What is the definitive list of the Wigan Casino Anniversary dance competition winners. I was at three of them as I recall.

1978 (5th anniversary), Sandy Holt (Boton)

1979 (6th anniversary), Sparky (Warrington?)

1981 (8th anniversay - last night), Vernon (Bradford).

Can anyone fill the others in...?

What is the definitive list of the Wigan Casino Anniversary dance competition winners. I was at three of them as I recall.

1978 (5th anniversary), Sandy Holt (Boton)

1979 (6th anniversary), Sparky (Warrington?)

1981 (8th anniversay - last night), Vernon (Bradford).

Can anyone fill the others in...?

I've no idea, but if Dennis Lee didn't win one - he should have.

What is the definitive list of the Wigan Casino Anniversary dance competition winners. I was at three of them as I recall.

1978 (5th anniversary), Sandy Holt (Boton)

1979 (6th anniversary), Sparky (Warrington?)

1981 (8th anniversay - last night), Vernon (Bradford).

Can anyone fill the others in...?

Neil Rushton's ex won one or the early dance competitions at Wigan (poss the 1st one)

I can't remember her name ? (Angie?) she was good, it was before she was with Neil.

I think Frank Booper (if that's the right spelling) came second.

Chris Ghearson (spelling again?) was also one of the final contestants.

What is the definitive list of the Wigan Casino Anniversary dance competition winners. I was at three of them as I recall.

1978 (5th anniversary), Sandy Holt (Bolton)

1979 (6th anniversary), Sparky (Warrington?)

1981 (8th anniversary - last night), Vernon (Bradford).

Can anyone fill the others in...?

I was dancing against Vernon in the 81 competition although it might have been before this, so didn't Vernon win it twice?

Of course once Vernon starting spinning he left the rest of us standing. A great dancer and deserved to win.

Mark

Edited March 1, 201015 yr by littlestanley

Neil Rushton's ex won one or the early dance competitions at Wigan (poss the 1st one)

I can't remember her name ? (Angie?) she was good, it was before she was with Neil.

Angie Lawrence - still about, met her at Gloucester niter and I'll bet a pound to a pressing she'll be at Bridgewater

Angie Lawrence - still about, met her at Gloucester niter and I'll bet a pound to a pressing she'll be at Bridgewater

Ya Lawrence that was her last name, I know she is still around but not seen her for a couple of years.

Forgetting peoples names my excuse is I have had a brain op.

Edited March 2, 201015 yr by davetay

I'm sure Steve Ceasar from Leeds? won it a couple of times. He had a dog called Tomango I seem to recall!

Paul

I'm sure Steve Ceasar from Leeds? won it a couple of times. He had a dog called Tomango I seem to recall!

Paul

Wasn't he on one of the Kent LP's Soul Class Of 66.Regularly see Vernons brother at London doos.Just posted some stuff on Jazz dancers on one of the other threads.Anybody know the names of the dancers on the Cleethorpes tv doc. Im sure one of them ended up being a doorman for a security company and I regularly used to see him at southport weekenders.Never seen a picture of Frank Booper in action.

I'm sure Steve Ceasar from Leeds? won it a couple of times. He had a dog called Tomango I seem to recall!

Paul

first anniversary,terrible tom seems to stick in my head as one of the records played

I have a nagging feeling that Sue Booth (then), of Stroud, Glos, won it earlier on say 76. But my memory isn't what it was. Sue was latter married to Ronnie from Blackwood, South Wales.

But the anniversary wasn't the only time there were dance comps, so that is why we may all come up with more names than years it was open.

Edited March 2, 201015 yr by Dave Thorley

remember going to the casino on the occasion of the first dance competition and it sticks, vividly, in my memory that a girl won the comp against two fellas. she danced centre stage whilst these lads were throwing theirselves about, couldnt have told you her name though....obviously thats irrelevant now as we know the truth....something else i associate with that particular night though, was the appearance live on stage, of jimmy thomas and kenny bernard so the tradition of giving unsung heroes a chance to share in adulation began early at wigan.

rob,h

remember going to the casino on the occasion of the first dance competition and it sticks, vividly, in my memory that a girl won the comp against two fellas. she danced centre stage whilst these lads were throwing theirselves about, couldnt have told you her name though....obviously thats irrelevant now as we know the truth....something else i associate with that particular night though, was the appearance live on stage, of jimmy thomas and kenny bernard so the tradition of giving unsung heroes a chance to share in adulation began early at wigan.

rob,h

As I said earlier Angie won the 1st one.

When was it, Christmas 73 around that time?

Or was it later?

Dave.

if my memory is right , but didnt chris hurley( warrington )share it with someone from wolverhampton , 76 i think , i spoke to him when he came off the stage and they split the £100 prize money, Eddy

As I said earlier Angie won the 1st one.

When was it, Christmas 73 around that time?

Or was it later?

Dave.

bit later than that dave, i think mid-74....maybe june/july

rob.h

I'm sure Janey Nichols from Halton Lancaster won an early Wigan competition ?

Danny Daniels from Peterbrough won it. Fairly sure it was 75 or 76.

Baz from reding 1977.

Anybody know the names of the dancers on the Cleethorpes tv doc.

I was the one wearing white socks, white shirt and shorts, "sorry", stomping next to me was Mick "Scotty" Scott from Doncaster, and I know Stuart from Oldham was the chap with "Soul" shaved into the back of his head.

Neil Rushton's ex won one or the early dance competitions at Wigan (poss the 1st one)

I can't remember her name ? (Angie?) she was good, it was before she was with Neil.

I think Frank Booper (if that's the right spelling) came second.

Chris Ghearson (spelling again?) was also one of the final contestants.

I know Angie, she won the Whitchurch all dayer not the Wigan dance comp. She also went on to win another dance competition at the Ritz all dayer great comp with some excellent dancers from all over the UK

Danny Daniels from Peterbrough won it. Fairly sure it was 75 or 76.

75 m8 cracking spinner toooooooooooooo

wo was it who won the honda 90 moped?

Baz from reding 1977.

Didnt think Baz won it - thought he came second to Sandy from Bolton? Remember watching it!

Alan

74 Ceaser dancing to Double Cookin

75 Steve Daniels P/boro

76? I'd give up by then

wo was it who won the honda 90 moped?

go funky moped.

Simmo anyone.Didn't he win one year.?

Danny Daniels form Peterborough '75. Superb, now whatever happened to him? Think someone told me he had fallen on bad times, but I maybe wrong. Think he may have won the moped.... but whoever did, how the hell did they get that back from Wigan....

Simon Omeily from Dudley 1980,Wigan.

Simon Omeily from Dudley 1980,Wigan.

Now i could be talking about completely wrong bloke here as i often do. Is Simon a tall athletic looking black lad.? if so i watched him and vernon on stage and it seemed impossible that one would win .

. , seen him at prestayn for last few years , noticed he was stood behind us at edge of dancefloor , next ecord and he was dancing right next to me. sounds a bit pathetic but i was chuffed to f**k to be dancing next to him.inevitably though i tried a bit too hard and exitted the dancefloor at a horizontal attitude on a trajectory for the nearest (only )drinks table in sight.sheepishly walking back to same spot, i carried on , trying to turn inconspicuously so i could watch his feet , i think it was the jades was being played at the time.and he seems even more impressive to watch someone putting little groups of dancesteps together uniquely embellished so you think ,has he just improvised that? that are unique because no-one else dances (that ive seen ) Of course after he,s gone you try the same steps and only manage to improvise the, "someone,s just tied my shoelaces together, step ,trip stumble and morrissey pint glass juggling routine.which usually raises a smile.

I have a nagging feeling that Sue Booth (then), of Stroud, Glos, won it earlier on say 76. But my memory isn't what it was. Sue was latter married to Ronnie from Blackwood, South Wales.

But the anniversary wasn't the only time there were dance comps, so that is why we may all come up with more names than years it was open.

i met sue a few times down in wales i use to go out with her sister gill now she never mentioned winning any dance comps and the fact i come from wigan and went to the casino 73/74 you would have thought she would have said there was a girl from wigan who i am 99% sure won a dance comp there june time 74 but frank booper still keeps popping up in my head aswell (prolific dancer) next time i see frank at the wheel i will ask him and i try and find out that girls name from wigan aswell if anyone out there or sue herself reads this tell em i asked how they are keeping

Danny Daniels from Peterbrough won it. Fairly sure it was 75 or 76.

steve 'danny' daniels from the 'boro was 1975 :hatsoff2:2nd anniversary

What is the definitive list of the Wigan Casino Anniversary dance competition winners. I was at three of them as I recall.

1978 (5th anniversary), Sandy Holt (Boton)

1979 (6th anniversary), Sparky (Warrington?)

1981 (8th anniversay - last night), Vernon (Bradford).

Can anyone fill the others in...?

Wigan 1st Anniversary

Hi i'm Angie Lawrence's brother and she didnt win it.

Steve Ceasar did.

Kim Habbits 2nd

Jethro of wolves 3rd.

And My girl at the time Sharon Dyke of Gloucester 4th.

Edited March 26, 201015 yr by steve lawrence

Wigan 1st Anniversary

Hi i'm Angie Lawrence's brother and she didnt win it.

Steve Ceasar did.

Kim Habbits 2nd

Jethro of wolves 3rd.

And My girl at the time Sharon Dyke of Gloucester 4th.

Hi Steve, I am sure she won one of the Dancing Competitions not a anniversary?

I remember watching from the balcony, I always was sure it was at Wigan but it might have been somewhere else?

Dave.

Hi Steve, I am sure she won one of the Dancing Competitions not a anniversary?

I remember watching from the balcony, I always was sure it was at Wigan but it might have been somewhere else?

Dave.

Hi Dave,

Angie defo won at the Ritz and Whitchurch alldayer.

Trying to ask her about Wigan cos i cant remember her winning there!

Great days though watching her take on the spinners and acrobats with perfect footwork and soul!

Wasn't he on one of the Kent LP's Soul Class Of 66.Regularly see Vernons brother at London doos.Just posted some stuff on Jazz dancers on one of the other threads.Anybody know the names of the dancers on the Cleethorpes tv doc. Im sure one of them ended up being a doorman for a security company and I regularly used to see him at southport weekenders.Never seen a picture of Frank Booper in action.

dont think theres any footage off BOOPER in action shame really was a pleasure to watch was talking to him at PRESTATYN last week should have asked him about the dancing comps at wigan will do next time i see him at the wheel he was the BEST!!!!!!

Danny Daniels form Peterborough '75. Superb, now whatever happened to him? Think someone told me he had fallen on bad times, but I maybe wrong. Think he may have won the moped.... but whoever did, how the hell did they get that back from Wigan....

Danny did indeed win in 75,him and his mate Billy were the best spinners I have ever seen ,Danny was only 16 when he won that competition, imo he would of been even better if he had kept going longer than he did,I thought his mate was even better than him when it came to spinning .I got to know Danny pretty well when I moved to Peterborough a few years ago by then he already had rheumatoid arthritis obviously having quit the scene many years before.Over the last few years obviously Danny has got worse and now is more or less housebound only really living on the ground floor as he cant handle the steps,The lad has indeed fallen on hard times over many years and hasnt had much luck,the people he would know and see these days would know nothing about the scene and how good a dancer he was and would of become whenever I see him I always bring it up about wigan etc as it shows some of the muppets he sometimes has round him that there was a lot more to this lad than they could ever know,or emulate.I have only come on this forum recently and have seen Dannys name mentioned quite a few times,I know he hasnt got a computer but I am going to make a point about telling him about this forum.A couple of months back him and a lad I know who acts as his carer were going to come over to mine in a taxi as ,I havent had a car for a while now, (obviously as moving about is not easy even with his zimmer frame)for the day but some other things come up and they couldnt make it.I am going to make a point in seeing that he gets a look at this site.

Edited May 15, 201212 yr by manusf3a

I was dancing against Vernon in the 81 competition although it might have been before this, so didn't Vernon win it twice?

Of course once Vernon starting spinning he left the rest of us standing. A great dancer and deserved to win.

Mark

Seem to remember a guy called Reeves winning it.............same year as Martha Reeves appeared (late 70's)............got a photo somewhere

of her presenting him with the prize

Edited May 21, 201212 yr by Carol J

Seem to remember a guy called Reeves winning it.............same year as Martha Reeves appeared (late 70's)............got a photo somewhere

of her presenting him with the prize

Was he a black lad from round ilkeston way who had a mate called George Black?

Edited May 21, 201212 yr by manusf3a

Was he a black lad from round ilkeston way who had a mate called George Black?

Yep, quite small in height...............not sure where he was from or his mate though..........

Yep, quite small in height...............not sure where he was from or his mate though..........

His mate George was a bloke called Bill Blacks(not of little queenie fame)little brother who was well known around the notts, derby way.Reeves was a nice lad havent seen any of them for years as I threw the towel in around 1981 along with most of my mates.

His mate George was a bloke called Bill Blacks(not of little queenie fame)little brother who was well known around the notts, derby way.Reeves was a nice lad havent seen any of them for years as I threw the towel in around 1981 along with most of my mates.

Pretty sure my mate Paul Murphy from Bradford came third that year................remember Reeves looked really shy and bashful when he was up on the stage with Martha.

Strange isn't it................ask me something that happened yesterday and I wouldn't have a clue, lol!!!

Danny Daniels form Peterborough '75. Superb, now whatever happened to him? Think someone told me he had fallen on bad times, but I maybe wrong. Think he may have won the moped.... but whoever did, how the hell did they get that back from Wigan....

Am I the victim of some "in" joke here?

Never mind who won, was a moped really one of the prizes?

That's fantastic if it's true - it would make a fantastic subject for a documentary

Am I the victim of some "in" joke here?

Never mind who won, was a moped really one of the prizes?

That's fantastic if it's true - it would make a fantastic subject for a documentary

yeah that is true, if my memory serves me well he flogged it to a lad from bolton before the night had finished, danny was a exceptionally a good spinner imo only, irish was untouchable, again if my memory serves me well did danny go in the army afterwards me thinks cheers billy

yeah that is true, if my memory serves me well he flogged it to a lad from bolton before the night had finished, danny was a exceptionally a good spinner imo only, irish was untouchable, again if my memory serves me well did danny go in the army afterwards me thinks cheers billy

Cambridgeshire did seem to do more than well in the spinning stakes,Irish,Billy Bingham and Danny now that three together at their best would take some beating .hardly a wobble off spot and into the side tables from any of them!All of them brilliant to watch

YEA BIG JERR (IRISH) COULD SPIN A BIT I REMEMBER HIM WELL AT WIGAN ALONG SIDE BOOPER...

YEA BIG JERR (IRISH) COULD SPIN A BIT I REMEMBER HIM WELL AT WIGAN ALONG SIDE BOOPER...

yes and F B walk off,to the other side, dance floor, billy

yes and F B walk off,to the other side, dance floor, billy

Should start a who was the best spinner posting Billy,I reckon we might see a north south divide on that one,I know where my money would go on that one.

I'm sure Janey Nichols from Halton Lancaster won an early Wigan competition ?

She did indeed win one she came running up to me with £50 - we were pals back then , I think it 1974 when she won but memories fade!

Is he still around? she is also on the back cover of footsie

What about Maureen Walsh (Dewsbury) first ladies dance competition at Cleethorpes (1975)!

Still got cup to prove it!

you better ask irish about the spinning !!! hes a good friend of mine, and he speaks very highly about Frank B......

Edited May 31, 201212 yr by wiganelli

yes and F B walk off,to the other side, dance floor, billy

Billy will be spinning for England at the next "Right Track" Peterborough on 8th June 2012

Any one remember Chris Hurley?

Sure he was a finalist or maybe even won, he was from the Warrington crowd (although he was a scouser originally), top top dancer, one of the best i ever seen at Wigan anyways.

Was a good mate of ours, not seen him for years & years though.

Aid.

ref: #39

I remember Paul "Spud" Murphy and Vernon both from Bradford...Vernon taught me to spin and Paul...well who could ever dance like him?

For the years I went to Wigan (3rd-5th Anniversaries) it was Paul v Sandy in most finals!!!

 

Paul did eventually win, I think it was the night Martha Reeves played? (She gave me a signed album which Tony Hatfield snatched from me!! 

 

Reading these posts and looking up on Youtube brings it all back like it was Yesterday..Happy Days!!!

 

Who remembers the girls? a petite girl called Shirley from Carlisle? or the tall girl only known as Sandy Shaw? They were great movers..

 

I never entered the dance competitions, those guys were on another level to me, but I was always one of the first in and camped out in front of the right hand speaker in front of the DJ's as you looked at stage.

 

We were the crew from Boston Spa & Wetherby. Interested to hear from anyone who remembers us.

 

Happy Days...