Editing Bernard Manning (section)

==Career==
On returning to England, Manning continued to sing professionally, and also worked as a [[Master of Ceremonies|compère]]. He was an effective singer of popular ballads and fronted big bands in the 1950s, such as the [[Oscar Rabin Band]], which included appearances at the [[The Ritz Hotel, London|Ritz Hotel]].<ref name="Timesobit" /> Over the years he began to introduce humour into his compering. This went down well, and Manning slowly moved from being a singer and compère to a comedian.<ref name="BBCobit"/> In 1959, Manning borrowed £30,000 from his father and bought a dilapidated billiard hall on the [[A664 road|A664]] Rochdale Road, and turned it into the Embassy Club. Rather quickly Manning's income substantially increased.<ref name="Dixon" /> The club played host to many other acts, and Manning claimed that [[the Beatles]] performed there early in their career.<ref name="Guardian2006"/>

After much work in comedy clubs and [[Northern England|northern]] [[working men's club]]s in the 1950s and 1960s, he made his television debut in 1971 on the [[ITV Granada|Granada]] comedy show ''[[The Comedians (1971 TV series)|The Comedians]]''.<ref name="BBCobit" /> He compèred ''[[The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club]]'', which began in 1974. In this period, Manning's material was often accepted as being "harmless banter".<ref name="Timesobit" />

He hosted the 1980 documentary short ''The Great British Striptease'', filmed in [[Blackpool]], and had a starring role in a comedy quiz show ''Under Manning'', produced by [[Southern Television]] in 1981.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20210521202920/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b77fcbc26 Under Manning, BFI Website]</ref> The series was poorly received and short-lived, and by the 1980s Manning had fallen out of favour with television companies, either because of changing tastes or his failure to compromise with television companies.<ref name="Timesobit" /><ref name="Dixon" /> However his appearances on the northern [[Working Men's Club and Institute Union|Working Men's Club]] circuit continued, playing to packed audiences which he claimed sometimes included people from [[ethnic minority|ethnic minorities]].<ref name="BBCobit" /> 

In 1994, two black waitresses at a charity dinner at a hotel in [[Derbyshire]] took exception to Manning's act and appealed to an industrial tribunal against the management of the hotel for [[racial discrimination]], claiming that the word "[[wog]]" had been used. Manning said in response that "[[wog]]" was "a horrible, insulting word I've never used in my life" but defended use of the words "[[nigger]]" and "[[Racial slur|coon]]" as historical terms with legitimate roots.<ref name="BBCobit"/> The complainants initially lost, but the decision was overturned on appeal and they were awarded an undisclosed sum.<ref>{{cite news|last=Clarke|first=Alison|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/abuse-on-the-premises-1352192.html | work=The Independent | location=London | title=Abuse on the premises | date=13 November 1996| access-date=6 January 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://people.exeter.ac.uk/rburnley/empdis/1996IRLR596.html|title=''Burton & Rhule v De Vere Hotels'' |access-date=6 January 2015}}</ref> On an appearance on ''[[The Mrs. Merton Show]]'' on 19 March 1998, Manning admitted that he was a racist, which surprised host [[Caroline Aherne]] and went down badly with the audience.<ref name="BBCobit"/>

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 [[Mumbai]] to perform.<ref>[http://www.scotsman.com/news/tasteless-bombay-mix-1-1290848 Tasteless Bombay mix], ''[[Scotland on Sunday]]'', 23 June 2003</ref> In October 2002, he participated in a ''[[Great Lives]]'' programme for [[BBC Radio 4|Radio 4]]. He chose to honour the Roman Catholic nun [[Mother Teresa]].<ref name="BBCobit"/> In 2003, Manning was initially reported to have been booked to play a [[British National Party|BNP]] 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?"<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2007/06/18/5442/bernard_manning_dies |title=Manning to play BNP rally... but he denies the booking |work=chortle.co.uk |date=4 August 2003 |access-date=18 June 2007 }}</ref> In 2006, he appeared at the 45th birthday party of chef [[Marco Pierre White]].<ref name="Guardian2006">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/g2/story/0,3604,982897,00.html|work=The Guardian |location=London |date=23 June 2003|access-date=18 June 2007|title='It's an act, innit' |last=Hattenstone|first=Simon}}</ref>

From 1999 his son, Bernard Manning Jr, managed the Embassy Club, shortly after his father had a mini stroke and became deaf in one ear. He considered his father's act inappropriate for bookings and sought to turn the club into an [[alternative comedy]] venue.<ref name="Timesobit" /><ref>{{cite news|last=Margolis|first=Jonathan|url=https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/1999/oct/07/features11.g2|title=Shut up, dad|work=The Guardian|date=7 October 1999|access-date=16 October 2019}}</ref>