Popular Comment Philt 1,545 Posted January 25, 2017 (edited) Popular Comment Fair to say it came as a bit of a surprise to learn today that the club is up for sale and no longer open for business. Sadly, that means that Grumpy's at, erm Grumpy's, has run its course and we have no choice but to cancel the dates we had on the calendar. It's certainly not how we would have chosen things to end but circumstances are completely beyond our control so we'll just have to get on with it. A bit gutting but that's life; we've had some absolutely fantastic nights down there during the last 6 years and I'm grateful for that and to everyone who contributed. So, the upshot is that we are in the process of looking for Grumpy's II. That said, we're fussy blighters and it might take a little time as we won't run a night for the sake of it i.e. if we don't feel everything is right and / or that it'd add something worthwhile to an already packed calendar we'll not bother. Rest assured, we're having a PROPER look though so watch this space Cheers Edited January 25, 2017 by PhilT 8 Link to comment
Popular Comment Brookesy 310 Posted January 25, 2017 Popular Comment Sorry to hear about this Phil, we've attended most of the Grumpy nights over the last six years and we've enjoyed them immensely--probably the best night in the North West imho. I'm sure you'll find a suitably good venue in time, such a shame that all these clubs are closing but unfortunately a sad sign of the times. We've just had the same thing with Moss Bank, it's a bit of a shock when you're not expecting it! Hopefully we'll see you soon at your new venue, good luck in finding somewhere to continue the brilliant Grumpy brand. 4 Link to comment
Popular Comment Jumpinjoan 1,822 Posted January 25, 2017 Popular Comment Thanks T, absolutely gutted I have to say. We are definitely looking for another venue but it has to be right so watch this space. Thanks to everyone for the support and the amazing nights, onwards and upwards xxx 5 Link to comment
Micksmix 2,294 Posted January 25, 2017 Hope you get sorted soon,brilliant venue and music policy Won't however miss the Runcorn roadworks haha 3 Link to comment
Staceys Dad 563 Posted January 25, 2017 only managed to get to two or three ..but great nights they were...lets hope something is in the pipeline... 1 Link to comment
Widnes63 696 Posted January 25, 2017 Sorry to hear this news, brilliant night that people travelled to from all over and right on my doorstep, will be sadly missed 3 Link to comment
Popular Comment Winsford Soul 15,963 Posted January 25, 2017 Popular Comment Gutted. Grumpys was the best soul night in the country . run by and for soulies. Good luck with the search for the new venue gang Steve 4 Link to comment
Billywhizz 545 Posted January 25, 2017 one of the best, mini nighters agoing only been few times ,what a night ,sounds just up my street ,all the best guys koko 3 Link to comment
Mark Jones 159 Posted January 25, 2017 Gobsmacked....speechless at moment. I'll post again when it's sunk in 1 Link to comment
Mark Jones 159 Posted January 25, 2017 Whatever venue you get don't compromise...Grumpy Soul (hoping the name continues if the venue doesn't) deserves a suitable quality venue to suit the quality music played there. Wherever it is in UK I'll be there....I reckon explore down the road Merseyside/Wirral as area (until Grumpy) has never been a soul area of the North West...must be some hidden gems? I'll ask some scousers 3 Link to comment
Lenny Harkins 110 Posted January 25, 2017 Nightmare ... that was a dawdle for us to get to 😫 Let's hope you get a new venue for this year 👍👍👍 3 Link to comment
Guest Posted January 25, 2017 aw, i loved the few i managed to get over too! can you find a venue just round the corner from my house please - that way i'll be able to get to some more x Link to comment
Winsford Soul 15,963 Posted January 25, 2017 1 hour ago, Mark Jones said: Whatever venue you get don't compromise...Grumpy Soul (hoping the name continues if the venue doesn't) deserves a suitable quality venue to suit the quality music played there. Wherever it is in UK I'll be there....I reckon explore down the road Merseyside/Wirral as area (until Grumpy) has never been a soul area of the North West...must be some hidden gems? I'll ask some scousers Sorry Mark. Runcorn and Widnes have been and always will be hotbeds of soul going back to the 70,s plus they're not on Merseyside or the Wirral. They just happen to be next to the river Mersey. As is Warrington and Manchester. Steve 1 Link to comment
Popular Comment Louise 1,534 Posted January 25, 2017 (edited) Popular Comment IN MEMORIAM OF THE LAST AND FINAL GRUMPY'S EPISODE !!!!! With all this talk of inpending landmark birthdays it got me thinking about the future suitability and health and safety requirements of venue's for an aging scene, and by jove i think Grumpy's has unwittingly cracked it !! The large carpark on a full night still has ample room to park a ambulance with the required 3 metre distance at the rear to load and unload bath chair nighter goers. The low gradient entrance ramp leads to a same level Foyer and dancefloor area. Although any punters requiring a electrical source for mobile dialysis or breathing apparatus may need to provide their own extension leads and adaptor plugs, as most of the Grumpy plug sockets are just for show and the ones that do work are reserved for record dealers (capitlism always prevails ). Their are no health restrictions imposed on the clientele with the living dead well represented by Robbo and Gaz Kellet . Amongst some of the regular inmates there can be found several respected Soul Source staff the likes of Record Sales Adjutant (head of the soul police) the regal Rod Shard who even on a night off patrols the Grumpy record bar (Orangery if your posh !) sniffing out any counterfeit or bootleg products, resplendent in his long leather jacket generating as much menace as Darth Vader in a Star Wars Trilogy (the force is definitely with him ). Then there's the birthday boy himself, Chalky (Karl) White a respected Soul Source scribe and a man who's phone seems to have an 'APP' for everything (blow jobs apart). The most popular person at the last Grumpy's being mobbed by a large audience all eager to watch the German's lose a penalty shoot out on his tiny hand held screen. Chalky can be found in his customary position next to the window in the record bar with one eye on the vinyl collectors trawling his wares while keeping his other eye on the carpark for any opportunist alloy wheel disc collectors who may venture near his beloved Ford Focus. and bringing up the rear is SS's newest recruit Lenny "Honey, The Snake has just eaten the kids" Dodson. The clientele covers all ages with senior citizen Ian Cunliffe and Tony Livesey always on the hussle with their retro record and piazza boxes crammed wth crackly goodies, their latest venture is the installation of car sun roofs at £15 a pop, a scenario brought on following a vinyl less car boot visit from whch they returned with a second hand angle grinder and 35 rolls of out of date cling film. International visitors have included native New Yorker Mr Smithy who surprisingly to both him and us turned up out of the blue, that'll teach him to buy a Russian sat nav off Donald Trump ! there set for one direction only and that's out of the USA!! !If any out of work brickies are reading this then give 'Donny T' a call he's got a big building job on down Mexico way. A few Welshmen have wondered in from time to time often bring Milton Keynes ex -pat Fudge with them (no were not interested in trades by the way), while regular hoards of invading Scots claim to head south in search of musical excellence ? bull shit ! there just checking out house prices for when they make their escape from Sturgeon and the EU's tyranny. The Toilets (soft 2-ply paper rationed on request) clean enough but not the place to get cornered by 'Winsford Steve' in his new role as ambassador for his home town of Widnes. If he gets you pinned against the urinals you had it. Funnily enough all the eatery's and hostel's he recommends are owned by his family. Recent trip advisor feed back claims one disgruntled punter complained about the lack of heating facilities in his room to which Steve offered as an optional extra to sell him a 60 watt light bulb for a fiver ! Then there's the staff ( a.k.a the non-carers) Dame Joan (Madge) Livesey the boss who's a cross between a dominatrix and a sunday school teacher when she cracks the whip we all shout Amen! as well as being the curator at one of Wigan's leading institutes on Egyptology (theres more than one ?). Her expertise in the field of ancient relic's makes her the most go to person to discuss Robbo and Gaz's current mummified state. Ably asisted by her co-promoter Phil 'T' a former professional cricketer and bankrupt Peppa Pig Bouncy Castle proprietor. Phil's current state of insolvency is all down to the amount of punctures incurred following his egging on of young mothers in short skirts and stiletto heels to try and out jump there kids (we'll Cosmo Smallpiece was one of all time Heroes). Phil is head of security and unselfishly misses out on large chunky's of the Grumpy revelry through his numorous sweeps of the large wooden carpark. Protecting the wheel discs , satnav's and fluffy dice of the Grumpy faithful (well we're close enough to Liverpool). Next up is Carl (You Need Hands) Fortnum a qualified wood butcher by trade who always dream't of becoming a pub singer. He often complements his own eclectic DJ sets with a few bars of his own monatone vocals. After struggling to grow a proper moustache and remembering the deep and meaningful lyric's to Stanley Mitchell's "Get It Baby" he realized his was never gonna reach the dizzy hieghts of the seprano on th go-compare advert thus deciding he'd be better off spinin' 'em, than singin' 'em ! Final there's Louise who's slight of hand has robbed many a unsuspecting punter of a full pint of large while securing their wristband. On the odd ocassion when she's been challenged by an irate empty classed punter she's hit them with the phenomenon of "Evaporation" while reassuring them she'll request that the management turn the heatiing down, this hostess with mostess has even been known to force feed inebriated Geordie's with out of date Liquorice, do you know !! Least we forget, the next victim sorry, guest DJ Mr Mark Jones the only man through his unsurpassed dancefloor action to have worn out more pairs of white shoes than Chic ! Highly respected amongst his fellow rare soul collectors he has been conned into throwing all this hard earned reputation away on one night at Grumpy's, We salute you sir And lastly a big shout out for the hardworking bar staff who clean our mess up during the aftermath. Although, it aparently seems they are making quite a killing on e-bay with the disgarded wrist watches, exotic pets and prosthetic limbs they've find left behind For those of you I've missed out your time will surely come, I'm watching you !!!! Dave Edited January 25, 2017 by Louise 8 Link to comment
Monkey 30 Posted January 26, 2017 WOW gutted, glad to have been able to attend so many of these great nights over the last few years. One of the few nights to constantly retain the true integrity of the scene with DJs and sounds always at the highest level. Hope Joan and Phil find another venue, nothing to stop them keeping the 'Grumpy Soul' brand! a real Northern Soul night in the modern era. 2 Link to comment
Philt 1,545 Posted January 26, 2017 (edited) Not forgetting our Canal Walks correspondent, Dave Welder of course - he's got a bushel though and that's where he hides his light. It falls to me then to lay bare his huge role in the sorry saga he articulates so eruditely in his famed look backs. The two time West Midlands 'grumpiest' title holder, dishcloth hoarder and famed Soil Junction supremo has gone from strength to strength (and socket to socket over) the course of his six year Runcorn sojourn. A man whose 0-60 time varies between 15-20 minutes when he's due to dj isn't to be taken lightly of course, although he was usually attempting a rewire of the venue to be fair. Kept firmly in check by his lovely wife aka "Er", Dave has been a joy to work and buy chippy teas with, the fact that he has a stomach as robust as a butterfly's eyelashes notwithstanding. Still, he went quietly, impeccably and very, very slowly about his business, spreading the good cheer for which he is so widely renowned, like santa on crack. (In reality he's just preserving energy for the cat herding exercise he engages in at the end of every night out - trying to get Lou in the car). A light goes out in Runcorn then. They didn't always work anyway though to be fair. Edited January 26, 2017 by PhilT 3 Link to comment
Len 4,304 Posted January 26, 2017 I just saw 'Grumpys' on the front page, so 'clicked' on it thinking, great - I must get to this one! (As I had to 'call off sick' for the last one).....Hey ho, these things happen. I thoroughly enjoyed my nights at Grumpys - Another good one for 'The Memory Bank'. Thanks! All the best, Len P.s - Lights shouldn't work at venues! 1 Link to comment
Dde 46 Posted January 26, 2017 (edited) The only dates I've booked off at work for 2017 are the Grumpy nights - much more important than my Dad's 80th birthday, or any other high days or holidays. To say I'm absolutely gutted at Grumpy's demise is an understatement. I personally think you should move Grumpy Mk 2 North of the Border - McGrumpy Soul sounds appealing Edited January 26, 2017 by DDe 2 Link to comment
Popular Comment Diddy Morgan 435 Posted January 26, 2017 Popular Comment a big well done from me , joan dave phil louise great night whenever i attended ,ethos was spot on , its just a venue , move it move on !! people will follow steve 4 Link to comment
Mark Jones 159 Posted February 25, 2017 How's the venue hunting going? I need some Grumpy in my life. 1 Link to comment
Jumpinjoan 1,822 Posted March 5, 2017 We're working on it Mark, you'll be the first to know! 2 Link to comment
Popular Comment Louise 1,534 Posted March 5, 2017 Popular Comment Apparently in a effort to keep the Grumpy name alive, the Mighty 'Phil T' has embarked on a world tour of all the British Legions in the Northwest ! imagine that ! The Combinations blaring out in between the barm cake buffet and the bingo ! Let's hope he doesn't get bitten by a whippet (again) Dave 4 Link to comment
Mr Smithy 385 Posted March 5, 2017 Bummer!! I was so upset I had to break into the dwindling Typhoo stash and have a cuppa tea ( strength 5) and lie down in a deep funk ( wrong crowd I know) for a few days. I hate to say it but I think you’ve been nobbled, no promoter north of Shanklin is going to want the Bright Green Grumpy Machine rolling into town, they’d go bust in a heartbeat. What to do, what to do?? – Bing ! The Colonies. You could use the old discontinued 683 NYC- Widnes busses, in mothballs since the drivers wouldn’t drive on the busy Grumpy nights. I sold my dodgy SatNav, when it wouldn’t work on the return to a Jihaddywaddy fan looking to go on a pilgrimage to Leicester. He’s the geezer in lime green satin drainpipes and counterfeit creepers you’ve seen wandering about the market lo these many months staring at a blank screen. I’m sure it’s yours for 50p and a bag of chips. It seems if you put a UK battery in it it works on the return, The DT’s likes anything Brit bigly bigly. So any Friday pack your bags with beer with sensible names, proper pies, King Edwards & Lard (for proper chips) you’ll only need a twirly skirt and Spensers to wear, so they’ll know who you are. On the bus and drive. A sing song will help the journey, I’ll start you off – 242,979 Green Bottles hanging on a wall … ( sung to tune of Eddie Parker –I’m gone) You’ll start flagging about 120,000 and you have to be careful with the generic geritol at the border , so I suggest a supply of Mrs Baraclough’s #4 Pickled Onions to get you through. Don’t worry about the entrance ban, get the guy with the angle grinder and the out of date clingy up front and tell them you’re the advance guard of the new trade deal bringing jobs to the new and improved US– Replacement Windows for the Standing Rock Encampment Teepees Inc, If they don’t buy that a quick glim at Andy’s #3 acetate box or a quick whiff of Mrs B’s #4s and you should be through. Once through the lines the SatNav will get you to my house to pick me up. Then you’re almost home free, the DoT Perpetual Roadworks crowd were so impressed by the Runcorn approach road setup they’ve done a complete replica in homage on the Van Wyke. Slight adjustment to cope with the climate / humidity controlled S&K pudding trailer you’ll be towing, but you’ll know exactly where to go Set up on Saturday, you’ll have an instant crown. Plenty of marches every Saturday fully fueled with paranoia, resistance and angst easily swayed at the end of the day with the thought of beer with sensible names, proper pies etc. Once they’re there they’ll know what to do. They’ve seen the 2 planks Northern line dancing, and the wally with the light up shoes vids so they’ll soon be away. So a great night guaranteed. Sunday it’s a day of kip. Return trip will unfortunately consist of Old Crankcase Drippings Multi Fruit Health Ale, 99c Pizza made by people who have no idea what pizza is and organic muffins made by people who wear Birkenstocks and have funny haircuts, but you’ll be feeling too shagged out to care with the post orgasmic comedown. Tuesday back at work with a tale to tell. Simples. So when's it happening? 2 Link to comment
Len 4,304 Posted March 6, 2017 On 3/5/2017 at 09:20, Louise said: Apparently in a effort to keep the Grumpy name alive, the Mighty 'Phil T' has embarked on a world tour of all the British Legions in the Northwest ! imagine that ! The Combinations blaring out in between the barm cake buffet and the bingo ! Let's hope he doesn't get bitten by a whippet (again) Dave Good luck with your tour of The British Legion Clubs Phil - The last one I visited to enquirer about hiring their venue wasn't exactly welcoming. ........"Are you a member?"......."I'm not good sir".........."Well you need to be a member".........."I see, thank you. I was just inquiring about hiring your venue"........"What for?"......."Oh, um, a Birthday Party, could I have a look?"........."No it's being used"........"Ok, thanks for all your help"......... Business must be thriving Len 1 Link to comment