Peterborough Allnighters 1980 onwards

[Simon T]

5 minutes ago, Peter99 said:

Different kind of bombers back then Steve.

Now that is very witty, Peter! I too don't remember being outside for very long. How many entries were there to the Wirrina?

[Simon T]

7 hours ago, Rob Wigley said:

Here you go Chalky, I DJ d there for about 2 and a half years every fortnight, 87 /88 ish

Gary Spencer was a regular as was Tony Warot, the nighters were quite up front at the beginning ran by Jon buck and Danny Everard 

several guest DJs inc Neil Nogger Allen when he was well, Bob banks was another. he's a flyer from when the nighters changed

Whatever happened to the J D Bryant acetate?

[Peter99]

16 minutes ago, simon t said:

Now that is very witty, Peter! I too don't remember being outside for very long. How many entries were there to the Wirrina?

No idea mate. 

There was also the bomb scare at Notts Odd Fellows - we weren't outside too long for that either. Would that of been 86?

 

 

 

[Steve G]

Stamford I think might have been Russ Towers, he was certainly DJ-ing there. 

Before the Fleet PSc were running do's at The cresset (Bretton) c.81-82 I am not sure if these were Niters though or just evening do's? And I think PSC became DSC when Stuart Gordon ceased to be involved.

Edited January 18, 2016 by Steve G

[Pumpkinseed]

7 hours ago, Rob Wigley said:

Here you go Chalky, I DJ d there for about 2 and a half years every fortnight, 87 /88 ish

Gary Spencer was a regular as was Tony Warot, the nighters were quite up front at the beginning ran by Jon buck and Danny Everard 

several guest DJs inc Neil Nogger Allen when he was well, Bob banks was another. he's a flyer from when the nighters changed

I don't  know the exact dates but I'm sure Brian Rae and Tony Clayton were running the allnighter at some point mid eighties because l first started D jing there , gentleman Rob Smith boxed for my corner and they let me do a spot in the main room playing newer sixties sounds ..........Little John ( Martay ) , Gwen Davis ( SS7 ) , Betty Turner ( Cresent ) Soul Bros Inc ( Golden eye ) , Ron Baxter ( Ole 9 ) mostly Stafford sounds which were recent new tunes , well within a year or two ( which were new to the Fleet at the time ) apart from the sixties newies nighter some years before . Which I thought was excellent but didn't really work with the punters . 

  It must have been 86 ish deffo before Jon and Danny took over , things really did start to take off then . Will sort out some play lists and get some top tens together . I do remember the 10 the anniversary that was a FANTASTIC night there one of the best nighters I've every been to  . 

 

 

[Chalky]

Tony Clayton was there with the CESC before the RSG nighters, I have a flyer, will post it sometime

[Chalky]

CESC OCT 1987

 

 

[Chalky]

RSG 10th Anniversary, Oct 1988

 

 

[Pumpkinseed]

Just now, chalky said:

RSG 10th Anniversary, Oct 1988

 

 

Bloody confusing , there must have been more promoters at the Fleet in the 8ts than l can remember   . Well done Chalky ......... Keep em coming . 

[Arthur Fenn]

The Fleet was my first big niter gig circa 78/79 for Ken Cox. Big sounds for me there were things like Soul Communicators, Greater Experience, Perisians, Don Ray. Good fun but not too many records stood the test of time tho , 

[Simon T]

4 hours ago, Steve G said:

We'd gone home long before then billy...

I can empathise with that, there's only so many times a person can endure listing to Right Track and George Blackwell !

Didn't you used to start the niter off at some point?

[Peter99]

18 minutes ago, Arthur Fenn said:

The Fleet was my first big niter gig circa 78/79 for Ken Cox. Big sounds for me there were things like Soul Communicators, Greater Experience, Perisians, Don Ray. Good fun but not too many records stood the test of time tho , 

Greater Experience and Don Ray are still great Northern dance records Arthur. How much soul is in there is debateable! 

 

[Simon T]

Didn't Dick Coombes DJ regularly at the Fleet at some time?

[St James]

it was around this time at a Soul nite in a pub near the Butter Market in Peterborough city centre that I was basically picked out by a gang to take a beating...I surprised the tosser winding me up by decking him...unfortunately Alan Darker who was with us at the time took a few punches holding the others back as we scrapped by the bar...they got chucked out and it took a bit of negotiating to get out of Peterborough in one piece...only time I ever had trouble at a do...as for the Fleet...after EASC finished musically it went a bit stagnant so didn't go that often...went to the Eddie Holman, Jnr Walker Warina allnighter...Major Lance was booked but didn't turn up..happy days 

[Steve G]

8 hours ago, simon t said:

I can empathise with that, there's only so many times a person can endure listing to Right Track and George Blackwell !

Didn't you used to start the niter off at some point?

Yes at The Fleet usually first or second. Meant I didn't have to play the aforementioned Right Track, Julien Covay etc. 

[Chalky]

Who was the D&S Promotions that is on the 10th Anniversary flyer?

[Zoomsoulblue]

PSC started 1982 at the Wirrina they did about 6 nighters there as EASC Ken Cox had the Fleet - 

PSC clashed with EASC - That was Ken Coxs last night -PSC moved into the Fleet

PSC - Started in 1982 after Wigan had shut, they wanted a more oldies style music rather than what was being played at EASC - Steve Gs right bully butler Inst first then fading in the vocal was a favourite - little bit hurts, green door, how can I forget, velvets, interplay, breakout , poor dog, anything that was 100mph remember this was a young adrenaline crowd 

EASC - after st Ives 1977 Ken Cox moved the EASC venue to the Wirrina in about 1977/78 then EASC moved to the Fleet - which was a council run property up to 1982 when the ICA took over (brought it) Italian Community Association who still own it today.

[Zoomsoulblue]

D&S Promotions About 1980-81  - then changed into PSC 1982

Dave Read and Stuart Gordon

it usually was shown on early flyers in a cap / pill like pictures -as DS stood for drug squad - kind of piss take

[Zoomsoulblue]

Peterborough Soul Club - ran this nighter in Notts 1983 in org format / also The Dedicated Soul Club ran weekly Northern nights at the Camden Ballroom London 

[Zoomsoulblue]

15 hours ago, Steve G said:

Stamford I think might have been Russ Towers, he was certainly DJ-ing there. 

Before the Fleet PSc were running do's at The cresset (Bretton) c.81-82 I am not sure if these were Niters though or just evening do's? And I think PSC became DSC when Stuart Gordon ceased to be involved.

Steve that was the key to the Peterborough Soul and Scooter crowds, they were a younger crowd the Knights Hall at the Cresset Bretton, Friday night, followed by the fleet all nighter on the Sat then coach down to St Ives all dayer on the Sunday - 16 - 18 year old speed feeding, crowd.

In late 81 early 82 these were under the D&S Promotions - then when the first Soul nighter was put on at the Wirrina that was under the PSC - this was run by Dave Read and Wilcox and later by Stuart Gordon after he was released from prison - mid to late 82.

[Chrisrm]

38 minutes ago, ZoomSoulBlue said:

Steve that was the key to the Peterborough Soul and Scooter crowds, they were a younger crowd the Knights Hall at the Cresset Bretton, Friday night, followed by the fleet all nighter on the Sat then coach down to St Ives all dayer on the Sunday - 16 - 18 year old speed feeding, crowd.

In late 81 early 82 these were under the D&S Promotions - then when the first Soul nighter was put on at the Wirrina that was under the PSC - this was run by Dave Read and Wilcox and later by Stuart Gordon after he was released from prison - mid to late 82.

Yup i agree. This pretty much describes my experience being one of that 16-18 crowd.... Knights Hall soul night on a Friday followed by Fleet allnighter on Saturday then Sunday all-dayer at St Ives. School on Monday was fun. Couldn't manage that now.    

[Professorturnups]

I was a regular at The Fleet from 1978 until the mid-80S. Have several live tapes so I'll go through and put some tracks up. Steve G is right, The Fleet was always oldies based with certain DJs such as Guy Hennigan and Chris Plant brought in to spice things up. In one of Chris Plant's sets he played things like Freddie Williams and had to revert to oldies because hardly anybody was dancing.

Mark Chamberlin

  

[John A]

Being slightly younger than some of you here (45) my years going to the Fleet must have been late 80's.

One time sticks in my mind. Drove up on my own, went in. Had a chat with Sue on the door. Then scratched around for a bit of gear. No joy! Feeling knackered I popped out to the car to have a quick rest. Woke up 7 hours later just to see em loading the last bit of equipment in the van. Good night that! 

[Chalky]

So....just to get this straight....

who was causing the trouble, when and where and if possible why.

[Steve G]

On a public forum Chalky? 

 

20 hours ago, simon t said:

Didn't Dick Coombes DJ regularly at the Fleet at some time?

Much later, same with Keb. D&S / PSC didn't book them the later promotor did.

Edited January 19, 2016 by Steve G

[Chalky]

9 minutes ago, Steve G said:

On a public forum Chalky? 

Obviously I don't want names (PM those if you want ? )

[Still Diggin]

On 1/17/2016 at 20:53, Steve G said:

Yes Change Searching I remember that being spun at the Fleet.

We did 3 or 4 at Papa Luigis, I seem to recall 50+ being in, although one might have been a bit less. It's so long ago I can't remember now. I seem to remember it being the first venue that Fish (Mark Coddington) ever went to. I thought they were good nights, but then again I am biased.

Papa luigis must have been one of the first nighters to carry the ' modern soul' tag with no northern played. Got to those a couple of times, and fondly remember the excellent mix of current soulfull boogie tunes like Dino Terrell, Crown heights Affair, and the staple diet of little logo 45s. A really fresh and ground breaking time for the soul scene back then. As for the fleet, well the few times I did attend it seemed more of a challenge trying to avoid being clouted by the local bikers or punks walking through that bloody housing estate after getting of the train. My mate tried to drive us there one night in his old cortina E, only to crash it somewhere in the fens, twisting the whole thing so badly that the front and rear boot sprung open, together with only one passenger door that would open to let us out. Barley strands were jamed in every crevice. The driver got the breakdown to get him home, while we hitched the last fifty odd miles. Happy days. 

[Steve G]

Hi Rob, the Papa Luigi nights were about 85, I think we wanted to avoid a visit from the PSC gang asking for Green Door! Ha ha! 

[macca]

On Monday, January 18, 2016 at 18:47, Steve G said:

When did PSC stop running it then about 85? I know I stopped going about that time because it was really basic oldies, "Right Track", "Cause your mine" etc. every time, three times a night. Awful. 

The Javells and Sam The Sham & The Pharoahs even. Dreadful. 

[macca]

Ken Cox started the Fleet in June 78. He'd lost St.Ives the previous autumn, the last allniter being held in October from memory. He held an allniter at the Samson & Delilah ballroom in Norwich in January 78 as a stop gap or water tester. It didn't take off sadly. Love Naarwich. 

[Zoomsoulblue]

Bedford Embankment - EASC

When was that late 70ts and was it an old cinema I remember sitting in seats and looking at people dancing on a stage , or had I had too much again !!!

[macca]

The Nite Spot Bedford in 1980. Another Ken Cox job. Flak between Mods, those who thought they were Mods and progressive types dancing to Will Collins & Willpower. Interesting times. 

[Stuart Gordon]

Interesting have to say 

[Stuart Gordon]

Not exactly how everything was and went down,however i enjoyed some if not all of the shenanigans that was presented to a young boy 

[Stuart Gordon]

On 19/01/2016 at 13:37, ChrisRM said:

Yup i agree. This pretty much describes my experience being one of that 16-18 crowd.... Knights Hall soul night on a Friday followed by Fleet allnighter on Saturday then Sunday all-dayer at St Ives. School on Monday was fun. Couldn't manage that now.    

That's how it went down for  many  lol I was 19 at the time 

 

 

Edited September 15, 2018 by Stuart Gordon

[Stuart Gordon]

On 19/01/2016 at 16:21, chalky said:

So....just to get this straight....

who was causing the trouble, when and where and if possible why.

Ask the St Ives crowd who beat up a 16yr old boy on his birthday from Stamford in the Grapevine,then as Karma would have it went to Stamford the very next night.

[Stuart Gordon]

On 18/01/2016 at 20:52, simon t said:

Now that is very witty, Peter! I too don't remember being outside for very long. How many entries were there to the Wirrina?

Lol..i suppose it was a bit parky .did you do the right thing and  grab a coat?

[Chalky]

8 hours ago, Stuart Gordon said:

Ask the St Ives crowd who beat up a 16yr old boy on his birthday from Stamford in the Grapevine,then as Karma would have it went to Stamford the very next night.

who was it?

[Ian Parker]

Fascinating read...   as a punter, you never realised, or worried, who ran this or promoted that.   Ken Cox had his finger in some pies during those days, straight in to Peterboro when St ives closed.    i used to buy records off him, Casterton Rd, Stamford i seem to recall. 

 

  Fleet, Cresset, Wirrina,    we went to em all,  never any bother , apart from a bomb scare (Eddie Holman & Jnr Walker).....  St Ives was another story

[MotownSoulMan]

This thread brings back some memories.

Yeah, Ken Cox was coming out of Casterton Road in Stamford at the time. Soul Bowl I believe.

As for the agg at the time, one of the biggest problems was the Spalding lot against the Holbeach lot. If I remember correctly it was supposed to come to a head at the old bus station in Spalding one Sunday morning, but as far as I can tell you, that never happened. There's also a story from that era that a girl from Spalding had been roughed up somewhere in the old Lincoln Road area of Peterborough, which is supposed to have led to a car load from Spalding going down there the next day to seek retribution, but whether that really happened I don't know. I do remember that there was half a dozen from both Spalding and from Holbeach that was forever trying to cause trouble. I can remember odd incidents at the Fleet, but they were the usual pussies like Arnold, Armstrong and Co, and pathetically minor. That Arnold, I won't mention the christian name, was the one responsible for the Lincoln Drill Hall/After Dark Promotions incident, with the rozzers raiding the place because he had cocked his leg up the chippy counter just down the hill. There's two guys from Peterborough called Dave, and Winston that could tell you a lot more, but I lost contact a long time ago. I think that Dave lived in Yaxley at the time. As for the Stamford events, the name Russ Towers springs to mind, but I ain't dead sure of that.

[Stuart Gordon]

On 22/09/2018 at 10:25, chalky said:

who was it?

To be honest Chalky I never knew names,all i can say is that the young boy never deserved a hiding like he took on his 16th birthday by grow adult (so called men)I knew many chaps from Stamford in the Soul/Scooter scene who weren't best pleased when one of their own youngsters had taken such a beating, what possessed them to go into Stamford the night after and not expect a blow back is either arrogant dismissive contempt,or rank stupidity,by the way his father was a high ranking officer in the RAF out of Wittering who flew off the carriers in the Falklands conflict,I suppose his father thought best left alone.Where I came into it,his mother and father came to my house in Bretton to pick him up,minus one front tooth when he left home on his Vespa 50cc.

[Professorturnups]

I always thought the problem with outsiders came from the Stanground lot. Think they started chucking beer barrels one night, quite violent scenes. Shame coz the Fleet had been a half decent venue. 

 

Mark C

[Wendy Thompson]

Anyone know if Dave Stimpson from Lincoln is about? Wx

[Simsy]

Remember great nights at the Fleet around 84/85. Dave Evison playing - 'All your lovins' gone to my head' and Danny Everard playing 'Soft Walking' & Soul Joe Clements. Remember getting the Northern Soul Story 1 LP from Rob Smith at the Fleet a couple of days before it was released. Every hand clap to Freddie Chavez in those days.

I had EASC, Central England and Dedicated memberships. By then we were going to the Three Cups in Chelmsford (DSC) with Tony Clayton on a Sunday night. Thursday nights were at the YMCA in Duke St Chelmsford. Another Dedicated do that I think Scottish Mick Love might have something to do with?

I do remember hearing the bomb scare plotter did a bit of bird for his exploits? Also enjoyed a frantic time on the terraces apparently, as did others.

Great days. Who ran the short lived Ivo Nighters in St Ives? Heard Pyramid for the first time there. Best record ever made. 

[Soulman]

Always understood the "bomb hoax" at the Wirrina to be down to a certain KW.... DJ'd at the Fleet a few times in the Modern room but most people have forgotten about that.