A One Off Peterboro Wirrina Framed Print

[Pauldonnelly]

thenm bloody adverts to the right are needed I know but they sure do upset the flow of the post, I digress.

Some of you may not be aware but Steve J of spalding recently held a charity night and since last Friday has raised £1600.

I donated to the cause a framed print Ive had for donkeys, Steve is sending it back suggesting that it may make more cash if raffled off at a Peterborough event, I agreed.

The prints (as below) along with some raffle tickets will be available at The Peterborough Fleet Double Room night Novemeber 21st.

To give you a little insight to what this little all-nighter venue meant to so many locals Ive copied in a piece I did for a soul mag many years ago.

During the late 60's early 70's Clubs such as Peterborough's CLOUD NINE were platforms for many youngsters to venture to the TWISTED WHEEL MANCHESTER - THE LANTERN MK'T HARBORO - THE CENTRAL LEEDS or as in my case BLETSOE BEDFORD, Cloud Nine without doubt made a major contribution toward what is now one of the most respected areas for Rare Soul collectors and fans alike.

During the 70's numerous venues in and around the City opened their doors to this new sound that was sweeping the country, no longer was it confined to the North those from the south who had been traveling were bringing this wonderful music south in our case East and it all kicked off big time.

I have some fond memories of venues in the City such as THE SOUL 'OLE (Stanground), THE SOUL CELLAR, THE CAROUSEL CLUB, THE SPINNING WHEEL and THE CELLAR BAR STAMFORD. To comment on all the above clubs would be unfair as each one made a significant contributions to the Northern Soul Scene in Peterborough however THE CAROUSEL CLUB @ THE WIRRINA was the catalyst for scores of Peterborough youngsters to be introduced to the Northern Sound

THE CAROUSEL CLUB-WIRRINA - PETERBOROUGH

I first attended this venue in 1971, a Tuesday night and the venue was Soul Dance across the board, Pete Edwards and Ian Freeman worked together to keep the Northern Soul fraternity happy. The evening became so popular that 500 plus people attended and to be honest if you got there after 8pm you didn't get in, so much was the success of "The Tuesday nights" that The Wirrina opened the doors Sunday night for a purely Northern Soul evening.

The Wirrina was synonymous with Northern Soul so it seemed perfectly in order to ask Andy Giles the Manager if we could have an all-nighter, to cut a very long story short permission was granted and we planned our first Phoenix Soul Club all nighter for March 7th 1975...I remember Andy Giles asking us how many we were expecting "no more than 300" was my reply the surprise of seeing over 200 waiting to get in ONE HOUR before we had opened the doors, I WAS PETRIFIED, over a 1000 came in through the doors that night and our regular 1st Friday every month all nighters attracted massive crowds.

Peterboro Chaps outside the old Bus Depot nr the Wirrina

.

Resident D'j's included Gary (Spena) Spencer, Steve (Jonah) Jones, Andy (Smudge) and likkle ole me, Paul Donnelly. We were later joined by Tony Dellar and John Vincent, the word was filtering through to the North of England about this venue and Jocks such as Searling, Curtis, Levine, Evison etc all made visits to the club as well as many Live acts such as Billy Butler, Major Lance and not forgetting the Exciters which packed nearly 2000 into two rooms.

It was a truly wonderful experience and it would be fair to say that the Wirrina/Phoenix All Nighters never received the attention that it's illustrious counterparts in the North were receiving indeed a number of tunes perceived as "Bigun's from Wigan" were in actual fact discovered and played by 3 spotty faced kids from Stanground Peterborough sometimes weeks before they were ever played at The Casino, Tommy Bush being a prime example,

Our close proximity to Anderson at Soul Bowl ensured a steady stream of 'newies' which we took great delight in playing when Searling and the other big names came to town, there's not a drug in the world that can give you a buzz like Richard Searling walking over to the decks to cast his beady eye over something that he has never heard before, "yes!!!!"

The Phoenix Nighter came to abrupt end in 1976 when councilors were concerned about several issues, That last all-nighter was an eventful evening as Dave Mindham one of the co promoters insisted that no one should be told that it was the last one as pre ticket sales for Betty Wright had been received and he was not in a position to refund that night, however the other guys thought different and at 3am I was given the microphone to advise that this was the last ever Phoenix All-Nighter

Edited November 5, 2008 by PaulDonnelly

[Guest smudgesmith]

Nice one Paul lots of happy memories............and an awful lot of untold stories

[Guest]

are the raffle tickets only going to be available at the venue on the night?

are there three different prints, one the pic of the soul boys, one the poster, one the framed badge and pics?

cheers

mick

[Pauldonnelly]

are the raffle tickets only going to be available at the venue on the night?

are there three different prints, one the pic of the soul boys, one the poster, one the framed badge and pics?

cheers

mick

The raffle prize is of the framed badge and photos of the Wirrina, not the print or photos of Macca and his 'firm'

The raffle tickets are available now £2 each or £5 for a strip of five however it will be drawn at the fleet.

Send cash or chq made payable to Paul Donnelly to,

204 Stonald Road

Whittlesey

PETERBOROUGH

PE7 1QR

Please ensure your full name and the address you wish the framed print to be sent too in the event you are the winner, allow 7 days for delivery.

Many Thanks

Paul Donnelly

[sjay]

Thanks so much for the post Paul , and for giving everyone a deeper insight into the Phoenix !!

Im putting myself down for £20 worth of raffle tickets and should I be lucky enough to win it I will let you put it up for auction @ the Fleet on the 21st Nov to try to raise just a little bit more..

Steve

[Guest gordon russell]

judging by the picture of the poster..the peterborough lads were into their oldies before there ever were any lol.....did they invent em lol

[Pauldonnelly]

judging by the picture of the poster..the peterborough lads were into their oldies before there ever were any lol.....did they invent em lol

Good point well made Terry...

[Guest smudgesmith]

judging by the picture of the poster..the peterborough lads were into their oldies before there ever were any lol.....did they invent em lol

Does that mean we were ahead of our time again Tezza

[Paul-s]

Wow, great memories. I used to go to Wirrena at that time. With Spike and some other from Spalding, I think!?

[Dean]

A very skinny lad from Mansfield used to finish day shift at the pit some fridays, shower, eat and change, bus to Nottingham, Barton's bus direct to Peterbro. Some locals used to think I was wearing eye-liner (never that trendy) with the pit dust still in my eyes.

God, it all seems such a long time ago. Pit's have gone, lad I sometimes travelled with hung himself about six months ago (twat should never have given up soul nights . . . . . . . . I do have a soft side).

Wonderful piece Paul, send you a donation in th post.

Dean

[sjay]

Wow, great memories. I used to go to Wirrena at that time. With Spike and some other from Spalding, I think!?

That would be correct me being one of them!!

Steve

[macca]

Does that mean we were ahead of our time again Tezza

Your 'bags' always erred on the conservative side, if I remember rightly, Mr Smith.

This photo was taken on the 2nd of September 1977 in Peterborough Bus Station, shortly before

boarding that 4pm train to up to Wigan. Our 'bags', as it were, were bespoke, Montague Burton, Tailors of Repute,

Bridge Street Peterborough, when the town still hung on to some shred of credibilty on the Soul Scene.

Recent fishy goings on, on the North Bank of the Nene, I'm told, have helped restore some of that credibility, gracias a Di³s.

Good afternoon, I'm off for a curry at the Taj Mahal, next to the Deportivo Riazor Stadium in La Coru±a,

M

Edited November 9, 2008 by macca

[Guest STANGROUND SOUL]

I think you got the date wrong ,and as for credibility i think peterborough is doing very well with the soul scene.

[macca]

My memory is generally elephantine, the photo was taken with my camera (by Spike), I'm also from Stanground, & I'm very happy that Peterborough is doing well on the Soul front, but a while back, things did go a bit pear-shaped, didn't they? Lot's of public squabbling between promotors/punters, it all got very undignified. I may be wrong of course. :-)

M

p.s. I'm also told the Fleet sessions are doing their bit. ;-)

Edited November 9, 2008 by macca

[Guest STANGROUND SOUL]

you are right what you said peterborough was like that ,too many soul night and not enough people to go round .also there was 1 or 2 who put nights on for the wrong reason ie money, and not the music ,i think they realised they werent gonna make a million. people will go where they wan't to go and thankfuly some are heading the Fleet way.anyway i was at a funeral in london a few months ago talking to sharon guest and her sister-in-law Annie and your name popped up all nice things i must say about the Still pub.

[kimbo]

Good point well made Terry...

Had many a top nite out, remember the little window to the left of the entrance being slid open whilst I wuz leaning against it and being dragged thru as those inside thougt I wuz someone else... one min outside talking bo.....s next in the gents. to say my heart nearly came thru me rib cage feccin hell, that was a nite. next morning my lift had buggered off so me &a mate walked nearly to Oundle before his dad picked us up, that bloody smell of sugarbeet gettin down ya played havoc with ya duuube duuube dooos. Fantastic times remember a lad who was a brilliant spinner from P'bro, Danny?also Johnny with his fingers (orig the family from wellingbro). Nice Thread and a good charity. Best kimbo.

[Guest STANGROUND SOUL]

I think your on about Danny Daniels ?The Wirrina was 3 years before my time but im sure Paul Donnelly or Macca can fill you in with this one

[macca]

Yes, Danny Daniels. One of those that didn't have to rely on a gimnastic style to win. A phenomenal dancer.

He won the dance comp (& 100 quid) at Wigan's 2nd Anniversary & spent the rest of the night 'protected' by the Peterborough crowd from prowling wolves. Wigan could be very heavy at times, couldn't it?

[Guest STANGROUND SOUL]

Yes, Danny Daniels. One of those that didn't have to rely on a gimnastic style to win. A phenomenal dancer.

He won the dance comp (& 100 quid) at Wigan's 2nd Anniversary & spent the rest of the night 'protected' by the Peterborough crowd from prowling wolves. Wigan could be very heavy at times, couldn't it?

[Guest STANGROUND SOUL]

I was told today by a twin legend from peterborough that Danny could spin like a spining top better than anyone he has ever seen?

[Guest STANGROUND SOUL]

[Pauldonnelly]

You know I can't remember a fekking thing about that nighter and I was there for 10 hours as Danny Daniels, taught him everthing he knew...he did the wurley leg thing once and fell over..PMSL

[Guest WPaulVanDyk]

That is great pic by the way, i know i got pmed about the framed Wirrana thing my dad was happy to see it since he attended all them years ago.

hope that winner can do justice to what is on offer.

[Dave Fleming]

I`ve got one of these from Fri 28th Nov 1975,"All Nighter" Feat:Colin Curtis,John Vincent,Tony Deller,and

the Phoenix Soul club roadshow,also live on that night "Limmie & Family Cookin" ,£1.50 to get in,membership 30p + s a e

Dave f............

[Guest smudgesmith]

You know I can't remember a fekking thing about that nighter and I was there for 10 hours as Danny Daniels, taught him everthing he knew...he did the wurley leg thing once and fell over..PMSL

Taught him everything he new.............no according to Johnny Carroll lol

Hey Don have you got a copy of the flyer with the spelling mistake ie EXITERS

[Guest STANGROUND SOUL]

That number on the ticket is 202 is it true 5x that went that night ?

[Pauldonnelly]

That number on the ticket is 202 is it true 5x that went that night ?

It was well over a 1000...

[Guest STANGROUND SOUL]

We've added Paul Donnelly and Steve Jay to the DJ line up at THE FLEET- FRIDAY NOVEMBER 21st ,

Steve will be doing a set in the MODERN ROOM and Paul will be doing a half hour set in the MAIN ROOM playing some sounds from the PHEONIX/WIRRINA days just before the draw ,both these guys offered to DJing for FREE so we gladly donate your normal fee to MacMILLAN

[sjay]

We've added Paul Donnelly and Steve Jay to the DJ line up at THE FLEET- FRIDAY NOVEMBER 21st ,

Steve will be doing a set in the MODERN ROOM and Paul will be doing a half hour set in the MAIN ROOM playing some sounds from the PHEONIX/WIRRINA days just before the draw ,both these guys offered to DJing for FREE so we gladly donate your normal fee to MacMILLAN

That really is a most generous gesture , it really is most appreciated , cant thank you enough for helping us out with this , looking forward to it.

Paul how are the ticket sales going ,do I need to get another book of tickets yet !!

Steve

[Guest STANGROUND SOUL]

Paul ,Bully said any chance him and Neil can go HALF on a ticket

[Guest STANGROUND SOUL]

Please note this NOT a Ticket do, its £4.99 on the door

+BAR till 12.30

[Guest STANGROUND SOUL]

HOWS THE RAFFLE TICKETS GOING?

[Pauldonnelly]

HOWS THE RAFFLE TICKETS GOING?

very poor...

[Guest STANGROUND SOUL]

OK tonights the draw if you can't make to THE FLEET but still want a raffle ticket get in touch with Paul or Steve now ,many thanks to all who have.

[Guest STANGROUND SOUL]

We all know about the Pheonix/Wirrina but who remembers the first allnighter in Peterborough?