Richard Ashcroft a limited number of appearances in 2003, Ashcroft was absent from the music business for about two years. He later explained this in 2006, stating that "[e]veryone got it into their heads over the last few years that I was in my ivory tower like Lennon, baking bread all day. The fact of the matter was that I was bringing up kids". Ashcroft began playing gigs again in mid-2005, and, on 2 July at the Live 8 concert in Hyde Park, Coldplay invited him to perform with them during their set. They performed The Verve's hit "Bitter Sweet Symphony", after
University Technical College Wigan University Technical College Wigan University Technical College Wigan (or Wigan UTC) is a university technical college (UTC) sixth form that opened in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England in September 2013. Wigan UTC specialises in process engineering and environmental technologies, and is located in the historic O & C Rushton Warehouse building in Wigan town centre. Sponsors of the UTC include the University of Central Lancashire and Wigan & Leigh College. Wigan UTC had an initial intake of students aged 14 and 16 (academic years 10 and 12) in 2013, however from 2015 the college stopped enrolling under 16's and now only