Return of the Rochdale Cowboy!

I opened the colour section of the Yorkshire Post on Saturday morning, and when I got to the second item I re discovered one of my favourite comedians - Mike Harding.

Mike was born the same year as me, and after an early chequered careeer as a binman, conductor, road digger and carpet fitter, he took a degree in education, paying his way by working in night clubs! The lure of the bright lights became too much for him, and he left education to become a full time entertainer.

His first success was at a live gig at Leeds University in 1967, when he began to tell jokes to cover up the awkward silences between the songs as the rest of the group were tuning up. This patter became part of the act, and when the jokes began to dry up he used experiences and funny stories from real life.

He even appeared on Top of the Pops with Pan's People when he sang "It's Hard to be a Cowboy in Rochdale."



He spent a great deal of time doing tours around the country, and often ended up his tours at the Alhambra in Bradford. Over the years I purchased just about all his (then) LP's, and later cassettes and eventually CD's. These usually consisted of recordings of his live shows, and were excruciatingly funny.

One of the tales he used to tell was called "Quasimodo meets the Virgin Mary" and it tells the tale of the disasters that befall a producion of an Infants Nativity Play. If you have ever been involved with children or Nativity Plays you will be able to identify with many of the characters and situations. If you get the chance to listen to "Quasimodo Meets the Virgin Mary" Do! Alternatively you can read all about it in his book "You can See the Angel's Bum Miss Worswick!"

I used to play it to my school staff a week or two before we put on our Nativity Play. It soothed the frayed nerves and put the whole thing into perspective.

To go back to the Colour Section article, it told me that Mike is going on the road again, but this time in smaller venues. His show will be called "Me, a guitar and some daft stuff" and will take place during February and March at such places as Richmond Georgian Theatre, The Grand Clitheroe, Pocklington Arts Centre, Barnsley Lamproom Theatre, Bury - The Met, Halifax Square Chapel Arts Centre and about a dozen other venues.

I might just be tempted to go to one of them!