Wanted: Original Twisted Wheel patch

[Moveandgroove]

Looking for an original Twisted Wheel patch here

[Ian Parker]

was there such a thing ?  (never seen one)

[Moveandgroove]

Thanks for the reply.

So are all Twisted Wheel patches post 1971? The club never made them?

Someone also said Blackpool Mecca didn't make patches either?

Is that right?

[Ian Parker]

i could be wrong,   but i believe the 'original' type, were a large lancashire rose  (black and red). as you say, most likely post closure.   

   one of the old school wheelers, could probably confirm.    but i reckon Va Va's was the first to do patches ? 

[Moveandgroove]

Thanks. Wonder who produced that Twisted Wheel patch post closure? Was it the clubs owners?

Interested to know the origins of patches in general - which clubs made their own etc

Really appreciate your knowledge sharing here

[STEFAN BURLAK]

As an  Wheeler of the last years of the Club and other all-night venues, Patches, badges and other paraphernalia to my knowledge did not exist. I am pretty sure it would have been seen as very bad form to wear such items during those times.

Patches, badges, became popular during the Wigan era.

[Moveandgroove]

Thank you - good to gain a better understanding regarding the origins of patches within the scene

I wonder which club produced the first patch? And wether it was mainly clubs that made them or tribute's from fans/dancers

 

Edited January 26 by Moveandgroove

[Wheeler]

The Twisted Wheel logo that you see was actually the membership card as produced by then owners the Abadi family. They never registered the design so it became public domain and anyone can use or manipulate it. My good friend is quite correct when he say that patches was a Wigan era thing.

[Julianb]

12 hours ago, STEFAN BURLAK said:

As an  Wheeler of the last years of the Club and other all-night venues, Patches, badges and other paraphernalia to my knowledge did not exist. I am pretty sure it would have been seen as very bad form to wear such items during those times.

Patches, badges, became popular during the Wigan era.

'Very bad form' - absolutely correct. We prided ourselves on our sartorial elegance with Ben Shermans, Levis etc (too much to list) but an old wheel pal always tells me that the guys from Rochdale were the trend setters at the time with new attires every week!

[Tykebike]

If you really want a patch or badge then the best ones are the ones that Pete & Jackie Roberts sell because they are a replica of the Wheel membership cards.

Go and visit Pete, John Greene & Jock heron at Basement 66 to hear only records that were played at the Wheel and I'm sure Jackie will have some badges for sale.

Edited January 26 by Tykebike

[Moveandgroove]

Thanks all. Really good insight.

Wonder if the Torch produced any patches itself while it was still open in '73 or wether all Torch patches are post closure tributes

[Mithras]

The patches exist my mate TIlly r.i.p. had one around 72 on his blazer days of saint's & sinners

[Ian Parker]

he prob had one of these  

[Mithras]

From memory looks  right long while ago  nice to see image  of one from those days nobody wore badges  back then 

[Wheeler]

I don't know where the red rose thing came from but it certainly isn't the original Wheel membership card logo.  

[Moveandgroove]

The red rose is the emblem of Lancashire - wonder if that offers any clue 

So seems like Twisted Wheel patches were produced after the club closed in '71

Wonder if Va Va & Torch patches were produced officially by the clubs or as tributes

 

[Mithras]

Interesting but my mate got his from the wheel  by post in 71 took a long time to come we were both 17 around that time but well aware of the wheel as soul scene existed down in the Bedford  area then

[Mithras]

Only patch I paid for was mallet Cambridge  ,wigan were free from 1st allnighter no patches at cleethorpes  or Sammy, s 

[Tykebike]

Patches+baggies+vests ≠ Twisted Wheel end of.

[Moveandgroove]

Mithras your mate got his badge direct from the Twisted Wheel? Made by the club?

And no patches at Cleethorpes - what about Blackpool Mecca?

[Wiggyflat]

I remember reading about a bloke who went to a badge makers at the time and got his own embroidered badge made for his blazer.

[Mithras]

Absolutely  right my blazer badge was PJA  still in the loft with a pair of originals levi sta press no badges at VA VA just  good dubes

[Moveandgroove]

Thanks Mithras. So the 'Va Va Lives On' patches were produced after the club closed?

[Mithras]

I used to go to va va,s to the end never saw patches for sale to more important  things going  on but I have seen them now though

[Stevegods]

Most of the early venues never sold patches , very true , and the Wheel never did till Ivor saw a bit of a market to cash in on and even then they weren’t that great and just a copy of the design for the membership card . 

But others quickly saw that this was another form of potential lucrative income and started making them. 
People like Chris Burton really saw opportunities to make more of what devotees might want with his International Soul Club and started producing lots and lots of variations of stuff . 
 

Much later on, there was one guy who started making his own designed hand made patches and selling them - a bit like Soussan, just not out of the boot of his car.The old collectors out there will know who I’m talking about . Sadly he passed away a few years ago.  
 

They are like Marmite, some love them, while some others see them as all that’s wrong with the scene. 
 

 

 

[BazFromThePast]

@Moveandgroove

I was too young for VA VA’s. Only went to Wigan from ‘77 to closing. I can’t recall buying a badge after chucking away my school bag. So if it helps your research all these I framed off my bag were pre ‘81. The ‘Lives On’ clearly suggests the Va Va’s one was post closure. And I’m sure I’d have bought a wheel one if available at the time. I could be wrong though, sadly time diminishes the brain! I’d rely on those who were there for that one. Cheers BazFromThePast 

[Moveandgroove]

Thank you - really great insight here

So seems like most patches were produced by 3rd parties as tributes by individuals/groups rather than the clubs themselves. Wigan Casino being the main exception here

[Ian Parker]

I still say Va-Va's were first !     Steve Gutteridge will know,   i'll put him on to this thread 

 

 edit,   spoken to him  ,  he confirms he bought it from the club... 

Edited January 29 by Ian Parker
edit

[Moveandgroove]

Great to see the Va Va patch - wonder if this really was the first

[Mithras]

Don't  think so the wheel ones were around 71 to 72  first patch I Had ever seen at the time then va va

[Moveandgroove]

Cheers Mithras - Whitworth Street Twisted Wheel closed in 1971 so still wonder if the club produced the patch or a fan/outsider

Also do you know about the Blackpool Coronation Street Twisted Wheel connection? Wonder when that closed?

[Torch56]

Didn't Dave Godin in one of his Blues and Soul columns refer to punters wearing Twisted Wheel embroidered badges on the breast pockets of their barathea blazers circa 1971? I seem to recall Pete Tilseley had one on his black Ben Sherman at the Catacombs in 1972.

The badges thing really took off in the Torch period with the image of the flaming torch being held with THE TORCH and STOKE ON TRENT emblazoned around its periphery. These were ubiquitous by the time of the club's closure in 1973 and clearly became the example that provided the benchmark for the entrepreneurial types, who saw a market for such items, as interest in the scene began to snowball during the Wigan era.

[Moveandgroove]

Thanks Torch56 - great insight. I saw it mentioned elsewhere that someone remembered a writer in Blues & Soul had some Wheel patches made up and 'write in' for details