Wigan Casino's Last Hurrah

[Agentsmith]

here's one for the anoraks amongst you.....the final all-nighter, that never should have been, took place on december 5th, 1981....the all-nighter ( an oldies one) that was scheduled for friday 4th december NEVER took place. the casino was orignally scheduled to finish on september 2nd but due to a loophole at the council planning department, messers winstanley and marshall got a stay of execution, thus with the building in a dilapidated state the casino meandered on. advertising records at the british library, which contain the only existing and entire collection of the weekly scribe of the time, BLACK ECHOES, show that an ad was placed for the aforementioned oldies all-nighter, but when it came to pass that a rival all-nighter was going directly up against them, the management switched to the following saturday.

here's the conundrum....bearing in mind BE was already carrying the ad for an oldies night,....and with BLUES & SOUL being a monthly issue...WHERE, IF ANYWHERE AT ALL, was the saturday night advertised?. the main protagonists, mr. winstanley and mr. searling have no recollections of it and, after 39 years, who could possibly blame them. the fact is around a 1000 people attended on that saturday evening so, how did they find out? through local radio?.....local daily or national paper?.....or simply word of mouth?....no BE or B & S promotion.

JUST WHERE WAS IT ADVERTISED AT ALL?

[DennieFitz]

The last allnighter at the casino was on Friday 4th December 1981. I wrote it down in my photograph album at the time. I heard by word of mouth but I know alot people at the time probably heard from Black Echoes. I do believe though that the last night should have ended in September (End of an Era) when everybody had brought tickets expecting it to be the last one.

[Guest rovers]

The last allnighter at the casino was on Friday 4th December 1981. I wrote it down in my photograph album at the time. I heard by word of mouth but I know alot people at the time probably heard from Black Echoes. I do believe though that the last night should have ended in September (End of an Era) when everybody had brought tickets expecting it to be the last one.

Yep,should have left it at that(sept).a lot of members could'nt get to that one so the story goes.seem to remember it being crammed to the rafters .

Edited June 20, 2010 by rovers

[Guest topcatnumpty1]

I attended the "last" all nighter on Sept 19 th. with Tommy Hunt live----but spent most of the nite down the road at Wigan Tiffs (where Dave Evison and Richard Searling(who was banned from the Casino ,at the time) put on a superb niter.We arrived outside the Casino at 11-30 to be given a flyer for "the last Casino all niter" the following week(26th) this pissed off loads of people,who had had tattoo,s done on their arms etc.A better account of this is in the article i wrote in Rod Dearlove,s mag "Midnite Express Jan 1982(i believe).I know Steve Campbell went to the one the following week, and he told me about the LAST one on Dec6 th( when the building was freezing and still full of rubbish,empty coke bottles etc. from the previos all niter and it stunk!! as to all intents the club had been closed for 2 months almost. Dave Shaw,s excellent book "Casino" carries a full report of all this------but to answer the question the last one in Dec was heard about by word of mouth ,i believe.

BEST

TONY COLEBY

[Wiggyflat]

I attended the "last" all nighter on Sept 19 th. with Tommy Hunt live----but spent most of the nite down the road at Wigan Tiffs (where Dave Evison and Richard Searling(who was banned from the Casino ,at the time) put on a superb niter.We arrived outside the Casino at 11-30 to be given a flyer for "the last Casino all niter" the following week(26th) this pissed off loads of people,who had had tattoo,s done on their arms etc.A better account of this is in the article i wrote in Rod Dearlove,s mag "Midnite Express Jan 1982(i believe).I know Steve Campbell went to the one the following week, and he told me about the LAST one on Dec6 th( when the building was freezing and still full of rubbish,empty coke bottles etc. from the previos all niter and it stunk!! as to all intents the club had been closed for 2 months almost. Dave Shaw,s excellent book "Casino" carries a full report of all this------but to answer the question the last one in Dec was heard about by word of mouth ,i believe.

BEST

TONY COLEBY

What was Richard banned for....(playing Snoopy Dean????!!!!)

[Guest topcatnumpty1]

Wiggyflat------According to R.S. he,d been away on holiday and when he came back he found he was banned(his own words) hence him and Russ not being in contact until recent years-----N.B --Snoopy "Shake and Bump" was about 6 yrs before!!!

T.C.

[Wiggyflat]

Wiggyflat------According to R.S. he,d been away on holiday and when he came back he found he was banned(his own words) hence him and Russ not being in contact until recent years-----N.B --Snoopy "Shake and Bump" was about 6 yrs before!!!

T.C.

Someone should write a book about the politics on this scene........it would put Whitehall to shame and probably a best seller......only joking about Snoopy Dean

[DennieFitz]

I attended the "last" all nighter on Sept 19 th. with Tommy Hunt live----but spent most of the nite down the road at Wigan Tiffs (where Dave Evison and Richard Searling(who was banned from the Casino ,at the time) put on a superb niter.We arrived outside the Casino at 11-30 to be given a flyer for "the last Casino all niter" the following week(26th) this pissed off loads of people,who had had tattoo,s done on their arms etc.A better account of this is in the article i wrote in Rod Dearlove,s mag "Midnite Express Jan 1982(i believe).I know Steve Campbell went to the one the following week, and he told me about the LAST one on Dec6 th( when the building was freezing and still full of rubbish,empty coke bottles etc. from the previos all niter and it stunk!! as to all intents the club had been closed for 2 months almost. Dave Shaw,s excellent book "Casino" carries a full report of all this------but to answer the question the last one in Dec was heard about by word of mouth ,i believe.

BEST

TONY COLEBY

I went to see Tommy Hunt live as well just before it closed and it was announced it was being recorded for an album which never materialised.. It was announced over the mike how many there was at Wigan Tiffs but I cannot remember how many they said. I heard at the time that Richard Sterling had gone on holiday after the casino had closed and had booked Wigan Tiffs before he went and when he came back he found the casino was one at the same time. I am sure there had been one more allniter planned at the casino but at the very last one it was announced there was no more. I know alot of people who never went again after the (End of the Era) allnighter as they felt ripped off.

[Anoraks Corner]

At the 'End of an Era' nighter a flyer advertising the Tommy Hunt live night was distributed.After that all went quiet for a few weeks, then an advert was placed in Black Echoes featuring the fact that they had secured the venue for another six (I think - been a while, but think there were six) dates.

They were a mixture of Oldies and Saturday night sessions. I went to the first few including the December 4th Friday Oldies date...mid-way through that nighter there was a rumour going around that this would actually be the very, very last one and that an announcement would be made later. Of course, most took that with a pinch of salt, even after the official announcement was made over the mic. However, that was indeed the final night and none of the other extra dates ever happened...no idea what the real reason was as to why not, they just didn't.

As Tony pointed out, the venue had not been cleaned prior to that nighter, and bottles and rubbish was still there from the previous nighters...terrible...no excuse for that at all...shame.

[Guest]

I attended the "last" all nighter on Sept 19 th. with Tommy Hunt live----but spent most of the nite down the road at Wigan Tiffs (where Dave Evison and Richard Searling(who was banned from the Casino ,at the time) put on a superb niter.We arrived outside the Casino at 11-30 to be given a flyer for "the last Casino all niter" the following week(26th) this pissed off loads of people,who had had tattoo,s done on their arms etc.A better account of this is in the article i wrote in Rod Dearlove,s mag "Midnite Express Jan 1982(i believe).I know Steve Campbell went to the one the following week, and he told me about the LAST one on Dec6 th( when the building was freezing and still full of rubbish,empty coke bottles etc. from the previos all niter and it stunk!! as to all intents the club had been closed for 2 months almost. Dave Shaw,s excellent book "Casino" carries a full report of all this------but to answer the question the last one in Dec was heard about by word of mouth ,i believe.

BEST

TONY COLEBY

Me too,skipping from one to the other found out about the proper last nighter at one of these.

[Gilly]

What was the official last night at the Casino was attended by myself,in fact i still have the final ticket both halves still together(collectors item i guess)Then the twats decided to take the piss and put another so called last night on,well i was down at the Tiffs do with Richard and Dave E as was Mr Topcat numpty.Not ripping me off,no way.

[Guest POTTERIESPECK]

Here ya are folks. I remember at the End of A Era all -nighter September 19th it came to light that the CASINO owners had secured another Allnighterfor Friday October 2nd. I remember this did not go down to well with most who were present that night [ having us for c#nts again ]. Nearly all those who attended that September 19th Nighter had seen the pinnacles and depths the Casino had been through in it's era. But that September the 19th night there was like a togetherness saying F#k your October 2nd All-nighter and F#k you trying to have us all over one more time, tonights our last night and you're not going to ruin it.Anybody who attended that September 19th ALL-NIGHTER will tell you what a awesome occassion it was, everybody must remember DEAN PARRISH being spun a few times .The clapping was more in line with a footie match. LAST NIGHT for most was September 19th [ unoffically ].

Edited June 21, 2010 by POTTERIESPECK

[Steve G]

Interesting I didn't realise Richard had been "banned" as early as September 19th

I still can't believe they paid out the insurance claim - club closes, then it catches fire

[Agentsmith]

At the 'End of an Era' nighter a flyer advertising the Tommy Hunt live night was distributed.After that all went quiet for a few weeks, then an advert was placed in Black Echoes featuring the fact that they had secured the venue for another six (I think - been a while, but think there were six) dates.

They were a mixture of Oldies and Saturday night sessions. I went to the first few including the December 4th Friday Oldies date...mid-way through that nighter there was a rumour going around that this would actually be the very, very last one and that an announcement would be made later. Of course, most took that with a pinch of salt, even after the official announcement was made over the mic. However, that was indeed the final night and none of the other extra dates ever happened...no idea what the real reason was as to why not, they just didn't.

As Tony pointed out, the venue had not been cleaned prior to that nighter, and bottles and rubbish was still there from the previous nighters...terrible...no excuse for that at all...shame.

dave,

i mentioned in the original post that december 4th, an oldies all-nighter didnt take place despite its advertisement, but what you are saying contradicts this, although it was advertised in BE. having read replies so far, no-one appears to have an explaination as to why there was an all-nighter at the casino, on the following night 5th december AND how a 1000+ people heard about it and thus, attended it. there must be someone out there who can confirm THIS actually happened as well....but more curiosly, WAS it actually advertised by any means in a short space of 24 hours?. wigan tiffs was booked to deliberately clash with the friday 4th gig. richard and ginger also went on to run successful gigs in both burnley and todmorden around this time. marshall and winstanley secured a few dates from september onwards, but it appears they were not weekly and despite october and december for some strange reason, there is no recorded evidence of an all-nighter taking place in november, even given their desperate exploitation of a legal loophole that the council had overlooked. even though the building was unsafe and dilapidated, they still went ahead with the last death throes and as such it most definitely wasnt a fitting end, given that they had already conned everyone back on sept 19th....but a 1000 soulies would probably want to argue that case!!.....so it leaves an unanswered question even now.....unless the dustbin already knew he was going to run saturday as well and told the friday crowd the good news.....JUST HOW DID THOSE 1000 SOULIES FIND OUT ABOUT DEC 5TH?.

[Guest POTTERIESPECK]

A couple more

[Guest martyn]

Here ya are folks. I remember at the End of A Era all -nighter September 19th it came to light that the CASINO owners had secured another Allnighterfor Friday October 2nd. I remember this did not go fown to well with most who were present that night [ having us for c#nts again ]. Nearly all those who attended that September 19th Nighter had seen the pinnacles and depths the Casino had been through in it's era. But that September the 19th night there was like a togethernss saying F#k your October 2nd All-nighter and F#k you trying to have us all over one more time, tonights our last night and you're not going to ruin it.Anybody who attended that September 19th ALL-NIGHTER will tell you what a awesome occassion it was, everybody must remember DEAN PARRISH being spun a few times .The clapping was more in line with a footie match. LAST NIGHT for most was September 19th [ unoffically ].

HEAR HEAR ! I 'm still quite proud that I resisted the temptation to go again after September 19th

[Wiganer1]

im glad it did as i was able to go 3 times and not just the once!! ...but understand the sentiments......

[Guest POTTERIESPECK]

im glad it did as i was able to go 3 times and not just the once!! ...but understand the sentiments......

i suppose i would have been the same, as they say, to most once you'd been, you'd want to go again.

[DennieFitz]

When the casino closed and it eventually hit me I was heartbroken that is why I attended the extra nights. I remember Steve Whittle telling me Russ Winstanley went into hand the keys over and they told he had to give so much more that is why the extra dates were booked. There was alot of rumors at the time that the casino was going to reopen but then it caught fire. With hindsight now and being older I wish I had not gone.

[Guest topcatnumpty1]

HEAR HEAR ! I 'm still quite proud that I resisted the temptation to go again after September 19th

As i said (and Gilly---how are you m8??) for most Sept 19 th was the last one,i took my fiancee,s sister with us( as she wasn,y into soul but came as she acknoledged it was the end of an era--she ,d seen us going most weekends for 7 yrs) but even she was gobsmacked when she heard we,d all been conned and there was to be at least one more!!! WE all felt the Casino should have gone out gracefully.

I.M.H.O.

Tony Coleby

[Mike]

wasn't there a radio show around that time ?

where most of the people involved above were on and discussion of some of the "finer" points of this period took place

was told was quite heated

aint heard it either then or now, but fairly sure there's still at least one copy around

[Agentsmith]

wasn't there a radio show around that time ?

where most of the people involved above were on and discussion of some of the "finer" points of this period took place

was told was quite heated

aint heard it either then or now, but fairly sure there's still at least one copy around

mike,

do you think you could look into that and try and get some confirmation?, it dosnt appear anyone's denying that the sat 5th december gig went ahead. if winstanley or anyone to do with the management passed on even so much as a message,its possible that could be the reason why so many attended. ironically, it would look exactly like a monthly bill just like in wigan's heyday a few years earlier.....oldies all-nighter then regular saturday nighter but.....i have been hearing that the friday didnt take place EVEN though it was advertised in BE, because tiffs had been arranged to clash with it. for the sake of putting the record straight, this needs sorting out:

WAS THERE A FRIDAY OLDIES ALL-NIGHTER OR NOT?

AND DID SATURDAY 5TH RECIEVE ANY PROMOTION?

rob.h

[Guest POTTERIESPECK]

Wigan Casino - The Final Chapter.

Wigan Casino ( the final chapter.txt

Wigan Casino ( the final chapter.txt

Edited June 23, 2010 by POTTERIESPECK

[Anoraks Corner]

dave,

i mentioned in the original post that december 4th, an oldies all-nighter didnt take place despite its advertisement, but what you are saying contradicts this, although it was advertised in BE. having read replies so far, no-one appears to have an explaination as to why there was an all-nighter at the casino, on the following night 5th december AND how a 1000+ people heard about it and thus, attended it.

Hi Rob,

May be a case of 4th/5th being confused as two different nights, when the reality is it was advertised and happened on Friday 4th from midnight, thus going through to Saturday morning, the 5th.

I also recall going to Adey Pierce's house direct from the station on the morning of the 5th (on returning to Gloucester) to tell him it had been the last one and the future advertised nights were cancelled. I wish I had all my memorabilia with me to scan, as there was defo an advert in Black Echoes with the extra dates and I still have my train ticket from the 4th/5th....a true anorak hahaha!

[Davetay]

Hi Rob,

May be a case of 4th/5th being confused as two different nights, when the reality is it was advertised and happened on Friday 4th from midnight, thus going through to Saturday morning, the 5th.

I also recall going to Adey Pierce's house direct from the station on the morning of the 5th (on returning to Gloucester) to tell him it had been the last one and the future advertised nights were cancelled. I wish I had all my memorabilia with me to scan, as there was defo an advert in Black Echoes with the extra dates and I still have my train ticket from the 4th/5th....a true anorak hahaha!

What you used to pay on the train?

[TOAD]

DIDNT YOU USE ...PERSAL TICKETS ...TWO FOR ONE LOL LOL

BTW WASNT THERE AN ARTICALE ON THE LAST FEW NIGHTERS IN ..BACKBEAT MAG

[Davetay]

DIDNT YOU USE ...PERSAL TICKETS ...TWO FOR ONE LOL LOL

BTW WASNT THERE AN ARTICALE ON THE LAST FEW NIGHTERS IN ..BACKBEAT MAG

Used to use Persil 2/4/1 for the footy away games lol.

Never want to Wigan on train, early days on bus (free).

Than from mid 74 onwards go by car or van.

[TOAD]

Used to use Persil 2/4/1 for the footy away games lol.

Never want to Wigan on train, early days on bus (free).

Than from mid 74 onwards go by car or van.

:lol:could have walked it from your house

most weeks towards the end i was lucky the glouster coach picked me up at the services,which ever one i could hitch it too:D

[chrissie]

Actually ...............................who cares

QoFxx

[Guest vic580]

Sat dec 5th was the last ever night at the casino ...not Fri 4th ...1981 840am after the 3 b4 8 were played 3 times Russ winstanley played frank Wilsons ,,do i love you indeed i do as her swansong ..she was an empress among venues ..old and falling apart maybe ,,the casino,s true name and title is the empress ballrooms Wigan ...and she was ..ive never experienced an atmosphere like that night ever since ..

[Barry]

The last allnighter at the casino was on Friday 4th December 1981. I wrote it down in my photograph album at the time. I heard by word of mouth but I know alot people at the time probably heard from Black Echoes. I do believe though that the last night should have ended in September (End of an Era) when everybody had brought tickets expecting it to be the last one.

 

I mentioned in that In The Club thing I did that I was sure that there was meant to be another Final night lined up...but I couldn't/can't remember the details.

[Guest boltonbaz]

well I was glad they had others after the end of an era,because I was in the big house lol

[Triode]

wasn't there a radio show around that time ?

where most of the people involved above were on and discussion of some of the "finer" points of this period took place

was told was quite heated

aint heard it either then or now, but fairly sure there's still at least one copy around

Mike 

I remember this radio show it was Mike Shafts "Takin care of Business" on Piccadilly Radio Manchester featured Russ, Richard, Gerry Marshall & Dave Evison maybe others ?

recall Gerry Marshall telling Dave to shut up or similar!

yes it got heated and thinking now it may have been more than one show

Mike Shaft still broadcasts in Manchester so he may have a copy?

I too would like to hear it again

 

Triode

[DennieFitz]

There was a radio show which Russ did in Manchester around the time the casino was closing.  It was in Manchester it was that long ago I cannot remember what station it was but it was pot luck if i could get a signal on my small portable radio.  I remember going past the casino when they were knocking it down and it was heartbreaking and thinking it could have been restored but on the saturday nights it was empty so they must have lost money or just made even with the monthly friday night oldies.  I remember a girl I use to know lost a record in Mr M's as it went down the side of one of the seats and she couldn't get it out and when they were knocking it down she asked one of the work mates if they could get it the next day she went back and they said to her you can have it but it was full of used needles.  

[jocko]

I am confused now, Tommy Hunt didn't do the September one, that was the original last night. Me being an OLNO man I never went back, and went and had my life changed by Wigan Tiffs in October.  I also thought that the actual last one was a Friday, but never paid attention I had moved on by then......

 

Tiffs only had two nighters so not sure if there was two month gap, and I thought they pulled the last one, Dave Thorley remembers. 

 

This has all the hallmarks of a History book written by someone with advance dementia.......

Edited September 10, 2014 by jocko

[Guest Dave Ward]

Saturday September 19th (£5:00) was the 'End of an Era', supposed to be the last all-nighter at WC - DJ's were Russ W, Richard S, Keith M, Dave E, Brian Rae, Pat Brady, Gary Rushbrooke, Kenny Spence, Stuart Brackenridge and Ste Whittle, it was my last attendance, I left my membership card and dance shoes on a table and left before the end. Searling doesn't appear on the DJ roster for Friday Oct 2nd (£3:00), craftily billed as the 'Last Oldies All-Nighter' but Tommy Hunt was scheduled. The last ever WC All-nighter was December 5th 1981. Winstanley and Nowells book says 6th, maybe the last time the doors were shut would have been Sunday morning 6th Dec. By then I didn't give a toss.

Edited September 10, 2014 by Dave Ward

[Lucky One]

I always thought the way the casino ended was handled very badly to say the least, milking the cash cow for as long as possible. Why couldn't it be left to die with the dignity it deserved. Went to the "last" oldies allnighter in September and said my goodbyes to the old place, after five years of attending mainly the oldies allnighters which I always enjoyed I left on a high which is how it should be. I still attend allnighters to this day and still enjoy going hopefully this will never change. Going to Rugby tonight, a well run allnighter unlike the casino toward the end of it`s life.

[Billywhizz]

I attended the "last" all nighter on Sept 19 th. with Tommy Hunt live----but spent most of the nite down the road at Wigan Tiffs (where Dave Evison and Richard Searling(who was banned from the Casino ,at the time) put on a superb niter.We arrived outside the Casino at 11-30 to be given a flyer for "the last Casino all niter" the following week(26th) this pissed off loads of people,who had had tattoo,s done on their arms etc.A better account of this is in the article i wrote in Rod Dearlove,s mag "Midnite Express Jan 1982(i believe).I know Steve Campbell went to the one the following week, and he told me about the LAST one on Dec6 th( when the building was freezing and still full of rubbish,empty coke bottles etc. from the previos all niter and it stunk!! as to all intents the club had been closed for 2 months almost. Dave Shaw,s excellent book "Casino" carries a full report of all this------but to answer the question the last one in Dec was heard about by word of mouth ,i believe.

BEST

TONY COLEBY

i never knew  D,e  R s where banned from the casino, billy

[Hill868]

here's one for the anoraks amongst you.....the final all-nighter, that never should have been, took place on december 5th, 1981....the all-nighter ( an oldies one) that was scheduled for friday 4th december NEVER took place. the casino was orignally scheduled to finish on september 2nd but due to a loophole at the council planning department, messers winstanley and marshall got a stay of execution, thus with the building in a dilapidated state the casino meandered on. advertising records at the british library, which contain the only existing and entire collection of the weekly scribe of the time, BLACK ECHOES, show that an ad was placed for the aforementioned oldies all-nighter, but when it came to pass that a rival all-nighter was going directly up against them, the management switched to the following saturday.

here's the conundrum....bearing in mind BE was already carrying the ad for an oldies night,....and with BLUES & SOUL being a monthly issue...WHERE, IF ANYWHERE AT ALL, was the saturday night advertised?. the main protagonists, mr. winstanley and mr. searling have no recollections of it and, after 39 years, who could possibly blame them. the fact is around a 1000 people attended on that saturday evening so, how did they find out? through local radio?.....local daily or national paper?.....or simply word of mouth?....no BE or B & S promotion.

JUST WHERE WAS IT ADVERTISED AT ALL?

Who actually remembers, or gives a flying f**k after all this time, all i know is, all Soul roads lead to Oxford St.  London next Sat, for the annual 100 club anniversary Soul stomp / beer and Cider Tsunami (and also large glasses of lovely red wine, hopefully at £6 plus a glass, courtesy of Frank or Richard from Norwich).

[Mach]

Does me, it still sticks in my gut after all these years later that i forked out for the original last all niter ( £5 Ticket in advance) to realise at about 2am they were letting people in on the door for two quid and that they had arranged another final night to boot.,.. makes you wonder if that power cut at about 4am was legit after all.

[El Corol]

Ok, resurrecting this thread for a couple of reasons:

First in reference to some of the confusion above about the date of the very last all-nighter being on Friday 4th Dec or Sat 5th Dec. Well I have just found these old adverts (both from Echoes end of Oct and start of Nov 81) I've kept from back then, both of which state the date is set for Friday 5th December, thing is if you look up a calendar for 1981 the 4th Dec was a Friday and the 5th was a Sat (the November dates are correct). So maybe that's where the confusion comes, the adverts were wrong concerning the Friday 5th date?

The main reason I've posted here is that looking at this old stuff I got to thinking does anybody actually have tickets for the Tommy Hunt Oct 2nd 81 "last all-nighter" or the above mentioned very last one ever Dec 4th or 5th all nighter. The reason I ask is I have my tickets for the Fri 4th Sept (last oldies all-nighter) and the Sat Sept 19th (End of an Era - supposed last one) but no tickets for the Tommy Hunt Oct 2nd or Dec 4/5th - both of which I went to and I can't think why I wouldn't have kept them as I'm a hoarder of that sort of stuff and also like a sad git I've an SAE (self addressed envelope, for the youngsters) dated 29th Sept and postmarked Bury, Bolton, Wigan which I've marked (back then) as containing my tickets (yea sad I know) which I'm assuming for the Oct 2nd Tommy Hunt date. Also I always seem to see the End of an Era Sept 19th ticket used in books and never a later one. If someone's got them can they put up scans please.