Oldham Tinkers - A Mon Like Thee

The Oldham Tinkers opening with 'A Mon Like Thee' at The Lowry Theatre in March 2010.

[@brazil10able]

My Grandad always said "I'm glad to see thee"....in the warmest little terraced house behind an electrical works..in an Oldham that now is a paradise lost

[@keithbentley6081]

I'm from Rochdale. The accent is almost identical apart from the way you pronounce bus.

[@derekwilkinson4960]

How many Oldham Hotel Sunday night regulars are still listening in 2020??? Great MEMORIES!!!

[@brentsantus4077]

My Nan sang this to me as a nipper and now in Bristol and love the West Country, still Wigan is in me

[@joriah69]

I mixed the sound for these wonderful chaps, Radcliffe Civic Hall, maybe 79/80..the kept sending punts of lager to my sound desk right at the front of the stage. A wonderful memory, I was 17 me thinks. Great song this is, cheers from New Zealand

[@gordonmonaghan133]

The beauty of this video is, it illustrates that the Oldham Tinkers were not just a studio band!!!

[@bigjayvtr]

played this at my uncles funeral as he was a fan of you lads and he was "a mon like thee" :)

[@derekwilkinson4960]

Memories of The Oldham Tinkers on a Sunday night at the Oldham Hotel. Great times!!!

[@ukeleleman]

A brilliant folk group these I've been listening to theirs lps since the 70s

[@MarioPapworth]

Wonderful brought memories back listening to this song on The Best o'th Bunch album

[@rafhenlow]

I'm from Romford, when it was still in Essex, my mum was a cockney, my dad a Southend lad. I have 2 Oldham Tinkers cd's, my brother-in-law got them from the group for me. My wife is a Lancashire lass, how I heard of the OT's. I love listening to them. I laugh, cry, & just generally have a great time listening to them. One of my fav's starts, "I love thee Sarah." If you have heard it, you will know what it is about.

[@jimmyboomsemtex9735]

Hi Alan i never followed this band tho i from the town and i lived close by and worked in your town at a certain big store by the east west road a time ago. And i got inked by Collier Row in a tattooist who was rather good. Love Romford as there is a bit on the 247 bus way where the open fields go on forever and Hainault park is there too. All is England and priceless. Collier Row hit by several Nazi V1/2 weapons as was Oldham. regards mate

[@djpaul146]

I miss Larry kerns he was my teacher at school he was such a gentleman what a nice man he will be sadly missed 😢

[@keithwhite1478]

He wasnt!

[@djpaul146]

@@keithwhite1478 he was

[@keithwhite1478]

Quite vicious with his two straps. Bit of a bully. @@djpaul146

[@jimboofharrock]

Lynsey I cannot agree. This is the best version ever.

[@krisinsaigon]

my mam and dad used to play this all the time in the car when i were a kid

[@cena1641]

I was born and raised in Oldham and I've never said Mon in my entire life ! The Tinkers always seemed to exaggerate the Olham accent even back in the 70's .These guys are about the same age as I am and I remember going to see them at a pub on Sunday evening where they dished out Black peas !

[@jimboofharrock]

They really are Gerry but I used to know them when Larry was playing mandolin and I was in the Auld Triangle. Still one of the best groups. Hope you are ok too.

[@delboy-qn5ss]

this song makes me cry.

[@MorrisManDanceMan]

l that tis so grate tat that tha song tis

[@Mr_D_Chief]

Can’t beat the tinkers of Owdham town no doubt about that let me tell thee

[@ljoshp91]

@Kittielips Not saying it as a bad thing. I'm from Shropshire and I've not ever known anywhere else to say the dialect 'mon'. And I often go up to Preston to watch PNE play. I wonder where the word mon comes from. I always thought is because in certain parts of Shropshire that some people pronounce words like Man, Pan etc with Os. But the more I think about it the less I'm convinced. I do like the song though! :)

[@fuckdefed]

It’s a classic Black Country word first and foremost, though allegedly such pronunciations were even found in Birmingham at one stage, ‘mom’ coming about as a pronunciation of ‘mam’ rather than a corruption of the standard ‘mum’.

[@PickingGaz1972]

Daisy fresh again

[@tonywilson5291]

Sad to say that they murdered it, out of time with each other both vocally and instrumentally and jumbled up all over the place,- such a pity!! I used to include this in my act sometimes years ago when I did the clubs, but I didn't like the third verse, so I wrote my own version :- 'One rainy day Jack passed away, his time on earth were up, And to a better place owd Jack were called He'd lived a full an' 'appy life and made a load o' pals, an' now at last he'd gone to his reward, He stood outside the Pearly Gates, - he stood theer quite a while, He thowt perhaps he'd gone at closing time, But the gates were quickly opened up, and theer to his surprise, Wi' a reet broad grin he heard St. Peter say; - EEEE I'm allus glad to see etc. ........ (I've left out somee of the stronger dialect for clarity.)

[@ljoshp91]

I thought the dialect 'mon' was Shropshire not Lancashire.

[@seegee9927]

Lancashire for sure and I think Cheshire too... and if you say Shropshire then there as well.

[@stattoborough]

He Houghton Weavers are miles better

[@lynseymckie6273]

poor arrangement of a fantastic piece of musc. Fivepenny piece did a much better version if you can find it. This is painful, sorry lads

[@operacat1]

It's the only version |I know....I've always liked it|!|!!

[@cjsb22lr]

fivepenny piece were a joke!!

[@normcooney6218]

Eh lad, tha noes nought. Its a grand song done right nice. IMO :)

[@cjsb22lr]

nonsense 5 penny piece were a bad joke!

[@memphisphiloldham8725]

Yes the Fivepenny Piece were very good at pinching the Oldham Tinkers songs when the Tinkers released them and often had spent much time researching them. Fivepenny Piece plagiarism recording without permission!!