Sharon Cooper

We're very well thanks Bazza - yes the return of Hollingwood starting properly on the 1st Saturday in January and then every month: Chris and Mort have decided to start again! I will send you a PM about it in a bit more detail Sharon X

Aup Bazza! Hope you're doing ok? I had to smile when I read your post because its rife isn't it? People claiming to have been here , there and everywhere, being DJs for God knows how long, being mates with certain people because they think it gives them some credence in the eyes of others etc etc... I just think they must be very very sad people with no history to their boring lives that they have to make up stories to big themselves up. Just off topic a bit but someone I have known for many many years has acquired a completely different past to the one I know he had even gaining a degree along the way when I know he never went near a university or could have actually ever completed one!!! Some people just make you laugh!! Take Care Bazza - hope to see you around soon : Perhaps at Hollingwood? Sharon X

Can anybody help me with info on the James Bynum tune Love Music. Was played at Cleethorpes back in the day. Heard it at Skegness this last weekend.

Ill Take Johnny Mae Matthews please Chris

Terry: If you`re not that bothered about being asked to DJ `round and about` or numbers being negatively effected at the Phoenix, then try and be constructively positive or contradict the views of some people and you will see how positively promoters take on your assistance in trying to point out their flaws. If you are interested inn getting Dj spots and having a good number through the doors of your venue then I think the advice of keeping `yer gob shut` is sound !! Sharon

Hi Ill Take Perlean Gray of your hands

And then theres the situation of certain `big names` not wanting to be on the same bill as another DJ a Tez? or the `Big names` followers not attending as they don`t like another DJ on the same bill which would unduly effect attendances. This politics game(or shall we call it ostracising certain DJs) isnt easy from the outside or the inside is it? This leads to the incest becoming more and more disturbing as the pool of `acceptable` DJs could get potentially smaller and smaller. Sharon

Loved it every time....Missed it badly....looking forward to it....Lots!!!!

Hi Pete Enjoy your time `just` being a punter! Sorry to hear your news and how upset you are. As you know we were regulars at Bentinck in the `early` days and due to our personal reasons we haven`t been attending local venues for a good while now (albeit the odd one or two occasionally)but have some good memories of Bentinck in its heyday and how popular it was. Hope to see you out and about sometime. Take care X Sharon and Chris

I know theres no answer to the perennial problem of people in the majority of local venues (local to me that is)only wanting to hear, and dance, to the same old,but how can people from different parts of the country come together at a weekender and still only want to hear the same stuff? Is there some type of communication going off which tells local promoters in differing areas of the country what to play?I know its been a topic discussed to death on here over the years - in that why cant new stuff be introduced and hence become part of a new set of stuff to hear so that people become used to hearing new tunes and, who knows, may like them and actually get up and dance to them? I heard a set of about 4 hours yesterday that had one or two records which were new to me but the majority I knew, granted the rest of the people in the room just sat and looked on but surely the right beat, rhythm and `proper` northern sound to these tunes should get people up or at least look slightly interested?! I just cant understand it but then again perhaps I`m from a different mind set!! Sharon

Somebody somewhere must have a copy of, Watch Out Little Girl, for sale please

Im sure he will remember Ian and Phil! It would be great if you could get something on there for us old timers who were regulars. Had a great dance floor back in the day, and stage. My mum cleaned there and one day I went with her and I sang `Bobbies girl` from the stage to her and her friends! - I was 4 so I have some long standing memories of the place!!!! Keep me posted please. Sharon

Hi Mal You`re right: just up the drive from Nuthall Road- I lived just 200yds away ! Rob Smith was the DJ when I went -On Tuesday nights as far as my old memory serves! Spent some great times there and it was there I met the lads who I first went up to Wigan with: Ian Walker and Phil Smith X

Early summer1974 - Basford Hall Miners Welfare or Creepers as we all knew it as. Can`t remember the first one exactly but I remember Reparata and the Delrons `Panic` being played that same night though: Probably wouldn`t have attempted to dance to that then as its a bit on the rapid side: Come to think of it I don`t think I`ve ever attempted to dance to it!!! Sharon

I haven`t had time to read through all the padt postings but thought I would add one or two pictures of Chris and myself in our `Northern soul` heyday period! Showing the hair do`s, bags (carry type not trousers - that were de rigeur..) and a dress I wore to Wigan (never liked to be a `follower` as you can see) also a pic of us returning from Cleethorpes (travelling home clothes - showing a military style blouse I wore)

I like you first sentence and wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment: My view would be though, that for the DJs/Promoters who weren`t around when it was truly an 'underground, working class scene` then they wouldn`t give a toss about the history and ethos that went into making it the great scene it once was as long as there`s a few bob to be made from it today. In my opinion the money making side of it is what drives some to Promote and DJ rather than any love of the music. There are so many venues springing up and `DJ`s` with dubious record collections that have jumped on a bandwagon that keeps on rolling that I have gone passed the anger and stomach turning phase and am now just sad to see what it has become in lots af ways. Sharon

DONT KNOW HOW TO POST THE YOUTUBE CLIP- SORRY!!!!! Trust me it is there!

https:// My lad winning the Skegness Soul Weekender dance competition 2005 ( from about 0.30 seconds) when he was 15. He was totally into the scene at that time; Djing around and about, dancing skills were spot on - learned from Wigan Youtube clips mainly, So all the acrobatics were just like being there, so to speak; he also had the start of his own record collection. He was generally on his own though with us (his parents) and the good people of the scene who took him under their wings! He was often seen with Sam Evans and Carl Piper used to teach him a few tricks - I think he may have done a DJ spot for Yocky as well if my memory serves. He was an extra on the Soul Boy film too. However when girls, mates, college, work and the pull of being with his `own kind` took hold he stopped his involvement. He is 22 now, will still sing along to the sounds when he hears us play them at home and will have a bit of a jig but to be honest if he was still hanging around with us at Northern events, without involvement in his own, age related activities I would be very worried! Sharon

Prestatyn main hall was top notch imo, followed by Stoke Kings Hall and Sheffield City Hall Sharon

Weren`t we just! It must have been because we were so young and weighed about 5 stones wet through! Or perhaps it was due to some additives we were partaking of at the time - fast dancing, fast talking, everything was speeding!!!!.... lol!

Thanks for this - Great memories of a great place and time in our lives: Chris and I were regulars there, in fact our relationship started there!!!! Thanks Mary - the memories live on x Sharon

Sharon Cooper Blog 2006-9 View full article

Looking for a copy of Watch Out by the Invitations. thanks

Not where we were and rest assured I would have spotted them because that is one of the myriad of reasons I`ve stopped (in the main) from going to regular soul nights. There were a few younger people enjoying the night and having a drink but far from the p***heads that seem to frequent many of the local do`s around my neck of the woods. Sharon