firstly, can i say that im not sure if this is a base thats been covered already, so please correct me accordingly.

ive just been reading an article, not entirely unconnected, in this evening's copy of the shropshire star ( on line if you want to take a glance).

it concerns a proposed and somewhat ill fated attempt to launch a soul night at the plaza ballroom in oswestry, north shrops. it reads: " ideas to turn it into a 24 hour night-club, and an entertainment centre for shropshire and north wales, also foundered. in september of that year ( 1974) it was said it would be re-opened next month as a members only nightclub. behind thatscheme was promoter tony petherbridge, who said it would feature top american artists and concentrate on pure soul music".

the property was demolished january 13th, 1975.

having never had his aqquaintence, or seen a photograph of him, it just seems ironic that his name looms out of the paper purely by the fact that coincidently he was connected to the northern soul scene, having set up the "northern soul club" in competition with chris burton. tony, i believe, was responsible for the whitchurch civic centre all-dayers where soul sam would have been a regular and, i think, he also ran the raven & beefeater in tandem. cant remember if he produced any sow-on badges?.

perhaps soulies here can broaden this guys story, much as it will be a lament to one of the uk's earliest and moderately successful promoters

and, can the memory be refreshed as to the date when he passed away? ( couldnt be more than 10 years ago?)

firstly, can i say that im not sure if this is a base thats been covered already, so please correct me accordingly.

ive just been reading an article, not entirely unconnected, in this evening's copy of the shropshire star ( on line if you want to take a glance).

it concerns a proposed and somewhat ill fated attempt to launch a soul night at the plaza ballroom in oswestry, north shrops. it reads: " ideas to turn it into a 24 hour night-club, and an entertainment centre for shropshire and north wales, also foundered. in september of that year ( 1974) it was said it would be re-opened next month as a members only nightclub. behind thatscheme was promoter tony petherbridge, who said it would feature top american artists and concentrate on pure soul music".

the property was demolished january 13th, 1975.

having never had his aqquaintence, or seen a photograph of him, it just seems ironic that his name looms out of the paper purely by the fact that coincidently he was connected to the northern soul scene, having set up the "northern soul club" in competition with chris burton. tony, i believe, was responsible for the whitchurch civic centre all-dayers where soul sam would have been a regular and, i think, he also ran the raven & beefeater in tandem. cant remember if he produced any sow-on badges?.

perhaps soulies here can broaden this guys story, much as it will be a lament to one of the uk's earliest and moderately successful promoters

and, can the memory be refreshed as to the date when he passed away? ( couldnt be more than 10 years ago?)

If you can get hold of Ian levine's film Rob, Tony is interviewed about Whitchurch in person, he died just after the interview took place

If you can get hold of Ian levine's film Rob, Tony is interviewed about Whitchurch in person, he died just after the interview took place

it would have to be 10 years at least then pete.

cant remember if he produced any sow-on badges?.

Heres One of Tony's from the mid 70's.

Spook

Long before 1974 (from 1970) the Plaza Oswestry was a renowned venue as a soul (and related) dance hall. I was resident DJ there for a good 18 months. It was managed by David Hall and Austin Powell - Motive Management of Shrewsbury. The venue for the duration of their management was named the Copa Mo.

Many major acts there including Edwin Starr, Ben E King, Johnny Johnson & the Bandwagon, Jimmy James, The Drifters, Donnie Elbert, Bob and Marcia Griffiths, Desmond Dekker................and many others,. Other, non soui, performers were booked as main acts (but the remainder of the night was all soul music) - they included Eddison Lighthouse, Love Affair, Pickettywitch - fortunately my memory fails to recall some of the others in this bracket .

David Hall then started Saturday nights at Whitchurch Civic (1972'3 approx), running a similar set up to Oswestry with the same range and type of act booked every Saturday. Buses were organised from satellite towns, ferrying in hundreds. I became resident DJ in the main hall alongside the acts; soon after Sam took over the upstairs room playing a rarer mix to a more northern focused audience.

These are the roots of the Whitchurch Civic. Tony Petherbridge became involved later - after I'd moved on, and I think quite probably after David Hall left.

PEP tried to resurrect the Civic abouy 10 years ago, with Sam and me guesting each month, but after the initial nostalgia hit, it could never reinvent its former glories. Coupled with strict local authority rules on Health & Safety, the number of compulsory local authority approved doormen and restricted opening hours, the Civic drifted back into obscurity.

Great memories..................but we've all moved on.

Brian

Long before 1974 (from 1970) the Plaza Oswestry was a renowned venue as a soul (and related) dance hall. I was resident DJ there for a good 18 months. It was managed by David Hall and Austin Powell - Motive Management of Shrewsbury. The venue for the duration of their management was named the Copa Mo.

Many major acts there including Edwin Starr, Ben E King, Johnny Johnson & the Bandwagon, Jimmy James, The Drifters, Donnie Elbert, Bob and Marcia Griffiths, Desmond Dekker................and many others,. Other, non soui, performers were booked as main acts (but the remainder of the night was all soul music) - they included Eddison Lighthouse, Love Affair, Pickettywitch - fortunately my memory fails to recall some of the others in this bracket .

David Hall then started Saturday nights at Whitchurch Civic (1972'3 approx), running a similar set up to Oswestry with the same range and type of act booked every Saturday. Buses were organised from satellite towns, ferrying in hundreds. I became resident DJ in the main hall alongside the acts; soon after Sam took over the upstairs room playing a rarer mix to a more northern focused audience.

These are the roots of the Whitchurch Civic. Tony Petherbridge became involved later - after I'd moved on, and I think quite probably after David Hall left.

PEP tried to resurrect the Civic abouy 10 years ago, with Sam and me guesting each month, but after the initial nostalgia hit, it could never reinvent its former glories. Coupled with strict local authority rules on Health & Safety, the number of compulsory local authority approved doormen and restricted opening hours, the Civic drifted back into obscurity.

Great memories..................but we've all moved on.

Brian

lovely and invaluable memories there brian, shows how many people's brains really are still sharp as a tack!., and great to see some sort of badge, even more surprising its for the raven. i remember going there on a number of occasions in the late 80's when pep ran it with johnny beggs guesting. i have a cousin who got into the scene a good 2 years before me and she regularly went to the raven and whitchurch all-dayers with her portable cassette player. i remember listening to them as well as one's she did at top rank, hanley when major lance appeared there.

the pictures our paper published were dated 1974/5, at the point of the plaza's demolition...a very similarly constructed, grandiose dance hall much like the kings hall in stoke and the king george's in blackburn. therefore, i can only imagine its popularity especially, as you say, people had to travell fair distances to get to it....it just goes to show, even today, how large, rural and sparsely populated shropshire is.

i djed at ALL the bank holliday all-dayers for Tony - he had top d j s on board , i was just starting out and worked for Tony and Chris Burton

as Brian said coaches would come from Crewe and Nantwich Civic to Whitchurch on a sat nite

this was before the all dayers

i saw a host of top acts on the saturdays still have all the cuttings

Remember these well, and very sad that Tony died a relatively young man.

The nights and dayers at Whitchurch Civic were legendary. Remember seeing Freda Payne, Edwin Starr - several times - Harold Melvin and many more at Whitchurch. I was really too young to be there, but going along with older siblings who knew Tony pretty well I managed to sneak in!

Happy memories.

Penny

The first time I met Soul Sam was at a Whitchurch All-Dayer. I thought he was the caretaker for the hall at first until someone clued me in.

I also remember seeing the first copy of "I Can't Help Loving You" with Paul Anka's name scratched out the same day. Happy times...

Ian D

Heres a few scans from the scrap book

WHITCHURCH AND OTHER TONY PETH doo,s

Edited October 8, 201212 yr by keithw

Heres a few scans from the scrap book

WHITCHURCH AND OTHER TONY PETH doo,s

Nice one Keith. Some guy called Frank was on LOL. What year was the 4th year Easter Monday All-Dayer then? '74 or '75?

Ian D

fantastic stuff keith!

seems nuts now to think you could have gone to whitchurch on a saturday night and see the impressions!

does anyone remember when tony started the beefeater? i used to go in 72 it was a great place soul sam colin curis pep mick flello and steve from kidderminster, sometimes a coach came from kidderminster anyone remember getting that?

tony was a great guy me and my mate always arrived first always recieving a really warm welcome we used to get 3 buses there with no idea how we would get home most times hitching all night but it was worth it

tony was a great guy me and my mate always arrived first always recieving a really warm welcome we used to get 3 buses there with no idea how we would get home most times hitching all night but it was worth it

Can you imagine getting there from Leeds then?

Ian D

..Skegness..even further..

Nice one Keith. Some guy called Frank was on LOL. What year was the 4th year Easter Monday All-Dayer then? '74 or '75?

Ian D

think 75 but im sh~t on dates

hardest thing was to get your money after D J ing for Tony

he used to say , just nippin out for a while be back to pay ya

he would then go the valley lodge and that would be it

think the BIG BOYS got payed straight away - i always needed the dosh for a record

soul bowl (Groove City) had a stall there once

bought tobi legend - rep and delrons - both yellow mala demos ---- 8-00 the pair

and uk solomon king 1-00 and - sam nesbit - black mother goose 75 pence

Nice one Keith. Some guy called Frank was on LOL. What year was the 4th year Easter Monday All-Dayer then? '74 or '75?

Ian D

must have been way after that i just looked at some old photos taken outside dated 26th aug 1974 ive got in my mind that was the first??????

Can you imagine getting there from Leeds then?

Ian D

was easier for you as you were a rich d.j you could have just got the limmo out

was easier for you as you were a rich d.j you could have just got the limmo out

No that's THESE days Ric Tic.

Back then I used to pushbike it from Leeds. The journey back was always a nightmare trying to balance my record box on my lap..........

Ian D