We are off to barnstaple Thursday, for a brilliant weekender, then on Monday we are going to Torquay for a few days,

I used to work there in the seventies, for a couple of summer seasons. and spent almost every night at the Compass club.

It was a rather "hazy" time, thanks to the wonderful "natch" cider!

Anyway, can anyone tell me the road or street the club was on,as it would be nice to possibly see it in the cold light of day

If its still there!!!!

Don,t know if anyone remembers me from there!!,my name was Damer then,though im not so sure if i can remember anyone!!

Cheers, Sheila

Edited November 1, 201014 yr by bury masonic

We are off to barnstaple Thursday, for a brilliant weekender, then on Monday we are going to Torquay for a few days,

I used to work there in the seventies, for a couple of summer seasons. and spent almost every night at the Compass club.

It was a rather "hazy" time, thanks to the wonderful "natch" cider!

Anyway, can anyone tell me the road or street the club was on,as it would be nice to possibly see it in the cold light of day

If its still there!!!!

Don,t know if anyone remembers me from there!!,my name was Damer then,though im not so sure if i can remember anyone!!

Cheers, Sheila

Its still there not called the compass club ,do you remmeber the Rotanda steak house next door ? burnt down 76

Its still there not called the compass club ,do you remmeber the Rotanda steak house next door ? burnt down 76

:shhh:

Sheila was the Chef !!

Tony

Aw shucks Tony! now will never get a job at macdonalds ha!:(I

We are off to barnstaple Thursday, for a brilliant weekender, then on Monday we are going to Torquay for a few days,

I used to work there in the seventies, for a couple of summer seasons. and spent almost every night at the Compass club.

It was a rather "hazy" time, thanks to the wonderful "natch" cider!

Anyway, can anyone tell me the road or street the club was on,as it would be nice to possibly see it in the cold light of day

If its still there!!!!

Don,t know if anyone remembers me from there!!,my name was Damer then,though im not so sure if i can remember anyone!!

Cheers, Sheila

Sorry I Hit The Wrong Button. Was The Compass Club Down By The Harbour?We Were On Holiday There In 1976. Seem To Recall "Young Hearts Run Free" Getting Played Everywhere. Happy Times.

we were just taklng about the compass at prestatyn!

me and my mate Dave Lancaster (now York) spent every night in there on holiday - must have been 75/76

met loads of people from warrington, scotland etc

i can remember the shock when I went upstairs to this tiny attic room and the juke box had stuff like too late, psychedelic soul etc on it:ohmy:

i'm sure keith minshull was involved somehow - did he and/or others fill the jukebox or did we imagine it?

did they have a dj on?

can't remember

happy days!

i have got a membership card for it somewhere, blue an white i think, ez:thumbsup:

we were just taklng about the compass at prestatyn!

me and my mate Dave Lancaster (now York) spent every night in there on holiday - must have been 75/76

met loads of people from warrington, scotland etc

i can remember the shock when I went upstairs to this tiny attic room and the juke box had stuff like too late, psychedelic soul etc on it:ohmy:

i'm sure keith minshull was involved somehow - did he and/or others fill the jukebox or did we imagine it?

did they have a dj on?

can't remember

happy days!

Top floor was the Northern room with DJs and a dance floor - it wasn't really small Dave so maybe there was another smaller room further up my memory isn't too good. The main room downstairs played commercial soul/funk like the Three Degrees When will I see you again and some pop. I had a great time working in Torquay in 74 and remember seeing Sweet Sensation at a place called the Castle I think just when Sad Sweet Dreamer was taking off.

Cheers

Manus

The Compass club is responsible for my long-lasting" relationship" with the "northern" soul phenomenon! Whilst on one of our regular holiday jaunts to Torquay, we used to frequent the Compass most nights during our stay, and although we used to go to the top floor for the more funkier/commercial stuff, my ex-wife stumbled upon the middle floor (not literally) where the music and the dancing was invigoratingly upbeat.......The rest is history so to speak, and that was either late 1973 or early 1974.......... seems like only yesterday...........

Anyone remember the 'Northern soul week' organised by the late Les Cokell held at the 'Compass Club' ? not sure how many years he held it but I went in '75 - great time - great sounds !! Mike

We are off to barnstaple Thursday, for a brilliant weekender, then on Monday we are going to Torquay for a few days,

I used to work there in the seventies, for a couple of summer seasons. and spent almost every night at the Compass club.

It was a rather "hazy" time, thanks to the wonderful "natch" cider!

Anyway, can anyone tell me the road or street the club was on,as it would be nice to possibly see it in the cold light of day

If its still there!!!!

Don,t know if anyone remembers me from there!!,my name was Damer then,though im not so sure if i can remember anyone!!

Cheers, Sheila

hi,

the compass club was right on the harbour-side, right turn at the clock tower, the same road carries on to the imperial hotel / aquarium,

it was called tie 400 club back in the 60s. scooters were parked all up the street,

joe.

Edited November 8, 201014 yr by JOE TORQUAY

i have got a membership card for it somewhere, blue an white i think, ez:thumbsup:

I was talking to Louis at the Mecca Reunion on Sat., and funnily enough she still her membership card.

Anyone remember the 'Northern soul week' organised by the late Les Cokell held at the 'Compass Club' ? not sure how many years he held it but I went in '75 - great time - great sounds !! Mike

definately, that has to be the maddest week of my life!

loads piled down there and everyone signed on and amazingly they paid us a weeks dole then we signd off which in turn we handed it over to the landlady i really didnt think there was any organising going on we just saw an ad in black music that said such and such a week was northern soul music in torquay and we said thatll do for our summer holidays! can remember connie clarke and the zoo had just boke at the mecca and they were massive that week off acetates, great weather and great times

Edited November 9, 201014 yr by ric-tic

place to be before the compass club was a pub called the YACHT!! (hope i spelled it right!!!) 1972 to about 1975 was the annual holiday town to be the destination of many!!!! happy days but a glass of scrumpy out the barrel!!! NEVER AGAIN!!!! blow ya head off xx

Compass Club 1972 and 1973 membership cards. By 1973 it was named the New Compass Club. The Yacht was the place to be before, fab times,

worked the season there in 1973, hence Wintergardens address on the membership form, looks like I'd had some scrumpy judging by my wonky writing!!

Any body put the names to this lot, taken outside the Abbey pub in 1974, Double Diamond- there's a crime if ever there was one. There's Matchy, Noddy, Dave Urmston, Dezzie from Newark, Buzzer , Gray and myself from Derby, that leaves 5.

Names please

Shelly

1974.bmp

I was down Torquay last week with Jane i was telling her all about the mad times we had there at the Compass Dave Evison was djin last time i went not sure of the year but we first went around 73/4 then again in 76 and the Castle right down at the bottom of the main street which was a decent if some what disco y nite

Compass Club 1972 and 1973 membership cards. By 1973 it was named the New Compass Club. The Yacht was the place to be before, fab times,

worked the season there in 1973, hence Wintergardens address on the membership form, looks like I'd had some scrumpy judging by my wonky writing!!

Brigid , your not from Ilsun by any chance are you.

Think most of the northern scene were on holiday there in ´76:thumbsup: loads from Gloucester,Wolverhampton,Brum ,Ian Gourlie and a housefull from Barnsley,Sheffield etc remember the football matches after the dinner time sessions in "The Abbey" diving competitions on the promenade(f++kin madness) even kojacs all-nighters in nearby Plymouth.........Wonder how many people stayed down there after the long hot summer? also remember meeting some bloke from London(Dave?) who was on the run for armed robbery, he dissapeared and took a lot of peoples money/belongings with him!

Steve...sorry The Compass was on the left hand side on the way down the main street ,

Steve smith......our paths cross yet again..........got some pics of us and you at the ABBEY pub in 76.....great laugh that summer, every night soul music.......certain well known character from rotherham had done 9 yes!!!9 chemists in the first week his mini was fit to bust with gear lol......also had a north v south drinking competition with him and another fella from leeds (we lost ). Remember bronwin & co vicky palmer all the wolves lads (bouncers to the main bar what a laugh)....great days

p.s forgot my good freinds from brum taffy,big sam,ghosty and benny

Edited August 25, 201113 yr by gordon russell

Think most of the northern scene were on holiday there in ´76:thumbsup: loads from Gloucester,Wolverhampton,Brum ,Ian Gourlie and a housefull from Barnsley,Sheffield etc remember the football matches after the dinner time sessions in "The Abbey" diving competitions on the promenade(f++kin madness) even kojacs all-nighters in nearby Plymouth.........Wonder how many people stayed down there after the long hot summer? also remember meeting some bloke from London(Dave?) who was on the run for armed robbery, he dissapeared and took a lot of peoples money/belongings with him!

Steve...sorry The Compass was on the left hand side on the way down the main street ,

Steve smith......our paths cross yet again..........got some pics of us and you at the ABBEY pub in 76.....great laugh that summer, every night soul music.......certain well known character from rotherham had done 9 yes!!!9 chemists in the first week his mini was fit to bust with gear lol......also had a north v south drinking competition with him and another fella from leeds (we lost ). Remember bronwin & co vicky palmer all the wolves lads (bouncers to the main bar what a laugh)....great days

we were just taklng about the compass at prestatyn!

me and my mate Dave Lancaster (now York) spent every night in there on holiday - must have been 75/76

met loads of people from warrington, scotland etc

i can remember the shock when I went upstairs to this tiny attic room and the juke box had stuff like too late, psychedelic soul etc on it:ohmy:

i'm sure keith minshull was involved somehow - did he and/or others fill the jukebox or did we imagine it?

did they have a dj on?

can't remember

happy days!

deffo had soul dj,s on for those weeks.......manic or what

What about the cider bar in NEWTON ABBOT only served scrumpy in halves...........when you went in they just had 3 or 4 big barrels behind the bar.......oh and some old fellas with sheep dogs lol

definately, that has to be the maddest week of my life!

loads piled down there and everyone signed on and amazingly they paid us a weeks dole then we signd off which in turn we handed it over to the landlady i really didnt think there was any organising going on we just saw an ad in black music that said such and such a week was northern soul music in torquay and we said thatll do for our summer holidays! can remember connie clarke and the zoo had just boke at the mecca and they were massive that week off acetates, great weather and great times

Could have sworn Connie Clark was earlier than that. Possibly 74? Or is my mind playing tricks on me?

Could have sworn Connie Clark was earlier than that. Possibly 74? Or is my mind playing tricks on me?

No you are not going mad (not yet), Connie Clark was one of the big sounds in the summer of 74.