Musician behind John Lewis advert song on road from Wem to Wembley

Musician Paul Beard, who lives in Wem, produced and played piano on Lily Allen's version of Somewhere Only We Know.

The song became popular thanks the the £7 million television advert for John Lewis.

Mr Beard, 38, was guest of honour at Adams College in Wem, where he studied 20 years ago. He managed to pass on some tips to a new generation of musicians as well as speak about his role in the number one hit.

In his career Mr Beard has been a member of James Blunt's band and has worked as musical director and keyboard player for Leona Lewis, Westlife, Girls Aloud and Robbie Williams.

He said: "I've played the piano on other songs that have reached number one but Somewhere Only We Know is the first song I have produced that has reached the top spot.

"It feels amazing. It is simultaneously overwhelming and quite abstract as well. I put it together at home in Wem after I recorded the bits I needed in London.

"There are several different versions of it and I did all the editing at home.

"I'm overwhelmingly happy, it's been an incredible year and that song has been the cherry on the cake."

Mr Beard said it was great to go back to the college and see his former teachers including head Lorna Withey who taught him English.

He was also on hand to present scholarship awards and prizes to students who passed their A-levels in the summer.

He said: "I'm quite overwhelmed to be here, to come such a long way from where I grew up and to come back as guest of honour tonight is a real privilege.

"It's a beautiful circle. I left college in 1993 and 20 years later it's amazing to be here tonight.

"I chose deliberately to come back to Wem with my wife and raise my newborn child here because I had an amazing childhood and in part that was due to the teachers at Thomas Adams.

"I had nothing but support and encouragement from all the staff at Adams.

"It's been lovely to see familiar faces and come back with an interesting story. When I studied here I always had big dreams about what I wanted to do and I have been lucky enough to achieve those."

Mr Beard said he hoped his visit would inspire the students who were sitting exactly where he was 20 years ago.

He said: "I have had the time of my life following my heart. It's not an easy path. Any career has its ups and downs and music is the same. It can be a rough business but I have achieved some wonderful things.

"You are all taking your first steps in the wider world and it's not a cliche to say don't stop believing in your dreams and don't stop listening to your heart, you can achieve anything."

He added he was delighted to move back to his hometown.

He said: "I love entertaining people and that ambition started in Wem.

"I have moved back here because I wanted to give my kids a similar upbringing to me.

"I hope I can be inspiring to young people so that they go out and do what they want to do."

As a student, Mr Beard said,performing at Wembley and then coming back to Wem was always his dream.

He said: "When I was growing up on the farm dreaming about what I wanted to do, I wanted to play Wembley Stadium then come back to Wem the next day and walk down the street.

"This summer I did four nights at Wembley with Robbie Williams and then came back and I thought, this is what I dreamt about."

He added: "At college we had a band, The Blue Diamonds, doing Dire Straits covers, that sort of thing. It would be great to reunite the band. That would be cool."

Ms Withey, said: "It was a magic moment when Paul was talking to the students, they were listening so intently, because to see someone come from Wem and succeed like that is inspiring.

"We have rewarded the whole spectrum of students including the straight-A medics and biochemists and those who've worked hard and achieved their potential. I hope we have recognised everybody's potential."

Among the winners was Graham Fullard, now studying accounting at Durham University, who recorded two As and a B after a near-fatal illness prevented him attending college after Easter forcing him to sit his exams under supervision at home.