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The statue of Jack Judge stands (sits?) in Lord Pendry Square, outside Victoria Market Hall.

Jack Judge was a song-writer and music-hall entertainer who is best remembered for writing the song It's a Long, Long Way to Tipperary at the now demolished New Market Inn on Corporation Street. Judge claimed that he wrote the song for a five shilling (25p) wager that he couldn’t produce a song ready for performing the following day. Hours later he was happily counting his money as he performed it at the Grand Theatre across the road. (Link (Archive Link ) Tameside MBC press release).

The song was later sung by music hall star Florrie Forde and then adopted by troops in the First World War, making it an international hit.

The plaque on the base of the statue (SJ9698 : Jack Judge (plaque)) reads:

JACK JUDGE
accompanied by a WW1 soldier

Inspired to compose the famous marching song
"It's a Long Way to Tipperary"
He was the first to sing it publicly in 1912
at the Grand Theatre in Stalybridge,
the town of its conception.

Unveiled 16th December 2005
by Councillor Frank Robinson

The plaque is carefully worded to avoid controversy by saying that the song was conceived in Stalybridge, rather than composed there, as is widely believed (Link (Archive Link ) Tameside MBC press release). This is because many people dispute that and claim the song was written in his home town of Oldbury ( Link Wikipedia).