Sharon Cooper

Nice post and I would agree wholeheartedly with this. I do agree that the best years were between 71-75, (i was born in 53). I enjoy the scene today as much as ever and despite all the debate over oldies, crossover and modern etc, it is what the scene is all about, discovering new sounds while enjoying and remembering the oldies. Chris

and - again a personal view being expressed here, I think it makes sense for the soul scene to align itself with these community-based independant businesses and show a bit of support Hi Lofty Can't see this happening, where not in this to support Independant Business.We are in it for the Soul and punters will pay to go where they think they'll have a good time, hear good music and have some banter with their pals. If the business fails we'll just have to find other places and lets face it there are plenty of others who provide good venues with good facilities. Chris

Not sure what you are on about. Old folks don't go to clubs because they are older and maybe unable to get out as much. secondly you brought the HSE into it not me. Living with a woman who is a RGN, RMN & has a degree in Health & Social Care I think we can say with some confidence that there is more to the smoking ban than HSE. The smoking ban is about the health of the nation as a whole. There are plenty of us who can go out and have a great night out without having the need to smoke and as for democracy then now the boot is on the other foot, you now know how it feels. I probably agree with you on the current government but would go further and say democracy as we know it is a falacy. We live in short term dictatorships, it's length depending on how well the goverment can lie itself into the next term. Anyway i digress, the fact is and remains that the culture of the nation is changing and I'm pretty sure that if the smoking ban had not come into affect then the WMC & MWs woud still be closing and still be SH*** holes, just as the were before the ban. That though is the point, MW & WMs clubs have been run down for years. The lack of investment and maintanence is obvious and that can only be because of a lack of money to spend on them. With regard to attending soul nights. Personally and from my own experience the majority of people I know who attend soul nights now, attended them BEFORE the smoking ban, smokers and non smokers alike. We may not have liked the idea but it didn't stop us attending just as now smokers still attend but have the option of going out of the room for a fag. Finally i think its a bit patronising to assume that the only enjoyment old folks who attended MWs & Wms clubs had was to sit and have a fag and chat, well thats it then in another 10 years I'll have to sit at home and be miserable cause I don't smoke so i can't socialise. Your point is from a smoking bias therefore your post reflects that and ultimately democracy is about what the majority want not the minority. It isn't democracy if it's all about what you think is right. Chris

True, and HSE are not responsible for the smoking ban, If you can't go out for a night without a 'fag & pint' then there is something wrong. But the point is there a more than one factor regarding the situation. Pubs were closing and being sold for building plots long before the smoking ban> it is a change in culture, where we spend our time and how we spend our money.

Out last night and have to say that the state of some of these venues is appalling.Not the committees fault completely though as the lack of funding over the years has meant that the majority are completely run down and in a bad state of repair: Historically northern do`s were not reknowned for there salubrious surroundings (I`ve been to quite a few dives in my 34 years around and about the scene!) which is ok if all you want to do is listen to music, dance, socialise and drink but for many people nowadays their expectations are greater than this and WMC`s, MW`s etc. are never now going to able to cut it as venues for social events! S x

Now that is very true, although drink at`our` welfare is really extremely cheap...I don`t drink much so the regulars at Pilsley would have to give a view on that one actually...There is big debate about the price of drinks at all these sorts of places but I also think that the general `ambience` of the majority leaves a lot to be desired for a night out (For me anyway) I suppose it depends if you like snooker/pool, dominoes, darts in the company of 6 others or a `turn` on a Friday/Saturday night. They haven`t really moved on from their glory days and it is like being in Phoenix nights at most!

That is what i understood to be the truth about the tune, thought it was purchased by a certain Wigan dj back in the day from F.W. But I am probably wrong. Still crap though.

True, very true, but it's crap anyway so why worry about it. Frank new that at the begining, thats why he blew the track away and only kept a couple of copies for himself, maybe for old times sake. I shouls say "crap, imo" Chris

I agree Bazza, it is a sad state of affairs: All going the way of lots of pubs nationally it seems: Peoples social outlets are very different now to what they were when WMC`s and MW`s were in there hey day. The fact is there just isn`t enough interest in going out to clubs such s these any more and to be honest I wouldn`t want to sit in some of them for an `ordinary` night out as they have seen better days a long long time ago. Large enough venues are very few and far between so we will have to wait and see what happens in the future. Part of the decline perhaps..................... Sharon

Around here many soul night are held in Miners Welfares, all as with other parts of the country have had a part to play in Northern Culture from way back when they started digging 'black gold' out of the ground. In fact lots of those on the scene here were Miners themselves and some run Soul Nights. Times though change and it seems that the Welfare has had it's day. Since the mines closed those attending Welfares has dropped markedly and many struggle to keep open. Last Thursday only 2 people entered our local welfare all day and it survives souly, or so they tell me, on the amount coming to Pilsley Soul each month. Now it seems those who own the Welfares or some of them anyway are about to bring the curtain down on many of them (those NOT making a profit, or so I'm led to believe). Think about it, how much must the real estate that welfares stand on be worth, be a lot better to stick a dozen or so houses on it and make a packet. I understand that the word is that they have got to start making a profit soon or thats it, well I don't know but has anybody else who runs a Welfare soul club heard anything on these lines. Chris

Had this a while and played it out a few times, to very limited response, but sorry like it to much to sell. Chris

Yes it probably is but its all good or a laugh I reckon!!

I`ve just discovered whilst trawling the lower echelons of soul forums that this activity took place at a dance class for northern soul... We have all missed out on something worthy of comment here; Another thread coming up I reckon!

Just feel I`ve got to add my 2 bobs worth about a few issues here; Yes Wigan did have gymnasts but has been said they looked good when they were under 21 and weighed 8 stones and under (Chris did at this time can you believe?) but not all chucked themselves about and there was as many good dancers as idiots trying it out! My lad was into it when a young teenager and wanted the clobber and did wear it and dance at the oldies do`s but did grow out of it and we have a laugh now when we talk about what he wore but he does still have a thing about the music and will have a quick bop around the dining room and looks good `coz he`s 18 and weighs less than 9 stone. To wrap it up anyway... Think the picture and comments (From what I can make of them) looks a bit contrived to me...Was this just a random youth who wandered in then whilst team GB coach Casper was doing a bit of circuit training in readiness for the `big event?!`

ίδιος παλαιός, ίδιος παλαιόςxx

Chris

You know what? It won`t change because this group of people are fixated and blinkered to what is going on around them. They think they are the guardians of Northern Soul and Wigan casino was, is now and will remain for ever. They have not moved on (However in saying this I know that many many of them never actually entered the hallowed doors of the Casino and wouldn`t know a Cleethorpes sound if it fell from the sky and landed on their Polyveldts!) They will continue to put on events, believe the lies that others say, continue in their own ` way of life` because lets face it they obviously haven`t got much of a life outside of this `scene` and from the state of their grammar and spelling abilities are unlikely to move on from what they`ve already got. The honest fact is that if they feel that walking out of their front doors and letting people see them dressed like some throw backs to a bygone era is `normal` then putting on an event that blantantly is set out to rival another is nothing to these people. I am not just speaking about the night in question here but others that have sprung up recently. I treat these people really with the contempt they deserve; They are after their own ` 5 minutes of fame` because, lets face it, they aren`t going to achieve it any other way in this life. Come on then promoters/DJ`s of new venues lets hear the other side of the story...And whilst I`m on a roll; whats this with now changing your night which is on an established night to clash with another in that month because you happen to have something else on the night your do should be on...This to me is a new phenomenon and happening more and more. Despicable IMHO.

Because I don`t go to some of the events does not mean I wouldn`t like the music Chalky...I have an extremely busy life which means my opportunities to go to `different` venues is limited. I support Pilsley because its Chris` `do` and some of the local ones because of the obvious but to be honest this looks to me like there will be fewer and fewer of these due to changes to music policies . Shame but thats the way it is...Perhaps better to go out less and travel further I`m thinking

So here we are expecting said promoter to come on to the thread and show an ounce of gumption and what happens? He posts up on the Events section the details of his night and Lo and behold its on the same night as Pilsley..well surprise surprise..And here it is: (Pasted from the events thread) Come on what is all this about? Numbers spread even thinner..less atmosphere...Come on SoulsceneRob...who has asked for this and who suggested the third Saturday? Of course this is not just Pilsley but loads of others happening on this night. I`ve said enough and think I`ve made my point sufficiently ....Over to you!! "Well, it's finaly happened. YOU have been asking us to put on a Northern Soul & Tamla Motown venue in the LOCAL area. Well here it is... (The Grosveror Rooms) Sutton in Ashfield Church Street, Sutton in Ashfield NG17 1FE Opening night October 18th 7.30pm - 12.30am £4.00 O.T.D Resident DJ: Rob Yates Guest DJs: (Dave) the Night Nurse (East Kirkby) Debbie (Loughborough) Kev Such (Cream Cracker) We are 100% certain you will LOVE this night for ALL the right reasons. Come along and see us and have a FANTASTIC night of PURE Northern Soul & Tamla Motown, we would Love to see you there. K.T.F (Rob) -------------------- Soul Scene Clothing Grosvenor Rooms (Sutton in Ashfield) " THE ABOVE IS PASTED DIRECTLY FROM THE EVENTS SECTION SO THE GRAMMAR AND SPELLING IS NOTHING TO DO WITH ME!!

I`m no quite sure what this comment means; I don`t think you know me so cannot see how you would know this or what my tastes are! Good for him if he will play something truly out of the ordinary; I was asking though when and where so we can look out for it as I do recall a long time ago some comments being made on a thread about it but no more seems to have been said.

I would be interested in this depending what this something different actually will be. I have seen that something was due to start some while ago; North Derbyshire/South Yorkshire area; When and where is this to happen?

The venue has been highlighted correctly earlier on in the thread. My point is to highlight yet again this `try something different` mentality ; Its not something different at all; it is what is played, whatever genre it happens to be, at a venue I suggest in this area on any given weekend. `The public makes a choice`; This is absolutely correct and they do just that; But is this the honest truth? Do the majority of people actually approach any random person who may have a record collection and say `Please start up a new night because we want something different?`Or is it the promoter and his mates deciding this? We will never know and really I don`t really care. I do know though that some local promoters have been approached and have obviously voiced their disquiet about the new event being on `their` night and so we will have to wait and see which other one the new guys chose as I know my fella hasn`t been approached. Anyway, as I`ve said on here many many times; Its NOT a way of life, its NOT a matter of life and death and it IS only a night out when all is said and done and if a night clashes with ours and people decide to go elsewhere thats OK by me as life will go on! Its been nice to be involved in the promotion of a successful soul night for the past 6 years but if it ended tomorrow then I would say that its been good sometimes, bad sometimes, frustrating, aggravating and a laugh but ultimately I won`t lose any sleep over it. I`m happy to know that Chris and I have tried to remain dignified and honest in the time we have been involved with the Pilsley soul nights and if others want to behave in whatever they see fit then thats at their discretion. A comment from the promoters in question would be be useful to get the alternative view and then a proper debate could ensue. S

Having seen a thread stating that a `NEW venue` for a local area is due to `So many people asking for a new venue for the local area` are the `promoters` actually providing a much needed public service or actually just jumping on the band wagon of `any one with any sort of record collection wanting to be a DJ/promoter?!` My opinion in that, as the NEW VENUE is to be 6.3 miles from us, 1.6 miles from Bentinck, 4.3 from Annesley, 4.9 from The Attic, 21.1 from Barrow Hill, 15.4 from Calow if the attendees at these events want something different, then what is that `different` which warrants yet another soul event which undoubtedly will (Yet again) clash with an established night. By the way the events listed are only, obviously, a few of the great many on any Friday/ Saturday in the East Midlands/South Yorkshire vicinity. How many alternatives can be offered I wonder; Northern, Motown, rare, modern, across the board, disco, pop, Ska etc. etc Good luck to the promoters on whatever night they chose (Because it appears this is yet to be decided upon! Was originally down for the 25th Oct. but this is now awaited due to clashes with other local nights?? ) but really whats the point? Sharon

Prior to the salubriuos surroundings of Hurts Yard(!) I had the pleasure in 74 of seeing Robs collection in cardboard boxes filling his mums flat at Balloon Woods (Nottm) it was a sight to behold and had a profound effect on a 16 year old girl S