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Oldham Tinker and Son


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A few weeks ago I related the tale of how in the 1950s I went into BP with three other lads, two at a time through the turnstile, and subsequently we all appeared in Oldham Magistrates' Court as witnesses for the prosection of the turnstiule operator, who was on the fiddle. I mentioned that two of the lads, Larry and Gerry Kearns went on to form the Oldham Tinkers, and some lads on here said that they were taught be Gerry Kearns in Rochdale.

 

I'm unable to put a link to the previous thread on here as it's been deleted as part of the tidying up process.

 

On Wednesday night I went to see the Oldham Tinkers at the Rep. Larry is no longer a member of the folk group, but Gerry is and after the show, we reminisced in the bar about going to school and Latics together all of fifty years ago. He remembered that it cost 9d (less than 4p) to go to watch latics in those das. He recalled the trauma of appearing in court at the age of ten - he was petrified, and never really understood what it was all about. He remembered that he had to answer questions put to him with "Sir", but he repeatedly said "I don't know" in answer to the questions. His trauma was such that he can still visualise the light from the coloured windows shining on the wall of the Court.

 

Gerry has retired recently from teaching. He doesn't go to Latics any more. He still prefers to play sport rather than watch it.

 

His son is called Gerard Kearns and is an actor, who has appeared on TV in "Seamus". He also has a lead role in a one-off TV drama titled 'The Mark of Cain', about the experiences of British soldiers in Iraq. It was due to be shown on Channel 4 last night, but was postponed because of the situation with the British sailors in Iran.

 

I was planning to send to Gerry a link to the comments of his former pupils on here, but as explained above, it's been deleted. Unless of course anyone wants to repeat their previous comments.

 

Also on the bill at the Rep was Bernard Wrigley, folk singer/poet/actor. He's written a book of one verse poems. Here's one appropriate as I've been talking about Court.

 

The Judge said "I find you not guilty"

The accused person started to yell

"Yippee" he shouts "Does this mean

I can keep all the money as well?"

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His son is called Gerard Kearns and is an actor, who has appeared on TV in "Seamus". He also has a lead role in a one-off TV drama titled 'The Mark of Cain', about the experiences of British soldiers in Iraq. It was due to be shown on Channel 4 last night, but was postponed because of the situation with the British sailors in Iran.

 

off topic slightly.. is that the lad from 'shameless' ???

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I'd rather not talk about Kearns. As he'd only tell you I was a little cocky gobsh**e back then, who acted as a sheep in the classroom copying others and spent most of his lessons, either in the empty room at the back of his class staring at the motorway, or outside the door. :grin:

 

He'd never believe i'm training to be a teacher :lol::grin:

 

My brother on the other hand, was one of his better pupils.

 

I was infact speaking about him, and a few others this week just gone, when I learnt a few of my former teachers have retired. Dr Joy in particular.

 

I do believe Gerard Kearns is the lad who plays Ian in Shameless. I've seen him once or twice in the Castle watching a few gigs in Oldham.

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off topic slightly.. is that the lad from 'shameless' ???

 

You're right. I mis-heard him when he said "Shameless", I thought he said "Seamus". I told him I'd never heard of a TV programme called 'Seamus'. Now you've corrected me, it all makes sense. I've heard of 'Shameless', who hasn't?

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You're right. I mis-heard him when he said "Shameless", I thought he said "Seamus". I told him I'd never heard of a TV programme called 'Seamus'. Now you've corrected me, it all makes sense. I've heard of 'Shameless', who hasn't?

:lol:

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I'd rather not talk about Kearns. As he'd only tell you I was a little cocky gobsh**e back then, who acted as a sheep in the classroom copying others and spent most of his lessons, either in the empty room at the back of his class staring at the motorway, or outside the door. :grin:

 

He'd never believe i'm training to be a teacher :lol::grin:

 

My brother on the other hand, was one of his better pupils.

 

I was infact speaking about him, and a few others this week just gone, when I learnt a few of my former teachers have retired. Dr Joy in particular.

 

I do believe Gerard Kearns is the lad who plays Ian in Shameless. I've seen him once or twice in the Castle watching a few gigs in Oldham.

 

Unless you were known as 'Rocky Latic' at school, he won't know who you are. :disguise: There must have been other kids who fit the same decription, Rocky, or were you a one-off? :naughty::grin:

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You're right. I mis-heard him when he said "Shameless", I thought he said "Seamus". I told him I'd never heard of a TV programme called 'Seamus'. Now you've corrected me, it all makes sense. I've heard of 'Shameless', who hasn't?

 

 

bless!!

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My sister teached with him at Cuthberts, seems people at that school couldn't seperate reality and tv life. Many kids kept telling him, that his son had a secret and was GAY ...

:shock: I dont remember her there. Must have been after my time, but she'd of taught some of my cousins if she's taught there in the last couple of years.

 

They probably told him that to wind him up. Kid's at that school were so cruel. If it was my year back when we were there. We'd of drilled it into the teachers head, until he got so wound up with having to repeat himself that he'd snap. Not that kid's enjoy that or anything :grin:

 

Decent school mind you. They even had Shed Seven play there once.

 

Soooooo many stories about that place. Some good, some funny, and some down right disgraceful.

 

Saying the kid's were bad though, is being unfair on the teachers, as they were just as bad too us.

 

Mr Chapman the R.E teacher, telling some of the girls in my class all they would amount to was Prostitutes :lol: I met one of the girl he said that too, and she still says the same thing today as she did after he said it. "I hope that pervert ends up under a bus."

 

Mrs Bradley another of the R.E teachers, using one of the girls families to tell you how a good Catholic family shouldnt be, because her parents were divored :lol: (What is it with R.E teachers?)

 

Back onto Kearns to cap it off, and I used to love how he'd send pupils who'd just come into our class with us and sat down, outside for being disruptive, despite the fact they shouldnt of even been in the twenty or so minutes it took them to get sent out in the first place.

 

HAPPY DAYS!

 

isnt he in emmerdale as well plays the young mechanic and heres a tenuos link my wife went to school with the one who played kane dingle was our ladys at royton?

No. Thats a different one of the Shameless cast. The one who plays Karl

 

Gerard has recently been filming a war film I believe, due out in the not too distant future. Can recall seeing something about it the past week.

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Mr Chapman the R.E teacher, telling some of the girls in my class all they would amount to was Prostitutes :lol: I met one of the girl he said that too, and she still says the same thing today as she did after he said it. "I hope that pervert ends up under a bus."

Mr Chapman - by God if there'd been a GCSE in the Life of Mr Chapman I'd have got an A. One tangent was all it took him, before the Welshman (not that that has any relevance) would start droning on, and on, and on about his whole frigging life history. I remember one spectacular rant, which started as a talk about the wrongs of pre judging people, and ended with him :angry: raging, "And who the bloody hell was she to accuse me of firing blanks? She was a bloody lesbian!"

 

Erm, thanks Sir.

 

Also remember him scribbling across page after page of my work in red ink, simply adding the word, "No." So the Holy Spirit isn't the same thing as Ready Brek then?

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:applause1::applause1::laught16::laught16: I think he even told us that one Lees, at least I remember hearing him rant about a lesbian. I very rarely paid much attention in his class.

 

Got to love Mr Chapman. NOT!

 

I heard that he shaved his tache off a few years ago :disguise:

 

I remember the time I had a little house party when my mum went away, and very drunkenly, 6 of us stumbled upto the school about 2am. Found some loose housebricks and tried smashing his classroom window from over the black metal fences. Didnt work, as most of us couldnt even throw straight in the state we were in. Nevermind the distance needed. :laught16:

 

I along with everyone else in my year, hated that man with an absolute passion

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:applause1::applause1::laught16::laught16: I think he even told us that one Lees, at least I remember hearing him rant about a lesbian. I very rarely paid much attention in his class.

 

Got to love Mr Chapman. NOT!

 

I heard that he shaved his tache off a few years ago :disguise:

 

I remember the time I had a little house party when my mum went away, and very drunkenly, 6 of us stumbled upto the school about 2am. Found some loose housebricks and tried smashing his classroom window from over the black metal fences. Didnt work, as most of us couldnt even throw straight in the state we were in. Nevermind the distance needed. :laught16:

 

I along with everyone else in my year, hated that man with an absolute passion

I just thought he was a clown - but I must admit that it got my goat that the handiest girl in my year, one Hayley Watson, admitted to fancying him. :sign0094: Apparently his wife was also 10 years younger than him and had lots in common with a butcher's dog. Women eh?

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