Hello all.

Any special memories of Va Va's club or even better, any photos.

Yule.

Hello all.

Any special memories of Va Va's club or even better, any photos.

Yule.

In danger of showing ones age here >>>>>

Initial memories, er chrome, Rat Race at 10 quid each going like hot cakes, people looking at me in my school uniform

great sounds ex Torch and future Wigan biggies.

Bus ride from hell, thumbed part the way. Big Willie - not me by the way, Barney, RS with a bit of hair, other than that its all a blank oh and Bolton...

Hello all.

Any special memories of Va Va's club or even better, any photos.

Yule.

First went there on opening nite With my long time friend Tony Dellar (DJ) Richard Serling was the main DJ in the stainless steel & glass CAPSUL I bought

DONA VALERIE on a demo of him only for it to be pressed the next week .Always wonderd how some casino DJs new when to sell well thats one you can

work out for yourself . The place was small clean for a change i quite liked it.

Hello all.

Any special memories of Va Va's club or even better, any photos.

Yule.

I went to VA VA's........................so I'm told..............can't remember...............don't know why..................................

If I remember rightly I think I only went twice.

It was small with a modern, colourful deco.

Richard was DJing but I don't know who else.

Didn't they have a strobe light on stage?

I do remember that you had to put your bag in the cloakroom and they

wouldn't let you have it until you was going.

a

Edited April 28, 201510 yr by Rob Wigley

Hello all.

Any special memories of Va Va's club or even better, any photos.

Yule.

I have a couple of photographs of the exterior , showing how it looks now .

I will dig them out and post up later .

Malc Burton

Edited March 31, 201015 yr by Malc Burton

I have a couple of photographs of the exterior , showing how it looks now .

I will dig them out and post up later .

Malc Burton

That would be great Malc - for many of us this club remains a bit of a mystery beyond the adverts in old issues of B&S.

Richard was playing things like Johnnie Howard "The chase is on" etc. there....almost a new release back then

What an exciting time that must have been.

Steve

I went to VA VA's........................so I'm told..............can't remember...............don't know why..................................

LOL Steve........ must have been an amazing time you lot had back then....... and not just musicwise.......

Can't wait to read about this bit of Soul history......

I remember tralving up bt train from Stafford on a Fri having to run from Manc Piccadilly over to Victoria to get another train to Bolton,, meeting up with Ian" Ric Tic" Popples, Pep and the Wolvo lads,

I remember hearing Frankie and the Classicals " What Shall i Do " for the first time , corny now but a WOW! back then, Richard played it on a British Phillips id never seen one before!!

I rememberr queing at the little office to buy a couple of those awful Va Va Patches which must be tghe WORST soul patch EVER , i still have one attached to a shirt that will NEVER fit me again

Fantastic memories at the time poshest Niter id ever been too,,, only lasted 6 months or so i think!!

Used crash out at me Auties flat in Bromly Cross nr Bolton after fantastic days!!

By the way anyone remember TROGGS as well!!

Nige B

Edited March 31, 201015 yr by Nige Brown

I remember tralving up bt train from Stafford on a Fri having to run from Manc Piccadilly over to Victoria to get another train to Bolton,, meeting up with Ian" Ric Tic" Popples, Pep and the Wolvo lads,

I remember hearing Frankie and the Classicals " What Shall i Do " for the first time , corny now but a WOW! back then, Richard played it on a British Phillips id never seen one before!!

I rememberr queing at the little office to buy a couple of those awful Va Va Patches which must be tghe WORST soul patch EVER , i still have one attached to a shirt that will NEVER fit me again

Fantastic memories at the time poshest Niter id ever been too,,, only lasted 6 months or so i think!!

Used crash out at me Auties flat in Bromly Cross nr Bolton after fantastic days!!

By the way anyone remember TROGGS as well!!

Nige B

Nige, I really liked the original Vava's badge because it was so shite. None of that bright multi-coloured tack for me.

Someone in a previous post mentioned a stage. Can't remember a stage but there again I can't remember much apart from the multi-coloured perspex around the dance floor with Searling sitting in that sunken hole with the decks. Oh, and the Volcanos "Laws of Love"

One of my memories of Va Va's was used to be near the last couple of hours stepping over bodies to get on the dancefloor, usually young females with their skirts riding over their rears. Oh yeah baby!!!

Found me shirt!!

Ive took the photo best i could ,,, the patch has nearly disintergrating but it is nearly 40 years ago and as i said they were the WORST patches ever!!

Think there was a better one later but this is an early Original from 1973

Nx

Edited March 31, 201015 yr by Nige Brown

Found me shirt!!

Ive took the photo best i could ,,, the patch has nearly disintergrating but it is nearly 40 years ago and as i said they were the WORST patches ever!!

Think there was a better one later but this is an early Original from 1973

Nx

Looks good to me

Only badge I ever wore

Edited March 31, 201015 yr by Dave Turner

I remember it being a disco in the 70's it was called Pips,Still full of chrome

After that it was turned into a video arcade called Space City,

Last time i was in Bolton it was part of the Job centre,No pics tho sorry

anyone remember TROGGS as well!!

I do Nige, it's still there more or less as it was, sort of labour club now, played darts there a couple of years ago and could not believe it was still there, remenber Bob hindsley djin there.

anyone remember TROGGS as well!!

I do Nige, it's still there more or less as it was, sort of labour club now, played darts there a couple of years ago and could not believe it was still there, remenber Bob hindsley djin there.

Was Troggs in Farnworth,??

If it was it i think it later changed to a place called "Chuffers", I worked there in the late 80's

Looks good to me

Only badge I ever wore

Ay up Dave, first nighter I / We ever went to! what a story we could tell about about "that night" at Va Va`s and the s**t that followed.

Still got my old badge aswell, rescued it off the mandatory cheescloth shirt

No pictures unfortunatley, my nose is still f****d from walking into them panels Snake Pass, Thick Fog, Shit Car LOL.

Happy Days

Was Troggs in Farnworth,??

If it was it i think it later changed to a place called "Chuffers", I worked there in the late 80's

right on both counts

I went to VA VA's........................so I'm told..............can't remember...............don't know why..................................

I imagine you were misleaded by Barry Big Eyes and Gordon Thompson

Tony

Edited April 1, 201015 yr by tonyp

Ay up Dave, first nighter I / We ever went to! what a story we could tell about about "that night" at Va Va`s and the s**t that followed.

Still got my old badge aswell, rescued it off the mandatory cheescloth shirt

No pictures unfortunatley, my nose is still f****d from walking into them panels Snake Pass, Thick Fog, Shit Car LOL.

Happy Days

Don't remind me mate, it's still all a blur. Told me mum I'd be in by midnight

In danger of showing ones age here >>>>>

Initial memories, er chrome, Rat Race at 10 quid each going like hot cakes, people looking at me in my school uniform

great sounds ex Torch and future Wigan biggies.

Bus ride from hell, thumbed part the way. Big Willie - not me by the way, Barney, RS with a bit of hair, other than that its all a blank oh and Bolton...

For me, it was my first allnighter with some of the Ormskirk crowd. Mandy Edis, Porky, Steve Marchant, Tommy Allinson, Pete Winrow etc. First record I heard was Alice Clarke "You Hit Me". Memories of the night, as John said Chrome, and big glass panels(some missing, & people falling through! ). Mel Williams "Can It Be Me", Timothy Wilson "Love Is Like An Itching", Jackie Follett "There's A Moment", and the Rolling Stones Version of "Under My Thumb" . Didn't realise that the scene was chemically stimulated . Only got into Va Vas once, the second time I wasn't old enough . Fortunately this time I was in a friends car.

I remember dancing, and it suddenly felt like it was raining sideways. I found out later, I was dancing next to Booper and he went into a spin.

Anyway John, I don't think you wore your uniform in school, so what were you doing wearing it out?

Paul

I was reading a very early edition of Manifesto & as I turned to the 'letters' page this photo of my older brother was staring back at me.

Don't know why it was in there because there was no reference to it in any of the letters.

Anyway, I asked my brother about it & he said it was taken outside the VaVa. Shame that it only shows a bit of the brickwork at the entrance.

He's the one on the right, Dave Urmston, but he can't remember the name of the guy with all the hair.

Anyone know him?

Chris

I was reading a very early edition of Manifesto & as I turned to the 'letters' page this photo of my older brother was staring back at me.

Don't know why it was in there because there was no reference to it in any of the letters.

Anyway, I asked my brother about it & he said it was taken outside the VaVa. Shame that it only shows a bit of the brickwork at the entrance.

He's the one on the right, Dave Urmston, but he can't remember the name of the guy with all the hair.

Anyone know him?

Chris

Dave Urmston?.............................jeez thats a name from the past........................ask him if he remembers Steve Proudlove............

Thanks,

Steve

I imagine you were misleaded by Barry Big Eyes and Gordon Thompson

Tony

barry big eyes i am sure i knew him or new of him

mark

didnt Richard do the first few on his own for the 10 hours i am sure he has said this at some time.

mark

Dave Urmston?.............................jeez thats a name from the past........................ask him if he remembers Steve Proudlove............

Thanks,

Steve

Certainly is, I remember Dave and some of the other Bolton lads, Roger & Colin. In fact I bumped into Roger at the Citrus Nighter a couple of years ago - still the same.

I remember Gordon Thomson & Barry Big Eyes too.

CHRIS

I was reading a very early edition of Manifesto & as I turned to the 'letters' page this photo of my older brother was staring back at me.

Don't know why it was in there because there was no reference to it in any of the letters.

Anyway, I asked my brother about it & he said it was taken outside the VaVa. Shame that it only shows a bit of the brickwork at the entrance.

He's the one on the right, Dave Urmston, but he can't remember the name of the guy with all the hair.

Anyone know him?

Chris

hello pat and cat not only do you have photos of me but you know my mate dave urmston !!!!!!! he is someone i used to verbal with at many allniters sams wigan etc. i haven't seenhim for 30 years and i was going to ask if anyone knew him and big willie-afro hair and dark glasses from wigan he was another nice guy i used to meet up with -they used to come back to my house after samantha's for a while

regards roggert

hello pat and cat not only do you have photos of me but you know my mate dave urmston !!!!!!! he is someone i used to verbal with at many allniters sams wigan etc. i haven't seenhim for 30 years and i was going to ask if anyone knew him and big willie-afro hair and dark glasses from wigan he was another nice guy i used to meet up with -they used to come back to my house after samantha's for a while

regards roggert

hi again just remembered dave urmston always said he came from a place called urmston was it true?

hi again just remembered dave urmston always said he came from a place called urmston was it true?

dont know but Urmston is near stretford, Trafford centre borders on urmston.

mark

AH VA VA,S..........POSSIBLY THE SCARIEST OF EM ALL........DOWN THOSE STAIRS AND ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN IN THE NEXT HALF HOUR (AS TROY TEMPEST USED TO SAY)......NOT A PLACE FOR THE FAINT HEARTED

Dave Urmston?.............................jeez thats a name from the past........................ask him if he remembers Steve Proudlove............

Thanks,

Steve

He certainly does Steve. He asked me to say 'Hi' & he hopes you are keeping well

Any special memories of Va Va's club or even better, any photos.

Yule.

Found me shirt!!

Ive took the photo best i could ,,, the patch has nearly disintergrating but it is nearly 40 years ago and as i said they were the WORST patches ever!!

Think there was a better one later but this is an early Original from 1973

Nx

Hi Nige,

I've still got my old Va Va badge from '73 in perfect condition.

Might take a day or two to find it but it's there.

Denbo.

If ya wanna sell it Denbo

PM me

Hope ya good bro

Nige

I was there the night the police closed it. A coach full of us came up from Cheltenham and Gloucester and got stranded. The coach dropped us at 12 and then cleared off untill 8 the following morning. Spent a couple of hours walking the streets of Bolton being harassed by the police and finally ended up in the jamaican cafe where there were prostitutes upstairs and a bunch of huge jamaicans playing cards downstairs - I think the cafe was called the Soldier Blue

He certainly does Steve. He asked me to say 'Hi' & he hopes you are keeping well

Hey, never knew you were Dave's sis. Wonder if he remembers us too and please say a big hello to him. RICH & GILL (STAPLETON) HILLEL

Hey, never knew you were Dave's sis. Wonder if he remembers us too and please say a big hello to him. RICH & GILL (STAPLETON) HILLEL

hello rich this world is getting smaller. dave was a mate of mine and yours ! didnt you have a rover 2000 around that time when sam s was on

dont know but Urmston is near stretford, Trafford centre borders on urmston.

mark

dont know but Urmston is near stretford, Trafford centre borders on urmston.

mark

He lived in Hunger Hill near Westhoughton not seen him for years.

Hey, never knew you were Dave's sis. Wonder if he remembers us too and please say a big hello to him. RICH & GILL (STAPLETON) HILLEL

Dave says hi Rich, he remembers you very well (as little Richie). He told me the Manchester lads used to get on the train going to Stoke & that's how he recalls first meeting you.

He hopes you are keeping ok too.

He lived in Hunger Hill near Westhoughton not seen him for years.

Yes that's right decksie. He left the scene years ago after serving time in Armley.

Hello all.

Any special memories of Va Va's club or even better, any photos.

Yule.

Hi all

After reading some of the replies to this post , I have copied a letter that i wrote to the local paper about 3 years ago. I hope that it may be of interest to you all.

Just a few facts "Bolton has a strong link to the Northern soul scene"

In the late 1960s when most of the British youth followed the Californian Hippy and Flower Power culture, many of the teenagers in northern towns across England, aligned themselves with Detroit rather than San-Francisco.

The music of Motown could be heard in every pub and club from Radcliffe to Rivington.

Times changed and so did the Music coming out of Detroit, The Temptations began to sing about "Psychedelic Shack" instead of "My Girl".

Motown had gone to California (Literally) it moved its Hq from Detroit to Los Angeles,

In Areas across the north such as Bolton, Wigan, Preston, Barnsley and Wakefield, some of the DJs in these pubs and clubs sensed a change in the music, and searched for other sources of that foot tapping dance beat.

They discovered that Detroit music was not just Motown albeit it was the largest record label, there was in fact a myriad of smaller independent labels that had produced records identical to that Motown sound, some of them featuring the same singers and journeyman musicians, who moved around the companies searching for work.

Some of these records were so rare that if a Dj played it at his club it would bring the die-hard mods from miles away. and if someone had 2 copies " wow " collectors and Djs would bid extortionate amounts to own them.

Bolton for some strange reason seems to have had more than its fair share of these Clubs, Record Collectors and Djs, as well as Soul enthusiasts and GOOD Dancers.

One of the first was The Cromwellian club on Bank St, which is quoted as being instrumental in history of rare soul music (later termed Northern Soul) which drew clientele from all over the North West.

Later the inplace to go was Bolton Palais (now Icon ) where the Dj was the legendary Wycliffe Alan Barratt Jr (Wick) the son of an African American soldier

( Well thats what he always told me )

In about 1970 the local government built its admin. Headquarters of Elizabeth house on what was Great Moor St Bus Station and opened Trendy nightclub called VA VA.

In order to generate business on Fridays they opened all night playing chart records. VA VAs was quite unique in that it had an all nighter on Fridays,

This was to get around the Sunday rule that stated that in Bolton " Members only clubs " could obtain a Music licence to play records after 2 am on Sunday morning.

A Few of us Soulies and record collectors who often went to all nighters on Saturdays such as The Torch in Tunstall, Stoke on Trent would often take a few records down and when the locals had fallen asleep we would dance away to our favourite music.

I worked At Va Va during the week,and knew the management well and after a while and having borrowed records from older soulies such as Jimmy Muirehead and Mick Gooding, Hank and Dave Urmston, the management were approached and the question of playing soul from the start of the session was posed and we were told "find a Dj and your on".

Wick Barratt was asked and he said that he knew a mate from Tonge Fold called Richard Searling who worked at Global Records in Manchester. within weeks what had been an all nighter littered with sleeping bodies became a hot sweaty mass of dancing Soulies that came from as far as Scotland, Barnsley, Sheffield as we spread the word about

a Friday nighter in Bolton,

All this on 2 dance floors the biggest of which was about the size of my bedroom and the other as big as the rug in it.

One of my fondest memories of this time is one of 20 stone plus Dave " Bub" Buttle, pulling into the car park on a Moped that he had ridden over the pennines from his home in Barnsley, with his backside hanging over the sides like John Waynes saddle bags. And another of Bub walking down the path of our house and my Dad, looking out of the

window shouting to my Mum without batting an eyelid, " Edith" " Tha better goo an get sum grub in" " this one fav vers he con eyt orse".

Later in 73 Wigan Casino opened its doors so we would go to VA VAs on friday, Wigan Casino on Saturdays and then round it off with a dose of Bolton Palais on sundays.

I became Friends with a journalist who wrote for the specialist magazine " Blues and Soul" and spent many pleasurable hours discussing the pros and cons of this particular record or that particular artist. That journalist now many years later works for the Bolton Evening News and is features writer Frank Elson.

Best Wishes and fondest memories Brent Howarth

Long winded or what??? not even got to Barry Big Eyes or Big Willie from Much Wenlock , Eccles and his brother from Preston , Richie Hills or even my mate Tich from Bolton, Dave Molloys older brother Jimmy. Roger and Colin, and Paul Delaney . LOL

KTF .... Brent.

Hi all

After reading some of the replies to this post , I have copied a letter that i wrote to the local paper about 3 years ago. I hope that it may be of interest to you all.

Just a few facts "Bolton has a strong link to the Northern soul scene"

In the late 1960s when most of the British youth followed the Californian Hippy and Flower Power culture, many of the teenagers in northern towns across England, aligned themselves with Detroit rather than San-Francisco.

The music of Motown could be heard in every pub and club from Radcliffe to Rivington.

Times changed and so did the Music coming out of Detroit, The Temptations began to sing about "Psychedelic Shack" instead of "My Girl".

Motown had gone to California (Literally) it moved its Hq from Detroit to Los Angeles,

In Areas across the north such as Bolton, Wigan, Preston, Barnsley and Wakefield, some of the DJs in these pubs and clubs sensed a change in the music, and searched for other sources of that foot tapping dance beat.

They discovered that Detroit music was not just Motown albeit it was the largest record label, there was in fact a myriad of smaller independent labels that had produced records identical to that Motown sound, some of them featuring the same singers and journeyman musicians, who moved around the companies searching for work.

Some of these records were so rare that if a Dj played it at his club it would bring the die-hard mods from miles away. and if someone had 2 copies " wow " collectors and Djs would bid extortionate amounts to own them.

Bolton for some strange reason seems to have had more than its fair share of these Clubs, Record Collectors and Djs, as well as Soul enthusiasts and GOOD Dancers.

One of the first was The Cromwellian club on Bank St, which is quoted as being instrumental in history of rare soul music (later termed Northern Soul) which drew clientele from all over the North West.

Later the inplace to go was Bolton Palais (now Icon ) where the Dj was the legendary Wycliffe Alan Barratt Jr (Wick) the son of an African American soldier

( Well thats what he always told me )

In about 1970 the local government built its admin. Headquarters of Elizabeth house on what was Great Moor St Bus Station and opened Trendy nightclub called VA VA.

In order to generate business on Fridays they opened all night playing chart records. VA VAs was quite unique in that it had an all nighter on Fridays,

This was to get around the Sunday rule that stated that in Bolton " Members only clubs " could obtain a Music licence to play records after 2 am on Sunday morning.

A Few of us Soulies and record collectors who often went to all nighters on Saturdays such as The Torch in Tunstall, Stoke on Trent would often take a few records down and when the locals had fallen asleep we would dance away to our favourite music.

I worked At Va Va during the week,and knew the management well and after a while and having borrowed records from older soulies such as Jimmy Muirehead and Mick Gooding, Hank and Dave Urmston, the management were approached and the question of playing soul from the start of the session was posed and we were told "find a Dj and your on".

Wick Barratt was asked and he said that he knew a mate from Tonge Fold called Richard Searling who worked at Global Records in Manchester. within weeks what had been an all nighter littered with sleeping bodies became a hot sweaty mass of dancing Soulies that came from as far as Scotland, Barnsley, Sheffield as we spread the word about

a Friday nighter in Bolton,

All this on 2 dance floors the biggest of which was about the size of my bedroom and the other as big as the rug in it.

One of my fondest memories of this time is one of 20 stone plus Dave Bub Buttle, pulling into the car park on a Moped that he had ridden over the pennines from his home in Barnsley, with his backside hanging over the sides like John Waynes saddle bags. And another of Bub walking down the path of our house and my Dad, looking out of the

window shouting to my Mum without batting an eyelid, Edith Tha better goo an get sum grub in this one fav vers he con eyt orse.

Later in 73 Wigan Casino opened its doors so we would go to VA VAs on friday, Wigan Casino on Saturdays and then round it off with a dose of Bolton Palais on sundays.

I became Friends with a journalist who wrote for the specialist magazine " Blues and Soul" and spent many pleasurable hours discussing the pros and cons of this particular record or that particular artist. That journalist now many years later works for the Bolton Evening News and is features writer Frank Elson.

Best Wishes and fondest memories Brent Howarth

Long winded or what??? not even got to Barry Big Eyes or Big Willie from Much Wenlock , Eccles and his brother from Preston , Richie Hills or even my mate Tich from Bolton, Dave Molloys older brother Jimmy. Roger and Colin, and Paul Delaney . LOL

KTF .... Brent.

Nobody ever believed me when I told them about Bub and his Honda 50 , travelling over the Snake Pass ........

Thank you Brent for confirming it to be true ..... and confirming that Pep , Alan Day and Barry Tasker DJ'd at Va - Vas as I thought .

Malc Burton

Edited April 19, 201015 yr by Malc Burton

Nobody ever believed me when I told them about Bub and his Honda 50 , travelling over the Snake Pass ........

Thank you Brent for confirming it to be true ..... and confirming that Pep , Alan Day and Barry Tasker DJ'd at Va - Vas as I thought .

Malc Burton

Nice post Brent..................Part 2 with some of the characters...............?

Steve

think we had a coach once or twice from gloucester............the last time we went im sure it wasnt on.................. long time ago...... actually must have gone cos i have a live tape of it somewhere, ezzie

Long winded or what??? not even got to Barry Big Eyes or Big Willie from Much Wenlock , Eccles and his brother from Preston , Richie Hills or even my mate Tich from Bolton, Dave Molloys older brother Jimmy. Roger and Colin, and Paul Delaney . LOL

Aw, come on Brent, this is a great post. Would love to know the rest please.

Bet you've got some photos too.

my mate Tich from Bolton, bloody hell name from the past, do you mean dave Mcormack, lived on union road, used to go wheel and all over with him and addy platt, saw tich abot ten years ago in bowling green on bury rd, first and last time since back in the day. great post brent, lets have more cause i can't remember much now:D

Edited April 25, 201015 yr by Pete Coulson

my mate Tich from Bolton, bloody hell name from the past, do you mean dave Mcoy lived on union road, used to go wheel and all over with him and addy platt, saw tich abot ten years ago in bowling green on bury rd, first and last time since back in the day. great post brett, lets have more cause i can't remember much now:D

Bloody hell Pete, you have been calling Brent Brett for as long as I can remember and now your reading it and still doing it, gonna start calling you Trigger mate,

Nice one Brent, I remember that letter, and I know it only scratches the surface, I wasn't around then (too young) so come on if you type it here it might save you from telling me again

Seriously Brent tell more

Bloody hell Pete, you have been calling Brent Brett for as long as I can remember and now your reading it and still doing it, gonna start calling you Trigger mate,

Nice one Brent, I remember that letter, and I know it only scratches the surface, I wasn't around then (too young) so come on if you type it here it might save you from telling me again

Seriously Brent tell more

how do you mean dave

remember going all the Va Va,s doos

used to go Manchester then train to Bolton.then used to hitch it home

after getting beanz on toast from bus stn cafe i think

i was straight,so eating wasnt a problem,but others with me

would look away as they would feel ill

woman in cafe had a voice like a parrot ,the cook would shout

egg on toast,and this woman would then shout it

we were in bits

sometimes got a lift back from i crewe lad i wont name

because it wasnt his car...........never knew till half way back to crewe

I was there the night the police closed it. A coach full of us came up from Cheltenham and Gloucester and got stranded. The coach dropped us at 12 and then cleared off untill 8 the following morning. Spent a couple of hours walking the streets of Bolton being harassed by the police and finally ended up in the jamaican cafe where there were prostitutes upstairs and a bunch of huge jamaicans playing cards downstairs - I think the cafe was called the Soldier Blue

Soldier Blue ....... Lol It was a shabine run by a guy called Rubin ....... spent many an hour in the cellar playing 3 card brag with Robin Seales and Terry Grundy....

Rubin was the uncle of OLLY and Pat Brady.