If you grew up in Chinnor, it might be worth scouring through photographs from your schooldays, writes Andrew Ffrench. As Adam Clayton, bassist with the world's biggest rock band U2, celebrates his 40th birthday today, we can reveal his hidden past.

The musician was born in the village, near Thame. Clayton has come a long way from Chinnor, population 6,000.

St Andrew's Primary School in the village's Station Road confirms that Adam Charles Clayton, born March 13, 1960, joined the school in February 1967.

School secretary Moira Hollick says: "We weren't aware that a band member from U2 was once at the school. We'll let the kids know - I'm sure some of them will be quite excited. "He was only with us for a month. The records show that he then left because his family was going to Ireland.''

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Lyn Mumford, chairman of Chinnor Parish Council, says: "I have heard of U2 but I don't know the name Adam Clayton.

"My son Richard is 35 so he would be more in his age range, but I don't think he knew him. Perhaps his family moved away when he was quite young."

In fact, the Clayton family left for Ireland when young Adam's father joined the Aer Lingus airline. His Oxfordshire roots will surprise many fans of the seminal Irish band.

Clayton has been in the U2 line-up since their first album, Boy, in 1980, and acted as the band's manager before the legendary Paul McGuinness was appointed. The group became real rock megastars with the release of the Joshua Tree album in 1987 and demonstrated their international supremacy with another best-seller, Achtung Baby, in 1991.

Although Adam has never married, his profile rose when he dated supermodel Naomi Campbell in 1993.

The couple got engaged but split three months later. The bass guitarist took Irish citizenship in 1989 and has a reputation as the hard-drinking, hard-smoking member of the band.

U2's hit singles include I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, One, With or Without You, New Year's Day and Where the Streets Have No Name.

*Do you remember Adam at school? Maybe you have pictures? Call our Newsdesk on Oxford 425500.

Story date: Monday 13 March

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.