Mary Chapman A Special Tribute

Say the name Mary Chapman in this neck of the shire and immediately you are transported back to a place and a time that meant so much, to so many of us. Duke of Wellington, Cleethorpes Pier and Winter Gardens, Lincoln Drill Hall, to name but a few …. When I was asked to write a profile for Mary I thought I can do that, but over the past few months and after many attempts to try and put word to paper the harder it got, not because I was unsure of what to write but how to write it. How do you write something about your Legend? How do you write about someone that has a Legacy that is northern soul history? Much has been written about this lady, she is immortalised in many personal accounts that went to print, and a CD dedicated to one of her legendary venues and many a top named D’jay speak about her with respect and fondness. Mary’s name always went hand in hand with her husband Colin, the both of them together created one of the scenes most iconic venues, Cleethorpes Pier. In the beginning Mary quickly became a force to be reckoned with in this new exciting venue. Mary and Colin would travel the breadth and length of the UK, handpicking d’jays (and those recommended by the dancers) to come and play at the pier, none of whom at the time knew what they were about to embark on. Mary would ensure that the d’jays were paid well for the spots that they did and in the words of another Cleethorpes legend ‘’ she never made a penny bless her, she paid the best wages to her DJ's as she knew they would put the money to good use to make sure the best records money could buy would get played (whether it was rare or not mattered a jot,) old or new, we and she just wanted Quality and she knew her DJ's would not let her down’’ (Rick Scott 2011) Quickly ‘Mary’s gaff’ was making loud noises around the country, as soul fans travelled, so did news of this amazing venue on the east coast in sleepy old Lincolnshire. The male dominants of the scene began to worry, more so, when it began to threaten the likes of Wigan Casino. Those casino stalwarts who were travelling miles to attend the nighter’s no longer had to as their tastes were being catered for, and more, closer to home. The pier was delivering, with Mary at the helm, and some of the most progressive sounds that the scene is ever likely to hear being played out by those whom Mary had nurtured their creativity to take the risk, as her knowledge of what the dancer/soul collector wanted was second to none. Mary listened to those who came through the doors, she listened when selling her records down the local market, and she listened when we said we wanted more as we felt that something, somewhere was just missing. Dave Godin, a name that derived the term ‘northern soul’ had to find out himself what the buzz about the pier was, and became a frequent visitor and became close friends with Mary and Colin. It is stated that Dave quoted during an interview, that he ‘admired and respected’ Mary, an extremely high accolade at the time, that made even more sit up and take notice, especially the ‘chin stroker’ reader of Blues and Soul and Black Echoes that they too had to find out what this unknown woman from Lincoln had created. We all know from the pier, the gardens were created initially to cope with the excess in numbers that were regularly attending the pier, this venue later in its own right became as legendary as its older brother, the rest quite simply is legendary. We all have our tales and experiences of Mary’s legacy’s but for me, one of the most poignant has to be the tale of when the soul posse from Wigan decided to challenge the pier, Mary and her ‘boys’ and put on nighter at the gardens at the same time a nighter was on at the pier, with them they brought their top guns from behind the decks of the casino. The pier was packed to the rafters, the gardens had six people in all night and Searling et al were playing to an empty hall. Mary was and is a Matriarch, this proved it to those who felt that they could take it away from her and us. Mary soon realised that she had created something special and in her own words later stated after those heady days had long gone ‘’You know that we really never had it so good until Cleethorpes. I still feel a warm glow about the actual events we held there. Even now all these years on, I look back in almost disbelief in what we all created. Why it was such a winning formula had to be its contribution from ALL concerned’’. A typical Mary statement, always unassuming and not willing to take the praise and credit that she deserves. Mary’s knowledge, passion and love of this scene and its music has remained. She is someone who I have always admired and respected, and from a female perspective she challenged what was at the time, a male dominated area behind the decks, stuck to her guns and her visions and created two of the most loved and attended venues of all time. She is northern soul royalty She is the Queen of Northern Soul
Dawn 'Sista D' Roberts — at The Blue Room Lincoln