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24th December 2006

As is customary about now, I would like to thank everyone for their contributions to this humble little website throughout the year; don't forget, it's as much your website as it is mine, and I couldn't do it without you.

Have a very happy Christmas, and a peaceful, prosperous and healthy New Year.

27th November 2006

I've added a new page to the site today. If you click or go to the Pictures and Video menu, you will see a YouTube Video page. The idea here is there is tons of good stuff on YouTube.com but there is also a lot of junk, so to try this idea out, I have selected 8 video clips from a documentary by Granada TV called "In The Club - Wigan Casino" that just about sums up what Wigan was all about. Have a look and see if you agree. If it works out, I'll dig out some more "select cuts".

I've also had some from two new contributors, Catherine Evans and me old mate Ady Cope, and an update from Jackie K, thanks everyone.

Finally, another splendid photo, this time from Dave Haddon, circa 74, thanks Dave... your picture's on the page.

21st November 2006

As there has been quite a bit of activity in the forum about what style of music should be played at the Clarendon Club recently, I though it might be interesting to do a bit of a survey.

Dave Nicholls, quite rightly, has expressed his point of view, and I think it might be useful to see what you lot think!

On the right-hand side of this page is a survey box. Just choose what style of music you think should be played on the Clarendon Club Anniversary night and click the "Vote" button. Easy peasy! You will be allowed one vote per session, and then you can go and see how the survey is going.

The more votes you make, the better represented we will be, music-wise, and at least Dave and the CC crew will know what the consensus is! I've had my vote, so over to you!

20th November 2006

The Fave Tunes section of the site have undergone a bit of a re-vamp to make it easier for me to update what you send in, plus there is a new "latest submissions" box at the top right of the home page, so you can see who's been contributing. The "Send In" email link has also been modified so all you have to do is fill in the form.

14th November 2006

update today from our old friend, Dave Haddon, (ta much) and I've done mine as well, so there's 10 more tunes for you to listen to.

13th November 2006

Well finally got round to doing a bit on the site. To be honest, I found it a bit hard getting going after losing Chris; I guess I just lost the enthusiasm for a bit. Still, life goes on, and the site counter says that you're still visiting...over 40,000 visitors... you are truly brilliant, thank you, it means a lot.

I've had a couple of pics sent in, one of another sad loss, Steve Webster, and one from Mick Hubbard. I've put then on the page. The grapevine tells me that Steve Brown did a sterling job at Steve Webster's memorial night, well done Steve.

I've also had a sent in from Lisa Smith... I'm sorry Lisa, you didn't give me much to work with... give us some info on yourself!

So... I'm ready to do whatever you want me to do (soul-wise, this ain't no web-cam wierdo site!) so get sending in those Fave Tunes, piccies and anything else you fancy.

11th September 2006

A sad day as Chris was laid to rest today. It was nice to see so many Hinckley faces at the service, some I must admit I did not recognise at first, but the years roll by, and we all change, don't we.

An idea that came out of the day was to dig out some old photos of Chris, and give him his own little corner on the site. If you have any pics of Chris, and would like to contribute, please them to me.

7th September 2006

Another piece of important information about Chris Adamczyk's funeral. The service will be held in the West Chapel... there is more than one chapel at the Gilroes Cemetary.

Steve Brown has advised me that, sadly, we have lost another old soulie too. Steve Webster, who appears on passed away suddenly recently. Our thoughts are with his friends and family.

5th September 2006

Chris Adamczyk's bereavement notice was printed in the Leicester Mercury today. To view the online version, click . For anybody wanting to send flowers or make a donation, this can be arranged through the Funeral Directors. Their details are: Joseph Swift Funeral Directors, 209 Uppingham Road, Leicester. Telephone (0116) 274 3414.
For those wishing to attend the service, the Gilroes Cemetery is on the Groby Road (A50). Click for directions.

3rd September 2006

Chris Adamczyk's funeral will take place on Monday, 11th September at Gilroes Cemetery Chapel, Leicester at 10.45am. All friends are welcome to attend the service.
Thank you to all of you that replied to my email about Chris, it is indeed a sad loss.

A couple of you have commented that Chris's entry reflects his most un-Favourite Five, so I have taken the liberty of scanning through a few of his past requests and have put together five of his most requested tunes... I hope they meet with your approval, Chris.

I have also tided up Chris' "Book of Condolences" link, so that the right subject is automatically selected for you to post to. Just type your name and what you want to say.

31th August 2006

It is with deep regret and sadness that today I received the news that my old friend, Chris Adamczyk, aka "Ada" or "TOB" passed away at home this morning.
Chris had been ill for several weeks, but you are never prepared for news like this.
I am not sure yet of the funeral arrangements, but as soon as I know, I will post them here.
Trev (Eggo) has already started a thread in the forum as a "Book Of Condolences" and I have made a link available at the top of this page so that you can add any thoughts you may have.
Our thoughts are with Maggie at this terrible time, and with Trev and Jo to whom Chris was as close as family.
Sleep well Chris, and thanks for letting me be your friend.

13th August 2006

I know many of you know Chris Adamczyk, aka "Ada", and have been wondering why he has been absent from the forum for a while. I spoke to Chris last week, and he has asked me to let you know that he is currently in hospital at the Leicester Royal Infirmary in the Coronary Care Unit. Chris has heart problems and his kidneys are mis-behaving too, but he is in good spirits, and is enduring while those who know how try to get him sorted.
I'm sure you'll all join with me in wishing Chris a speedy recovery, and I'm sure that one or two of you will send him a get well card to let him know that we are thinking of him.

Apologies due to Lenny Evans, who sent me a update a while ago... forgot to do it, but done now!

And also to Mick Hubbard, who sent me a Wigan 74 photo... sorry Mick, but I can't open the "MAX" format. Can you send me a "JPG" instead?

12th July 2006

Hello all! Yes I'm still alive, but have been very busy of late, so sadly I have been very neglectful regarding the site, soooooo sorry!
You may have noticed strange things happening to the home page. This is due to someone who has taken it into his or her head to use the forum as advertising space for "hair loss related products", but doesn't do it very well, so it breaks the page. I have taken steps to prevent, or at least reduce this activity and I shall actively monitor any abuse of the site facilities. All "advert-related" postings will be removed... after all, I don't want to be constantly reminded that I'm a slap-head do I?

14th May 2006

Two updates today, from Tom Byrne and Nick Rennie, thanks to you both.
It's awfully quiet out there... Is there nothing happening, or have you all gone off the music and are now listening to James Blunt or summit?

11th April 2006

Blimey, like Midland Red buses, these updates... none for a week and then three arrive together! Thanks to regulars Brian Smith and Dave Haddon, and welcome to a new contributor, Tom Byrne from Tamworth. Keep 'em coming, folks!

28th March 2006

update today from Brian Smith, thanks Brian.

20th March 2006

update today from Chris A, and this time it's his most unfavorite five.. I hope this doesn't start a trend.

A big thank you to everyone who turned up at the Clarendon Club last Saturday for the Mod/Soul/Reggae night for making it a fantastic night... you certainly had your singing heads on! It was a real mixed bag of music, with classic Northern, vintage Ska and Reggae and a good cross-section of sixties Motown, but the real killer was The Jam... you lot certainly enjoyed Mr. Weller didn't you!

If you want more of that kind of stuff, get down the Sketchley Grange on Friday May 19th, for the Hinckley Scooter Club 25th Anniversary bash where there will be more of the same, plus live band The Moderators!

1st March 2006

Two updates today from Dave Haddon and Chris A, thanks for your updates, chaps.

It was nice to see a good attendance at the Clarendon Club last Saturday for the 3rd Anniversary bash, and thanks to the CC team for the bottle of booze, but at that time of night, I didn't have any room left for it!

There have been some interesting comments about Soul Sam's spot, some positive, some negative. Well, it certainly was a varied set content-wise. The two best records for me were "My Life" - Joe Jama, and "Tribute To Betty - Tonight" by DJ Genesis featuring Elvira, the latter being out-and-out House music, but somehow it sounded brilliant. "Defies description" as Sam would say. However I was suprised to hear the commercial Motown tunes... perhaps a bit of local influence here?

Anyway, I'm after some gossip... anyone know anything about the April 8th Sweet Pea revival night? I see from the DJ Rosta that it's Ady, Pete and Colin, the original Sweet Pea crew; interesting.

14th February 2006

Two updates today from Nick Wetton and a new contributor, Lenny Evans from Nuneaton, thanks to you both.

You will be pleased to know that all the Fave Tunes now play again. Took ages that did!

It seems like Kev Roberts has been busy again... a new music website is on the way in the Spring, but test transmissions have started now. The tagline... "HERE IT IS...the most POWERFUL and EXCITING Radio Station for Over 35's.". With the focus squarely on soul music, there will also be a Northern Soul show on Sunday nights.

30th January 2006

Two updates today from Dave Haddon and I thought it was time I did mine too.

You may have noticed that some of the Fave Tunes links don't work at the moment. I've corrected some, but unfortunately others are beyond my control, and I will fix them when the opportunity arises.

You may have noticed that Mark Freeman has got a new soul night planned in Nuneaton, so I thought I'd give it a plug. It's at Hartshill Conservative Club (8-2am) on Saturday 18th February. See "Whats On" for more details.

PS... have you checked the Guest Book? Is it for real or what? I've been hoaxed before!!! If you're out there Al, !!!

9th January 2006

Hello again! As you can tell from my obvious absence, I've been sunning it again over the New Year holidays, so firstly, apologies to all those folks who emailed me and thought "What an ignorant git!".

Anyway, back to work, and a great way to start the New Year with four updates from Chris A, Dave Haddon, Steve Budge and a new contributor, Carolyn Roberts from Boston... thanks to all of you.

22nd December 2005

Time to say a very Merry Christmas to all the folks that have visited the site this year, and to wish you all a healthy and prosperous New Year.
It's been a pleasure fiddling with the site and laughing at the postings in the forum, but I couldn't do it without you, and all the pics and things you send me.
Thanks for your support, and have fun over the holiday!!!

By the way, finally got round to doing Nick Wetton's now Soulclub.org is back up and running again!

8th December 2005

Well, I've been on about it for long enough, so here it is! The new website launches today, and it is called . The idea is to build an internet database of Northern and Rare Soul, by inviting soul fans to contribute their knowledge to the project. I can't really explain it all here, so go and have a look, and join in if you fancy letting the world know what you know!

A message from Nick Wetton... "Helen Chetwynd (you old soulie) are you coming to the Clarendon on the 17th Dec?". Apologies Nick, I can't post your Fave Tunes at the moment, Soul Club seems to be having some difficulties...

Hope to see you on Saturday at Barwell Sports and Social Club!

4th December 2005

Yeah, I know, I know. No updates to the site, no blog entries... well it is nearly Christmas and Wobblymasters have to do Xmas shopping too!

Anyway, first a bit of a plug for this do in Barwell on Saturday 10th December. It's an oldies night, with Steve Brown, Pete Ankers and a special guest DJ being flown in from Spain, believe it or not. Apparently, this guy used to DJ at Wigan, but I still haven't managed to find out his name. Oh and one other thing... in desperation, they've asked me to do a spot too, so if you fancy a night of class oldies, mosey on down to the Barwell Sports and Social Club, Kirkby Road, Barwell, kick off 7:30.

As far as the new site goes, nearly there. Hope to launch it this week, so keep watching, the news will be announced here first!!!

PS... how about some more Fave Tunes? Haven't had one for two weeks now!!!

21st November 2005

update today from Dave Haddon, thanks Dave.

Busy finishing off the new site, and if all goes well, it should be ready for release early next week... won't be long now!

9th November 2005

Some fantastic new piccies today, sent in by Glen Wilkie from Blackpool, featuring Edwin Starr at the Leisure Centre in the early 80s. You can see them on the page. If you want to know what Glen looks like, you can see a pic of him on the page... perhaps you know him!

Thanks also to Kim Lancaster for identifying the mysterious Rob on the page... she should know, she's Rob's sister!!

6th November 2005

update today from Dave Haddon, thanks Dave.

Looks like the site is about sorted now, I've fixed a couple of things that didn't quite work, so hopefully we're back to normal now. The new site is coming along nicely now, so all will be revealed very soon... be patient, it's worth the wait hee hee!

2nd November 2005

update today from Chris A, thanks Chris.

IMPORTANT NEWS!!!

Apologies to anyone having trouble getting onto the site, especially from bookmarks, shortcuts etc.
I have transferred the site onto a new server, and there may be a bit of disturbance over the next couple of days. Performance has not been good on the old server, and to top it all, the server picked up a virus, so I have bought some decent web space so I can host this site and A NEW SITE (ooooooooo!) that is up and coming in a couple of weeks. You may find some of your bookmarks/shortcuts/favourites may not work, especially if they have www.zalasta.com in them. If you do have trouble, go to the main site www.hinckleysoulclub.org.uk and everything will work from there. Please be patient, and update your bookmarks/shortcuts/favourites as soon as you can.

24th October 2005

Another good night was had by all at the Clarendon Club, with excellent spots from guests Col Chamberlain and Sean Chapman. Many thanks to Col for letting me peek into his record box for a few minutes... was I green with envy or what!
I have tried in vain to find anything so far about Stu Wileman's allnighter at the Starlight Club in Leicester on Saturday night... if anybody was there, could you drop me a review please?
And talking of reviews, there has been promised a review of the Clarendon Club on , but as yet the review is forthcoming.
A big thanks to the two employment law experts (you know who you are) who listened to my prattling with remarkable patience. Let's just say that I feel much better now, and I am glad to say I still have a job!
And finally... an apology to Jackie and John. I owe you a beer. Soz, I really feel embarrassed about it!

17th October 2005

update today from Nick Wetton, thanks Nick.
Busy weekend on the way by the looks of it... the Cabbage on Friday night (any excuse to celebrate Mark's birthday), and the Clarendon Club on Saturday... too darn soulful! I'm looking forward to Saturday and Col Chamberlain's set: always plays a good one down at Wykin so hopefully should be very enjoyable.

12th October 2005

update today from Dave Haddon, thanks Dave.

12th October 2005

PHEW!!!!!!!

It seems that all is ok with the email side of things again now. I have tested all my email accounts and they are working, so no excuses for getting in touch now!
And I notice that the form is working again too... Hmmmm.
Just to prove that email is up and running again, a update today from Brian Bird, thanks Brian.

I have had some info from Kelly Knight regarding the future Soul Republic venue in Lutterworth. They have started a website at so you can keep up to date.
You can also email the organisers at if you want to ask any questions.

11th October 2005

DON'T PANIC!!!!!!!

There have been problems with the active content of this site AND emails!!!!

PROBLEM 1: Any changes you make e.g. post in the forum, edit a What's On entry, make an entry in the Guest Book etc. did not work... they do now. Sorry, my fault. In an attempt to beef up my server security, I basically bu88ered it up. What a dunce.

PROBLEM 2: All the email generated from this site seems to disappear up it's own jacksy. In fact any email to me seems to be disappearing at the moment. To email me, please use until I have sorted the problem out with my email provider. If you have emailed me recently, Monday 10th seems to be when the problem started, please send your email again to the new address. All the email links on the site have been updated to his address as well.

5th October 2005

Well, after the rollicking I got in the forum, it seems I'd better apologise again for neglecting my duties as a webmaster... yeah, yeah I've been on holiday again, but I just can't resist these cheap do-it-yourself holidays which pay for themselves when you stock up with the duty frees!
Anyway, firstly a update today from Chris A, ta much Chris.
Second bit of stuff is about this guy I saw performing on the cabaret circuit on holiday in Benidorm. His name was Wesley Phillips... I'm trying to figure this one out. Can it be the same Wesley Phillips who played trumpet for the Jacksons and Cameo? He certainly can play the trumpet, believe me! I have done a little article with some pics and a bit of video in the section. Can anyone confirm my thoughts?

28th September 2005

Sorry it's been a bit quiet on the updates lately, but I've been away in Lisbon, Portugal on a works jolly!!! updates today from Brian Bird and Dave Haddon, thanks to you both.

15th September 2005

update today from a new contributor, Brian Bird from Basingstoke, thanks Brian. A tricky little selection, and I could only track down two of his five, so how embarrassed am I?
If you fancy a bit of a change, audio-wise, try a bit of Northern Soul radio! Graham Slater, a veteran soulie with a pedigree back to the Twisted Wheel days runs an internet radio station in association with that is worth a listen.
Oh, and I've fixed the broken link to the 100 Club... I thought I'd better seeing as it was their anniversary night last Saturday and perhaps you might like a look!

8th September 2005

update today from Dave Haddon, thanks Dave.

6th September 2005

Two updates today, one from Chris A with his usual quality selection of oldies (ta Chris), and I've done mine too.
There is a new addition to the old soulie photos circa 1980 from someone who contacted me by email, but didn't leave their name... have added said pic to .
The long-running mystery of Joanne not-Fields is finally solved... go to to find out!
And finally... I have put a check into the Have Your Say Forum Posting thingy which should hopefully stop more than one posting being created with the same subject... I got fed up of guessing which was the right one to post to!

29th August 2005

Hello again after a nice Bank Holiday break! Two updates today, from a new contributor named Soulboy, and a new selection from Jackie Kowalewski, thanks both.

22nd August 2005

Phew! Serves me right for having a day off before and after the Clarendon Club this weekend, the updates soon pile up! Four updates today, from (in no particular order) Nick Wetton, Dave Haddon, Paul Flattery and Caroline Thurman. Thanks everybody for a particularly broad selection of music... interesting listening believe me!
We also have some photo updates as well, a new one from Paul Flattery in the (don't blame me for the comment, Paul, you said it first hee hee!) and some old soulie photos from Dawn Roberts from Lincoln which I have added to .
A bit of trivia for you... I was watching late night telly last week and this film came on ITV1 called "Elmer Gantry". About 15 mins in, Burt Lancaster (Elmer) staggers into a church to be met with an gospel choir belting out "I'm On My Way"... yep, the same song as sung by Barbara Dane!

17th August 2005

update today from Dawn Roberts (is that Sister Dawn?) of the East Lincoln Soul Club, thanks Dawn.

15th August 2005

update today from Nick Rennie, he of northernsoulmusic.co.uk fame, but as usual, he's beaten on one track again... grrrr!
Only five days 'til (that's right, innit Harold?) Clarendon Club, and as usual for the August session, it looks like it's gonna be a hot one again. According to the chat in the forum, there appears to be a certain amount of alternate dress being worn in an attempt to stay cool, but PVC is a no-no, surely?

11th August 2005

Two updates today, from Dave Haddon and Chris A, thanks both.
One mystery lady has been identified in our "Guess Who" photo competition, but it seems the others have got you all beaten!

8th August 2005

As promised, a new clutch of splendid piccies from Debbie Kendrick today. They can be found on , and there are some more "Guess Who" pictures too! Just to add a bit of icing to the cake, Jackie Kowalewski has sent me a couple more too, and these can be found on . Thanks to Debbie and Jackie for taking the trouble to dig these photos out!

7th August 2005

Two updates today, one from Dave Nicholls (thanks Dave), and he's shamed me into doing mine as well!
I've got some more piccies in, this time from Debbie Kendrick, and I'll post them in a day or so after Debbie has refreshed my ailing memory on one of the names!

3rd August 2005

Two new contributors today, so welcome to Steve "Budgie" Budge and Carolyn Roberts, who hail from Boston in Lincolnshire, and a big thank you for taking the trouble to contribute.
So are the new piccies baffling you? Not a dicky bird from anyone yet... come on you lot, you've not let me down yet!
I done a bit of spring cleaning in the forum too... things were getting very confusing in there. The old threads are still there, though. Just put a tick in the Show Archived Subjects box if you want to see them or post to an Archived thread to reactivate it.

2nd August 2005

Busy day today! Firstly thanks to Nick for tracking down the elusive "There's That Mountain" by the Tripps track for me, and it is now there in all its glory on Chris A's . Speaking of , we have a new contributor today, so a big welcome to Jackie Kowalewski, who some of you may remember as Jackie Duxbury, if you are as old and wrinkly as me.
And now for the juicy bit. I know how you all love a good photo, but just have a butchers at the ones Jackie has given me! They are on , and there are a couple of "Guess Who" pictures too! Get you thinking caps on and if you have any idea who the mystery people are!

31st July 2005

update from Pat Carter, thanks Pat.

24th July 2005

update from Chris A, thanks Chris. I'm embarrassed to say that I can't trace one of Chris's selections, and seeing as it is "There's That Mountain" by The Tripps, I would have thought that would be easy to source, but apparently not! There are obviously some oldies still to be re-cycled still!
Apologies to some folks who have been experiencing problems getting on the site recently, but it is beyond my control. It seems like some DNS servers have gone out of synch, and this site temporarily disappeared! Hopefully all has been resolved now.

24th July 2005

Hello again! No updates for a couple of weeks because I've been sunning it in Cyprus... blooming hot it was as well!
Back to normal today though with three updates from Dave Haddon, Mr. Mystery and Dave Watts, thanks everyone.
If anyone is wondering what happened to the West Midlands Water Ski Centre "do", it was apparently moved to the British Legion in Hopwas as the Water Ski Centre didn't have an entertainment licence... doh! Thanks to Debbie Kendrick for letting me know.
Another piece of venue news... Tim Puffer has organised another Charity Motown Night at the Sketchley Grange on 26th August, with all the usual trimmings... more info in the What's On Guide on the right of this page.

9th July 2005

update today from Chris A, thanks Chris. Again many apologies for the lack of updates recently, but I have been very busy on other things, and just haven't had the time!
Just a couple of things to bring your attention to. The now fortnightly Friday Soul Nights at the Chequers have shifted to a Saturday on the 16th of July so as not to clash with the Sketchley Grange night on the 15th July, but will be back to Friday night as normal afterwards. Pete Ankers is also doing a "Ladies Night" at the Sycamores in Burbage on Thursday 14th July if you fancy a change!
Paul Flattery has also let me know about a new "No More Doggin" Night in Loughborough, details in the What's On Guide.

19th June 2005

An excellent Darrow Fletcher update today from Dave Haddon, thanks Dave. Darrow Fletcher in certainly an interesting artist, cutting "The Pain Just Gets A Little Deeper" for the New York Groovy label when he was only fourteen! Perhaps this early break was due to the fact that he is Rose Batiste's cousin?
Thanks too to John Beale from Tamworth for getting in touch via the Guestbook, and yes John, your guess was correct about the source of those youthful photos!!

12th June 2005

Firstly, many apologies for the lack of updates recently, but I just haven't had a chance to do any!!! Let's put things right straight away with a update today from Chris A, thanks Chris.
It's probably a bit late to mention it, but it was Cleethorpes Weekender this weekend, and me old mate Pete Ankers was there... doing on the spot reports and sending through live performances on his mobile phone by The Mirwood Revue with Sherlie Matthews, The Belles, Marva Holiday, Jimmy Thomas and Jim Gilstrap... cheers Pete is was like being there (almost!). I hope to get the full lowdown from Pete later this week, and perhaps I can do a feature on it so you can see if you fancy it next year! For a full briefing, check out the website.

20th May 2005

update today from Dave Haddon, thanks Dave.
A special treat today, thanks to Graham 'Mif' Smith, who has kindly donated some fantastic stuff from back in 1972, recorded at the Catacombs in Wolverhampton! You can hear some incredible oldies on the page. Taking into account these tapes were done 33 years ago, the quality of some of these recordings is quite outstanding. All done on an old ITT cassette recorder... remember them?
Well, I'm getting me leather soles ready for tomorrow night... see ya there?

11th May 2005

Two updates today, from the ever mysterious Mr. Mystery and me old mucker Chris A, thanks both.
I've been hearing good things about the Friday night Motown and soul oldies nights down at the Chequers pub in Burbage. Master of ceremonies is none other than Pete Ankers, and if someone is qualified to play a good night's worth of soul classics, he is! Last Friday was a packer by all rights, and the next one's 20th May, the night before the Clarendon Club. See the advert on the right for more info.

10th May 2005

Two updates today, one from a new contributor Graham "Mif" Smith, from Wolverhampton, welcome along, Mif!
I've done mine too, because this last couple of weeks has been fantastic on the music front. Where does all this excellent music come from?
Mif also asked if anyone out there remembers him from the Catacombs? He was a member of the Volume scooter club, if that helps. If you can remember Mif, start up a thread in the Have Your Say forum.

5th May 2005

update today from Nick Rennie, thanks Nick.
The TV programme I was on about is called Soul Deep, and it starts Saturday night, 7th May on BBC2 at 8:25pm. More can be found on the . The first episode is all about roots, with profiles of Ray Charles, Fats Domino and Little Richard, but Episode 3 is the one for us, probably... the Sound Of Young America.

26th April 2005

Three updates today, some classy oldies from Dave Haddon, and a bit of R&B (at least that's what I think it is) from Paul and Caz, thank you everybody.
I caught an advert on BBC2 for a forthcoming program on Soul Music. I think it said Saturday night, starting in May, but I can't find owt on the BBC website. I'll keep looking!

21st April 2005

update from one of the stalwarts of the site, me old mate Chris A, thanks Chris.
Got a bit of a gem for you today, thanks to Dave Nicholls. Dave has been up in the attic and has turned up a recording of Radio Luxembourg (CE-DA-WOOOOOOOD... sorry, only the silver surfers among us will get that one) featuring Neil Rushton! For you young striplings out there Radio Luxembourg was a radio station that was broadcasting pop music way before Radio 1, and was required listening for anyone into the top sounds of the day. It was broadcast on Medium Wave at 208 metres, but unfortunately suffered from atmospherics, which caused the signal to fade in and out. The amazing thing about this recording is to hear Stuart Henry, the DJ, sounding surprised about these LPs with only one track on. He was of cause referring to 12 inch singles!!! I haven't found anywhere to park this recording yet (it's Real Audio, about 6Mb), so click to listen.

14th April 2005

A brand new contributor today. A big welcome to Mike Ford from Telford. Thanks for sending your tunes in, Mike!

11th April 2005

Two updates today from Mr. Mystery and Dave Haddon, thanks both.

7th April 2005

Two updates today, one from Nick Wetton (thanks Nick) and I've done mine too (about time too!)

3rd April 2005

update today from Chris A, thanks Chris.
Still busy on another project... there's a new website on the way. Keep watching!

20th March 2005

update today from Chris A, thanks Chris.
Sorry nothing much is happening on the site at the moment, there's lots of other things on the go, so keep watching, there will be some news soon!

13th March 2005

update today from Paul Gamble, thanks Paul.

7th March 2005

updates today from Porl and Caz, thanks both. Oh! and a belated happy 21st to Nicki Wileman, whose "do" I attended on Saturday night... a bit dark, but the music was good!

1st March 2005

update today from Dave Haddon, thanks Dave.

28th February 2005

A real gem of an update for all you older types today... some fantastic memories of the from one of our readers, Jennie Lovie. Thanks ever so much, Jenny!

14th February 2005

update today from Nick Rennie, thanks Nick.
Apologies to anyone who experienced problems getting onto the site today, but it seems that some nice person decided that the web server was a suitable target for a Denial Of Service (DOS) attack, and proceeded to launch a prolonged barrage of requests at the server that stopped anyone else using it. It's a wonderful world. I had to take the server off line for a couple of hours until "the perp" as they say got fed up and went somewhere else. Sad git.

13th February 2005

Another batch of recordings from today, thanks to Nick Wetton. This time the venue is the Top Rank Suite in Hanley, and it's January 1974. Say hello to those memories again!

10th February 2005

As promised, I have uploaded some more recordings, this time from Wigan Casino in 1973. This upload contains a lot of the tracks that made me want to go to Wigan in the first place, so many happy memories here!
I've also been given another two tapes, so as soon as I can get round to them, there will be some more tracks added too.

8th February 2005

I have uploaded a brand new batch of recordings, and are they incredible or what! Live at the Golden Torch in 1973, you can savour the sounds of Alice Clark, Eddie Parker, Maxine Brown and many more. Enjoy!
I'll be working on a few more live sounds from Wigan 1973 over the next couple of days, so keep checking back...

4th February 2005

update today from Chris Adamczyk, thanks Chris.
Yet more photos have come in, this time from Dave Moore (thanks Dave). There are some gems circa 1973 to giggle at on .
Incredibly, Dave has also lent me some live tapes from Wigan 1973, Bond Gate and believe it or not, a tape from the Torch! I'll be preparing these to add them to the Live Venues page over the next few days, so keep checking back!
Well, I'm off to the Northern Territory for helping of the old soul food tomorrow, might see you there! And don't forget Soul On Sunday at the Clarendon Club! Busy weekend!

26th January 2005

I've had some more photos come in taken at the Assembly Rooms in Derby back in 1979, so I have created a new page for them. Have a look at and marvel at the full circle skirts and flicked back hairdos!

23rd January 2005

Oooooo! My aching feet! What a superb night at the Clarendon Club last night. Packed to the gunnels (whatever they are) hot and sweaty; in other words a perfect night! I can't remember dancing so much in years, but I am pleased to say me knees held out!
The night was made even more enjoyable by the students from DeMontfort University, who periodically wheeled some unsuspecting soulie into a storeroom, poked a video camera in their mush and proceeded to ask them questions about Northern Soul! I have got to say I enjoyed the experience, but one thing escapes me... what was it all about? If any of those people behind the camera read this, and please explain it all to me!!!
I have updated the page to list all the dates for 2005 for both the "big do's" and Soul On Sunday, so now you can plan your entire year in advance. No excuses for missing one now!

14th January 2005

Arrrggghhhh! Disaster has struck. My email blew up and I've lost all my Contacts! Can all you soulies who want to talk offline send me an email so I can rebuild my Contact list please?

12th January 2005

update today from me old mate Dave Haddon, thanks Dave.
Thanks to Paul Gamble for a rather unique addition to the ... I can only hope this was fancy dress, and not his normal (non-soulful) attire.
I hear that it was Dave "Say No" Moore's 50th birthday at the weekend, so belated birthday greetings to him... sorry I couldn't be there, I was still stuck in warmer climes. Not that I am rubbing my Spanish sojourn in at all. Would I?

11th January 2005

What a great start to the New Year!! Many of you emailed me saying the site was down, so firstly thank you for taking the trouble. Unfortunately I was on holiday in sunny Spain, and could do nothing about it until I could get access to the webserver, which I did on Monday. It turns out that some nice men from the EMEB dug though a main power cable and cut the power to the server room, and when the power was reconnected, the power surge blew a network thingy in the webserver, so I had to fix it before the site could be put back on line. Still, all fixed now, so SORRRRYYYY for the outage.
To get things under way, two updates, one from Chris A and I've done mine too (about time, lazy git!). I have also been sent some rather sad from Leigh Jakeman of the original location of Wigan Casino... some of you might recognise the surrounding buildings.

24th December 2004

Two updates today from Dave Haddon and a new contributor, Phil Harris from Buckinghamshire, thanks to you both.
This is the last update for this year, coz I'm gonna be busy with all sorts of other things, so have a great Christmas and a very happy, healthy and above all soulful New Year!

20th December 2004

Two updates today from Paul Flattery and Caz Thurman, thanks to you both.
Well, we're getting close to what Chris aptly calls "the festering season", and as such, updates on the web site are gonna slow down for a bit. Sorry folks, just ain't got the time at the moment. Keep sending stuff in, and I'll stick 'em up as soon as I get chance.

14th December 2004

update today from Paul Gamble, thanks Paul.
I've added a new page today. I've been a bit stuck to put the unusual things I come across, so I have started , a place to bung things interesting and unusual. To start things off, we have a soulie bar in the Costa Del Sol, and a gift shop in Skeggy.... see what I mean?

13th December 2004

It's not like me to watch such programmes as X-Factor, but since I figured out who Steve Brookstein was, I must admit I did watch a couple. So as Steve won it this weekend, I though it warranted a mention on the page. Interesting stuff!
update today from me old pal Chris, thanks mate.
And finally, a big thanks to everyone who turned up at the Chequers in Burbage on Saturday to watch me and Pete Ankers blow the dust off a few classic soul and reggae tunes and enjoy a night of boozy madness. Al Capone's Guns Don't Argue!

8th December 2004

I was shocked to learn of the passing of one of Northern Soul's unsung heros at the weekend. Derek Allen sadly passed away during a DJ spot at the Meadow Club in Nottingham on December 4th. Derek regulary visited the Wykin Social Club, and was known throughout the scene as a genuine soul fan, no politics, just a nice bloke. I'm sure that you will all join with me in offering our condolences to his family. There is a wonderful tribute to Derek by Kev Roberts on the website.

I must apologise for the lack of updates over the last week or so, but I have been busy, what with Christmas and everything, so let's get on with it. We have three updates today, from Dave Haddon, Dave Brierley and our first Aussie, Paul Hannigan from Perth, Western Australia.
I have also received some additions to the from Paul Flattery and Paul Gamble. Thanks to everybody for your contributions, I couldn't do it without you.

24th November 2004

Another dedicated today, from the one and only Blonde. Looks like Chris A has started a trend... anyone for any more?

23nd November 2004

I've had some feedback on the Charity Soul Night at the Sketchley Grange Hotel on 19th November. Read the review on the page.

22nd November 2004

Again, just the one update today, from Leigh Jakeman, thanks Leigh.
Kelly Knight has let me know about a new monthly modern-style soul night starting on Fridays in January at the Matrix on Rugby Road, Hinckley, so if the modern scene is your thing, check out the What's On entry for Soul Sensation at the Matrix.

19th November 2004

Just the one update today, from our old friend Chris A, but unique in the fact that his five is dedicated to someone else! Could this be the start of a new trend?

16th November 2004

Two updates today, one from a sterling regular, Dave Haddon, and a rather different contribution from a recent contributor to the forum, Rev. Rick Sowell. Unfortunately, I have had great difficulty in tracing the audio for the tracks concerned, so if anybody can help me out, all contributions would be greatly appreciated.
It appears that since the server migration happened, the View Archived Threads facility in the Have Your Say forum has stopped working... many apologies, I'll get it fixed as soon as I can.

4th November 2004

Finally got round to doing something that I have been promising myself I would do for ages, and that is to add a to the site. Just to start it off, I have added some entries based on emails I have received over the last 12 months or so... there are some very nice people out there, but you know that already, as you are one of them (creep creep). If you've got anything to say about the site, please feel free!

2nd November 2004

Two more updates today, one from our old mate Nick Rennie, and a big welcome to a new contributor, Richard Le-Hair from Leicester, thanks to both of you.
I don't know whether you noticed the Motown and Classic Soul event at the Sketchley Grange on Friday 19th November in the What's On guide, but it sounds like a good night out and a chance to raise a bit of money for the Meningitis Trust... get there if you can!

1st November 2004

Hi gang! Sorry for lack of updates, but I've been on holiday, and I am just getting things sorted out. Hopefully normal service will resume tomorrow.

22nd October 2004

Busy week on the old Fave Tunes... Two more updates today, one from Dave Haddon, with his usual excellent taste, and a VERY big welcome to a new contributor, Col Chamberlain, DJ at Wykin Social Club, thanks to both of you.
As the winter nights draw in, it's nice to see plenty of Northern Soul happening around the town with the Clarendon Club on Saturday night, with Mort, Gary Belcher and Alan Carter on the decks, plus the usual local jocks Dave and Wayne, Sam and Mark. The following week it's Wykin Social Club, with guest Ally Meyer, plus Colin, Ady, Pete, and Derek of course.
Just for fun, I've added a new page to the Pictures and Video section called , so I can put up some photos I can't seem to put anywhere else!

21st October 2004

Two updates today, one from the ever elusive Mr. Mystery, and a big welcome to a new contributor, Dawn Roberts from Lincoln.

17th October 2004

What a cracking night was had at the Club Tropicana with undeniably a master of the live performance, Jimmy James and his Vagabonds. From about the second number, I was down at the front of the stage in the sardine-like crush of people singing their heads off to "A Man Like Me", hopelessly trying to avoid the toe-crushing antics of a fellow soulie from Peterborough! It was a magnificent performance, and you can read all about it (and sneak a quick look at a bit of Jimmy's performance) on the page.

14th October 2004

A DVD has come to my attention, and it is truly splendid! Called "Legends Of Rare Soul" it features TV and film clips of many live performances by soul legends such as Kim Weston, Major Lance, Brenda Holloway, Chuck Jackson, Gloria Jones, Dobie Gray and many more. I am so impressed that I have prepared a few trailers from the DVD, so you can see what you are getting for your money. Visit the page to see some cracking performances!

12th October 2004

Three updates today two from Dave H and Chris A, thanks chaps!
I've done mine too, but it's a bit of an indulgence... as I'm off to see Jimmy James and the Vagabonds on Saturday (Club Tropicana, Chapel St. Leonards, only a fiver) I've done a Jimmy James fave five. Everyone remembers him for "I'll Go Where The Music Takes Me" and "Now Is The Time", but he had a fair few northern monsters too...

6th October 2004

Well, if you think nothing much has been happening with the site just lately, it's because I've been busy compiling another National Venues page. It was a bit daunting, but I've eventually got round to doing it. Yep, that's right, I've finally had a go at the page. It's a bit big, so be patient while it downloads! I've tried to gather as much accurate info as I can, but I'm sure somebody out there has some other comments to make...

5th October 2004

update today from Tim Puffer, thanks Tim.
There has been a bit of confusion regarding last night's Inside Out programme of the BBC. It seems that there are two editions, a West Midlands one and an East Midlands one. If your TV ariel is pointing at Sutton Coldfield, then you would have seen it. If it was pointing the other way, you would have been entertained by Englebert Humperdink. Hmmmm... no difference there then. If you were one of the unfortunate ones that missed the programme, the BBC have kindly posted a report on the West Midlands edition on the .
And finally, I have learned that Sam Evans won a dance competition at the weekend... well done Sam!

27st September 2004

A new contributor today. Welcome to Nick Wetton, and his seventies flavoured Fave Five.

27st September 2004

Famous last words... sorry for lack of updates, but had a couple of technical problems with the new server... it was proving to be extremely difficult to update the site, but I've got that sorted now.
Two updates today from Chris A and Dave Haddon, thanks guys!
Had a query regarding the Skegness weekender, so just to let you all know, it starts Friday, October 1st, and runs through to Sunday, October 3rd. It's held at the Grosvener House Hotel, on the seafront opposite the pier, and is strictly an all-ticket affair. The ticket price does not include accomodation, so it's a B&B or sleeping bag on the beach!
Just another quickie about Skegness, Jimmy James and the Vagabonds are on at the Club Tropicana in Chapel St. Leonards on Saturday 16th October, only a fiver!

21st September 2004

Great to be back to normal! Three updates today from Paul Flattery, Caroline Thurman and the elusive Mr. Mystery, thanks to all of you!
Apologies to anyone who has experienced problems with musical content... I missed a few changes when I shifted server, and some of the music links were broken... these have now been fixed.
It seems like the new Homepage format is working ok, but if anyone has any suggestions (except about curry, please!), don't be shy, !

21st September 2004

Well, it's been a while, but I've finally sorted out the server, and we now have our own, dedicated webserver! I have put redirects in where I can, but some of you may experience missing pages, etc, if you try to reference anything on the old hosts. If you always start from the homepage, and then create new shortcut or favourite from there, you should be ok. I have a bit of a backlog of updates, but I'll get round to them as soon as I can.
I have also changed the way that the Whats On guide works, to make it easier to use. See the top-right corner of this page for instructions.
The lastest postings in the forum now appear on the top left, and you can dive straight into the postings just by clicking on the poster's name. Have fun!

12th September 2004

What an interesting Saturday night I had... sitting there watching telly, and the mobile rang... it was Pete Ankers giving me a live feed via the phone from the 100 Club 25th Anniverary allnighter! Over the next hour, the phone rang several times as Pete relayed carefully selected sounds that he knew I would like... it was just like being there! Thanks Pete, you're a real gem!
It seems that the hosting company got my message, and the forum is back up again...
And finally, thanks to Howard Sorsby for getting in touch. Howard used to DJ at Samanthas in the oldies room, and help me fill in some gaps on the Samanthas page. Howard also tells me that there is a Samanthas reuniuon allnighter happening at the original venue on October 23rd... I'm going to try and get some more information, and I'll let you know what I find.

10th September 2004 12:30pm

ARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH! The blooming hosting company that runs the forum has slapped a bandwidth restriction on the active parts of the site, which means that Forum, Lyric of the Day, and the Top Sounds Poll will be unavailable for 12 hours because the site is too busy. I have emailed them asking them to remove the restriction, but as there is a six hour time difference between here and America, I don't expect a rapid reply. Sorry folks, and roll on next week when the new server is installed!

9th September 2004

A couple of updates today from me old mate Chris, and I've done mine too!
Webserver transfer is about done, so it should go online next week, hopefully. The end to all our problems is in sight.
And finally... as if you need reminding, Tim Puffer's party is on tomorrow night at the Sketchley Grange... Happy Birthday, Tim! Or should I say Feliz Cumplea�os? The forum has gone completely mad.

7th September 2004

update today from a new contributor, Jo Smith from Nuneaton, thanks Jo.
I'm not doing much new stuff on the website at the moment, because I'm in the process of transferring it all to a new server... thats right, got the hosting sorted! It'll take a few days though, so bear with me, please.
Shock horror! I was driving home tonight about half past six, and tuned in to the local radio station "Fosseway Radio" and nearly crashed the car in shock... bloody Murial Day, "Nine Times Out Of Ten" was on. Of all the Northern records they could have played on the "Fosseway Jukebox", it was that. Come on guys.... pleeeese!

1st September 2004

update today from Dave Haddon, thanks Dave.
The saga with the hosting problems continues, but good news! There is a solution on the horizon, and hopefully next week I should transfer onto a new server, and the problems should all go away. Hopefully.

31st August 2004

Hi all.... back after a great Bank Holiday weekend entertaining a 10 year old.
Normality will resume tomorrow, after I get a good nights rest!

24th August 2004

Some of you might have noticed problems with the forum today, especially around 5pm. It seems that the hosting company that is running the forum for me has capacity problems, and the forum stops working when their server gets busy. There is unfortunately nothing I can do about this, except move to another hosting company, which I am planning to do, but I am waiting for agreements to be agreed, so to speak. The forum is fine in the morning, and after 7pm, so if you experience problems, please try later (or earlier as the case may be). Bear with me, and as soon as I can get my hosting plan sorted, all will be well again. GRRRRRR!

23rd August 2004

Well, that was a smooth transition to the new Forum server, wan't it... NOT!
Firstly, apologies to all of you that have Favourites and shortcuts pointing to the old address... I should have told you to use the link from the Home page and re-do your Favourites/Shortcuts.
Secondly, the posting times went a bit screwy because the Forum is now hosted in the US... five hours time difference. I have put a correction in to get the times right.
Thirdly, the site seems to go a bit slow between 2pm and 4pm... the yanks are just getting up!
From some info I gained from on Saturday night, I have added some notes to the Coalville page. There is a recollection of an event that occurred there that I now have the full facts of...
And finally... can anyone guess which well-known couple holds the dubious honour of having Jived on Wigan Casino dance floor?

22nd August 2004

Well, as many people have no doubt already commented, it seems like last night's Clarendon Club will go down on record as the best night ever! Great atmosphere, and so many old friends turning up out of the blue... I was losing my voice at 10pm through nattering too much!
Big thanks to Paul and Caz, Dave Brierly, Mad Mandy, and Steve, Sharon, Steve and Sarah from Kettering who all made the effort to travel not insignificant distances to support the night. And a big HELLO! to Steve Brown who I hadn't seen for ages... nice one Steve!
And hope you recover from your hangover soon, Blondie!
Dave Nicholls has been incredibly efficient and posted photos from the night already, so go and have a butchers at 'em on the Clarendon Club site... follow the link on the right.
Back to more mundane matters... I have noticed (and you have probably) that the Have Your Say forum has been a bit slow of late, so I've shifted it onto a different server... seems to be faster, but try it out and see... if you get any problems, !

18th August 2004

Good news about Saturday's Clarendon Club. The organisers are rolling in heavy-duty fans to be placed either side of the stage in an attempt to cool things down a bit... be early to get a place down the front!

17th August 2004

update today from Mr. Mystery... check it out, top tunes selected!
Well, the weekend's nearly here, and the excitement is mounting... emails are coming in to confirm people are going to the Clarendon Club, and by all rights its gonna be busy (and hot, probably) again. Get there early!

11th August 2004

Two updates today, from Dave Haddon and Paul Gamble, thanks guys.
Only one more weekend to go until the next Clarendon Club, can't wait to see Dave Evison in action again. And don't forget, it's �4 on the door all night, no price rise after 9pm.

9th August 2004

A nostalgic update today from Chris A., thanks Chris.
Been wandering around the Net again, and came across , run by a guy named Mark, who has some nice things to say about Hinckley Allnighters and the Oddies in Leicester. He also features some live performances by Lorraine Chandler and Eddie Parker, recorded at The Top Of The World in Stafford, 1985.

2nd August 2004

update today from from a new contributor, Toyah. No last name, just Toyah. There was a bit of a language barrier to get over, as Toyah is from Africa. Good choice of tunes, though, so thanks Toyah!
Feedback from Soul On Sunday seems to indicate that this weekend was the best so far. Each week I try to get there, but something seems to get in the way. I'll get there one day.
Wykin was back on Saturday, but not heard much yet... any reviews, anybody?

27th July 2004

update today from Dave Haddon, thanks Dave.
Had an interesting email promoting a website selling on Northern Soul and scooterist jewellery... novel idea I thought! Have a look at .

25th July 2004

update today from Dave Nicholls, thanks Dave.
Pleased to see that has stopped being petulant and is back to it's full and fabulous self, with the search facilities and random playlists being fully restored.
Had a great night Friday night, went to see the Union Gap, who you may remember did "Young Girl" many years ago... fabulous band, did loads of uptempo sixties stuff including tracks by Love Affair, Edison Lighthouse etc. Just like being in The Cavern, my mate Eddie said!
Don't forget it's Wykin this Saturday 31st July, and beware!... it's Pete Anker's birthday! Soul on Sunday the day after too, so a busy weekend coming up!

22nd July 2004

update today from an old friend of the site, Leigh Jakeman, thanks Leigh.
It might have escaped your notice (I doubt it) but the 25th Anniverary is on the way, and horror upon horror, it's the night after Tim Puffer's 50th birthday. That's right, Tim's do is on the 10th September, and the 100 Club Anniversary is on the 11th September. Decisions, decisions. Still, the 100 Club is all-ticket, and you have to collect your ticket from the club in person. I think I'll go to Tim's do... I'm lazy.

21st July 2004

update today from another new contributor, Dave Broxton from Willenhall. Welcome to the site, Dave.
You've probably noticed from the pop-up, it's only about a month now till the next Clarendon Club, so start doing those exercises, you don't want your knees giving up after a couple of dances!

20th July 2004

update today from a new contributor, Dave Brierly from Warwick. Welcome to the site, Dave.
For those of you unfamiliar with the Clarendon Club Soul On Sunday event, I've added some info to the Clarendon Club page in Local Venues.

18th July 2004

Three, yes three updates today from Paul Flattery, Caroline Thurman, and... me.
Soul on Sunday back on again tonight, and sadly I missed it yet again... what a busy life I lead. Let me know how it went!
A good debate in the forum at the mo about oldies... like to hear from a couple of modern soul lovers to balance the discussion a bit.

14th July 2004

A nostalgic update today from Chris A, thanks Chris! His selection this week suggests to me that this "phobia" of playing so-called "overplayed oldies" can sometimes be misplaced... just play "Out On The Floor" one more time to be reminded just how wonderful some of these oldies are.
A bit of movement in the Northern Soul Timeline... come on, fill the middle bits in!

13th July 2004

update today from Dave Haddon, thanks Dave! Time for a few more, folks, please!
Sorry to see that no-one has contributed to the Northern Soul Timeline project in the forum... hoped you lot would have helped me out on this.
Not much happening at present, so hence not any updates... working on another project too, so that's keeping me busy... more on that later.
Tim Puffer has asked me to let you know about his birthday party coming up in September. It's gonna be a big one, because Tim reaches the grand old age of 50... details are in the What's On scroller at the top of the page.

1st July 2004

update today from a new contributor, Jan Lisewski, otherwise known as SoulManJan, thanks Jan!
Amongst other things, Jan is trying to put together a Northern Soul timetime, with venues and significant events in cronological order. I have opened up a Timeline topic in the forum so if you can think of a venue and know roughly when it ran, please add it in.

30th June 2004

update today from Dave Haddon, thanks Dave.
A new site for you too... a chap named SoulManJan has been in contact, all the way from Florida! Originally from Derby, Jan runs a radio show called , which features Northern plus other 60s stuff. Give him a visit!

28th June 2004

Well, as you can probably tell, there's not a lot going on at present, so hence not a lot to put in the blog. I'm busy messing about with a new computer, so that's why nothing has changed much on the site. If there's anything you've got to tell me, please feel free!

22nd June 2004

update today from Chris A, continuing the time-warp feeling!
Anybody got any news about Soul On Sunday then?
Been having a great chat with "Farmer" Carl, who suggests he may even crop in on the Clarendon Club sometime... if you don't know who "Farmer" Carl Dene is, checkout the page.

20th June 2004

update today from Dave Haddon, who really took me back in time... if you want to experience what the Junction Disco was like back in 1973, play some of his faves!
Sorry to miss Soul On Sunday again, but you know how it is... spent most of the weekend celebrating my wife Sue's birthday, so I'm afraid I just didn't have any energy left... old age definitely creeping in. I'm sure some kind person will contribute a review to the forum.

17th June 2004

As promised, new page added today to the National Venues section... . I'll be very interested in your comments on this, as I know a good few of you out there actually went, so let me know any comments or anecdotes that could improve my effort.
Don't forget Soul On Sunday, 20th June at the Clarendon Club!

16th June 2004

Sorry about the apparent lack of activity at the moment, but I'm just working on a new page for the National Venues page... won't be long now.
By the way, I'm very excited by the fact that I have been contacted by a real famous name from the past... "Farmer" Carl Dene of the Twisted Wheel and the Catacombs! Tell you more later!

13th June 2004

Two excellent updates today from Nick Rennie and Mad Mandy, thanks to both of you.
Remember I told you about the other day? Well, got a nice email from Julian Dyer, the guy whose idea the site was, telling me he is adding some more dancer footage soon... keep checking back!
Some of you may have heard of the No More Doggin' Soul Nights over in Thringstone, Leicester, but have not ventured over. To hear what sort of stuff they play, check out the to satisfy your curiosity.

10th June 2004

Thanks to Col Chamberlain for providing some updates to the page in Local Venues, and I've managed to track down some more tracks from their playlists...
And thanks to Paul Gamble for sending in his photos taken at Bisley Nightshift; they're on . As Paul puts it "...get the chance then go, great venue, good dance floor. any one want to share then let me know nearer the time cus i'll be going.". There's an offer for you!

7th June 2004

As you know, I wander around the web looking for stuff you might be interested in, and if you are interested in Wigan Casino, you've got to have a look at . It seems to be a site dedicated to a guy's memories of the Casino, with footage of dancers, and a "choose a dancer" feature where to can compare dance styles.... wierd, but very interesting!

7th June 2004

Yes, I know I've been lazy, but with weather like we've been having, can you blame me?
New bit added today, "Lyric Of The Day", just a bit of something to keep you amused.
So how did Soul On Sunday go? Couldn't get, was elsewhere, but nothing in the forum, no emails...

2nd June 2004

Guess what! I've found another Northern Soul Music Library!!! With nearly 10,000 sounds stored away, this site is another gem, with a nice search facility.
Check it out at , but it can get a bit busy, so be patient!

1st June 2004

Back again after a weekend away, with a update today from Chris A. He stumped me on one track, so I had to resort to my old Wigan tapes to get the tunes posted.... which gave me an idea. Why not have a Fave Five made up of oldies that I might have on live tapes... if you keep it 74-76, there's a good chance I've got it. Go on, give it a go!
I notice from the forum that Mad Mandy is off to the Skegness Weekender in October... organised by Dave Raistrick, this is a twice-a-year event held at the Grosvenor House Hotel (the big black and white one on the seafront opposite the Pier), spread over three days, with one pass (�18) getting you in all three days. Check out for info and booking forms.

28th May 2004

Anybody hear Johnny Walker on Radio 2 last night about 6:15? He had Holland-Dozier-Holland on as guests, having just returned from the Ivor Novello awards, where they won a special International Award for their songwriting talents. It was a bit of a giggle, because it appears the HDH may have had a wine or two at the ceremony! The BBC are gathering questions to be asked at a special evening with HDH to be broadcast in near future. Click to submit one yourself.
Have done some more tweaks to the forum, and hopefully that stupid business about the dates going funny early in the month has gone away now... try it and see if you can break it, please!

26th May 2004

With all the excitement about the Clarendon Club last weekend, it is easy to overlook that the Wykin Club also had a soul session on the same night. According to Col Chamberlain it was a "Great night Saturday with a lot of new faces turning up that made it a little above average on the attendance. The guest was Simon Hunt who did an absolutely brilliant spot and it was nice to see many locals turn up considering there was two soul nites on in the town".
We have a update today from Paul Gamble, thanks Paul. Could do with a few more, please!
Have done a bit of a tweak to the forum, in that when comment is added, it forces the whole thread to the top of the list... this means that you don't have to hunt through the whole list, checking the Last Post Date, the recent updates are always at the top now. Simple eh?

25th May 2004

Been busy tonight installing my new wireless network... it's sooooo cool. I can now do all my site updates in the garden! Roll on the warm nights of summer!
All my little jobs are out the way now, so the website updates will start again tomorrow, beginning with some readability updates to the forum.

23rd May 2004

Phew! Another hot and throbbing Clarendon Club over, and I'm still recovering... I always lose my voice when I go to the CC... too many fags and too much chattering. Another busy night, with stacks of quality oldies played, dance floor busy from 9.00 onwards... what more can you say. As for Dave Raistrick... I was drooling as I saw original after original come out of his record box. Green with jealosy or what! There are some great pictures of the night to be seen on the website, so go see!
Gonna sort out a couple of things and then we should be back to normal on the website.. got a couple of changes to make to the forum to make it easier to use, and then some more National Venues to do.

19th May 2004

Yes, I know, I've been slacking... been a bit busy these last few days, but hopefully back on track now!
Three updates today from Dave Haddon, Chris A, and yours truely... not really giving anything away about the up and coming Clarendon Club (grin).
And speaking of the Clarendon Club, there is certainly an air of excitement about... get there early, it's gonna be a big one again!
Dave Nicholls has sent me some info about the events... He says:
"From Sunday June the 6th we are running a Sunday Club called Soul On Sunday. The idea is to provide a place where soul fans can go and have a drink and a chat with like minded people and to listen and dance to all genre's of soul music. Also, any one who wants to can take a few records and have a go at spinning them. It will be on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of every month from 7 until 11 with an admission fee of only �2."
Sounds like a good idea to me!

16th May 2004

update today from Pat Carter, thanks Pat!
Remember I said I would try and find some info about those these Daily Star CDs? Well, I have heard absolutley nothing from the folks at Peoplesound. So much for customer service.
I read that the Clarendon Crew are launching a new "Sunday Soul" session, every other week starting in June...

11th May 2004

There are a number of you expressing interesting views regarding the recent batch of free CDs given away with the Daily Star on Sunday. Entitled "Sunday Soul", three Cds have been released, and all of them contain some mighty fine sounding northern-style instrumentals. In fact today's update from Chris A features 5 of them! There is a certain "Lavine-ish" feel to them, I think, so I'm going to ring Peoplesound, the distributors, and see if I can find out a bit more about, as Chris puts it, "the pedigree" of these tracks. Keep watching for more info!

9th May 2004

Apologies for no updates for the last few days, but been really busy with a couple of other things, including sorting out the playlist for the Clarendon Club. All I can say is that it's a labour of love, and Pete and I hope you like it... all will be revealed on the 22nd.

4th May 2004

You might remember the Silky Hargraves saga from a few days ago... well, the track came back up on eBay, so my wife Sue had a go and won it for me! We were just settling the payment details when the vendor revealed it was the instrumental. Arrrgh! I'll eventually get hold of this track... I know I will!
Just had a very entertaining evening digging through the home movies... Pete Ankers and Ady Cope doing some very strange things round my house back in 1992. If anyone has the technology to transfer VHS to .avi format, I would be very interested (grin).
And as for ... well, what can I say. Nice job.

29th April 2004

Two updates today from Chris A, and a special welcome to an old friend, Dave Watts. Dave used to live in Hinckley in the 70s, and was a regular at the soul nights at the time, but has since emigrated to Essex.
During my usual internet wanderings, I came across , which is compiled by a guy named Mark, who used to go to Leicester Oddfellows and Hinckley nighters... makes interesting reading!

28th April 2004

update today from our regular contributor, Dave Haddon, thanks Dave.
Now its not like me to do editorial-type things, or bang on about what's good and what's not, but those of you who know me will probably realise that I am not too keen on some of this modern stuff... that's a personal opinion, not meant to influence or offend in any way. But now and again I have to admit I was wrong. Today's Top Sound is simply one of the best dancers I have ever heard. Don't just play it and say "Nope, it's crap"... play it a couple or three times. I think it will grow on you. It did me, and now I can't stop playing the damn thing!

26th April 2004

Two updates today from the dynamic duo from Shepshed, Paul and Caroline. Special thanks to Caroline for bringing back some great Youth Club memories for me!
As far as the eBay bid went, I lost it... boo! I set a proxy bid up, because I wouldn't be at my computer when the sale ended... someone outbid me by a quid! It wasn't one of you lot was it? (grin). Still, I'm not too unhappy, because I got the Del-Larks at the weekend for a fiver!

22th April 2004

As promised, a new National Venues page, . Thanks to Terry Carter for the pictures I have used on the page.
Another update from Dave Nicholls... John Bowie is certainly proving to be popular!

20th April 2004

Busy day again today, three updates, from Dave Haddon and Brian Smith, and I've done mine too!
Have had some good feedback on the Twisted Wheel research, page is coming on nicely. It should be published in a day or two.

19th April 2004

About time for another National Venues addition, so I have started researching the Twisted Wheel... anybody got any info?
As you know, I sometimes come across a site that is worth a mention... today's is .
Just as a bit of an experience, I'm currently bidding of my first Northern Soul purchase on ebay! I'll let you know what happens!

17th April 2004

Hello again! Sorry for no updates for seven days, but even Webmasters have to have a holiday now and again... just had a week in Portugal, and yes, it was lovely and sunny!
Two updates during the week, from Chris and Leigh, thanks to both of you.
So what do you think... is it really Paula Parfitt in the forum? If it is, then Wow!

8th April 2004

Just the one update today, courtesy of the aforementioned Mr. Haddon, thanks Dave.
Apologies for cocking the link up yesterday, it's fixed now!
Only seven weeks to go now, and you can all have a good laugh at me and Pete Ankers trying to DJ at the Clarendon Club...

7th April 2004

Two updates today, thank you to Brian and Carl.
Some amazing compilation Cds have come to my attention courtesy of Dave Haddon. Released on a Canadian label, Maple Street, there are some fantastic track listings, many not available via the usual Goldsoul and Kent avenues. Check them out at .

6th April 2004

Thanks to Chris for his update today.... forgotten about Nancy Ames... wow, what a track!

5th April 2004

update from Tim Puffer today.
I have to confess to a bout of jealosy over an incredible guestbook entry at the Clarendon Club site. Rufus Lumley's wife has been in contact! Check out the thread in the forum, and click on the link to the right to visit the Clarendon Club to see it for yourself!

31st March 2004

update from Dave Nicholls today... anybody think of any more? (Go see, you'll get what I'm on about).
There's been a thread running in the forum about footage of Northern dancing... well, I've found some. Have a look at , where you can find some clips of Wigan and Blackburn.

30th March 2004

Me and my big mouth! Three (yes three!) updates today, from Dave Haddon, Brian Smith and Nick Rennie, and very tasty they are too! Thanks guys.
And now for the Big News! If you have been following the forum, you may remember an anonymous posting about "Future Biggies", citing two new tracks just discovered... well... we've got 'em, live and exclusive, on this humble web site!! Check out to listen to them, and find out who "Anonymous" really is!

29th March 2004

Been busy on the again. You might notice that a little "Info" link has appeared in the scrolly thing. If you click on this (the scroller will pause if you hover your mouse over it), a pop-up detail guide will appear. Take a look at the Horncastle entry to see how effective this can be (well done Nick).

28th March 2004

Thank you all for being so patient, but at last the is available. It's in the General section, with a link from the homepage too. The idea here is that you can add your own venues, and keep them up to date... you know more about your venues than I do, so you'll be better at it than me. It will also allow visitors to add venues we know nothing about, and keep us all informed... at least that's how it should work!
Welcome to new contributor Leigh Jakeman for sending in a fine selection... come on you other regulars, you've gone quiet!!!

22nd March 2004

Two changes to today, a Motown special from Chris, and a splendid start from our new contributor from York, Martin Lowe.
Well, as you have probably guessed, the new What's On feature is taking a bit longer than I realised... there's a bit more to it than I thought. Getting there though!

22nd March 2004

Well, that's the first (and long-winded) bit done to New Feature 1. The What's On list is now a funky scrolly thing... but the next bit is to get you lot to put your own venues in. Be patient!
BTW, my wife Sue reckons that the Harvey track is awful! Any other takers?

21st March 2004

Two updates today, thanks to Chris for his update, and a big welcome to first time contributor Brian Smith.
Went to Wykin last night, some great stuff played, especially by guest DJ Dave Welding. I have added playlists by Pete Wileman, Col Chamberlain and Ady Cope to the page, so you can sample some sounds if you've not made it there, yet.
Sorry, if it seems like I'm dragging my feet about the mysterious new feature (in fact there are two), but one of them is proving a little more difficult than I thought... still, anticipation is half the pleasure (wink)!
Now for some sad news... just had an email from Paul Flattery informing me that Blackpool Mecca is going to be knocked down as part of the redevelopment of Blackpool centre. What can I say.

17th March 2004

Two updates today, thanks to Trev and Dave for their contributions.
Apologies to all for accidentally dropping The Vinery from the Local Venues page, it must have happened when I transferred to the new menu system... it's back now!
Starting on another new feature tomorrow, so keep your eyes peeled... I'll need you help and your memories for this one.

16th March 2004

Been fiddling around with a bit on the suggestion of a certain Mr. Egginton... I have archived some of the stale subjects, but you can still get at them if you want... there's a "Show Archived Subjects" box you can tick if you want to see them. If you post to an Archived Subject, it will reactivate it.

14th March 2004

I know it's not much, but I've fixed that really annoying thing when you are "Having Your Say". When you have dived into the messages in the subject, and then you go back to the list of subjects, it starts at the beginning again, which means you have to scroll all the way back down again... it doesn't now... apart from when you have just added a new comment to the end of subject... ah well, no-ones perfect!
Interesting to note that The Tomangoes has caught up with Dena Barnes in the ...

12th March 2004

Well, I guess you wonder where I've been... well it's a long story, but the bottom line is that I've run out of web space! Due to the sucess of Fave Tunes, all the music files gobbled up disk space on my ISP's web server, so I've had to do something about it, or I'll be shut down for exceeding my disk space quota. Booooo!
What this means to you is that I've had to change the format of the music to RealAudio, because its smaller. But the upside is that music will download faster. Hooray!
To play sounds now you'll have to use RealOne Player, but don't worry if you don't have it, it's FREE and available by clicking on the link to the right. Be careful, and ensure you choose the "Basic" player, or you'll be charged for the posh version.
So sorry to all, but I've got no choice... and sorry to Chris for taking so long to update his .

9th March 2004

Two updates to today, our first contribution from our Forum friend, Mad Mandy from Nottingham, and a fine update from Carl from Leeds.

8th March 2004

I've been busy over the last couple of days compiling a new National Venues entry - . Even though I do say it myself, it's a fascinating read. It really puts into context the soul scene of the late sixties/early seventies, and highlights the huge contribution the club made to the progression of Northern Soul.
Just a quick reminder that Friday 12th March is West End Soul Club at Coalville night.. get over there if you can!

6th March 2004

If you wonder why I've been quiet over the last couple of days, it's because I've been working to get rid of those really annoying menus! Every time you moved your mouse about, a menu dropped down, which proved to be terribly irritating. There is a new menu system in place now, which will only drop the sub-menu items if you click on the menu heading. Hope it improves your browsing experience!

3rd March 2004

As promised, new photos for you!
The first lot were taken at alldayer, back in May, 1979. It's amazing how these photos turn up.
The second lot have been added to , and are a bit of a mixed bag, but include a couple of gems, including a very young Sam Evans, who now DJs at the Clarendon Club!

2nd March 2004

Blimey, you lot are wearing me out!
Three new today, updates from Dave H and Chris A, and a big welcome to our first "up North" contributor, Carl from Leeds!
Piccies updates tomorrow, with some excellent 70s stylee stuff from Jo and Caron, and some splendid Hinckley oldies from my cuz Tim.

1st March 2004

Loads to tell you today! First off, thanks to Tim and Paul for their , both excellent selections.
The mystery of Wayne's vocal to "Double Cooking" has been solved, firstly by Tim Puffer, and then by Col Chamberlain, who played it on Saturday night at Wykin! It's actually "Baby You're The Fire" by the DEL Satins...
Nick Rennie has put me right on the Dickie Wonder track in his Fave Tunes by letting me know about a far better UK release version, which is now available instead of the US one I originally posted.
I've still got three more Fave Tunes to do, plus the new piccies from Jo and Caron from Nuneaton, so stay tuned!

29th February 2004

Apologies to all, I've got a bit of a backlog!
What with Wykin last night (good night, some great sounds played) and the imminent arrival of a new kitchen, I've been been a bit lazy over the weekend and left the site alone. Promise to get round to some updates tomorrow... got loads of fave tunes to do, some new piccies to show you, and some more live sounds to drag you back down memory lane. See you tomorrow!

26th February 2004

Busy old day today... some more updates to the Wigan Casino section of . Check out the Dalton James and Sutton track (thanks Nick for identifying it)... incredible.
And speaking of Nick Rennie, nice from him today.

25th February 2004

First update to in a long time! I have added a few sounds from the last Coalville Allnighter for your enjoyment(?). It's quite fascinating when you dig back through your old tapes and see the directions Northern Soul went in over the years... have a look and see what I mean.
There's a few more updates to come, so keep checking in!

24th February 2004

New from Kelly Knight today.
If you wonder why nothing much has changed over the last couple of days, it's because I'm rummaging through my old tapes again, so expect some Live Venues updates soon!

22nd February 2004

As mentioned yesterday, I have posted the photos sent in from Mick Sly from Tamworth and you can see them on . Is that the same "Dave Hall" as Dave Hall from Nuneaton?

21st February 2004

updates today from Chris, and I even got round to doing mine!
If any of you looked at the page today, you were as probably confused as I was.... bad idea, so I've got rid of it. You can now vote for a sound once only, but Dena Barnes is still way out in front due to some earier tactical voting... bloody good record though!
Had some great photos in from Mick from Tamworth circa 1974, so I'll be working on those tomorrow.

20th February 2004

Thanks to Paul and Dave for their updates today. You will notice that Mr. Haddon has included "These Windows" by The Village Sound in his Fave Five, and I must say that digging this up was certainly a revelation. Have a look at this to find out about the band.
Got some more ideas for the to fairly represent the voting... there's is definitely some tactical voting going on, and poor chaps like SoulBoy will never get a look in. Watch this space!

19th February 2004

Interesting results appearing in the . It does seem as if a lot of you like the same records!
Got some new Fave Tunes to do, will get round to them tomorrow...
And I love Lord Whimsy's comments in the Wigan Memories thread in !

18th February 2004

A fast flurry of activity this morning on the , and then it all went quiet... except for a bit of tactical voting (wink). Come on you lot, you can't all like the same records!
update from Wayne Hayes today.

17th February 2004

Another new feature! You can now nominate and vote for your Top Northern Soul sound ever... this should be interesting! Have a look at the and stick your favourites in... there's no limit to the number of nominations you can make, or how many votes you cast... but no cheating please!
Promise I'll get round to the Fave Tunes tomorrow...(grin).

16th February 2004

Right, here we go. The new "Forum Style" is up and running.... hope you can make sense of it! I have migrated all the old messages as best I can, so apologies to anyone who cannot find anything anymore... if not, just start a new subject!

15th February 2004

Just a quick note to say that an update to "" is on the way in a day or so... the format will change into something like a proper forum so conversations can be linked together by subject. Hopefully it will make it easier to read!!! It will mean that the message board will go off line for a couple of hours, but it will be after 10pm UK time, so as to keep the inconvenience to a minimum. Watch this space!
Oh, and I've fixed the link to the Current Top Tune. Oooops!

12th February 2004

Two more updates today, and a big welcome to another member of the Shepshed Posse, Paul Gamble.
And have you seen what's going on the the "" message board? It's madness!

10th February 2004

Blimey! The old "" thingy is taking off! Just like a real one! Get in there!
A big thanks to everybody that supports the site... my statistics indicate that the site has just exceeded 2,500 unique visitors. Amazing. Thank you all.

9th February 2004

Thanks to Dave Haddon for his this week.
Nice to see you using the "" thingy. If it takes off, I might even turn it into a proper forum!
I know, I know, I've taken the link off. Or have I? Oh, I dunno, click instead. Or there. Doh!

8th February 2004

Two updates to again... Hello to Caroline Thurman from Shepshed and thanks for her first five. And sorry Tim for taking so long to get round to your other five.
Don't forget about the new feature to chuck stuff up on the site... it's a great way to tell folks about these old venues that us youngsters (grin) missed out on!

6th February 2004

Sorry for no updates for last couple of days, have been sorting out a new bit for the site. It's called "Have Your Say", and it's sort of a message board. You can use it to add your views, leave messages for your mates, store your shopping list, etc. Have a look and !

3rd February 2004

Had an interesting couple of emails come in... it appears that Eggo's reminiscences have kicked off a few further trains of thought. Anybody out there remember these venues?

The Il Rondo in Leicester
The Engine in Coalville
The 76 Club in Burton
The Brit in Nottingham

If you do, and I'll see if we can put together a little something.

The feedback on Ashby Allnighter has all been very positive, saying it's a great venue, and definitely worth checking out... I'll keep you posted on dates when I get them.

1st February 2004

Some interesting updates for you this time. Three changes to again... thanks to Chris and Paul for their updates.
Some great feedback on the in Nuneaton... recollections of 1972 from Trev Egginton!
Did anybody get to Ashby Allnighter on Saturday? If you did, and let me know how it went.
Nice to see Northern Soulies do have a normal life at the weekend... Ikea, Wednesbury and Ainley's Records in Leicester... you know who you are (wink).

27th January 2004

Still getting loads of feedback about Saturday at the Clarendon Club. It seems the consensus is that it was the best one ever... I tend to agree.
Some updates to again... a big welcome to Pat Carter from Wolverhampton as a first time contributor.
And don't forget, Ashby Allnighter is on Saturday 31st January, at Ashby Social Club, North Street, Ashby-De-La-Zouch, Leicestershire, from 10pm -7am, admission �10.00 on the door.

26th January 2004

Blimey, what a night! The Clarendon Club First Anniversary was an absolute cracker... a lock out as the fire limit of 270 was reached! It was everything a Northern Soul do should be... hot, sweaty but above all stomping! Yet again it was great to see old faces again, with a guest appearance of Graham Evans, the original "Mr. Hinckley Soul Club", but also to meet new faces... special mention to Paul, Caz and Martin, who found out about the Clarendon Club via this humble web site... "I'll never miss another", Paul said!
Have a look at some of the night!

21st January 2004

Been busy over the last couple of days, so sorry for no updates, but the still keep coming!
Only a couple of days now until the Clarendon Club First Anniversary, and it seems like it's gonna be a packer. Don't forget to arrive early and get your free First Anniversary metal badge!
And you've got to check out today's Top Tune... what a piece of brilliance from Bobby Reed.

18th January 2004

Well what a great night Saturday was! Celebrating Lank's birthday to an excellent selection of Northern... check out the pictures at the page.
Nice to see a few old faces I hadn't seen for a while... no-one's fault but mine.

15th January 2004

Am I obsessed with Cleethorpes? Well perhaps this will put an end to it. I have finally finished the page. Have a look and tell me what you think.
I'm having a couple of nights off now, as contrary to popular belief, I do have a social life! Especially as I've a birthday party to go to... see you at Wykin!
Oh, and by the way, I've finally got round to updating my , if you are interested to what an old wrinkly is listening to!

14th January 2004

As well as submitting his , Nick Rennie tells me that he was talking to some folks at the Cleethorpes 30th Anniversary last Friday, and apparantly there is a lot of interest in the May Clarendon Club night. Looks like being a packer!

13th January 2004

Ah! Thats more like it... some classy from Ada put me back on familiar ground.
Thanks to Jo and Caron from Nuneaton for their nice comments about the site. Great to see you two again too!
Don't forget Saturday 17th January is Lank's birthday, so get on down to the Wykin Social Club, only �2.00!

12th January 2004

These are getting more and more obscure! I really must get up to date on the huge thing that is Northern Soul.
Couple more entries added, and I've started researching Cleethorpes... don't forget if you've got any info or photos you wish to share, I'd gladly accept either!

11th January 2004

Right, back to normal again. As you can probably appreciate, my little sojourn to Spain has left me with a bit of a backlog, so please be patient while I catch up with the that have been coming in. I've done two, but it will take a couple of days to get up to date.
Planning on doing a Cleethorpes entry in National Venues in preparation for the May Clarendon Club special, so if you've got any memories or facts that might me useful, let me know.

10th January 2004

Hello again!! Bet you wonder where I've been!! Well, been on hols for a couple of weeks, which probably explains everything. Many thanks to all those that have been busy submitting Fave Tunes over the past two weeks, will start to catch up with them tomorrow.