Kathryn Magson

I didn't know Skippy very well - only to say hi to -  she always seemed to be happy & smiling when I saw her at soul do's.

RIP Skippy - yet another very sad loss to the soul scene.

5 hours ago, Drewtg said:

My sisters used to go to the Top 20. Don't hear it mentioned much.

The Top 20 was quite a small club Drew - think it probably only held about 100 or so at the most - it had a small dance floor & a tiny coffee bar upstairs. The nighters  weren't normally very busy - most of us went there on Sunday mornings after a night at the Wheel.

At least the Top 20 dance floor was wooden - unlike the Wheel where the floor in the DJ room was flagstones  & in the main room I think it was bitumen! No wonder we all have bad backs & knackered knees!

I remember reading a couple of years ago that Clarence (Jamaican guy who used to DJ at the Top 20) is still DJing, but can't remember where - somewhere in Mancs I think.

7 minutes ago, Drewtg said:

My province of Sichuan has a population of 80,000,000. Face covering was/is compulsory in public places. We've had 600 cases and 3 deaths. A lot wore bandanas because masks ran a bit short.

My son lives in Taiwan & masks are compulsory there too. Incoming flights are restricted - none at all allowed from a long list of heavily-infected countries (UK being one of them) & all incoming passengers from permitted flights automatically have to go into 14 days quarantine. My son is working pretty much as normal, but by law has to record his temperature twice daily & he could also be stopped at random by officials to check his temperature. All students ( he lectures at uni)  have to use hand sanitizer several times a day. There are also extremely hefty fines for anyone breaking the quarantine laws - I read of an 18yr-old caught going out clubbing when he should have been in quarantine & he was fined a million Taiwan dollars.

Their per capita infection/death rates are negligible compared to ours here in the west & life goes on - not quite as normal - but at least because of the restrictions in place Taiwan has taken control of the virus, rather than allowing the virus to take hold of Taiwan.

Just seen the latest UK figures for today - 590 so far - up 130 since yesterday & still a long way to go. This government has failed us enormously - there should have been airport checks from day one on absolutely everyone entering the country & isolating anyone who seems in the least bit ill. Instead they are STILL freely allowing flights in from anywhere & everywhere totally unchecked. China has a lot to answer for! 

I have an event scheduled for the end of this month - debating with myself whether to cancel or not, but I think I'll wait until nearer the time to make a decision. With a bit of luck things could hopefully improve by then...…..somehow I doubt it. I really don't want to feel I'm letting the punters down - & I know all the DJs will think I'm being a wimp - but everybody's health & safety HAS to come first. Everyone involved - punters, DJs, bar staff, cleaners - are all at risk. I'm an old fart & very much in the "vulnerable" category  too - I will be sitting on the door accepting the door tax as people come in, so in a very dodgy spot. It isn't only my call - I run the event along with a mate so it will have to be a joint decision. Fingers crossed as they say......…hoping for the best but fearing the worst.... I reckon by then the government might have taken it out of our hands & put the country on lockdown.  We've only just got it going too - this only our second event - the first one in January was a massive success so really reluctant to cancel, but if it comes to the crunch I think we will have to 

9 hours ago, Tomangoes said:

Theres a lady DJ......doing the rounds.......who is as good a dancer as anybody I've seen.

I'm crap with names, but you will know who she is if you've seen her.

Ed

I'd say you're thinking of Sam Evans too - lovely woman & a FAB dancer!

51 minutes ago, Frankie Crocker said:

Glad the thread is still running. Hottest topic on here for a while. Please keep it open as it is a great read with lots of good clips. AND we’re really looking forward to the next show...

Well said Frankie - this thread makes for very interesting reading! Hope he drops out this week though - not happy about it all being on prime-time telly! Channel 4 & to a very small audience in the early hours is one thing, but Strictly Come Dancing & now The Greatest Dancer?? NOOOOOOOO!! 

4 hours ago, Moxey25 said:

I the scene has been turned in to a joke sold my record collection after 40 years.  Im out 

I clicked like on Moxey's post - didn't really mean I actually like it - just that sadly I agree with him. It's all become way too commercial for me - Northern is now the new pop music & not the underground scene I used to know & love. I don't even say that I like Northern any more - 60 s soul - yes; R&B - yes;  rare soul - yes; but  Northern??? I still love the music, but not the way the scene has gone. Like Moxey says - it's a joke now - I know others who feel the same way. 

Place called The Golden Disc in Keighley in 1966 & just turned 15 - 1st & only time I went there. After that, I was at The Twisted Wheel almost every weekend - very occasionally went to The Plebs (Halifax) or The Birdtrap (nr Burnley), but more often the Wheel - it won hands down for me. I was there just about every weekend from 1966-70. Told my parents I was sleeping at a mate's house - she used to say she was sleeping at mine...…...happy days! 

1965 for me - local at first, then across the Pennines in 1966 to the all-nighters at the Twisted Wheel - long before Dave Godin came up from London to find out  why he'd heard so much about this place called the Twisted Wheel. Only then did he coin the phrase "Northern Soul" - happy days - I'd do it all again in a heartbeat if I could turn back the clock!    

1 hour ago, chalky said:

I haven’t witnessed any young uns attempting to force the older lot out of the way, the opposite IMO.  There simply  isn’t enough youngsters to do this.

It's not so much trying to force us oldies out - more a case of them looking down on anyone older.  Most of us can't dance as well as we used to - some of the younger ones will spin & backdrop etc with a smirk on their faces & try to take over the dance floor, leaving no room for others. I've sat & watched them do it - I quite enjoy just watching a busy dance floor. 

Having said all this - most of the younger end that I've met are nice & get on well with everyone regardless of age - room for all of us I reckon. I know a few oldies too that object to the younger end being there...…..

55 minutes ago, Timillustrator said:

Does that really happen!? That's appalling. I find the vast majority of people at the vast majority of events are in their 50's or over. There are a few with younger people but they are always less than say 30% - if the older people went there'd be no one left. 

It DOES happen, but not very often I glad to say. A few of the younger ones seem to want to take over the whole scene & shove us oldies out of the way. As for me ....I'm going nowhere lol  

Overheard one younger guy mutter "f------g sh-te" as he pushed his way past me when the DJ played an old Marvin Gaye track from the 60s. How can anyone say that about Marvin Gaye? I wanted to punch his ;lights out lol

 I've not been to a nighter since 1970 - in my late 60s now, so I guess I won't be going to another now lol. I love my nights out - not fussed about the dayers - but I'm usually one of the last to leave at night - 2am or so. I have a couple of local monthly ones that I never miss - I don't drive, but I'm happy to go anywhere further afield if I can blag a lift. I don't hit the dance floor as much as I used to - happy to watch a full floor though. Good to see people of all ages mixing together - some of the young ones can really dance - alongside  the old shufflers like me. I always think there's room for all of us - I'm not one who feels the scene should be exclusive to us "old originals" - but equally unhappy with some of the younger ones who feel we should leave the scene cos we're past it. Bit of respect on all sides is needed. I have a friend in her late 60s who still goes to the soul nights - along with her granddaughter & her boyfriend. The girl reminds me of myself when I was 16 - she can really dance, her clothes are fab & she gets on really well with everyone.

43 minutes ago, Mark S said:

This is the bit I dont get why should I have to avoid the situation ? Could end up spending the whole night avoiding the knob with the camera .

Quite agree with you there Mark, but they normally only go round the room once so I don't find it too bad to dodge the cameras. Never been one for having my pic taken

At most of the soul night I go to, there is always someone who will want to take pics. A lot will take photos of the group they are with & some will also go round the room & take pics of everyone. I think that's fine, just so long as they ask first - then if you give permission for your pic to be taken, you have to accept that it could pop up anywhere - Facebook - Soul Source - anywhere at all. Permission first is the key. If you don't want your pic taking, it's probably easier just to head to the bar/toilet/dance floor/best mate that you just spotted at the other end of the room  etc when you see the camera heading in your direction - avoid the situation altogether.

Moody Blues - Go Now - tune that ended the Twisted Wheel all-nighters for a while in the 1960s. 

Always made me want to cry - just sounds so bloody sad! 

Same up here in the north - I was out at a local soul night at the weekend & one of my friends  was out on the floor, along with her extremely trendy young, mod granddaughter & her boyfriend - age gap of over 50 years. Granddaughter has grown up listening to Grandma's records & loves it - great to see! 

I never felt edgy at the Wheel - always felt very much at home. Mistakenly though - one night my purse was nicked from my bag - I'd done what I always did - dumped my bag in a corner & hit the dance floor. Only in a very tiny room - I'd left my bag on the floor by the DJ cage & I was very near to it. Must have been a girl - a guy would have looked a bit sus rummaging in handbags & she must have been very quick or she would have been spotted. It was the only money I had - I had to scrounge money from a few mates to get home. Had some great pals though - they all coppered up to make sure I had enough to get me through to payday. At the time I was living in a bedsit & no parental support, so had no-one to borrow from - really made me appreciate my mates!

On ‎07‎/‎01‎/‎2019 at 19:36, David Meikle said:

Kathryn

I loved reading your post.

It reminded me of my first trip to Manchester on 24th January 1970.

It was an early start from Glasgow that day and I probably arrived in Manchester Victoria around 1pm. I bought two Inez and Charlie Foxx albums in WH Smiths on the foyer. I knew I was in heaven.

From there I went around the corner to Ralph’s records in Corporation Street then on to Spin Inn on Cross Street. Had to go back to left luggage with my new found sounds!

In the evening I went to see the early Soul Together concert in the Odeon on Oxford Street; where I saw Sam and Dave, Arthur Conley and Joe Tex. I don’t think Clarence Carter turned up but might be wrong.

At 10pm I joined the queue outside the Wheel and had the most incredible all nighter with Edwin Starr, my hero, on circa 2am. I jumped up on the small stage with Edwin and joined in at the end of his performance of his new release “Time”.

Unbelievable.

I just remember that the atmosphere was electric as we all belted out the word “Time” again and again.

All too quickly the dreaded doors opened at 8am. I used to hate that. It wasn’t just the long train journey home it was also the fact that you lot were off to the Top Twenty club in Hollinwell!

I returned to the Wheel another 8 or 9 times I reckon. I also went to the Blue Note club on Gore Street but recall quite a bit of blue beat and ska going on in there.

Great times also in Rowntrees Sound on Corporation Street and Mr Smiths.

Next year sees the 50th anniversary of my first trip to the Twisted Wheel and definitely one of the greatest nights of my life.

My Mother took this picture of me in my shrine to Edwin in the Summer of 1970.

Where has the time gone.

 

I vaguely remember chatting to a guy who said he had travelled down from Scotland - might well have been you David - can't have been many that came so far for a night out! I did know a guy who used to come over from Ireland though - can't remember his name - but he said he had to catch a bus into the port - then the ferry - then a train from Liverpool to Mancs. Always used to pity him when I thought of him enduring  that North Sea crossing after the Wheel......