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Were There Any Older Guys At Wigan?


Guest MBarrett

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Guest Dave Turner

Sticking with the old attenders theme, there is photo supposedly of Anna Ford the ex-news reader in Winstanley and Nowell's book 'Soul Survivors - Anna was born in 1943 so she would have been over 30 when she attended. The photo caption says 'Anna Ford (front left) was an early fan' but you can not see her face. Can anyone recall seeing the 30 year old Anna there in 1973 or the 31 year old Anna in 1974...? And Anna, if you're reading this, tell all.

 

 

I may be wrong but I can't see Anna Ford being a fan so to speak. She was a researcher for Granada TV at the time and looking to do a film for Granada Reports and I suspect that was her only reason to be anywhere near the Northern scene.

 

Remember seeing somewhere she was taken to the Casino by Granada's Tony Wilson believing it to be some trendy nightclub   :lol:

Edited by Dave Turner
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Guest Backdrop

I never went to Wigan - wish I had as I am sure on the good nights it was the best of the best.

 

All the pictures I have seen confirm that at least 99% of the attendees were mid-teens to early 20's.

 

But was there anyone older?

 

Anyone from the early days of the Wheel?

 

Any older "plastic gangster" types?

 

Any older loner types. I used to go to the occasional place back then where there would be some middle-aged loner. In a world of their own but getting down to the music.

 

Just wondered.

 

MB

 

P.S. The occasional sensible reply would be appreciated. :thumbup::D

 

 

 

Yes there were quite a few older guys at wigan .. they proberly dont reliize it themselfs  cos if you above 50 an age gap of 6 or 7 years is nothing .. but at 15 16 its massive.

 

and yes there were crews .. (older than 22)  a few crews . or ds

 

used to talk about dda boxes when they were wooden.

 

its when they went over to safes ..they looked for easier targets .. all nighters were right up there street .

just stayed clear of them and danced.

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I may be wrong but I can't see Anna Ford being a fan so to speak. She was a researcher for Granada TV at the time and looking to do a film for Granada Reports and I suspect that was her only reason to be anywhere near the Northern scene.

 

Remember seeing somewhere she was taken to the Casino by Granada's Tony Wilson believing it to be some trendy nightclub   :lol:

Cheers Dave. I agree. She might have dropped in with a work contact so the book caption is misleading. Back in the mid to late 70's, Tony Wilson was never off the telly so he may well have taken her along. I was based in Manchester in 1978 and Anna Ford was a TV star in our house - pretty sure she did not go to the Casino then so it must have been earlier, perhaps 1976 when This England was being filmed?

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Guest Dave Ward

17 at my first 'Nighter in '74, most people looked older than me. Never had any trouble with the Wheel/Torch lads' in fact if you where honest and didn't bullshit, they'd be ok with you. Later on, the camera night, I remember, like many I'd decided not to go, but sitting at home watching TV, with Mum and Dad, by 9:30 pm, it was bag packed, gear out of the back of the record box and on the 10:30 bus to Wigan. It wasn't a bad night actually, the lights were only on for about an hour.

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Guest dave nowell

Sticking with the old attenders theme, there is photo supposedly of Anna Ford the ex-news reader in Winstanley and Nowell's book 'Soul Survivors - Anna was born in 1943 so she would have been over 30 when she attended. The photo caption says 'Anna Ford (front left) was an early fan' but you can not see her face. Can anyone recall seeing the 30 year old Anna there in 1973 or the 31 year old Anna in 1974...? And Anna, if you're reading this, tell all.

Russ told me she was invited to an anniversary do - maybe the 1st or second? - with other notables

Think they had a few drinkies in a private area. People like Tony Wilson, Frank Elson etc would also have been invited

She would have done so as a journalist rather than a punter, but when she became famous it did no harm to say she was seen at the Casino!  :)

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17 at my first 'Nighter in '74, most people looked older than me. Never had any trouble with the Wheel/Torch lads' in fact if you where honest and didn't bullshit, they'd be ok with you. Later on, the camera night, I remember, like many I'd decided not to go, but sitting at home watching TV, with Mum and Dad, by 9:30 pm, it was bag packed, gear out of the back of the record box and on the 10:30 bus to Wigan. It wasn't a bad night actually, the lights were only on for about an hour.

 

Fading memories Dave, it was filmed on two consecutive weekends and the lights were on until at least 3am both times, to huge cheers when they went off.

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Guest Dave Ward

I'll give you the two weekends, Pete. I'll stick with the rest though,and it really wasn't the worst night I ever had. Nurse is coming to give me a bath now, mmm. soapy soapy, who am I ? Where are my glasses ? Why do my slippers smell of piss?

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I'll give you the two weekends, Pete. I'll stick with the rest though,and it really wasn't the worst night I ever had. Nurse is coming to give me a bath now, mmm. soapy soapy, who am I ? Where are my glasses ? Why do my slippers smell of piss?

 

Probably a drug thing on my behalf, nobody wanted to be seen on camera with eyes like saucers in case our parents saw it which is why so many people were sat not around the edge of the floor like usual, but back against the walls, in the shadows  :lol:

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I'll give you the two weekends, Pete. I'll stick with the rest though,and it really wasn't the worst night I ever had. Nurse is coming to give me a bath now, mmm. soapy soapy, who am I ? Where are my glasses ? Why do my slippers smell of piss?

Wardie, make sure you look after the P Funk capped t- shirt and leave the heirloom to someone who will pass it to the curator of the Wigan Casino Museum when it eventually gets built...

ATB

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Russ told me she was invited to an anniversary do - maybe the 1st or second? - with other notables

Think they had a few drinkies in a private area. People like Tony Wilson, Frank Elson etc would also have been invited

She would have done so as a journalist rather than a punter, but when she became famous it did no harm to say she was seen at the Casino!  :)

Dave, thanks for this tit- bit...probably stretching the truth then to cite she was an early fan! Running with the minor-celeb theme, in yesterday's Weekend Telegraph (page W4), Wayne Hemingway, the designer, pops up and states 'By the time I was 13 I was doing all-nighters at Wigan Casino': it would be interesting to know if anyone younger than this managed to attend the Casino?

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Guest Dave Turner

Dave, thanks for this tit- bit...probably stretching the truth then to cite she was an early fan! Running with the minor-celeb theme, in yesterday's Weekend Telegraph (page W4), Wayne Hemingway, the designer, pops up and states 'By the time I was 13 I was doing all-nighters at Wigan Casino': it would be interesting to know if anyone younger than this managed to attend the Casino?

 

I know the threads about older guys but in response to your post there's a couple of bits here mate, there's more if you look around

 

https://www.hemingwaydesign.co.uk/blog/wayne-on-northern-soul

 

https://www.bluesandsoul.com/feature/553/wayne_hemingway_mbe_waynes_vintage_world/

Edited by Dave Turner
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Guest Dave Ward

Wardie, make sure you look after the P Funk capped t- shirt and leave the heirloom to someone who will pass it to the curator of the Wigan Casino Museum when it eventually gets built...

ATB

That shirt was worn twice and then binned, it'd be funny to see someone copy it and wear it out at a venue today !!! After 7 years, I left my dance shoes and membership card in the LH corner and walked out before the final three records on the 'real' 1st. last 'Nighter. I regret leaving those shoes, they were special !
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I know the threads about older guys but in response to your post there's a couple of bits here mate, there's more if you look around

 

https://www.hemingwaydesign.co.uk/blog/wayne-on-northern-soul

 

https://www.bluesandsoul.com/feature/553/wayne_hemingway_mbe_waynes_vintage_world/

 

Just read the first link . For F***s sake enough's enough ............we're straying into celebs who 'adored'  northern soul  territory and that's been done to death before - smack round the head for the first one to mention ginger top Hucknall.

Of course there was an old guard who still went - who do you think populated the top corridor ?

Edited by GrayM
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Guest Dave Turner

Just read the first link . For F***s sake enough's enough ............we're straying into celebs who 'adored'  northern soul  territory and that's been done to death before - smack round the head for the first one to mention ginger top Hucknall.

Of course there was an old guard who still went - who do you think populated the top corridor ?

 

A bloke mentions summat in a post , just gave him a few links he might have wanted to read ok

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I know the threads about older guys but in response to your post there's a couple of bits here mate, there's more if you look around

 

https://www.hemingwaydesign.co.uk/blog/wayne-on-northern-soul

 

https://www.bluesandsoul.com/feature/553/wayne_hemingway_mbe_waynes_vintage_world/

Dave, thanks for this I wasn't aware of this so will check it out later...

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Just read the first link . For F***s sake enough's enough ............we're straying into celebs who 'adored'  northern soul  territory and that's been done to death before - smack round the head for the first one to mention ginger top Hucknall.

Of course there was an old guard who still went - who do you think populated the top corridor ?

Why not tell us who these old guards were and how old they were? Are you implying Hucknall went to the Casino? If so, how old was he? I gather Kevin Rowlands of Dexys Midnight Runners went to the Casino also but this thread is not about musicians that went to Wigan...

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Why not tell us who these old guards were and how old they were? Are you implying Hucknall went to the Casino? If so, how old was he? I gather Kevin Rowlands of Dexys Midnight Runners went to the Casino also but this thread is not about musicians that went to Wigan...

 

Why not tell us who these old guards were and how old they were? Are you implying Hucknall went to the Casino? If so, how old was he? I gather Kevin Rowlands of Dexys Midnight Runners went to the Casino also but this thread is not about musicians that went to Wigan.

Came on early to tone down my comments and language of last night, if I offeneded anyone then I apologise.However to clarify.

 

My main concern with the thread was that having read the references to Ford, Wilson and then Hemingway it was going to develop into a celeb spotting fest - something that was done to death some time ago.

 

Regarding the old guard, I remember meeting a lot of people from all over the country who had a distinguished pedigree on the scene and I'm sure most of the younger element who attended knew them by sight or reputation from their own localities.

 

I was 21 when I went in Sept 73  and judging by the age of some of the people who have posted would be considered older. The old gurd I refer to had clocked up a lot more miles than me. Don't believe in the name dropping thing but needless to say the corridor to/from Mr Ms and the record bar were a haven from Hawaii 5-0 and My Heart's Symphony. But again that's also another thread.

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Just read the first link . For F***s sake enough's enough ............we're straying into celebs who 'adored'  northern soul  territory and that's been done to death before - smack round the head for the first one to mention ginger top Hucknall.

Of course there was an old guard who still went - who do you think populated the top corridor ?

 

In fairness to Wayne Hemmingway, he's been into it for ages and I can remember selling him a copy of Ann Sexton ages ago.  I doubt about the 13 years old at Wigan though.

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Why not tell us who these old guards were and how old they were? Are you implying Hucknall went to the Casino? If so, how old was he? I gather Kevin Rowlands of Dexys Midnight Runners went to the Casino also but this thread is not about musicians that went to Wigan...

 

Hucknall never went to the Casino, he said just that on camera on the OGWT feature, "I never went to a Casino allnighter", anyway he can be seen pogoing at the Electric Circus on a famous clip of The Clash in 77 all punked up.

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Well, I don't know about 'older' blokes a Wigan, but I went to Casino once, were July 1975, I were 26 years old and to me the place was full of young kids, (yes we all started somewhere, me I were 18 at my first nighter,  Kelmarsh in Northampton ).

 

Anyway, its been mentioned in another thread but lots of hopping, skipping and jumping going on, never went again and by time I could have done it were over.

 

 

Oh yeah, Soulcarp were with me and we bumped into and had a verbal with Swish who happened to be there, I reckon we were the oldest dudes there that particular night.

Edited by ZootSuit
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C

 

 I remember Frank anyone from Widnes would .also anyone older would remember him from the wheel. The legend that is Booper

Yep, I've shared a floor with Booper, and learnt a few moves, at the nighter in Bradford around 72/73 that was in the cellar of a house !!!!. Linda Williams from Keighley? used to go there.

 

Theres a picture, or there was a picture, of a very young Frank in the gallery pages with one of the Wheel DJ's, Les Cockle I think, its not there at the moment though.

 

Dave Godin, we only ever saw and spoke to him at the Birds Nest in West Hampstead, NOW he was a VERY strange dude.

 

Yep, there is a snap of Booper with Les Cockel, look at the wWheel pictures in the gallery's.

Edited by ZootSuit
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I used to chat regularly in the attic cloakroom to a guy who to be at the time seemed ancient maybe late 30s with a bald head
He did dance, he used to shuffle from side to side with his hands on his hips and clap before changing direction back again whatever the tune was he was dancing to

If I remember correctly he was from Stockport and his nickname was Digger

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In fairness to Wayne Hemmingway, he's been into it for ages and I can remember selling him a copy of Ann Sexton ages ago.  I doubt about the 13 years old at Wigan though.

 

Maybe...I was at school with a guy who regularly went to Wigan when he was 13. Mind you, he looked, dressed and acted a lot older.

Edited by ElGeePee
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Guest dave nowell

I used to chat regularly in the attic cloakroom to a guy who to be at the time seemed ancient maybe late 30s with a bald head

He did dance, he used to shuffle from side to side with his hands on his hips and clap before changing direction back again whatever the tune was he was dancing to

If I remember correctly he was from Stockport and his nickname was Digger

I remember Digger!

I was about 21 and remember wondering why this older dude was still into it

I mean,.he was married and had kids and things....

Surely no mature person with responsibilities like that would still want to go to all-nighters!!!!

Would they??

:D

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I remember Digger!

I was about 21 and remember wondering why this older dude was still into it

I mean,.he was married and had kids and things....

Surely no mature person with responsibilities like that would still want to go to all-nighters!!!!

Would they??

:D

 

 

Bloody hell YES....I'm 65 now and gagging to get to an allnighter, not been too one since that visit to Caino in '75, just soul nights now, and that after a 37 year break, MUST get rid of her indoors :thumbup:  :thumbup:  :thumbup:  :thumbup:  :thumbup:  !!!!.

Edited by ZootSuit
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I left school in 68 and worked with a few people who were Wheel goers, by the time Wigan opened they had been off the scene years, can remember one guy whose last nighter was in 66. 

 

Once went to a soul night and saw a guy from work he was 21, people were saying "whats he doing here".  I still get around but haven't seen any of my old workmates at a soul do for 30 odd years.

 

Yule

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  • 3 weeks later...

First visit to Wigan for me was in 1974 when I was 19 years old. Did about half a dozen visits in that year then gave it the big heave ho I'm afraid......couldn't get into some of the tunes that were being churned out, probably because I was one of the "older" ones who had started off in the soul scene as a young teenager during the late 60's early 70's in the Twisted Wheel days (my haunt was The Cromwellian in Bolton). Having said that though, there was, thankfully, some absolute top classics came out of Wigan. One guy who did used to go to Wigan (an old Twisted Wheel soulie), who I still see at the local soul night was Fred (Dicky) Dickinson from Bolton who was very well known (still is well known around the Bolton/Manchester area). Fred turned 65 years old last week so he must have been mid 20's when he first started going, and believe me, he can still strut his stuff. It just doesn't matter what age you were then, or are now......if that music is in your blood, then it just doesn't leave you. For as long as I've still got my health and can still stand upright, I'll be on that dance floor (maybe not quite as energetically as I USED to do, but I STILL have the need to get on up there  :D

 

Age is just a number...... :wink:

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Surely no mature person with responsibilities like that would still want to go to all-nighters!!!!

Would they??

:D

 

 

Bloody hell YES....I'm 65 now and gagging to get to an allnighter

 

Hell's bells.....yes !! Agreed ZootSuit  :thumbsup:

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Hell's bells.....yes !! Agreed ZootSuit  :thumbsup:

Meself, Blueten and Kimbo went Chid's 60th Birtday bash Saturday, travelled up from Bedford, see past events we've posted comments, LOADS OF 50 going on 60Ts there, Blueten is 60+, Kimbo 56, Blueten cant dance due to a damaged leg but meself and Kimbo ALWAYS have shuffle, Manus will verify that :yes: , AND, if I drop on the floor at least it'll be doing something I still enjoy, 47 years down line, as opposed to in a a hospital bed !!!!!!.

Edited by ZootSuit
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Dave, thanks for this tit- bit...probably stretching the truth then to cite she was an early fan! Running with the minor-celeb theme, in yesterday's Weekend Telegraph (page W4), Wayne Hemingway, the designer, pops up and states 'By the time I was 13 I was doing all-nighters at Wigan Casino': it would be interesting to know if anyone younger than this managed to attend the Casino?

Not younger Frankie but my younger  brother Jeff by two years went when he was fourteen a couple of weeks before I did. Steve

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Cheers for this Steve. It appears that the youngsters who attended the Casino were aged 13-14 but evidently passed as 18 year olds.

Think it was down to having memberships and a no alcohol policy that allowed the youngest of them in without much problem. I don't remember anyone getting refused admission in the six years I was going on account of them being to young . Anyone. ?      Steve

Edited by Winsford Soul
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Guest gfarrington

is that pete bottomly?.................... :D  :D .........only joking mate    he don,t look old enough lol :lol:

pmsl , my first thought too, and its goodnight from me

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  • 4 years later...
On 12/01/2014 at 17:06, SHEFFSOUL said:

 think i remember the guy you refer to as 'Les'..always on his own..used to bump inro him at various train stations..had a very jerky almost out of time beat..and he had longish straight hair..always a vest or maybe once,a well worn white(ish) T shirt..never knew him name..i think he may be on here..and might have seen him some years back at a skeg weekender..sound about right?

You're probably thinking of Mad Malcolm from Manchester. Always wore a white t-shirt. Long straight greasy hair. Danced like a deranged badger on PCP, legs pumping up and down, arms waving in the air. Really quiet, nice guy if you took the time to speak with him. Take a look at my photo album in "Photos", and you'll see him one of the group shots.

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18 minutes ago, Joey said:

You're probably thinking of Mad Malcolm from Manchester. Always wore a white t-shirt. Long straight greasy hair. Danced like a deranged badger on PCP, legs pumping up and down, arms waving in the air. Really quiet, nice guy if you took the time to speak with him. Take a look at my photo album in "Photos", and you'll see him one of the group shots.

this looks like it might be him..bottom just right of centre with white shirt..

mad malcolm.JPG

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On 12/01/2014 at 14:26, Steve Lane said:

There was quite a good few older lads (& lasses) in the early days. From venues which pre-dated Wigan that were being closed down. 

 

Remember this chap:

post-7917-0-65022400-1389536541_thumb.jp

 I mean the one in the black shirt. 

Booper. Knew all the "wrong 'uns" from before Wigan opened. I came back on the scene in the nineties, and pissed myself at some on the dance floor who were trying to spin. Now this guy COULD!!!! Made figure skaters took like amateurs. 

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3 minutes ago, SHEFFSOUL said:

this looks like it might be him..bottom just right of centre with white shirt..

mad malcolm.JPG

Correctamundo.!!!! This pic was 1974, first ever all dayer at Burnley Rose Rooms.

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1 minute ago, SHEFFSOUL said:

ha ha..another mystery solved..i first saw him at Wigan early 74..and obv took notice because of his erratic dancing style..is he still about? i think he used to post on here some years ago..

Dunno whether he still attends anywhere. I haven't seen him since 75 when I called it a day.

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