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Way back in 1961 I started on a teacher training course at De La Salle College at Middleton on the outskirts of Manchester. I stayed in a hostel in George street, run by a Mr Fox and his wife, with 5 other students. We all were in one large room and when we were short of money we stayed in and played cards and music. There was one particular student who spent most of his spare time playing the guitar and singing. His name was Joe McCrory(not sure if this is the correct spelling). He originated from around Ballymena in Co Antrim but had spent some time previous to joining the college in Bradford as a student teacher. He also played in a band and rumour was that there was a contract for the band to go to Hamburg which was turned down because of joining De La Salle. The same rumour also said that the Beatles went instead.
For various reasons I left the college after 3 months and returned to Coventry. Some time later on a holiday trip back to Ireland I was visiting Carrickmore and decided to go dancing one Sunday. The early sixties was a period when show bands were at the height of popularity. Frankie McBride and the Polka Dots were one of the most popular at this time and they were on at The Gap ballroom in Mullaslin outside Carrickmore. I borrowed my uncle's bike and set off. Unknown to me Frankie McBride had gone solo to try and get his records into the charts ( his record Five little fingers was No 2 in Ireland in 1967 and 19 in the UK charts) and there was a new singer in the band that night. During a break for the band some members of the band were having light refreshments in the bar when I recognised Joe Macrory sitting with the band.
I had a quick conversation with him out of earshot from the other band members, he did not want them to know that he was only singing with them during his holiday break from the college. That was the last contact I had with him so I don't know what happened when they eventually found out he was returning to De La Salle. I think around this time the band were being managed by Barney Curley, later to achieve fame as a big time gambler and horse trainer in England.
For various reasons I left the college after 3 months and returned to Coventry. Some time later on a holiday trip back to Ireland I was visiting Carrickmore and decided to go dancing one Sunday. The early sixties was a period when show bands were at the height of popularity. Frankie McBride and the Polka Dots were one of the most popular at this time and they were on at The Gap ballroom in Mullaslin outside Carrickmore. I borrowed my uncle's bike and set off. Unknown to me Frankie McBride had gone solo to try and get his records into the charts ( his record Five little fingers was No 2 in Ireland in 1967 and 19 in the UK charts) and there was a new singer in the band that night. During a break for the band some members of the band were having light refreshments in the bar when I recognised Joe Macrory sitting with the band.
I had a quick conversation with him out of earshot from the other band members, he did not want them to know that he was only singing with them during his holiday break from the college. That was the last contact I had with him so I don't know what happened when they eventually found out he was returning to De La Salle. I think around this time the band were being managed by Barney Curley, later to achieve fame as a big time gambler and horse trainer in England.
