Drewtg

I had a scooter (GP250) and I was on the scene throughout the seventies and early eighties, but I can't remember there being any notable 'scooter boy' or 'mod' presence. Always puzzles me to see the two linked. Just saying.

Absolutely. Never bothered what others think of me and, let's face it, we all like other music types as well don't we?

Sounds apocryphal to me but even if it were true, it says far more about the writer than it does about the music. I wasn't aware of a "pop crowd" in the seventies and as a dj, I never got asked to play any "dross". If these are the two records in question it was hardly a ground breaking, history in the making moment was it?

Yeah, this place is mentioned on Wiki but I have never heard of it - keen to hear more. I remember 'cutting a rug' at 'The Great Room' in The Grosvenor, Park Lane. It was in the nineties and not really a northern night, I just persuaded the dj to play a few tracks I had with me (coincidentally), and boogied in my black tie. Of course, I was very, very drunk, as the man says. Apart from that the poshest I ever attended was a benefit held in Rochdale Town Hall for a guy who died without life insurance - biggest dance floor ever I reckon.

I suppose you have read 'To be loved', Gordy's self deprecating (tee hee) auto. biog? It seems pretty obvious he would throw a leg over anything that took his fancy, Chris Clark amongst the many. I can't be arsed to re-read it, so disappointed was I with the flannel. There are definately some clues in there though, good luck to yer.

Surely, your humble opinion? Call me Jocko?

Ditto. Kentish Town in the 80's. Sadly missed, reckon he died of disappointment with Obama.

Wigan Casino Documentary — Pitch Opens with archive footage —this England — man spinning in slow motion Pete Waterman (for it is he) -voice over — “It was basically full of miners. Big, strapping lads. Some of ‘em still had their helmets on having come straight from the late shift at t’pit” Stuart Maconi (to camera) “Wigan Casino, voted the best disco in the world. On the occasion of it’s fiftieth anniversary, it’s time to lift the lid on what it was really like, and I should know”. “Using never before seen footage of things that nobody ever thought it would be worth looking at, we go behind the scenes and speak to some of the people who made Wigan what it was”. Opening credits (Frank Wilson playing) — Guests include: Pete Waterman Lisa Stansfield Marc Almond Anna Ford That bloke from YouTube Tommy Hunt Dave Withers Paul Mason Elaine Constantine Dean Parrish Paul O’Grady Duffy John Newman Bloke from America Cuts to - still picture of factory chimneys and 1984/5 miner's strike. How am I doing?

Yeah, I understand. If you didn't go you just don't get it. One less viewer for Daz's film

à chacun son goût, as the frogs say. or "If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe" - Carl Sagan. Your last phrase sums it up Daz. Elaine had a vision, as did Paul, and they saw it through. The amount of hard work, persistence, focus and downright bloody-mindedness to pull off projects like these cannot be overstated. I had a small taste when I got the Wigan Casino plaque put up. You would not believe that it took a year of my life and at every turn I met with negativity, carping, duplicity, ego maniacs and downright apathy. I am no way trying to equate my experience with Elaine and Paul but I can understand the obstacles that must have been put in their way over the years it took to bring the respective projects to fruition. If you really believe that you have a different story to tell, and that people want to hear it . . . . . . . . . . . great journeys begin with a single step

Cheers lads

Twat! I won't be able to sleep now!!! Not Otis is it?

Oh my god NO! Don't start the buggers off.

Caesar was the man. Never seen anyone better, made Sandy, et al look like Woody from Toy Story. Sorry guys but just my opinion.

You should have gone mate, it was easy to avoid the drugs, but not easy avoiding having your ears bent by the fine gentlemen that did indulge As for the violence, that had nothing to do with the northern scene. The north, and I presume every other heavilly working class area, was a very violent place and violence was never very far under the surface. I often think that if there had been alcohol at Wigan it may well not have been the relative oasis of friendlyness that it was. Just a thought.

Harem pants. P.S. Spencers were for tourists weren't they?

What a shit hole that place was eh?

Get your drift Scal but you're barking up the wrong tree mate. I spoke to her on the phone when I was doing the Wigan plaque thing. One of us mate, I'd buy her a pint any day.

She didn't go Scal, but she did a crackin job! Reminds me of the story when Spielberg signed to do Jaws. "I want the best shark trainer in the world" he says. "Er Steven; there's no such thing".

Careful Vin, we may get someone who swears his mate did it...........

Before any egos get involved here, this move pre-dates Sandy, Keb, Wigan, the lot of them. Just because they did kung fu doesn't mean that is the birth of the move. Next thing you know we'll have an ice skater claiming he invented the spin. I'm starting to lean towards the Teddy-boys picking it up from maybe Lindy Hoppers. I think murgs is on the right track.

Ok let's do it. In Masons documentary Fran (RIP) says that the guys were doing kung fu inspired kicks. In the new film it is intimated that kung fu was behind some of the dance moves. In "Who shot Liberty Valence" there is a line that says "when the lie becomes the truth - print the truth". In countless film reviews, I am reading that the dance moves were/are kung fu inspired. Between us we should be able to arrive at the truth, or at least 'a truth' that we can agree on. Firstly, this style of dancing pre-dates the arrival of kung fu to the UK. As a child of about eight or nine (1966) I saw guys dancing like this when my (Wheelie) sisters took me to a local club/coffee bar. I am sure there are guys on this forum who can confirm this. So let's look at alternatives: 1. the dance move was 'picked-up' from various travelling soul stars and glimpses of black Americans dancing on films and newsreels. 2. The move was a progression from the Teddy Boys dancing. Even I remember watching some of those guys kicking and back-dropping in the working men's clubs - whilst I sat under the table with my crisps and bottle of orange. 3. We actually invented it! N. Soul dance is basically free-form jazz dancing with a few basic steps, why could it not be that it just started with some bloke thinking "I need to kick to this break". This has nothing to do with Wigan, etc. We are trying to find out how it started. We need the older guys to chip in on this one. Come on fellas, what's your thoughts?

Exactly mate. Green Hornet was not on Granada TV (if you had one) and we were dancing like this before the seventies. Probably best on another thread eh?

Yeah, I heard Fran mention it too in Mason's documentary. But that doesn't explain why we were doing kicks years before we had even heard of kung-fu.

Finally seen the film (twice) on DVD. Without giving away the plot, all I can say is that the lead character almost exactly mirrored my personal circumstances at that time - even down to the bereavements. I choked-up pretty bad at some scenes. Apart from a few petty details I found it absolutely authentic - why does this myth about kung-fu persist? Elaine and her team are to be congratulated on a fantastic realisation of the scene in those days and applauded for not sugar coating what was, essentially, a means of escapism for many young people at that time. Hats off and thank you to all involved.