Mrs Merton and the naughty nun: Caroline Aherne's first comedy gigs
She sometimes said she'd rather be a hairdresser but Aherne's cheeky early appearances in the pubs and clubs of Manchester led her to TV fame In the early 90s, Manchester's cultural revolution was in full swing. "Everything was thriving," remembers actor, writer and comedian John Thomson who grew up in Preston before studying drama at Manchester Polytechnic. Beyond the Haçienda, a comedy scene was growing in the c…