Manchester Entertainers and Concert Artistes Association

I became a member of MECAA when I turned solo and have a card identical to the one shown but mine is falling to bits.

Mecaa was a great way of getting into cabaret because they used to have concert secretary auditions on a sunday lunch where concert secretary's from all over the area used to go to fill up their diaries with acts. Most of these took place at Francis Shaw's Social Club which was off Manchester New Rd in Bradford or Clayton.

I remember having a great day there and picking up about twelve bookings.

The fee at that time was about ten pounds and I noticed an entry in a concert secretaries diary an entry for twelve pounds and was for an act called Larry Stone, who had won Pub Entertainer of The Year. The man wasn't aware that I had seen it because it was upside down.

Anyway I thought I would try it on and asked for twelve pounds. "Oh no. we can't pay that" and went back to his seat and told the others who also wanted to book me.

I thought I had blew it by being greedy, suddenly one man came over and said "We will give you twelve pounds". With that a queue formed completing a very succesfull day.

If my memory serves me right Larry Stone was a crippled guy who played piano while sitting in a wheelchair in the style of Jerry Lee Lewis - a great rock and roller.

Al Richie - 8/5/11