Can anyone help me with this.  Which venue Wirrana or Fleet had the almost unlit corridor between the two rooms where the trip hazard was the people sat down verballing. Or cause of being messy am I thinking of somewhere completely different?

Back in the lovely old days when all venues were dark and dingy , and all the better for it in my opinion.

Don't recall the Wirrina like that just a great big hall , never went to the Fleet so have no idea on that one.

Oddfellows in Leicester was two rooms at around the same time.

Are you thinking of the ‘Oldies’ room at St Ives. A boxing area in which people danced in pitch black. Only light was on the DJ decks. 
Don’t remember the dark bits at Fleet/Wirrina but it was a long time ago!

I remember a dark corridor off the main room at the fleet, I’m sure a few record dealers would sell stuff along there, and think there was a smaller room at the end of it but it’s years ago so I could be imagining the second room 

1 hour ago, Greedy said:

Can anyone help me with this.  Which venue Wirrana or Fleet had the almost unlit corridor between the two rooms where the trip hazard was the people sat down verballing. Or cause of being messy am I thinking of somewhere completely different?

Wirrina was a roller skating venue in early 1980's

55 minutes ago, Milo said:

Are you thinking of the ‘Oldies’ room at St Ives. A boxing area in which people danced in pitch black. Only light was on the DJ decks.

brightest lights in there were ciggarettes

 

43 minutes ago, Andy northwood said:

I remember a dark corridor off the main room at the fleet, I’m sure a few record dealers would sell stuff along there, and think there was a smaller room at the end of it but it’s years ago so I could be imagining the second room 

behind the stage, as such, was a small room, dark corridor to it. I remember 4 people in it, one was the DJ - Harbor Horace "this one's definatley not in the charts" Jackie Wilson - I've Lost You. .......I wonder what happened to him??

1 hour ago, Woodbutcher said:

Back in the lovely old days when all venues were dark and dingy , and all the better for it in my opinion.

Don't recall the Wirrina like that just a great big hall , never went to the Fleet so have no idea on that one.

Oddfellows in Leicester was two rooms at around the same time.

Definitely not Oddfellows as I'm a Leicester soulie born and bread lol. Someone else has suggested st Ives?? 

It's over 40 years ago of very messy times so this could be a long time sorting out 👀👀👀👀 ps my eyes in the 80s

2 hours ago, Greedy said:

Can anyone help me with this.  Which venue Wirrana or Fleet had the almost unlit corridor between the two rooms where the trip hazard was the people sat down verballing. Or cause of being messy am I thinking of somewhere completely different?

 

The only thing I remember about this corridor is that it was almost pitch black.. too dark for record dealers and unless someone had a lit cigarette you didn't see them and stumbled over their legs. The only reason I think it was Peterborough is I think after apologising for falling over their legs we got talking about what was being played and they said they had a 12" version of lew Kirkton heaven in the afternoon for sale  and we went for a drive in the middle of the night to get it  . Well it was only a fiver 😃

1 hour ago, Simon T said:

behind the stage, as such, was a small room, dark corridor to it. I remember 4 people in it, one was the DJ - Harbor Horace "this one's definatley not in the charts" Jackie Wilson - I've Lost You. .......I wonder what happened to him??

is that not Ady Croasdel ?

4 minutes ago, Ian Parker said:

is that not Ady Croasdel ?

Yes. 

The Fleet had a narrow dark corridor leading to a second room that was also very dark and was used as a modern soul room on occasions. The room was also long and narrow and as stated previously was sort of behind the main room stage.

Many happy memories of my very first Alnighter venue.

Whenever I went to the Fleet, usually with the Boston girls and boys I made myself unwell. 😰

8 minutes ago, Robr said:

The Fleet had a narrow dark corridor leading to a second room that was also very dark and was used as a modern soul room on occasions. The room was also long and narrow and as stated previously was sort of behind the main room stage.

Many happy memories of my very first Alnighter venue.

This makes a lot of sense 🤔.  So maybe what I am thinking of 😁

 

3 minutes ago, Peter99 said:

Whenever I went to the Fleet, usually with the Boston girls and boys I made myself unwell. 😰

I hope you don't mean in a negative way.  And that you over indulged like all of us.  

2 minutes ago, Greedy said:

 

I hope you don't mean in a negative way.  And that you over indulged like all of us.  

Yes, like you my friend, I was greedy! 🤣

I hope you are well Sir.

Peter

6 minutes ago, Peter99 said:

Whenever I went to the Fleet, usually with the Boston girls and boys I made myself unwell. 😰

Would that be Karen and Caron from Boston , fond memories of them from my early days on the NS journey ... 🥰

7 minutes ago, Woodbutcher said:

Would that be Karen and Caron from Boston , fond memories of them from my early days on the NS journey ... 🥰

Yes, I definitely knew Karen, she was lovely. My main partners in crime, in particular, were the Bradbury brothers. Sadly Richard passed away earlier this year and Ady quite a few years ago. Mick is still around, in Devon, but I haven't seen him for donkey's years.

Peter

Edited December 6, 2024Dec 6 by Peter99

They regularly gave me a lift in my hitch-hiking days from Leicester Oddfellows to Wansford , dropping me off at the wonderful Art Deco Little Chef where the A47 meets the A1 , before continuing on our separate journeys home ... 🥰

Edited December 6, 2024Dec 6 by Woodbutcher

Could be The Fleet where Brian Rae was often playing rare RnB for 2 hours. Whilst everyone else was heading for newies. Other Djs played in there too often playing stuff before trying them

in the main room. Brian Rae well ahead of everyone and pretty sure other Djs went in there and picked up tracks from Brian in that Fleet oldies room.

2 hours ago, Peter99 said:

Yes, I definitely knew Karen, she was lovely. My main partners in crime, in particular, were the Bradbury brothers. Sadly Richard passed away earlier this year and Ady quite a few years ago. Mick is still around, in Devon, but I haven't seen him for donkey's years.

Peter

When did Richard pass away ? .. I bumped into him for the first time in years in the summer.. at the GP Surgery .. I didn't recognise him at first  but he knew me straight away and said hello 

Sad to hear he has died .. none of my Boston friends have said anything which is unusual

Andy 

2 hours ago, Peter99 said:

Yes, I definitely knew Karen, she was lovely. My main partners in crime, in particular, were the Bradbury brothers. Sadly Richard passed away earlier this year and Ady quite a few years ago. Mick is still around, in Devon, but I haven't seen him for donkey's years.

Peter

Karen Hallam and Caron Brooks.. now Caron Franks.. proper partners in crime 

18 minutes ago, Andy Rix said:

When did Richard pass away ? .. I bumped into him for the first time in years in the summer.. at the GP Surgery .. I didn't recognise him at first  but he knew me straight away and said hello 

Sad to hear he has died .. none of my Boston friends have said anything which is unusual

Andy 

Hi Andy

Good to hear from you, I hope you're keeping well. I remember you well from my times hanging out with the Boston team. I think it was March time - I'm not certain of exactly when. Richard was a lovely lad, a rogue for sure, but he had a heart of gold. He just lost his way in life, particularly with regard to the darker side of the northern soul scene. I'm not even certain about how he died - I did ask one of my old Mablethorpe friends but never got an answer. 

34 minutes ago, Andy Rix said:

Karen Hallam and Caron Brooks.. now Caron Franks.. proper partners in crime 

Thanks for that Andy , found them both on FB , just have to decide now whether to disturb them after 40 years ... 

Wirrina bomb scare.   the night Major lance didnt show....   Jnr Walker & Eddie Holman made up for it tho.

   we did the Cresset,  the Fleet and Wirrina.  EASC 6th Anniv was a good night,  thats the only time i remember a 2nd room (Tony Clayton gave away a TMG demo)

37 minutes ago, Ian Parker said:

Wirrina bomb scare.   the night Major lance didnt show....   Jnr Walker & Eddie Holman made up for it tho.

Those events etched deep into my memory banks , one of only two live performances at niters that I've ever really enjoyed , the other being Ruby Andrew's impromptu stage appearance whilst accompanying her friend Barbara Acklin at the Droylsden niter of Mark Bicknell's in the early 90's.

1 hour ago, Ian Parker said:

Wirrina bomb scare.   the night Major lance didnt show....   Jnr Walker & Eddie Holman made up for it tho.

   we did the Cresset,  the Fleet and Wirrina.  EASC 6th Anniv was a good night,  thats the only time i remember a 2nd room (Tony Clayton gave away a TMG demo)

I came 2nd and got a Motown lp from Brian. Johnny Cockrell won Supremes My World Is Empty

Tamla Motown demo

Fleet oldies room always open from 1980 onwards.

 

Going to The Fleet tonight see you there?

 

 

The Fleet. If you are looking at the stage there's a door to the right of the stage. Go through there and turn left into the corridor and the oldies room is on the right hand side of the corridor. It was like a small classroom with kids pictures on the wall with the tables and chairs removed. It was open every nighter I went to there from 78 on.

Agree with you about 1978 onwards my brothers went before me but I didn't go til 1980. Myself and Chris [brother] always went from main room to second room depending on line up times but a lot of people literally walked in and straight out.

To be fair, as oldies rooms go it wasn't up to much. I hardly ever went in there.