The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club

The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club
GenreVariety/Cabaret
Presented byBernard Manning
Colin Crompton
Country of originUnited Kingdom
No. of episodes48 (6 Series)
Production
ProducerJohnnie Hamp
Production companyGranada Television
Original release
NetworkITV
Release13 April 1974 (1974-04-13) –
19 June 1977 (1977-06-19)

The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club was a British television variety show created and produced by Johnnie Hamp for Granada Television. It ran for seven series from 1974 to 1977, with the final series retitled At The Wheeltappers. It was set in a fictional working men's club in the North of England and was hosted by comedian Colin Crompton as the club's chairman. The show's compere was usually Bernard Manning, who as well as telling jokes and introducing acts often started and finished the show with a song. Crompton was frequently the butt of his jokes, acting as Manning's stooge.

The set was arranged like a club, so that, rather than being arranged in terraced seating the studio audience would be seated around tables and be served beer and snacks, join in a singalong and otherwise engage in audience participation.

Crompton, as chairman of the club, would sit at a small table in the corner watching proceedings with apparent lack of interest. He had a large manual fire bell which he would wind and sound purportedly to attract the audience's attention after an act, announcing various notices from "the Committee" (that is, the officials of the social club of which he was chairman), usually misdemeanours by the club's members or the committee itself. For example: "On behalf of the Committee, I should like to tell you we made a mistake in offering the raffle prize of a diving suit. It is in fact a divan suite."

Special episodes were broadcast on New Year's Eve 1974 and 1975.

Acts

The show featured acts regularly seen on the Northern club circuit, and well-established performers who did well in theatres and clubs, but did not succeed so well on British television, such as 1950s crooner Johnnie Ray. It also gave newer acts their first television exposure, such as Cannon & Ball, The Grumbleweeds, The Dooleys and Paul Daniels. Some artists to appear on the show included:

The show was produced by Johnnie Hamp at Granada Studios in Manchester, although one episode (Series 2, ep. 2) was filmed at the Layton Institute, Blackpool.

Actress Liz Dawn appeared as a waitress before she became more famous for her role as Vera Duckworth in Coronation Street (also recorded by Granada in Manchester).

A clip from the show can be seen in the film 24 Hour Party People (2002), where Shaun Ryder, in his formative years, is seen watching Karl Denver perform "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" (a.k.a. "Wimoweh").

The music video to Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds' single "Black Star Dancing" depicts the band performing on the show.[1]

The series was, for at least part of its run, confined to a midnight slot by London Weekend Television and Southern Television, who felt it did not suit their, perceived, more upmarket demographics.

In December 2024 the UK channel Talking Pictures TV began broadcasting the series.

Origins of the name

For more information, see Wheeltapper and Working men's club.

Wheeltappers and shunters are railway workers. They were commonly employed by steam railways in Britain and elsewhere, but are still found both on British railways and in Eastern Europe.

Although often called "working men's clubs", most such clubs admitted the wives and other women family of the working man, at least some days of the week. This is echoed in the programme's audience being as much female as male.

Episodes

Series 1

  • Episode 4: original air date – 4 May 1974[5]

Series 2

Special:

Series 3

  • Episode 22: original air date – 5 April 1975
    • Barbara Sharon
    • In Three Minds
    • Jerry Stevens
    • Vintage Syncopators
    • Itojo Kumano
    • Mike Carter
    • Bernard Manning

Series 4

  • Episode 30: original air date – 30 August 1975

Special:

Series 5

Special:

  • Episode 39: original air date – 23 February 1977. Acts from the National Club Acts Awards 1977:
    • Greengage (Best Group)
    • Lambert and Ross (Best Comedy Act)
    • Carlo Santanna (Best Male Vocalist)
    • Chris North and Jill (Best Novelty Act)
    • Kim Davis (Best Female Vocalist)
    • Mike Stand Douglas (Best Comedian of the Year)
  • Featuring the Final of Miss Nightclub 1977 with Patrick Mower as interviewer, and judges:
  • and contestants:
    • Deirdre Greenland
    • Kay McDowall
    • Karen Davis
    • Julie Mockson
    • Toni Byrne (winner)
    • Ann Dunsford
    • Lindi Crago
    • Jackie Robinson

Series 6: At The Wheeltappers

Series 6 is a spin-off show called At The Wheeltappers, with a format similar to the original but having only one act for the whole show.[27]

  • Episode 40: original air date – 14 April 1977[28]
  • Episode 41: original air date – 21 April 1977
  • Episode 42: original air date – 28 April 1977
    • Bob Williamson
  • Episode 43: original air date – 5 May 1977
  • Episode 44: original air date – 12 May 1977
  • Episode 45: original air date – 19 May 1977 [29]
  • Episode 46: original air date – 26 May 1977
  • Episode 47: original air date – 2 June 1977
  • Episode 48: original air date – 9 June 1977

According to Talking Pictures Episode 47 was the end of the series (and the show). So Episode 48 might not exist.[30]

Reception

Leslie Halliwell wrote: "Attempt to do for club acts what Stars and Garters had done for pub entertainers, i.e. present them in a fictitious and larger-than-life club setting. Thanks to a droll running performance by Colin Crompton as the entertainments committee chairman and insults from ex-Comedians comic Bernard Manning it became popular viewing. There were also one or two special (e.g. New Year) editions and a seaside outing".[31]

DVD releases

The complete first series of The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club was released on DVD in September 2009 and the second series (including the New Year's Eve Special) was released in July 2010 with the complete third and fourth series being released in February and June 2011. The complete fifth series was released on 23 April 2012, followed by the complete sixth (and final) series. The format for the sixth series has changed, each episode being 30 minutes with just one major performer in each.

References

  1. ^ "Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds Channel INXS, Bowie in 'Black Star Dancing'". Rolling Stone. 7 May 2019.
  2. ^ "The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club [13/04/73] (sic)". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  3. ^ "The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club [20/04/74]". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  4. ^ "The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club [27/04/74]". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  5. ^ "The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club [04/05/74]". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  6. ^ "The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club [11/05/74]". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  7. ^ "The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club". Archive Television Musings. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  8. ^ "The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club [25/05/74]". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  9. ^ "The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club [26/07/74]". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g "The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club". Archive Television Musings. 13 June 2019. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  11. ^ "The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club [23/08/74]". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  12. ^ "The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club [06/09/74]". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  13. ^ "The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club [31/12/74]". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  14. ^ "The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club [22/02/75]". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  15. ^ "The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club [15/03/75]". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  16. ^ "The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club [29/03/75]". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  17. ^ "The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club [19/07/75]". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  18. ^ "The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  19. ^ "The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club [02/08/75]". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  20. ^ "The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club [09/08/75]". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  21. ^ "The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club [16/08/75]". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  22. ^ "The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club [23/08/75]". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  23. ^ "The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club [15/05/75]". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  24. ^ "The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club [05/06/76]". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  25. ^ "The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
  26. ^ "The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club [26/06/76]". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  27. ^ "Weekly Newsletter". Talking Pictures TV. 26 March 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
  28. ^ "The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
  29. ^ "The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
  30. ^ "Weekly Newsletter". Talking Pictures TV. 26 March 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
  31. ^ Halliwell, Leslie (1985). Halliwell's Television Companion (2nd ed.). Paladin. p. 681. ISBN 0586085254.
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