Rob Wigley

PS some good choice of music Patti & the Emblems in particular ..

:lol:Just like to say George has re-written the History books for us, However I was deeply disturbed by some of the genuine archive footage and the way Enoch Powell's speech was taken up by the far right wing, all in all I enjoyed it and clocking a FEW FACES I knew as well .. next George does the Funk scene ? Rob x

it was on Top of a Raised bank or Hill - wasn't it really called Temple Normanton Miners Welfare ? and did anyone go to the club in Grassmore next to the training centre around 1979 / 80 ? another Graham/ Dave Weaver promotion ! Rob

I see Eddie all the time Chalky, he was at Brid a couple of weeks back and he's already bought a ticket for Scarborough. He's usually with Tommo & Andy Cole Johnny Wright's a bit more elusive... but turns up at the Winding Wheel.

Happy times at Inky Social As Tezza mentions Johnny (not) Wright lead the decks 76/77/78 Nev was there a lot, as it was mid-week-Wednesdays seem to fit the bill they had packed nights all the time with loads of travellers. I used to travel to Wigan / St Ives with Johnny, Glynn, Bob Bulloch (Ian "Bully" Bullochs older brother) and Phil all as mentioned above I think it stopped in 1980 A great small club the likes of which will never be seen again ! sorry its going Rob

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4078477171041.2163893.1555873294&type=3 you should all be able to see these !

Missed your reply to Russ Mart...sorry ! Rob

He was at the Trotters re-union in Mansfield at the Masonic Hall Russ all the old Trotters lads turned up, including Chris Marriot who lent Rob the records to DJ with, he packed the floor with old Trotters sounds ! All oldies but with a few gems chucked in He's into Reggae now ! No Northern left at all.... Told him people were always asking after him, he was at Bridlington last year as well... Put some pictures on Facebook will try and link them on here Rob

Heard Rob Marriot DJ about 4 weeks ago Ian--still has talent and enthusiasm !

Un sung hero springs to mind. RIP Dean

Well given that its about 6/7 people contributing to this debate (?) i think you have your answer. Good post Roddy, as above I think we have covered everything but loads reading but no one committing ..... I think I'll call time on my replies got a weekender to organise at Scarborough with a rare room ! Thanks to all who replied & PM 'd me as well. Rob

My remit for Southport weekender was to get together the best djs on the scene, which i believe i have achieved. I will change most of the line up every year, so that we have "new /different" names every year. They have also been told " no repeats-no excuses" during that session! We want to involve all aspects and styles, and in the future want the younger djs who are making their own style of scene to feature too,but it will take time! The first time i went to prestatyn there were 400 + and it gradually built to what it was at the end. Hi Dave as one of the "Founding fathers" of the Original Prestatyn Weekender along with Rob Thomas, Fish, Mark Fletcher (It was his idea & originally planned for Southport) & John Poole. The original figure for the first weekender was 578 payers, plus we opened the doors Saturday night to "unofficial" £20 guests to see Ray & Tony perform- there were around 900 in that first weekender. Attendance peaked at weekender 6-(3,865) then slowly slipped back to the disastrous number 10, where "guests" out numbered payers nearly 2 to 1... Britannia Hotels figures by the way ..where the event "lost" £90 K Pontins were in receivership and Britannia came in with the axe cutting live acts at the 11th hour in a desperate attempt to salvage the event. Your proposals for the rare room at Southport are admirable and I am coming if you get Honky, however as with all things "Time marches on" and I fear it is already too late to salvage what's left of a cutting edge scene. Soon the only thing most of us will be doing is cutting edges round the lawns on our bungalows! So what's the answer ? I still want to go away weekends in nice surroundings and listen to a variety of music, hear something GOOD I don't know, be it 60's 70s 80s 90s 00s or new release. As Ian says a choice...this is what we are doing at Bridlington at the moment.with 5 rooms...however its not an "All-nighter" weekender which obviously doesn't suit everyone. It also seems a fact that the biggest critics / moaners of popular events and the moment are the ones that have never actually set foot in the venues they are criticizing ! Be it Us, GoldSoul, Lifeline, New Century, or who ever. The scene will never be the same as its always evolving and changing sometimes for the better, sometimes not...as long as people enjoy themselves at the events and have a good time who cares ! Rob PS over the years numerous people have aske me to run events on whatever scale I can honestly say when you do an event as a request it seems that the ones who then don't come are the ones who asked for it in the first place !

So what this thread proves is that it will be very difficult to run and sustain a rare soul weekender,and any that are put together will probably attract less than 150 people.The rare underplayed fresh new what ever you want to call it side of the scene, is notouriously divided and under supported.Lots of small groups who support only certain djs who fit their criteria for rare soul,and only attend that venue.It will be virtualy impossible to bring all these small groups together to support one rare soul venue.Week in week out on ss the rare soul events struggle for attendance despite all the costant talk from people on here about,wanting to hear anything but the top 500.The way i see it is this side of the scene has a lot of talkers,and not many who are actualy willing to go out and support the venues they keep asking for. Very very true Andy, I asked a question deliberately in one of my earlier posts and named a name as a DJ I'd choose ie Honky (which dave followed up)-- but no one has really named any others they'd chose or even after 3 pages added a "To die for" list. I think you post unfortunately sums up major divisions and to some degree a feeling that some would sooner stay at home and collect their vinyl than venture out. So answers on a postcard please or to answer the original question on this thread "Is there a demand for a dedicate rare soul weekender" it's looking at the moment like a "NO" ! Rob

hI all the problem you've got with "specialist" weekends is boundary's that make a place too small or too big an oldies weekend no matter who organises or runs it and no matter who's "on " will do well .As soon as specialist descriptive words like rare soul or modern pop up in go the shrinking soul violets , and that's the way it is at the moment plan's are a foot for another weekender next year you'll probably not see many flyers for it there may be something on here but it'll be low key , about 150 R-n-B fans , a little latin , a little ska/reggae and other oddments.It'll probably be in the west country (well it will be ) weekend tickets are about £100.00 all in and most are spoken for it's on a small site out the way from the world and the ticket includes everything most oldies type "weekenderers" won't pay it but would you pay this for a nice out of the way place food and accomadation all in , swimming pools and long secluded beaches. No Bootleg's, no "Ilove northern soul" mug's , no cheap t shirts just a hundred and fifty like minded people doing their thing for £100.00 it's a bagan friday night session , sat daytime sat night and a sunday .This is not a opertunist advert as the people we've spoken to have just about taken the tickets , I put this on here to show that a rare soul weekend is defernatly possible just find the place and away you go.Stay chilled out you crazy people Simon And Paula. Good luck you, sounds great...a little like Yarmouth..out of the way...and hush hush until all regulars have booked their yearly places. Almost like Rob & Sams "almost grown" ? At the end of the day we go to enjoy ourselves There's all sorts of things in the mix, however there has to be some common ground which attracts a "decent" crowd, a mid way point, not so far underground that you need miners lamps to see the decks.... £100 would seem like a fair statrting point for a decent weekend away. Enjoy yourself its later than you think...... Rob

Maybe I am not being clear enough, but it's not a rare room I want to go to, it's somewhere with fresh and exciting music.....something different, not recycled lesser knowns, or rare for the sake of it stuff. If some of it's rare great, but I wouldn't want to hear the same old rare tunes bunged out. ATB Steve You , me and Honky in my front room then Steve, cheaper than hiring a venue--"Bespoke Weekenders" !

i have asked him , hes busy this year but next year might possible! He's a great DJ Dave everything he played at Yogi's was spot on I had to get up and look at the 4th record he played (not knowing the previous 3 either) all uncovered, all brilliant , all looked as rare as F**k ! I was the lead for the chin strokers ! he's great guy as well. However you answered part of my question as well Pontin's rely on the oldies room for footfall to subsidize the rare room, it's not an exclusive Rare weekender , so would it satisfy the call on here for exclusivity ?? I'm coming if honky's on ! Rob

It almost has the same structure as Manchester...or very possible a future Manchester . We did a casual day affair and a meeting point for all weekender goers to catch up with fiends from all over UK/europe and listen to the amazing Greatstone guys, then a nighter, then a normal dayer/night event followed by the magical monday - but the whole thing was prob a bit too long in my opinion. DJ roster was defo not the same old, same old though but then you run the risk of not getting a mighty footfall. Good post, lots to consider the big weekenders (including my co promoted events with Rob & Pat) cater for the mid ground as its the only way to make it pay-- we have the other rooms which are subsidized by the main event only way it can be done but it provided variety for the weekend and adds to the party , yes party because that's what a weekender is, . be it rare, common, modern or otherwise. also Birds of a feather flock together, I honestly think that the right venue, with options to suit all pockets, a cracking line up with Dj s that can do it and have the records to fill a dance floor would work, plus chuck in a great live act with the right records to sing. I also know it has to be different .......... lots reading the thread but not too many commenting so is it doable ? or are we just hopeful thinkers behind keyboards ? Rob

Sounds good. Not sure a live act is essential but I love live acts so no complaint here either way. Would an informal lunchtime / afternoon session on the Sunday work? (I'm assuming it won't be a bank holiday) and Saturday only tickets are a good idea Hi Joan Thanks for your input It can be done but has to be special or very different - its if the demand is there and if its financially "do able" without loosing a fortune ! On a smaller scale costs would rise but I still believe in live acts making it very special and a DJ roster which is away from the same old same old ! Rob

Oh on the subject of the rare weekender What format would this take to make it enjoyable to to lesser masses (500) as previously discussed ? Friday Night --all night or 3-4 am finish ? Saturday chin stroking afternoons and record fair / swap meet ? Saturday night all- nighter with an act 8 pm to 8.00 am ? Do you pack up at 8.oo am Sunday ? Would you sell a "saturday night" special ticket ? Rob

Steve they're called overplayed underplayed tunes So does that mean they have now become popular and should stop being played ? A good example of this was when my dear friend Chris Anderton was doing Bretby country club many many moons ago, he even used to apologise for being "young" (didn't you Chris ) Anyway sounds he "Championed" included Jimmy Soul Clark "I'll be your champion" which spread from the club to become popular UK wide, so thus wasn't exclusive or cheap any more-- this made it then overplayed and as brilliant as it is/was no longer fitted the bill ! So if all the "underplayed" become popular and became the "new" Top 500 would the "old" Top 500 and be underplayed oldies ? Good records will always rise to the top and other sink without a trace.... Rob

The main reason we moved was cost. A venue the size of the Bell and the outlay in DJ's fee's, equipment etc couldn't be recovered and the dance floor was too small. Yep, that's the "Real World" Chalky that non-promoters sometimes don't see Great venue for a soul night maybe but not an all-nighter. The conversion and renovation of the rooms didn't effect us really. We got a fantastic deal on the room, £20 a night!! End of the day the manageress didn't want ht hassle of an all-nighter, same with many venues. Many venue owners are just not interested as soon as Northern Soul is mentioned and all-night. It's down to staffing and paying them and also the clean -up costs on a Sunday morning-double time and you're right that the manageress probably wanted her day off and a lie in ! Rob

Better post "On Topic", I think there is a demand for this type of event, but I'd limit it to 2 nights, make it central and with easy Motorway/ rail links. Dave Moores Spanish event "Hitsville" ticks all the boxes, wish it was in UK with that weather as well ! LOL. I'd also be inclined to chuck an act in as well Can we throw in here what peoples ideal DJ line up would be or nominate 1 "Must have" DJ ? Rob PS mine would be Honky

The all-nighters the rooms were open to all but only had problems once when fire alarm went off. The main problem was the manageress. I knew there was something that made you move to The Stables -a better venue for the All-Nighters-- also around that time The Bell was being "Done Up" room by room and the outbuildings being converted as well if i remember right. Rob

As for the Scottish weekender, I couldn't make the whole weekend, I wanted to go for the Saturday night but I wasn't prepared to pay the full weekend fee for one night (£80 a ticket I think), ridiculous and no wonder no one went really. You and dozens of other of others felt the same Chalky, if going with a partner that doubles the cost, if you are only into 60s then the other rooms have no appeal - Act wise both Syl Johnson and Debbie Taylor let Yogi down, however you would have enjoyed DJ Honky's 2 sets, absolutely incredible,unknown after unknown, none "covered up" and labels I'd never seen...would have been worth the £80 alone ! With the supporting cast of Lifeline DJs Arthur and Martin- plus Jock , Dave , Duce and co a great venue as well. I think "The Shrine" room stole the show, mainly rare 70s with a mix of 60s & 80s thrown in. I shan't be going this year as I will see Darrow Fletcher at one of the other two venues he is appearing at in the country. A big mistake letting acts appear elsewhere before the "anchor" venue is sold out, by all means book them into places with a clause in the contract to say as such. Rob

Lifeline had all the rooms for the weekender, no "normal" people as you say. Was this at the all nighters then Chalky ? rob