Tony, Talk to Me

I often say that as well as Angus (obviously), a book called Pies and Prejudice by Stuart Maconie finally brought me back to Manchester. I read it after living in Nottingham for 10 years.

It charted the history of the city from the Industrial Age through to its music roots and the Madchester scene. I never went to the Hacienda but I felt part of that scene vicariously. At University with Home Counties kids all around me, I devoured the music and culture of Manchester. One man influenced me more than anyone and that was Anthony H Wilson, TV presenter, record producer and night club owner. I had watched him late at night on my TV set on a Granada debate show along with Terry Christian and The Word.

In the holidays from university, I started to venture more and more into Manchester and loved Afflecks Palace and all the backstreets of the Northern Quarter.

Years later I had the pleasure to meet Tony in Nottingham when he gave a guest talk to some students at the Broadway on urban regeneration (by then he had turned his hand to town planner!) The students ignored his lecture but I sat enthralled by him. He bumbled in a disorganised fashion through his presentation, jumping back to his desktop screen to find files and music clips. I could have listened to him all day.

The day he died I was on a writing course in Shropshire with no internet or phone signal. The tutor brought a copy of the Guardian into the room and there was an obituary for Tony from Steve Coogan on the front. I felt really emotional and affected by his death.

Later I read that book, Pies and Prejudice. It was only a matter of time before I would return home to this great city and soak in all the music, streets and culture I had been so obsessed with all my life.

This week a video was released in Tony's memory by a poet Mike Garry (Angus and I heard him read the poem in Chorlton Irish Club on our last night out the month before Audrey was born - so it was particularly special to see it used this way).

I went to the video launch tonight at Old Granada Studios tonight. The room was filled with names and faces I have followed for years. We were stood on the spot Tony used to film his show, So It Goes.

A special night for me. I'm finally home.