Memories of a Live Aid lie revealed by U2's Bono

Forty years on from the historic Live Aid concert and the memories of that remarkable day live on in a fortunate few who got their hands on a golden ticket.

The landmark concert, which took place on 13 July 1985, was watched by approximately two billion people in more than 100 countries.

Now a lecturer at the University of Brighton, Elaine Hills was a sixth form student when she promised her mother she wouldn't be going to Live Aid.

However, she was soon caught out in a lie as she and her sister were pulled up on stage by U2 lead singer Bono. "It was such a surreal thing to be happening," remembers Elaine, 56.

"Bono just came to the front, he was pointing down and it just felt like he was pointing at one of us but we didn't know," she said.

"We were escorted round, up the ladder and onto the stage and we were looking out and wow, 72,000 people plus the other 1.9 billion across the world.

"He hugged me and kissed me and did the same to my sister and there was a big roar from the crowd."

Fortunately, her mother was forgiving.

Elaine said: "My mum said, 'you promised you wouldn't go', and we thought that was going to be a launch into her saying she could never trust us again but she was quite subdued about it."

For a while she became something of a local celebrity.

"We felt like we were somebodies for a few weeks," Elaine added.

It was a remarkable moment in an extraordinary day, one she says she will never forget.

"People are always very shocked when I tell them," she said.

"I told my colleagues again recently and when I told them what Bono did a couple of the younger ones asked: 'Who?'

"The rest of them were: 'What? That was you? Seriously?'.

"It's a bit of a funny one having something that follows you your whole life."

Sue, 61, from Chichester, West Sussex, was another one of a select few to secure a ticket for Live Aid.

She said: "I phoned up one of my friends and said to her, 'this concert looks like it might be quite good, do you fancy it?'.

"I had no idea it was going to be one of the most amazing days of my life."

Aged 21 at the time, Sue paid the £25 asking price for what was the hottest ticket in town.

She has kept it to this day in a scrapbook of memorabilia.

Arriving early, Sue recalls waiting patiently in the hot summer sun for the first act, Status Quo, to hit the stage.

She said: "The place erupted, it absolutely erupted...it was incredible. People were bouncing around and it was like arrghhhh!

"I just felt at the time I was part of something big."

Queen, whose performance provided some of the most iconic images of the day, was a highlight.

"I wasn't a particular fan before but Freddie Mercury was incredible," Sue said.

"He just had everyone in the palm of his hands.

"I remember having shivers up my spine all day standing up and thinking, 'oh my God, this is incredible'."

A picture of an exhausted Sue, sat post-concert among the detritus left on the Wembley turf, captures the moment perfectly.

She said: "We thought we'd just let everyone file out so we decided to hang back and let the crowds disperse.

"I could not believe the mess but I didn't care, I just sat there. Looking back on it now I just feel privileged to have been there."

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