Jump to content

Getting to nighters


Recommended Posts

Hi I would just like to know about you soullies out there, in the days of not very much money times. Is there any stories of how you got to them, did your scooter break down, or train take you to the wrong place. Our story was in the days of Stafford. Me and my mate walked from macclesfield to Stafford got there in the early hours for the last hour, who would do anything like that now just to go too a club, what's your story 

  • Up vote 3
Link to comment
Social source share


49 minutes ago, Stephen Houghton said:

Hi I would just like to know about you soullies out there, in the days of not very much money times. Is there any stories of how you got to them, did your scooter break down, or train take you to the wrong place. Our story was in the days of Stafford. Me and my mate walked from macclesfield to Stafford got there in the early hours for the last hour, who would do anything like that now just to go too a club, what's your story 

Once walked back from Stafford to Nottingham with 4 others after our lift decided to go home at 3am. Worst thing was I had my dj box with me as I was running the Notts palias soul nites. We did that then went to Stafford. Got back home around 5.30pm and was out again to dj at the polish club Notts on the Sunday night. Those where the days 

  • Up vote 2
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Social source share

Everyway possible, driven, got lifts with others, coach, hitch and trains in the late 70's, early 80's with the famous 2 for 1 train tickets for free (no receipt needed) that used to be attached to the outside of Persil boxes etc. (see photo).

You were supposed to purchase the product but I believe many people took advantage of this being on the outside of the packaging. Shortly after this these were put inside. 

Persil tickets-1980.jpg

Link to comment
Social source share

Various rubbish cars, one where the footwell used to fill up with water when it rained, drove home from Bradford and was under about two inches of water by  the time we got home and a Volkswagen Beetle where you had to put your hand through the glove compartment to work the wipers now that was cold. 

  • Up vote 2
Link to comment
Social source share

4of us went to the scrapyard paid a tenner for a hillman minx, no licence or tax or ins. One of my mates had a full leg cast on as he'd broke his leg, off to Wigan we went. Parked up in the morning the only car left on carpark was ours. When we got all of us in aswell as webby with his plaster cast on we hid our gear down the inside of his leg. Good job as the ds pounced stripsearched us but not webby. They never asked about the car 🚙, priceless memories. 

  • Up vote 3
Link to comment
Social source share

Just a quick side story it’s 1976/77 got the Wigan Friday oldies coach from Aldershot - so we’re travelling back Saturday morning M6 or M1 back south - we stop off at a service station - we’re all coming down / still chewing / staring - all of a sudden about 15 blokes appear from the entrance which was via the over head bridge - There Newcastle going somewhere and they saw our coach and thought we were another football firm going to another game - all a bit tense until someone goes in a Gordie accent “ there ok there soulies” 🤣😂🤣 happy times 

 

Edited by Zoomsoulblue
  • Up vote 2
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Social source share

Just now, Stephen Houghton said:

That's Brill, the youth of today wouldn't even go to the next town if daddy won't take then and pick them up 😂 

Just read this thread....40 + miles walk for a nighter...that is a great little story - Respect! :) 

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Social source share

Hiya, like most people, cars, vans, coach, thumb etc but one of the most knackering was on the back of my mates trial bike to Wigan's 5th anniversary, took a while to make it on the dancefloor, cheers

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Social source share

Got a funny story. My dad told me, he said he once hitched to Nottingham Palais all dayer he thinks it was from Huntingdon cambs around 77/78 and a dodgy guy picked him up and took him to the wrong place so he did a runner and then got picked up by a crane and took him all the way to the venue, everyone loved it of course! 😂

He also said he hitched all the way to Wigan from Huntingdon a few times. 

 

Another funny one,  he said he also hitched to an all nighter once and he met a guy who just come out of prison, he got talking to him and he came to the nighter with him! Coalville Leicester, he thinks it was

 

Anyway I thought ild share them with you as I found them funny.. 

Edited by Thfcliam
  • Up vote 2
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Social source share

Funny at the time story - Friday Oldies night coach from Aldershot went to Newbury bus station probably to pick gear up on the way and a few people - on gets a few soulies and a tramp, he’s worse for wear ok and merry and thinks we’re going somewhere he wants to go - some hours later we stopped off at Birmingham Hilton M6 - where he got off and we left him there -👏🏻👏🏻🤣😂 well it was funny at the time 

  • Up vote 2
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Social source share

Another time, 3of us went to I think Oldham in the late 90s, we picked up a Ford capri from the scrap yard for a tenner as we did on regular occasions. Off we went found the place and it resembled crossroads motel off the telly. Parked up, no licence or tax or ins. The car park had cctv all over so I thought the car would be OK, the night was awful bad tunes bad everything. Came out about 3am and the car was gone, nobody saw anything even the cctv operator. Got a taxi home. About a month later the police called to tell me my car was on a industrial site could you go and collect it. When we got there the inside was stripped bar but they had left my northern soul cds, I think they must have been rockers 😂 

Link to comment
Social source share

Of course back in those days there was no sat nav and stuff.

Shortly after the Torch all-nighters started we set off from Liverpool, 7 of us crammed into my Dads Hillman Husky with the seats folded flat so we could all lie down. Get on the M6 to the classic conversation of "I thought you new where it was"? No "I thought you did" Several hours later we get there and had a classic night. Coming back was a bit scary as I was driving and kept falling asleep. Only to be kept awake by my mates singing hey hey brother Times a Wasting at the top of their voices. Happy days.

Dave Banks

  • Up vote 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Social source share

I drove from Chatham to Fleetwood (283 miles) for my first full weekender in 2001 which I was dead excited about. Before I left, I checked the oil and water levels on my car and thought I was fit to go. As I got to the M1, the temperature started to rise until it got undrivable so I pulled up at Newport Pagnell services. Opened up the bonnet and there was oil everywhere. I didn't screw the lid back on properly.

A recovery truck took me to a garage who had to clean the engine and replace the oil. They were already busy so it took bloody ages. I was getting so agitated. I had planned to get to Fleetwood about 5 but didn't arrive until 10. 

I was told that the bar shut at midnight, so the first pint went down in one and the others went down quickly after. It wasn't until about 1am, I realised they were still serving and I was well pissed by then. The bar stayed open until 3 or 4am. 

It all worked out well in the end 😀

 

Edited by Daved
  • Up vote 2
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Social source share

On 07/05/2020 at 20:38, Stephen Houghton said:

Hi I would just like to know about you soullies out there, in the days of not very much money times. Is there any stories of how you got to them, did your scooter break down, or train take you to the wrong place. Our story was in the days of Stafford. Me and my mate walked from macclesfield to Stafford got there in the early hours for the last hour, who would do anything like that now just to go too a club, what's your story 

43 miles on foot? 🤔

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Social source share

Loughborough all nighter around 88. Arrived easily enough from London  on the train, where I was studying, never been to the town before but easily found the venue, town hall, if I remember correctly, nighter bag in hand I was told by the bouncer  'allnighter, that was last night pal!'

Back to the station, last train to London

 had gone, first at 7 in the morning, cold nights sleep under the bench on the platform. Shrugged it off and was back at an nighter the following week.

  • Up vote 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Social source share

On 12/05/2020 at 16:08, Ficklefingers said:

 (Len.. does that bring back memories of the one and only time Sue and I gave you a  lift.. to Leeds ?? lol).

Indeed it does Johnny.  That trip to Leeds was one of many fond memories that this scene provides us with.

Btw, there was nothing sinister ref not having a lift off you ever again - The company was fine and dandy ('Like minds') :wink:

Len :thumbsup:

 

  • Up vote 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Social source share

Reminds me of a night at Blackpool Mecca, me and my mate, about fifteen/sixteen. Missed our coach so hitched back to Rochdale. Second lift dropped us in Moss Side at about 4:00 am. We were approached by a gang of about six brothers. "United or City?" was the question we had to answer for safe passage. Scary night!

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Social source share

On 08/05/2020 at 20:19, Kathryn Magson said:

1966 & only JUST turned 15 when I started going to the Twisted Wheel. I normally caught  the X12 bus from Bradford - cost 5/- & took 1hr 45 mins to go over the Pennines to Manchester. If I was skint - a not uncommon occurrence back then as I was living in a bedsit by the time I turned 16 - I used to hitch it there & back along with a mate. Wouldn't feel safe for 2 teenage girls to do that nowadays, but when you're 16 you don't see the dangers in life do you? Other clubs I went to were The Plebs (Halifax) Birdtrap (near Burnley) Golden Disc ( Keighley) Lord Jim's (Huddersfield) Blue Note & Top 20 (both in Manchester) & String o'Beads (Bradford) There might have been others, but these are the ones I remember - the Wheel was always my favourite & I was there most weekends.

It was just the BEST time to be a teenager I had some fab times - saw some of the best bands - I'd do it all again in a heartbeat!😍😍

PS - just reminiscing - I vaguely remember going to Halifax - squashed god knows how many of us into a battered old Ford Anglia - when the exhaust dropped of halfway there - oops! It had no door handles inside - just bits of string to pull to close the doors - & the wipers didn't work either......Happy days.....

My sisters used to go to the Top 20. Don't hear it mentioned much.

  • Up vote 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Social source share

5 hours ago, Drewtg said:

My sisters used to go to the Top 20. Don't hear it mentioned much.

The Top 20 was quite a small club Drew - think it probably only held about 100 or so at the most - it had a small dance floor & a tiny coffee bar upstairs. The nighters  weren't normally very busy - most of us went there on Sunday mornings after a night at the Wheel.

At least the Top 20 dance floor was wooden - unlike the Wheel where the floor in the DJ room was flagstones  & in the main room I think it was bitumen! No wonder we all have bad backs & knackered knees!

I remember reading a couple of years ago that Clarence (Jamaican guy who used to DJ at the Top 20) is still DJing, but can't remember where - somewhere in Mancs I think.

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Social source share

Back in the day me and about 4others went to the carousel at Plymouth Grove Manchester, it was a good night, good tunes etc etc. We come out in the morning and it was snowing one of our party had taken his tunes to sell. We went to the main road to catch the bus back to macclesfield bus arrived and we got back OK, it was freezing in the bus. Arrived in macc and realised that macca had put his records on the wall near the bus stop and had left them there doh, they were all demos and pricey, PRICELESS 

  • Up vote 2
Link to comment
Social source share

Heart breaking Stephen!

I knew someone who put his records on top of a car, drove off, and only realized when he got home - Back they drove......very slowly :D

Maybe 'see' you at 'The Bury Virtual All-nighter tonight' - I'll buy you a Virtual pint :wink:

Len :thumbsup:

 

Link to comment
Social source share

I remember many times hitch-hiking up the M6 on a Saturday night to the casino when I was 16 - 17 and being picked up by a wide range of people from a man in a rolls royce to a priest. I'm sure as well it confused them when they got off at the first Wigan junction as I think there was no way back on except to go through Wigan it'self, I always pleaded ignorance. When I could afford the train many times instead of getting off at Stafford I would end up at Rugby, being straight meant sleeping on the way home.

Link to comment
Social source share

Get involved with Soul Source

Add your comments now

Join Soul Source

A free & easy soul music affair!

Join Soul Source now!

Log in to Soul Source

Jump right back in!

Log in now!


×
×
  • Create New...