Rob Wigley

Bridlington Northern Soul Weekender June 2008. Yorkshire’s own sea-side event It is a little difficult to be un-biased about an event that you are co-promoting when asked to do a look back feature on that event, however after reading the revues and receiving great feedback I feel I can be objective. When we started the Bridlington Weekender in 2007 it was after three years of planning and trying to find the perfect date and venue plus offering “Something new to do” away from the tried and tested DJ line ups. We were looking at the East Coast of England and then it struck us that there was a wealth of Soul Talent that was un-tapped and under exposed in Yorkshire and the counties that boarder it Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. Rob Wicks had the original idea to promote the event in Scarborough as far back as 2004 but no matter how we tried we could not get date and venue together without clashing with other events. The breakthrough came whilst watching “Look North” and seeing The Spa at Bridlington closing for a multi-million pound refurbishment. A phone call between myself and Mr. Wicks lead us to investigate the venue and we quickly realized there was no “Soul” history in the town, apart from the annual scooter run in October. Our first venture in 2007 was due to take place at The Spa, however with refurbishment over-running we held our first event as a “one roomer” in the wonderful Art Deco ballroom at the “3B’s”. Roll on 2008 and despite several postponements of the opening date from late 2007, then February and May 2008, things were looking good for our inaugural venture in to the The Spa.Our team were invited to visit the Spa site in February as guests of Bridlington council to view the refurbishment and were assured that the The Spa would indeed be open for business on time. It was during this visit we looked at the layout of the building and structured our plans for the rooms we could provide during the weekender. Ticket sales passed the 1,000 mark at the end of April 2008 and continued to sell strongly in the lead up to the event, the rumour mill on the scene was fuelled by people who did not want this event to be successful and almost became comical as new rumours surfaced in an attempt to damage ticket sales! The East Coast Soul Collective Soul Club carried on with the last minute planning of the event and decided to add a third room into the mix, we also agreed that numbers should be capped at no more than 1,500 to allow for comfort and space within the venue. The date rapidly approached and things fell into place, the venue opened its doors to a massive concert by Yorkshire based band The Pigeon Detectives and other opening events themed around people and groups in the area who had contributed to The Spa’s refurbishment. At last it was Friday 27th June and time for us to travel to Bridlington to start to set up the event for the weekend, we had already had reports from an advance party of Soul Sourcer’s that the venue was looking splendid! These hardy souls were intent on making a full weekend of it and had travelled up on the Thursday to start the party early at the South Cliff Hotel.On first entering The Spa from street level you are struck by a modern state of the art foyer which houses a reception desk and a cafe bar with a wonderful panoramic view overlooking the sea. There are stairs and a lift leading down to the lower level and the main entrance into the Royal hall, which is the main Ballroom, which has been faithfully renovated to keep all the 1930’s Art Deco features in place and exactly reproduced to the architects original drawings. We spent the Friday afternoon arranging tables and making sure there was enough space to access the massive sprung dance floor, rumoured to be the largest in Europe, but providing enough comfortable seating for our guests.Stall holders began to arrive and set up around the perimeter wall of the dance hall and the sound technicians had already started to rig the massive hall and stage with lights and equipment ready to connect into the £1,000,000 sound system built into the building. A memorable moment came when Mick tested the system with The Casualers “Dance, Dance, Dance” and it boomed out with such clarity the hairs stood up on the back of my neck, it was like hearing the record for the first time! Everyone stopped what they were doing around the hall and were drawn on to the dance floor to stand and listen! A quick check around, all things were in place, we retired to our digs and made ready for the Friday evenings 7.45pm start when everyone would officially arrive. A slight hitch occurred when the duty manager had changed and the replacement didn’t know how to set the venue lighting up as agreed in the afternoon meeting! Panic, a ballroom the size of the Titanic and lights full on, however after trial and error the problem was solved and Yocky cued up the first record at five minutes to 8 and the event got underway. A thing that immediately struck home was the look on the people’s faces when entering the ballroom for the first time, gazing open mouthed at the sheer splendour of the place. Being on the Northern Scene for thirty odd years we are used to scruffy dancehalls, old welfare buildings and village halls that have already seen their best of days, the dance floor was all important. However this is something very special, walking into a dancehall in all its splendour, paint and fixtures gleaming, like brand new in a time warp, no yellow nicotine stained ceilings or walls. With the smoking ban in place, no one will ever even so much as light a cigarette inside this building! As they stood looking around then quickly realised they were on the magnificent dance floor, music playing, quick claim your dancing territory, get some drinks in and get dancing! Over a thousand people came through the doors within the first hour, exchanging tickets for wristbands, picked up their weekender magazine and acquainted themselves with the new venue. As nine o’clock approached our two other rooms opened their doors and kicked into action. Kev Thomas opened up in the Modern/Crossover room with some kick ass modern, standing in for Kim Maddox who was laid up in bed with as seriously bad back. Meanwhile two of the scene’s most respected spinners Mick and Mo, travelling up from Skeggy especially at my request, (thanks again x), started their two hour set in the Rare & Underplayed room to an appreciative audience. Back in the main ballroom the floor was rocking as the DJ s cranked up the massive sound system and the tunes, a mixture of rare, current floor-fillers and classic northern sounds, filled the room with an electric atmosphere. We billed the room as “Totally Northern Soul” each DJ added something unique into the mix to fulfill that remit.As the venue continued to fill up and late arrivals still kept coming, each venue found its own level, we kept to our Yorkshire theme on the Modern side of things, with the Modernism pairing of Martin “Cunnie” Dixon and Errol Green, followed by former Pitches anchor Andy “Tats” Taylor who all kept the sounds coming. Our secret weapon in the Modern room in the shape of token Lancastrian, John Kane, although he does insist he was born in Dublin! I have long been a personal fan of John’s style as a DJ and the way he puts his sets together, he is now rightly finding his place as amongst the best spinners in the country and it hasn’t gone to his head! John finished the night off perfectly with an hour and a half set that encompassed the full spectrum of Modern sounds and ensured a packed modern room was left wanting more. In the third room, we had another secret weapon, Kent exile, John Alden who had made the 312 mile journey up from the “backend of beyond” to entertain us. Now to us Northern folk, we all know Kent is in London and was named after Ady Croasdel’s record label, but joking apart, there is a healthy scene on the South Coast and it throws up some interesting records that deserve more exposure. Long time collector John has great taste and has searched relentlessly for records to add to his collection, it was a pleasure to let him share some of these with us over several impressive spots during the weekend. The final hour in this room was given over to Vault of Soul’s Mark Etheridge again another dedicated collector who joined forces with John to provide some excellent tunes over three weekend spots. Back in the main hall and as two o’clock arrived it was time to call it a night as the last records were played to the appreciative crowd, who stood applauding and wanting a few more sounds to finish the night off. A quick stagger across the road and we were in bed for a well earned sleep and looking forward to the rest of the weekend. The sun rose on Saturday morning to a fabulous sunny day, our room had a balcony which overlooked the sea front and believe me there is no more better view than the fine Yorkshire seaside, in God’s own county on a glorious summer’s day.We had two sessions planned for Saturday and made our way across to the Spa for lunch and a couple of bottles of Col Stubb’s “Soul Rider” Ale which was on sale during the weekend. Saturday’s afternoon session was again split between the three rooms, giving the chance for DJs to play something quite different other than the more up-front or well know stuff. It was nice to welcome back Thorne’s Gary Welsh, after a slight layoff due to illness, back doing what he does best in the modern room. Over the other side of the building the Rare & underplayed side of things was going very nicely indeed, with Glynn Sissons given the chance to show what gems are hiding in the back of his record box.In the Main Hall, a selection of classic tunes from all era’s kept the punters happy with plenty of forgotten tunes making it to the decks. It was also time for people to have a wander around the merchandise stalls or to have a good search through the many records for sale during the weekend. The Spa also has excellent eating facilities which are very reasonably priced and provide real Yorkshire cuisine or “good snap” as they say in these parts! So off for another break as the session ended and a quick 40 winks to prepare for the evening session and to introduce some new DJs into the mix, including ex-Casino DJ & co-promoter Pat Brady doing his first set of the weekend in the main hall. With new people arriving for the rest of the weekend the room quickly filled up and it’s fair to say that the main room took a little while to warm up and get a consistently full dance floor. However things soon got sorted and with over 1,200 people in the room the place was soon rocking away. Saturday nights Modern room session has been reported as one of the best ever in Yorkshire! The place was packed and the Ocean Bar provided the perfect setting for this type of event, not too big and not too small, with the room being ideally situated off the main ball room to allow for people to wander in for a dance easily. The same line up as Friday but with some tweaks in the times, John Kane was again outstanding as were all the DJs, the change around allowed Sean Hampsey to join his Pitches mate, Tats in the room for the Saturday night two hour finale and it was, hot, sweaty, dancing soul all the way till the close at 2.00 am. One of the surprises of the weekend was the rare and underplayed session on Saturday night with John Parker and Tony Hatfield banging tune after tune on to the decks to a full and bouncing dance floor. Again this room was packed with appreciative souls, I had a complaint off a punter from Doncaster who had entered the room to buy a round of drinks a couple of hours earlier and just could not leave such was the quality of the music. Once again the evening passed in the blink of an eye and left people wanting a lot more by the time the session ended, even an all-nighter! As organisers we will be making some changes to the times for 2009, but we have no plans for an all-night session just yet! So that just left us to concentrate on the Sunday all-dayer and to finish the weekend off in style, another sunny afternoon broke and we were once again back over in The Spa. We had placed the accent on having some fun in these sessions and had planned the early part of the afternoon around raising funds for Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice which was our chosen Yorkshire charity. We sold off spare programmes and specially printed posters, stall holders donated items for auction and we sold “Loud shirts” to raise funds. A stall at the entrance helped with the fund raising and the collection bucket took care of any loose change our unsuspecting souls had.We can now say that with all of the above and a donation from the East Coast Soul Collective Soul Club we have presented a cheque for £1,000 to Bluebell Wood on behalf of your generous donations. They have already expressed their thanks to you all and will be doing so publically very soon as well. Back to the event and several new faces to the weekender scene also had a chance to have a go during the early session.Dave “Night Nurse” Knight to the decks like a duck to water and his auctioneering skills would have done “Flog it” proud as well! A refreshing change came when Alex double-decked with Yocky, its nice to see the music being appreciated by a great kid and someone to watch for in the coming years. Also arriving for his first spot of the weekender was Nottingham’s Rob Smith, who had more or less completed the RAC Rally of England during the weekend, clocking up at least 1,200 miles to DJ around the Country at more than 6 events! His mammoth record bar was also well received with punters searching for many of the “Underplayed” tunes that had been heard over the weekend and being Rob they were all at bargain prices! I stood with Rob for part of his set and the sounds he produces out of plastic bags were incredible and filled the dance floor. Top marks to a true professional and on of the greatest guy’s on our scene as well. As the day wore on and we approached our final session heading for the Midnight closing time the hall once again filled up with around 800 staying for the last hours. We were all feeling tired and looking forward to rest, but also on a “high” from the great comments we had received and looking forward to enjoying the last couple of hours and having some fun. Now I have to mention that our other co-promoter, Rob Wicks, had other ideas and lived up to his Soul Source name as “Naughty Boy”, when at around ten thirty pm on Sunday evening he was heading for the cardiac unit at Bridlington hospital in the back of an ambulance ! He gave us quite a fright, but the show must go on and I had the pleasure of joining Pat Brady on the decks for the last hour to say goodbye and thank you to everyone who had attended the event. To be honest I can’t remember too much of what we played, the requests kept coming thick and fast and as midnight slipped by I played the final record Jimmy Ratcliff “Long after tonight is all over”. Now it’s becoming a bit of a tradition to let the Bridlington crowd sing themselves out, which after a bit of cajoling they did in fine form. We said our thanks again to rapturous cheers and the crowd were stamping and shouting for more, as we packed our records away, I saw “getting mighty crowded” and placed it on the decks and hit the play button, needless to say the place went wild! So that was it for another great weekend away, there is a lot of planning in these events and many, many people contribute and help out in lots of ways to make these things run smoothly. We want everyone to have a great time and if there are any little niggles we listen and we will put them right. Thanks to all once again who have help out, Rob Wicks continues his recovery to full health and will be back next year to play the last records! He thanks everyone for cards and best wishes he has received.We have our dates booked for next year and ticket sales already had passed the 500 mark as I write, tickets are now on sale at just £20 each for the full weekend and that price is held for advance purchases until the end of 2008. Dates for the event are Friday 26th to Sunday 28th June 2009 and there are several things we are looking at that will be confirmed in the next couple of weeks that will add extra dimensions to the event. These will include some fresh faces on the DJ line up, as well as remain faithful to those who have worked hard in the build up to making this Yorkshire’s and indeed the UK’s most talked about and popular Weekender. As always watch Soul Source for the latest news! Thanks again Rob & Karen for ECSCSC

Bridlington 2008 "Something new to do" 2 Yorkshire Weekender The East Coast Soul Collective Soul Club are proud to present the sequel to the most talked about event of 2007. The second Bridlington Northern Soul Weekender will happen on Friday 27th to Sunday 29th of "sunny" June 2008. In the tradition seaside resort of Bridlington in Yorkshire's East Riding. We will be moving to our new home in the fabulous newly re-furbished Bridlington Spa Pavilion on South Marine Drive. The building has undergone a £18.5 million regeneration over the past 3 years to make it Yorkshire's most talked about & premier event venue. Keeping to the original design of the 1920's Building and adding a few 21st Century touches this is now a "state of the art" facility and still retains all the original charm of a true dancehall. div divspanThe main ballroom reputedly has the largest dance floor in EUROPE and it has been totally renewed to its original specifications thus providing a perfect platform for Northern soul dancing at its very best. We are dedicating this main room as "Totally Northern Soul" Keeping with the "Yorkshire" theme our DJ line up in the main room represents some of the best of England's largest County's talent. With ex-Wigan Casino DJ Pat Brady and Samantha's star John Vincent both wearing the white rose with pride. Rob Wicks, Yockie, & Mort are flying the flag for the S.Yorkshire contingent plus John Parker & Tony Hatfield represent the County City of York and Dukesy making the trip down the coast from Scarborough. With an invasion being lead in convoy up the M62 by Annesley's Pete Taylor representing Sherwood Forest, Glynn Sissons, Rob Smith & Rob Wigley will all be heading north for the weekend wearing the outlaws Lincoln green (although not the tights we might add !). We will also be taking the opportunity to feature several Yorkshire Soul Clubs during the Weekender details of which will be published later in the year. With the change of venue brings the chance to add a second room to the event, which will be playing the best in Crossover & Modern Soul And will again featuring a wealth of Yorkshires finest. Exiled Yorkshire man Sean Hampsey will be teaming up with his Pitches right hand man Andy "Tats" Taylor alongside Modernism's Martin Dixon and Errol Green. Making the journey from Lancashire will be John Kane playing the current floor-fillers and crowd pleasers. Rob Wigley will be double-shifting and further guest to be confirmed as the event draws closer. We firmly believe that this event is the best value for money soul event in the UK.span As a part of that commitment to the scene we have held the admission to last years bargain price of £20 for the FULL WEEKEND when purchased in advanced by ticket. We can also offer a "Mini-Bus" special for parties of 12 people travelling together which is a "Buy 10 get 2 free" offer. Please note this offer can only be purchased from the Organisers ticket outlet and NOT via the Spa Box Office credit card hotline. We had rave revues on our 2007 first event in Bridlington and ticket sales have already exceeded the 500 mark for 2008 as I write this. How to Book Tickets are ONLY £20 per person for a Weekender Pass over 3 days. Starts Friday 7.30 pm to 2.00 am Afternoon 1.00 pm to 5 pm Saturday Evening 8.00 pm to 2.00 am Sunday ALL-DAYER 12 noon to Midnight By phone -Credit Card Hotline 3Bs Box office 01262 678 258 11.00 am to 5.00pmOr online atwww.visitthespa.net We DO NOT charge you a Booking Fee ! Or contact Rob on 07957 390 707 to buy tickets or to take advantage of the Buy 10 get 2 free offer. Visit www.northern-soul.net to pay by Paypal. E-mail Brid@northern-soul.net Post to ECSC Soul Club PO Box 590 Cudworth, Barnsley, S.Yorkshire S72 8WX Please make Cheques payable to ECSC. Tickets are also available from all the DJs above plus Pat Brady Records and Rob Smith Records in Nottingham. Be part of the best weekender around, for accommodation check out our web-site or visit www.bridlington.net Hope to see you there in June. East Coast Soul Collective Soul Club

Prestatyn 2007 Website updated. A downloadable pre-event planner is now available Download the complete Arena planners for the whole weekender All 5 arenas and Radio Line ups Roy Roberts and Pat Lewis Bios just added to the Artist Section Not long now... Go to website for the downloadble pdf versions (strongly recommended due to layout etc that you do use the pdf version) http://www.soul-weekenders.co.uk/prestatyn2007/'>http://www.soul-weekenders.co.uk/prestatyn2007/ a text version is added here for info For those who can not use the PDF format a rough text version follows, however it is strongly suggested that you do use the PDF version if at all possible, due to the layout and such PRESTATYN 2 0 0 7 PLEASE NOTE THIS TEXT VERSION IS A GUIDE ONLY PLEASE USE THE PDF VERSION ARENA 1 FRIDAY - A Big Welcome to Prestatyn 2007 OLDIES INTRO 2.00pm-3.00pm Dave Tidswell 3.00pm-4.00pm Mort 4.00pm-5.00pm Rob Wicks 5.00pm-6.00pm Rick Bramhall 6.00pm-7.00pm Glyn Sisson 7.00pm-8.00pm Mick Boyle 8.00pm-9.00pm Sean Chapman 9.00pm-10.00pm Dave Raistrick 10.00pm-11.00pm John Poole Featuring at 10.30pm THE MIDNIGHT HOUR DANCE COMPETITION in association with Bee Cool Publishing and Manifesto Magazine 11.00pm-12midnight Pat Brady 12midnight-1.00am Roger Banks Live in Arena 2 - Meli'sa Morgan in concert, with full backing band 1.00am-2.00am Butch 2.00am-3.00am Andy Dyson 3.00am-4.00am Mick H 4.00am-5.00am John Weston 5.00am-6.00am Dave Rimmer 6.00am-7.00am Arthur Fenn 7.00am-8.00am Mike Bolderson Close SATURDAY SOUL NIGHT SHOWCASE 1.30pm-2.30pm Rolls Royce Derby 2.30pm-3.30pm Bolton Soul Club 3.30pm-4.30pm Bisley 4.30pm-5.30pm Nige Brown 5.30pm-6.30pm Glyn Sisson THE BIG ONE 6.30pm-7.30pm John Parker 7.30pm-8.30pm Kev Murphy 8.30pm-9.30pm Sean Chapman 9.30pm-10.30pm Carl Fortnum 10.30pm-11.30pm Pat Brady 11.00pm-1.00am Live in Arena 1 - The Midnight Hour evue featuring Dee Dee Sharp, Prince Phillip Mitchell, Morris hestnut, Roy Roberts and Pat Lewis backed by The Midnight Hour Soul Band 1.00am-2.00am Ginger Taylor 2.00am-3.00am Butch 3.00am-4.00am Tim Brown 4.00am-5.00am Soul Sam 5.00am-6.00am Kenny Burrell 6.00am-7.00am Keith Money 7.00am-8.00am Rob Smith Close SUNDAY THE BIG PARTY STARTS HERE 12midnight-1.00pm Keith Banks and Kev Smedley 1.00pm-2.00pm Rick Brammall and Keith Banks 2.00pm-3.00pm Brian Rae and Ian Wills 3.00pm-4.00pm Rob Wicks and Mort 4.00pm-5.00pm Mike Bolderson and Glyn Sisson 5.00pm-6.00pm Andy McCabe and Mollie 6.00pm-7.00pm Pat Brady and John Parker 7.00pm-8.00pm Bernie O'Brien 8.00pm-9.00pm Keith Minshull and Dave Evison 9.00pm-10.00pm Nige Brown and Sam Moore 10.00pm-11.00pm Mick Boyle and Simon Hunt 11.00pm-12midnight Roger Banks and Dave Rimmer 12midnight-1.00am Ginger Taylor and Tim Brown 1.00am-3.15am Mick H and Sean Chapman Close -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ARENA 2 FRIDAY- A Big Welcome to Prestatyn 2007 8.00pm-9.00pm Andy "Tats" Taylor 9.00pm-10.00pm Cliff Steele 10.00pm-11.00pm Mark Randle 11.00pm-12.00am Fish 12midnight-1.00am Live in Arena 2 -eli'sa Morgan in concert,with full backing band 1.00am-2.00am Jamie Taylor 2.00am-3.00am Mick Farrer 3.30am-4.30am Bob Jones Close SATURDAY 70s CONNOISSEURS /CROSSOVER / CLASSICS SESSION" 1.00pm-2.30pm Dave Ripolles 2.30pm-3.30pm Ivor Jones 3.30pm-4.30pm Cliff Steele 4.30pm-5.00pm Live PA by Roy Roberts 5.00pm-8.00pm Eddy Edmondson's Soul In The Sun Reunion featuring The "Soul In The Sun" DJ Team Close 9.00pm-10.00pm Dave Ripolles 10.00pm-11.00pm Mick Farrer 11.00pm-12midnight Ivor Jones Live in Arena 1 - The Midnight Hour Revue featuring Dee Dee Sharp, rince Phillip Mitchell, Morris Chestnut, Roy Roberts andP at Lewis backed by The Midnight Hour Soul Band 12midnight-1.30am Mark Randle 1.30am-2.30am Soul Sam 2.30am-3.30am Steve Hobbs 3.30am-7.00am Pitches Revival, Andy "Tats" Taylor's 50th Birthday Bash featuring "Tats", Sean Hampsey, Kev Briscoe, Rob Wigley and guests Close SUNDAY 70s & 80s CLUB & DISCO CLASSICS 1.00pm-2.30pm Gareth Donovan and Mark Randle 2.30pm-3.30pm Mick Farrer and Steve Hobbs 3.30pm-5.00pm Fish and Jamie Taylor 5.00pm-5.30pm Mark A Evans - Live "The way you love me", "I don't want U anymore" Close PARTY NIGHT FINALE 8.00pm-9.30pm Mick Farrer and Steve Hobbs 9.30pm-11.00pm Rob Wigley and Gareth Donovan 11.00pm-12.30am Ivor Jones and Cliff Steele 12.30am-2.00am Fish and Mark Randle Close --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARENA 3 - QUEEN VIC FRIDAY- A Big Welcome to Prestatyn 2007 2.00pm Soul Night Super Showcase SOULTOWN Featuring: Colin Wood/Dave Rivers/Dave Thorley Andy McCabe/Carl Fortnum/John Weston/Mark Speightman/Mick Howard/Flanny/Mollie/Steve Plumb/ Robbo/Nick Halkett/Jayne Carter/Dave Rimmer 11.30pm Close SATURDAY 11.00am-5.30pm LIVE Big Screen Football "R & B SPECTACULAR" 6.30pm-7.30pm Kev Drage 7.30pm-8.30pm Hideaway Crew 8.30pm-9.30pm Big Chief Crazy Hoss 9.30pm-10.30pm Roger Banks 10.30pm-11.30pm Joe Dutton Live in Arena 1 - The Midnight Hour Revue featuring Dee Dee Sharp, Prince Phillip Mitchell, Morris Chestnut, Roy Roberts and Pat Lewis backed by The Midnight Hour Soul Band Close SUNDAY 11.00am-6.30pm LIVE Big Screen Football FOR THE CONNOISSEUR 6.30pm-7.30pm John Weston 7.30pm-8.30pm Keith Money 8.30pm-9.30pm Tim Brown 9.30pm-10.30pm Steve Green 10.30pm-11.30pm Mick H Close ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ARENA 4 Redemption FRIDAY- A Big Welcome to Prestatyn 2007 OLDIES ALL NIGHTER 8.00pm-9.00pm Mort 9.00pm-10.00pm Rob Wickes 10.00pm-11.00pm Glyn Sisson 11.00pm-12.00am Dave Evison 12midnight-1.00am Dave Raistrick Live in Arena 2 - Meli'sa Morgan in concert, with full backing band 1.00am-2.00am Ian Wills 2.00am-3.00am Snowy 3.00am-4.00am Mick Boyle/Simon Hunt 4.00am-5.00am Brian Rae 5.00am-6.00am Sam Moore 6.00am-7.00am Keith Minshull Close SATURDAY LIFELINE 12noon-1.00pm Mark Speightman 1.00pm-2.00pm Cliff Steele 2.00pm-3.00pm Mick H 3.00pm-4.00pm Andy Dyson 4.00pm-5.00pm Chalky 5.00pm-6.00pm Andy Dyson with Mick H OLDIES ALL NIGHTER 7.00pm-8.00pm Dave Tidswell 8.00pm-9.00pm Glyn Sisson 9.00pm-10.00pm John Barker 10.00pm-11.00pm Mort/Rob Wicks 11.00pm-12midnight Mort Live in Arena 1 - The Midnight Hour Revue featuring Dee Dee Sharp, Prince Phillip Mitchell, Morris Chestnut, Roy Roberts and Pat Lewis backed by The Midnight Hour Soul Band 12midnight-1.00am Snowy 1.00am-2.00am Keith Minshull 2.00am-3.00am Sean Chapman 3.00am-4.00am Dave Evison 4.00am-5.00am Ian Wills 5.00am-6.00am Rick Brammall 6.00am-7.00am Brian Rae/Sam Moore Close SUNDAY "R & B ENCORE" 6.30pm-7.30pm The Hidaway Crew 7.30pm-8.30pm Steve Watson aka "Big Chief Crazy Hoss" 8.30pm-9.30pm Roger Banks 9.30pm-10.30pm Joe Dutton 10.30pm-11.30pm Melton Mafia 11.30pm-12.30am Kev Drage 12.30am-2.00am Joe/Hoss/Roger (The 3 Pratts) Close ------------------------------------------------------------------- ARENA 5 The House Of Soul FRIDAY- A Big Welcome to Prestatyn 2007 Welcome to the Weekend, with the 'SOUL INTENT' Collective Modern Soul, 70's to Y2K7 4.00pm-8.00pm Geoff Burgess, Martin Smith, Keith Fox, and Martin Lang 70s Connoisseurs / Crossover /Classics Session 8.00pm-9.00pm Gareth Donovan 9.00pm-10.00pm Cliff Steele 10.00pm-11.00pm Ivor Jones 11.00pm-12midnight Arthur Fenn 12midnight-2.00am Dave Ripolles Live in Arena 2 - Meli'sa Morgan n concert, with full backing band 2.00am-3.00am Soul Sam 3.00am-4.00am Rob Wigley 4.00am-5.00am Andy "Tats" Taylor 5.00am-6.00am Steve Hobbs Close SATURDAY MODERN SOUL - CLUB SHOWCASE 2.00pm-3.30pm 'Room at the Back' Colin Brown& Brian Goucher 3.30pm-5.00pm 'Soul Purpose' Mark Randle, Mark Goddard & Sam Evans 5.00pm-6.30pm 'Blazing Soul' Neil Rushton, Lin & Jamie Taylor 6.30pm-8.00pm 'A New Chapter' Gareth Donovan & Mark Houghton THE LATEST SOULFUL DANCE & HOUSE CLASSICS WITH LIVE PERCUSSION 8.00pm-9.00pm Jamie Taylor 9.00pm-10.00pm Gareth Donovan 10.00pm-11.00pm Mark Randle 11.00pm-12.30am Fish Live in Arena 1 - The Midnight Hour Revue featuring Dee Dee Sharp,Prince Phillip Mitchell, MorrisChestnut, Roy Roberts and Pat Lewis backed by The Midnight Hour Soul Band 12.30am-2.00am Steve Hobbs 2.00am-3.00am Neil Rushton 3.00am-4.30am Jamie Taylor 4.30am-6.00am David Hulmes Close SUNDAY "KINGS OF CROSSOVER" 70S CONNOISSEURS SESSION 1.00pm-2.00pm Dave Ripolles 2.00pm-3.00pm Cliff Steele 3.00pm-4.00pm Ivor Jones 4.00pm-5.00pm Soul Sam 5.00pm-6.00pm Arthur Fenn Close ----------------------------------------------------------------- CHANNEL 6 Radio Soul Radio -'tune in and chill out' FRIDAY- A Big Welcome to Prestatyn 2007 10.00am-12noon Dave Tidswell Welcome to Prestatyn 12.00pm-2.00pm Martin Dixon and Errol Green 2.00pm-3.00pm Glyn Sisson 3.00pm-4.00pm Mick Boyle 4.00pm-5.00pm Mark Randle 5.00pm-6.00pm Al Taylor 6.00pm-8.00pm John Smith and Guests 8.00pm-9.00pm Nigel Grice "The Ritz Brighouse Story Part 1" 9.00pm-10.00pm Arthur Fenn Gary Churm "Let Out Of The Attic" 10.00pm-11.00pm Steve Lloyd 11.00pm-12midnight Andy Riley SATURDAY 12midnight-1.00am Colin Wood 1.00am-2.00am Pete Meadows 2.00am-3.00am Kim Maddox 3.00am-4.00am Eric Duncan 4.00am-6.00am "Attic Boys" Dean, Kev and Gary 6.00am-7.00am Mick Smith's "Skeggy" Special 7.00am-8.00am Wulfie Dave Butler 8.00am-10.00am Roger Banks and Hoss The "don't sue me just yet, Rhythm and Blues & Black Pudding Breakfast Show" 10.00am-11.00am Rob Messer "Essex Choice Picks" Derek Mead and Pete Kellross Steve Hobbs' "Proper Soul Show" 2.00pm-3.00pm Dave Moore "Stateside Brother" 3.00pm-4.00pm Conrad Boole 4.00pm-5.00pm Andy Riley 5.00pm-6.00pm Nigel Flood "Mr Foods Party" 6.00pm-7.00pm Wicks and Mortimer's "Bridlington Preview" 7.00pm-8.30pm Trev Cox and Mark Randle 8.30pm-10.00pm John McLaughlin "Get Your Motor Running" 10.00pm-11.00pm Martin Dixon and Erroll 11.00pm-2.00am The Richard Francis 3 hour Prestatyn Mega Mix Session SUNDAY 2.00am-3.00am Rick Bramhall 3.00am-4.00am Glyn Sisson 4.00am-5.00am Wulfie Dave Butler 5.00am-6.00am Gareth Donovan "Deep Soul and Gritt's" 6.00am-7.00am Nigel Grice "The Ritz Brighouse Story Part 2" 7.00am-8.00am Kim and Stewart 8.00am-10.00am Roger Banks and Hoss' "Breakfast in Bed" 10.00am-11.00am Dave Tidswell 11.00am-1.00pm Eddy Edmundson and Pete Meadows 1.00pm-2.00pm Steve Lloyd and The Worcester Boys 2.00pm-3.00pm Mick Smith's "Skeggy Scene" 3.00pm-4.00pm Colin Wood 4.00pm-5.00pm Mick Farrer "Don't Rock The Boat" 5.00pm-6.00pm Wicks and Mortimer 6.00pm-7.00pm "Blackmail" Mayhem on the radio! John Poole and Micky Boyle settle their Bar Bill, along with a few scores! Be afraid. Be very afraid! 7.00pm-8.00pm Conrad Boole Close Down! See You Next Year NOTE PLEASE USE THE PDF VERSION For all latest news, info and downloadable PDF version visit http://www.soul-weekenders.co.uk/prestatyn2007

News from Prestatyn 2007 website - less than 3 weeks to go ! Prestatyn Weekender News update Feb 2007 Summary: Hi everyone and thanks for you continued support and sorry it has taken so long to get this update on, we just wanted to be sure everything was in place and correct at the time of going to print on here ! Prestatyn Weekender News update The event reached its final "sell out point" in early December but a few places are still coming up as people who have booked in 2006 have found that circumstances have changed and have advised Pontins they can not now attend the event. We are running a "waiting list" for spare places Telephone the booking line 0870 604 5606 for info. OPEN TO ALL THURSDAY 15th MARCH Pre-event party night AT NO EXTRA COST. We are delighted to announce that The centre will be open for our pre-Weekender warm up session. You will be able to book in from 4.00pm and access you accommodation from that time. We have 2 rooms in operation The Main Arena 1 and the House of Soul Running from approximately 7.30pm until around 2.00 am in the morning. This is a great chance to beat the Friday traffic and get to the centre early and meet a few people and generally "Chill out" before the Weekend's events start in earnest. ARTIST LINE-UP Modern Room-Arena 2 FridayMeli'sa Morgan SaturdayRoy Roberts SundayMarc Evans (aka Ron Hall & Motherfunkas) Main Arena 1 Saturday Night ShowcaseMorris Chestnut Dee Dee Sharp Roy Roberts Prince Philip Mitchell & surprise guest !! Backed live by the fabulous Midnight Hour Soul Band Dancing competition Friday night Arena 1 11.00pm -serious dancers only please !! Dj line up to follow. We have the following rooms in operation throughout the weekend Main Northern Soul Arena 1 Main Modern Soul Arena 2 Queen Vic Pub Redemption Northern oldies room House of Soul Specialist Modern /Crossover /garage sets Channel Six 24hrs a day Soul Radio 10.00 am Friday to 9.00pm Sunday http://www.soul-weekenders.co.uk/prestatyn2007/

Just had this sad news through from Brendas agent On Sunday October 1, 2006 Patrice Holloway died of a heart attack in Los Angeles, Patrice was a Singer, Songwriter and younger Sister of Brenda Holloway. As you may or may not know, Patrice co-wrote "You Made Me So Very Happy" with Brenda. Funeral arrangements are being made for Saturday October 14 @ The Inglewood Chapel/Cemetery. If you would like to send Cards or letters, please send them to: SANTEL ENTERTAINMENT GROUP, Inc. c/o Brenda Holloway 16041-G Johnston Road Suite #113 Charlotte, NC 28277 Thank you in advance, Very Sad and one I personally would love to have seen live R.I.P regards Rob & Karen Wigley

KIM WESTON IN WORKSOP, DUE TO UNFORSEEN CIRCUMSTANCES (like the club owner not paying his bills !!!) The two Kim Weston Gigs in Worksop have been Changed to another venue. THE REGAL CENTRE THEATRE, CARLTON ROAD ,WORKSOP, NOTTS. We could not get both dates at the venue so have combined the two nights into one performance on SATURDAY 11th February 2006. 7.00 pm to Midnight Every cloud has a silver lining and the new venue holds more so the ticket price is cheaper !!! Tickets now £15 each. I think I have managed to contact all those who purchased or reserved tickets from ME, but those who got them direct from the Westgate Club must get a refund from there. Westgate tickets are not valid at the new venue. read more for more... The new venue is situated 100meters away from the Train Station on Carlton Road (A60) close to the town centre and holds 280 seated for the show, plus there is a Large foyer area and seperate Lic Bar where we will be playing Motown and classic soul/northern. I have personally taken on the running of the event in order to ensure that Kim gets paid !! Thanks to all who have offered to help at such short notice, especially Paul, Simon and Andy at the Regal who have offered the use of the venue at a discounted rate, we need bodies through the door to make sure everyone has a good night and that they take tons of cash over the bar !! Tickets and further details are available from Rob Wigley 01909 473915 / 07900 131 119 by PAYPAL (Credit Card bookings as well on this) TO robw@yelp.fsnet.co.ukor on The Regal ticket Hot line 01909 474458 HOPE YOU WILL ALL TURN OUT TO SUPROT THIS GREAT ARTIST ON HER FIRST DATE IN THE UK. THANKS ROB WIGLEY

KIM WESTON "LIVE" WITH A 4 PIECE BAND. IMPORTANT CHANGE OF VENUE NOW AT THE REGAL CENTRE, CARLTON ROAD , WORKSOP. NOTTS. STAURDAY 11TH FEBRUARY 2006 7.00pm TO Midnight SMALL 280 SEATED VENUE, PLUS MOTOWN &SOUL DISCO, LIC BAR TICKETS NOW JUST £15 DUE TO VENUE CHANGE. (THE 2 WESTGATE GIGS CANCELLED &MOVED TO THE REGAL FOR ONE PERFORMANCE IN THE LARGER VENUE) dJS ALAN TAYLOR &DAVE TIDSWELL MORE INFO OR TICKETS ROB WIGLEY 01909 473 915 / 07900 131 119 TO BUY TICKETS WITH PAYPAL robw@yelp.fsnet.co.uk in person from the regal centre OR BY PHONE TO 01909 474 458. read more for full score ALL SEATED KIM ON STAGE AT 10.00 pm THEN DANCING TO THE FINISH, KIM WILL BE AVAILABLE AFTER THE SHOW TO SIGN AUTOGRAPHS AND MEET THE PEOPLE ATTENDING. A VERY PERSONAL CONCERT, IF YOU DONT LIKE STANDING IN A CROWD (ALL OTHER GIGS ON THIS TOUR ARE IN 350 PEOPLE PLUS VENUES) TICKETS ARE PRICED AT £22.50 FOR THE FRIDAY (inc Light supper ) TICKETS FOR SATURDAY £24.50 (VALENTINE'S THEMED NIGHT- WITH LIGHT SUPPER &DESSERT ) NICE HOTEL 100 YARDS AWAY SPECIAL RATE £60.00 PER ROOM INC FULL ENGLISH BREAKFAST. IDEAL FOR A VALENTINES TREAT EITHER NIGHT. FOR MORE DETAILS &TICKETS &HOTEL BOOKING CODE TO GET THE GOOD RATE (NORMALY £85 +) RING ROB OR KAREN WIGLEY 01909 473915 or 07900 131 119

Severn Souls Weekender Dates now confirmed Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th JUNE 2006 At Brean Sands Holiday Centre ,Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset. Featuring "Live" in concert THE MASQUERADERS doing ALL their songs live in a full show. Two Rooms Northern &Rare 60s plus Crossover &70s/80s Room Over 3 nights in the summer Top Dj line up including Soul Sam, Kenny Burrell, Ginger Taylor, Mick H, Cliff Steele, Dave Greet. Andy Whitmore, Andy tats Taylor, plus more to follow--- Full supporting cast of the South wests finest Djs representing "the Best from the clubs in theWest!" SPECIAL SET FROM THE BISLEY BOYS &YATE TRIBUTE SESSIONS Great centre just 10 mins from M5 motorway,super beach, mid-summer calendar event ! Soul Bar-B-Qs and World Cup Football Parties as backdrops to your Soul Music Booking details &Price structure to follow in the next few days.

YES its back by popular demand we can now confirm that we will again be opening the PRESTATYN NORTHERN &MODERN SOUL WEEKENDER on THURSDAY NIGHT as we did at the march 2005 event. Travel up a day early to get in the swing of things and settle in. Beat the friday "rush north" on the Motorways. More details will follow, but get those extra days holidays booked off work now before your mates get them in !!!! as the 800 + who made the journey this year will tell you its a cracking night, enjoy a few relaxing pints,meet the artists and generally have a great time, early to bed (about 3 am for most last year) and get ready for the weekend !!

Barrington "Scott" Henderson has been confirmed to play the Prestatyn Modern Room 2006. This will be his first UK "Solo " gig and will be timed to coincede with the release of his new Album. His past works with the Dramatics ,Lakeside and The Temptations have proved a good springboard for this talented artist. More to follow....

NORTHERN SOUL LEGEND NOLAN "N.F." PORTER JUST CONFIRMED FOR PRESTATYN 2006 We are proud to announce that this legendary artist will appear as part of our Saturday night showcase along with The PRECISIONS, LOU RAGLAND, and CARROLYN CRAWFORD Singing his classics "If I could only be sure", "Oh Baby"&"Keep on keeping on " Less than 100 places now available--see thread in "Events" SEE YOU THERE !

MOTOWN LEGENDS ,HEMSBY, GREAT YARMOUTH 2005 WHAT A WEEKEND ! Following on from our inaugural event at Hemsby last year we were looking forward to this Motown themed event with much anticipation. Last years stunning performances from our acts The Vel-Veletttes and The Miracles (in my top 5 all-time live shows) would take some following. We also released that we were picking up a lot more bookings from the rare/northern crowd than we did the previous year. This could be that everyone who went from "The Scene" came back raving about it and most re-booked or that this years event wasn't held at half-term so discouraged a lot of "normal" punters just there for the commercial soul we offered. Of the 1,100 people who attended about 300 were there for the commercial soul so we moved that room from the main arena in to our second room "Grooves". The atmosphere in this room was superb, with most of the crowd there for the "good time soul" and Motown which was programmed over the 3 days all up and dancing to the classics. DJ 's Steve Fletcher, Bernie O,Brien, Snowy and Dave Tidswell all did excellent work behind the decks, blowing the dust off their boxes and reliving their "youth club" days ! On the Northern front the larger arena proved perfect for dancing, holding about 1,000 people and the room split 50/50 dance floor &seating area provided the perfect venue for a "Nighter". This arena also holds the stage where our acts would perform. Our Third venue The Broadside is situated in a Prestatyn style Queen Vic Pub and covers the widest selection of soul music during the weekend. With rare Motown , rare 60s Northern, Crossover sets and Modern Soul. Plus special events like Chris Forrest doing the ultimate Motown trivia quiz and Troy's Magic show !(ask Snowy) Friday night brought our "Bonus" act THE INVITATIONS to our main arena stage, after 33 years absence they were back ! Stalwarts of the early soul scene at clubs like the Twisted Wheel, The Dungeon and Golden Torch the Guys walked out on to the stage with new "guest" Invitation Richie Pitts (taking the place of Billy Morris who passed away last year) all immaculate in Black stage suits. Their set was a mixture of their own records and Motown covers. "My Girl", "Reach out" and the stunning "Ask the lonely" all had the packed crowd dancing and singing along. Their own numbers "they say the girls crazy", "what's wrong with me baby" and "skiing in the snow" had the dancers moving in the corners! Slick moves, changing lead vocalists, tight harmonies and superb sound all showed these guys knew how to cut the mustard. A truly great show. We then carried on with our vinyl sets and had the all-nighter crowd swaying until 7 am with sets of rare northern and classic sounds in equal measure. In the Broadside the tempo changed and Modern Soul/ crossover ruled the waves, a mini 'nighter until 4.30am got under way with d j s doing 30 min sets and doubling up. Steve Hobbs, Tats, Chris Forrest Conrad Boole and Mick Farrer each doing great sets that packed the dance floor all night. A special moment came when the Invitations walked in the room at 2.30am and Hobbsie whipped on the decks their Silver Blue sides "They say the girls crazy" and "look on the good side" . They were up and dancing away ! "Perks of the Job" : Rob Wigley and Francis Nero photo by Mike Critchley Saturday brought a glorious sunrise and fabulous weather ! Which gave a "Rimini" feel to the site and whole weekender ! The Broadside opened at 11.00am and was buzzing throughout the day. Chris Forrest's Motown quiz and Steve Fletcher's Motown album track sets were the standout events. Over 100 people were outside on the decking just drinking and talking and listening to the sounds ! On to Saturday night and our main show of the weekend, Kim Weston ,Francis Nero and Brenda Holloway . Three Motown "Diva's" for our entertainment. The personalities of these wonderful ladies were marvellous and so friendly that they just loved the crowd and ever minuet of the weekend. The stage was set and at 11pm sharp Kim Weston took to the stage with a Rip roaring "I got what you need" that took the crowd by storm, the Midnight hour soul band were as tight as usual and she held the crowd spell bound with her stage presence. Lots of talking from Kim in between numbers and classic tunes "Helpless", "looking for the right guy" and "take me in your arms" had everyone singing along. The final number she was joined on stage by Richie Pitts for "It takes two". Richie had seen Kim at the Apollo Theatre in 1964 and had wanted to perform with her for over 40 years ! A dream come true ! When Francis Nero came on stage the sheer adulation from the crowd was overwhelming she started her set with her top 20 hit "Footsteps" kept the Motown hits theme going with "You are the sunshine of my life" and then ripped the place apart with "Keep on loving me" a quick bow and all too soon she was gone ! Enter stage right the one and only Brenda Holloway. For those of you have never seen Brenda perform live (as I hadn't) if she's over again JUST GO ! Her set was stunning, "Just look what you have done " is a killer "Starting the hurt all over again" a tribute to her old friend Mary Wells included "My guy and Two lovers", the Ultra rare "crying time" and "lonely Boy" which she had never sung live and finishing off with "when I'm gone" and "Every little bits hurts" the place was in uproar. We brought Brenda back on for the last track the Northern classic "Reconsider". The roof was lifted as we bought all the artists back for a final bow and they were joined by the Invitations for a off the cuff rendition of "dancing in the street". Phewww on with the nighter again !!! We made off to the Broadside for Karen's birthday party with Fridays jocks being joined by Cliff Steel and Eric Duncan for a full night of fun ! When the venue closed it was back to the main hall until 7.00 am, it was still going strong when we staggered of to bed !! Sunday brought more glorious sunshine and early doors at the pub many people were having a Sunday roast and a few pints before setting off home early afternoon. I picked up an extra spot in the pub and played some 70s tunes inc Eddie Billuphs, Nickey Newarkers Flowers and Straight Jacket .before handing over to local lads Kev Laws and Mobbsy to run into the evening sessions. Our party night finale was to take place in the main room with the other two venues closed down by 9.30 pm about 600 stayed for the Sunday late session, featuring commercial soul and Motown until 11pm then Northern Classics until 3 am. Richie Pitts did his One man show at 10pm featuring classic soul tunes from 4 decades, Kim Weston was down on the front row looking up in adoration--a 40 year turn around for Richie !! Brenda was also in the room dancing with fans and having a great time. We called it a day at 2am with Steve Whittle and Brian Rae in full swing ! A great weekender, we'll miss the Hemsby site next year when we move the event up to Prestatyn, but we need the bigger stage and the travelling is easier for most people to get there. A special thanks to everyone who came and made this event so special and to everyone who was involved in the planning, especially John Poole and Mark Fletcher Angie &Karen and Mick and Maxine, Dave Tidswell, Bernie O'Brien and the band. South West Audio and all our Djs and mates who helped. PRESTATYN 29TH SEPTEMBER-2ND OCTOBER 2006 HERE WE COME !!!!!!

Newsflash KIM WESTON, BRENDA HOLLOWAY, FRANCIS NERO THE INVITATIONS and RICHIE PITTS Great news for people wishing to visit MOTOWN LEGENDS at Great Yarmouth (Hemsby) on the 14th to 17th October 2005. We can now offer short notice bookings for 2 people sharing our One Bedroom Budget accommodation for just...... .....£29.75 each (£59.50 for 2 people minimum share) This Includes 3 nights accommodation and all Dance hall passes And entry to view our three main Show-stopping live events, Kim Weston, Brenda Holloway and Francis Nero Live in Concert on Saturday night backed by The Prestatyn soul band. Plus Our special guests THE INVITATIONS their first visit back to the UK in over 30 years on the Friday evening and UK based soul man Richie Pitts on the Sunday evening. There is a full program of Motown all weekend for those who love the Motor City sound from the classic era's in all 3 arenas. We also have TWO Northern Soul All-nighters Friday&Saturday plus our dedicated modern venue "the Broadside" over 100 hours of music in a great weekend. Over 1,000 people are already coming, this is a great offer if you can only make it for the Friday or Saturday nights and is a fantastic bargain. To book call 0870 604 5606 and quote MT05 £29.75 OFFER. Get there for this event this year in its present format as we have exciting news to announce during the weekend about our 2006 Motown legends event !!! SEE YOU THERE

The popular Sunday Night Soul show hosted by Dean Anderson run finishes to night. Tune in to hear exclusive interview in the first half of the show featuring northern legends giving their first uk radio interview, and in the second half an interview with Richard Pitts one of the live acts at the forthcoming Motown weekender at Great Yarmouth 6-9pm at Boundary FM avail thru net at http://www.boundarysound.co.uk/