, one broken mic stand and a handful of school gig stories were enough to spark a legend. And legends are champions, my friend.