It is the perfect platform to celebrate a comedian who became a national treasure.

Manchester’s Victoria Station will become Victoria Wood Station for an hour of music and memories to pay tribute to the Prestwich -born comedian.

The comedy legend who died in April, aged 62, was a former pupil of Bury Grammar School and patron of Jessie’s Fund, which was established by her old school friend, Lesley Schatzberger, in memory of her daughter, and which helps disabled children to communicate by using music.

All proceeds from the event, on June 4th, called ‘Have You Seen ‘Er’ will be donated to Jessie’s Fund.

It will be presented by singer and actor Sue Devaney who worked with Victoria on the Dinnerladies TV series.

The city’s LGBT+ community choir will be performing their own special LGBT version of the Ballad of Barry and Freda, entitled The Ballad of Carrie and Freda, Barry and Fred.

Read:

Read:

The station concourse will stage the event which runs from 2pm-3pm. The café will be serving tea, two soups, spiced ham and piccalilli sandwiches and a selection of macaroons.

Manchester’s newly-installed Lord Mayor will pay tribute to Victoria on behalf of the City of Manchester, and the ladies of the county’s WIs will be selling specially-made tribute Victoria Wood Sponges in aid of Jessie’s Fund.

Fans will be encouraged to come dressed as their favourite of her characters.

Lesley Schatzberger, Director of Jessie’s Fund, says ‘I’m really looking forward to the HAVE YOU SEEN ‘ER tribute to Victoria Wood, in Manchester, where we both grew up. Nationwide there’s been a massive outpouring of love and respect for Victoria in the weeks since she died, but she has an extra special place in the hearts of Mancunians.

“Victoria was a fantastic Patron, and said ‘I was delighted to become a Patron of Jessie’s Fund because it’s mission seems to me abundantly clear: that music is there for everybody, it helps everybody, no matter what their physical limitations or their difficulties with vision, hearing, or communication.”