Many people will doubtless be aware but for those who hadn't heard, Alf passed away on 26 May. His funeral was attended by many of the countless number of friends he'd made on the scene over the years and his family were comforted by the respect everyone had for him.
A fixture at Wigan Casino, Alf also worked in Russ's shop at times and after the Casino closed he was a regular at places like the Saints Club, Lowton Civic, the Orwell, the Monaco, Heywood Civic, Bury Town Hall and Prestwich. He had an eclectic taste in music and not only loved all Soul music but also rock, jazz and blues. He was also an accomplished acoustic guitar player.
Alf's top six records were featured by Richard Searling on his BBC Manchester programme as a tribute to one of the stalwarts of the Soul scene not just in Wigan but across the north west and there's an event being held to remember him in Wigan on 30 September with many of his long-standing mates playing across-the-board Soul. Details are on the events page.