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Thomas Burke Pub - Tom’s war effort

The Thomas Burke pub opened in 1907, named after one of Leigh’s most famous sons, the internationally renowned tenor who, ironically, as a man of few airs and graces was always known locally as ‘our Tom’. The building has been a nightclub, a Laserquest and a cinema but was originally built as The Grand Theatre and Hippodrome in 1908. Hippodrome, in case you’ve ever wondered, was the name given to an open-air stadium for horse and chariot races in ancient Greece and Rome though no such events were ever held in Leigh!

However, in May 1918, Tom Burke returned to Leigh, after training to sing opera in Italy, to perform a tour of charity concerts. His first two dates were in his home town where he played to full houses at The Hippodrome, raising over £1000 to send parcels to the 80 Leigh Prisoners-of-War. No doubt he remembered how, after leaving the pit, he used to work as a waiter at the Pied Bull Hotel (now Bar None) next door to pay to study at the Manchester College of Music.

Tom came from a large Irish Catholic family in Mather Lane and must have been devastated when his younger brother, James was killed in action only five months after the Hippodrome concerts, having only been in France for five weeks. No doubt this and his severe stage fright played a part in Tom’s later addiction to alcohol making the pub tribute seem a little unfortunate. Wounded soldiers from Leigh’s Military Hospital attended Tom’s concerts at The Hippodrome and the tour will now proceed to the site of the Hospital.

Image of article announcing the death of James Burke. The article was published in the Leigh Journal on the 28 October 1918.

Click here for a map for this part of the tour.