“It’s a good job he was nice to me on the way up because I’ve just met him on the way down...”

The legendary Bernard Manning comperes while fellow stand-up veteran Colin Crompton is ‘Mr Chairman’ at the Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club – the friendliest working men’s club in the North. Amid the boozing, bingo and committee announcements the show features rising stars and evergreen entertainers, some of the best-known contemporary acts and the occasional musical oddity; pianist Mrs Mills (the ‘First Lady of Clubland’), Kathy Kirby, Bill Haley and his Comets, The Three Degrees, Lonnie Donegan, Gene Pitney and celebrated French jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli appear alongside comedians Cannon and Ball, Jimmy Jewel, Little and Large and The Krankies.

Although the ‘club’ was a humorously authentic studio mock-up, this forgotten treasure of ‘70s light entertainment programming – building upon the highly successful live-audience format of The Comedians – brought the quickfire comedy, musical variety and convivial atmosphere of a typical Clubland concert night to a national audience. Providing a showcase for several future household names, Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club proved a ratings winner between 1974 and 1977; for the first time on home-video format, this two-disc release presents the complete first series.