Bernard Manning

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Bernard Manning : biography

13 August 1930 – 18 June 2007

Bernard John Manning (13 August 1930 – 18 June 2007) was an English comedian and nightclub owner. He was born and brought up in Manchester in North West England.

Manning told irreverent jokes about people from all walks of life, but his act was best known for material involving ethnic stereotypes and minority groups. This led to frequent criticism that his act was racist, which he always discounted, saying: "I tell jokes. You never take a joke seriously." Manning became famous on British television during the 1970s, appearing on shows including The Comedians and The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club. The controversy surrounding his act meant that Manning was rarely seen on television in the later part of his career, but he continued to perform in theatres and pubs until his death.

Professional career

On returning to Britain, Manning continued to sing professionally, and also worked as a compere. He was an effective singer of popular ballads and fronted many big bands in the 1950s, such as the Oscar Rabin Band. Over the years, Manning began to introduce humour into his compering. This went down well, and Manning slowly moved from being a singer/compere to a comedian. After much work in comedy clubs and northern working men’s clubs in the 1950s and 1960s, Manning made his television debut in 1971 on the Granada comedy show The Comedians. He compèred The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club, which began in 1974.

During the 1980s, Manning fell out of favour with television companies, but his appearances on the Northern Working Men’s Club circuit continued, playing to packed audiences which often included people from ethnic minorities. Manning never toned down his act, but he had a minor television career revival towards the end of his life, including Channel 4 taking him to Bombay to perform. In October 2002, Manning participated in a Great Lives programmes for Radio 4. He chose to honour the Roman Catholic nun, Mother Teresa. In 2003, Manning was initially reported to have been booked to play a British National Party rally. He denied this, telling the Daily Mirror; "It’s a lot of bollocks. I don’t know where I’m working. Speak to my agent. I don’t know about any BNP nonsense. I would not do it anyway. Do you think I’m fucking barmy?"

In 2006, he appeared at the 40th birthday party of chef Marco Pierre White, with Madonna as one of the members of the audience. In March 2007 he was ranked 29th on the list of the 100 Greatest Stand Up comedians in a poll conducted by Channel 4.

In his later life, although he still toured Britain, he tended to appear most frequently at the Embassy, the club on the A664 Rochdale Road. Set up with his father in 1959, Manning owned the club in Harpurhey, Manchester; his son, Bernard Jnr. managed it. The club is reputed to have played host to many rising acts – Manning claimed the Beatles performed there early in their career.

Personal life

Manning’s wife Veronica, known as Vera, died of a heart attack on 11 November 1986, aged 57. His son Bernard Jr. had moved out of the family home so Manning moved back in with his mother. His brother John had died in 1944 at the Battle of Arnhem, while in 1995 his elderly mother and his two remaining brothers Jackie and Frank also died.

Manning was a lifelong Manchester City supporter.

Manning was the subject of This Is Your Life on 27 November 1991.

For many of his later years, Manning was a teetotaler and a diabetic. Admitted two weeks earlier for a kidney complaint, Manning died in North Manchester General Hospital at 3:10 pm on Monday, 18 June 2007 at the age of 76. He wrote his own eulogy which appeared as an obituary in the Daily Mail two days later.

Early life

Manning was born in the Ancoats district of Manchester, Lancashire. He had Russian Jewish ancestry on his father’s side, as well as roots in Ireland, and was brought up a "strict Catholic". He named his house in Alkrington, Greater Manchester, "Shalom", the Hebrew word for "peace."