Lucky One

All of the above is true the All-nighter scene is very much a struggle as we all get older. I my self am 64 and still have my Heath apart from a dodgy knee and a minor heart condition which is managed and I still work full time, which is my biggest struggle. This Saturday myself and a couple of friends are off to Rugby All-nighter which means I have had to book Monday and Tuesday off work, thankfully I have plenty of float days. All of which is worth it to go to such a quality event but even so I only attend about three times a year. My local monthly soul night is enough to satisfy my soul fix. Having said all of this thank goodness their are still Allnighters to go to.

It would be great if such an event were to happen if certainly deserves the attention. I was too young to attend the cats but due to living in Wolverhampton all my life many people who lived on the same estate as myself went there and that in turn introduced me to the best music ever.

For me it would have to be Lou Johnson , his Kent CD is rarely out of the CD player in the car on my commute to work. My favourite track is without doubt Park Avenue a more upbeat song I have yet to hear.

Thank you Kathryn for finding these photos of the Wheel, never really seen the inside of the venue before. A friend of mine Glen who is no longer with us used to go to the Wheel, Torch and the Catacombs always spoke very highly of his time at the Wheel.If their was such a thing as time travel that's one of the places I would go to.

Rest in peace Bobby, one of the best. I have always loved his goal against Mexico in 1966.

In my case it was all to do with the estate I lived on. A lot of the older lads went to the Catacombs and the Torch in the early seventies, one of the few advantages to living in Bushbury Wolverhampton. As I got older I got more interested simple as that really. On to Wigan in 1976 just after I left school. When I look back on my life it is certainly one of the better things I have done.

What I never seem to understand is why people always go on about Wigan sick to death of hearing about the place. I personally went many times between 1976 through to 1981 and enjoyed it for what it was at the time.There were far better nighters at the time such as Cleethopes and Wakefield Unity and not forgetting Yate.Why doesn't someone give some credit to the longest running and best allnigher that has ever been the 100 Club. I know where I would rather be tonight.

I must admit that I enjoyed it for the most part. The chap who sang the drifter did a good job, one of my all time favourite songs. Not as good as the going to a venue but certainly better than watching the usual dross that mainstream television is these days.

Horrible time for you so sorry to hear it. We have been through it five times with our dogs over the years never gets easier. Give them the best life you can is all you can do, Only downside to having a dog is that their lives are always shorter than ours.After our last dog died with cancer nearly three years ago, we had another a few weeks later. If it is possible for you to do it I would recommend having another when you are ready which is down to the individual but it works for us, It certainly helps you to move on and think of the future which is better than thinking about the past which you can do nothing about.

I had the good fortune to see Edwin twice at wolves civic in 1976 and at the Tic tic review at Hinckley in 1983, brilliant is the only way to describe both performances my friend and I got to shake his hand at Hinckley. Great memories of a superb performer and artist.

Sad news, what a good looking woman she was probably the reason I still watch star trek to this day.

Yes I could have as there appeared to be no one around, but for some reason I didn't . I supose I was a little apprehensive about going any further into the building which seems daft now but there you go. Within a few weeks the casino caught fire and that was the end of that. I remember when I got home a few hours later telling my mother where I had been on my bike her reply was something along the lines of that did you do that for. Suppose people will never know unless you lived it as we did so glad I went to the casino.

I must admit I love seeing photos of the casino, as it such a long time ago my memory is is getting weaker as time moves on as with everyone else. The last time I attended the casino was the last oldies allnighter in September 1981. In Febuary 1982 I went to Wigan on my recently acquired Honda CB200 for a ride out on it as I had recently passed my motorcycle test and this was the first time I had been on the motorway on a bike. It was a weekend day off work and took quite some time to Get there must have had plenty of time on my hands in those days. I arrived outside the casino parked my bike on the road opposite the casino and had a walk around and walked up the alley at the side of the building till you got to the doorway which opened to the side of the stage where I found it to be open and had I look inside and felt quiet glad that I had seen the casino inside for the last time.

All of this could come about the longer the current situation goes on. I remember reading recently an article about football and how people could easily get out of the habit of going to matches and just watching it on TV. I thought at the time the same could apply to the soul scene I hope that's not the way it will go, couldn't give a toss about football it disappeared up its own backside years ago but the the soul scene is far more important than football .

I have always loved this record since I first heard Guy spin it at Stafford in April 1985 at the second anniversary which was the first time I had been to Stafford in quite a long time due to work commitments and buying my first house which took all of my time and money. I remember thinking at the time I must get along to this event more often.I loved the whole 60s newies thing that went on at Stafford and elsewhere at the time and made a point of going to Stafford at least once a month till it ended in early in 1986.

Rip Little Richard you certainly made your mark. Would love to have seen him live.

Brilliant write up of the best allnighter in the history of this great scene of ours by its best DJ. My wife and I have only attended four times and only in recent years due to bringing up children and working most weekends over the last thirty years. We attend other allnighters elsewhere while we always enjoy doing so nothing compares to the 100 club past or present. Well done Ady and everyone that has been involved over the years, so glad we have been able to attend.

Very sad news to say the least, one of lifes characters always said hello and made my wife and I laugh when we spoke at allnighters .The allnighter scene will not be the same without him, his posts on facebook were the only things worth reading on it. RIP Simon.

Brilliant record simple as that. All credit to Butch for getting hold of this little wonder he is the best DJ the scene has ever had.

Well done Chalky excellent effort to bring these recordings to a wider audience. I have always felt that this period was one of the scenes better eras, I consider myself and everyone who attended Stafford very fortunate the have lived through it and living only half an hours drive away couldn't really have been any better. I look forward to the next tape, thanks once again.

We all know the casino was a dump and how it was managed left a lot to be desired, but who wouldn't love to go back for just one night I certainly would. so glad my parents let me go as I was only fifteen when I first visited. Not the best allnighter I have visited but certainly one of the best venues in terms of being ideal for an allnighter.

Looking forward to attending this great allnighter again, last years event was very memorable for many reasons, hope we can be there again.