Introduction to this website, content, features, of site explained
Early years of the internet
This website is about UK northern soul music Both past and present are included on additional pages. With special emphasis placed on Wigan Casino. Being the most successful alnight venue ever run. Plus the knowledge acquired from 5 years of attending the all-night dance sessions. I've been publishing online since 1987 when I built my first site. It was built using .html syntax. The internet was nothing like high-speed fibre optic cable internet of today. The connection came from a 56 kbs modem. Connected to a standard terrestrial phone line very slow indeed. It was still to be used in most UK homes. The internet had started life as a communication tool in the event of a nuclear attack. It was scrapped for being too expensive for the home office budget. Along with mass retraining required for the armed forces. The tech age was yet to gain momrntum. The first browser I remember was Netscape navigator. Windows never included Internet Explorer prepackeged until Windows 95. Searching was from a command promt MSDOS search. Website urls (urban redource locators) where very few in number. Indexing by Bing, Google, Ask Jeeves was still years away. Dns (Domain name server) was also for future years. At that time memory was very expensive. My first computer ran Win 3.1 with a massive 8 mb hard drive. It was what everybody in normal living could afford to buy. Computers did not get bought at computer stores like PC world yet. The first computer shop I used in Kidderminster SBI-computers gave good service to me. I was a regular paying customer Stuart, Chris, and Duncan. Gave Kidderminster a computer shop hard to beat. When Stuart decided to sell his company. It was another industry to leave Kidderminster for Bromsgrove or Droitwich. The high Wyre Forest business rates 1 of the reasons.
General things about website creator. To introduce Sam to you
Computers and Windows OS
Relatively speaking the internet had a slow then quick start. Prior to arriving in the home market, the corporate business had a try. It was a case of plugging hardware like printers etc. Oto a server comper, which had other computers that ran off the server system. Which by default is how every Windows-powered computer runs. Parent the system is divided into namespaces and classes. A Namespace which contains classes all has similar functionality. Like graphics, data, sound etc. Marked in 3 levels of security Public, Private, and Protected. Which limits access to the class. Public being the accessible Namespaces and its classes having unrestricted access to class functionality. Private restricts access to other members of that Namespace, Namespaces normally contain classes of similar functionality. System. windows. data would be used for, text programmes like Email.
When the .net framework was released around the time XP was unveiled. Drivers for some reprisals was slow to update so
even thou XP updated drivers itself. No updates available it couldn't. XP was the first version of Windows written in C sharp C++ was used on earlier versions of the Windows OS. I threw money at x64 computing, yet X P x64 the first x64 system failed to get software support. It wasn't until Longhorn (Vista) x64 was released that real benefit was noticed. 10-gigabyte ram it went like sh** off a shovel. Computers never seem to run as fast or smooth as when Vista ultimate x64 was first installed. I've yet to see a computer that ran as fast. Now it's intel quad core CPU on a far more structured environment. That is so much SQL security required. It slows it all to snail pace
100% true story, believe it or not
I doubt I need to worry too far into the future simply by the life, I've lived. Nothing lasts forever my avoiding death must be running out. I'm 57 yet had life support switched off. as I'd been in a coma for 3 months. My parents were told, We have no idea how he's alive. He must be in terrible pain from the list of horrific injuries he's taken. Would you sign to donate his body for transplant? Which my dad replied start carving him up before he's dead. You will be joining him in the morgue. Have I made it clear to you? Nobody as permission for donation, if he has hours left to live so be it. He chooses the way he lived nobody could change it. We have no secrets the things he got convicted of he did the prison sentences. To give society retribution for them. He will die complete the way he lived. Or you and this hospital will have a host of lawsuits placed on you.
I had got pneumonia while in a coma. The hospital had warned my parents 1 more infection. With the injuries he's already got will kill him. No human being with the exception of Super Man could live with the injuries he's got. He's got a blood clot the size of an apple. In his brain, we gave him high doses of dia -Morphine regular. Being in a coma we have no real way to know? The pain he's in the reaction in the brain is less and less. Now we consider Garry as brain dead, the reason to withdraw life support. The hospital stopped all life assistance. At once I was left in a single room to die. Or so they presumed would happen. Having no diaMorphine the pain and withdrawal symptoms shocked me into coming out of the coma. I'm not a Dr but tell it the way it happened. Since Dr's have said no reason for it exists
Saturday night start
Photo 1Station Road, Wigan, looks around midnight. On a Saturday night, the atmosphere exciting. The whole night ahead. It was an event in itself. People arriving for the all-nighter a majority had taken massive doses of amphetamine. As they approached Wigan to avoid being caught in possession. If the drugs squad made a search of them. The drugs were now having an effect. Short waits felt like hours when amphetamine kicks in.
Most went each week
The first time people went yes. But it was a thing. That stayed with you. Soon as it was open it was get in. It was never long even when Friday got added. I regularly did Friday, Saturday, alldayer on Sunday. People who state I doubt any drugs were there. I went for 10 years and never saw any. I think they are stupid to say it. They are taking the value away from. A very important event in UK history.
It's underway now
There where quite a number of good alldayers. In the Wigan Casino era. My favourite will always be the Ritz. The only venue you danced in time with the floor. Not the record. If you got busted at Wigan you got bailed out walking distance to the Ritz. I
I'
Sunday arrived quick
Sunday morning always seemed an hour from Saturday night. It was never long enough between the 2. When Wigan Casino was over. Nobody thought about going home a majority. Had an event lined up to go to. I can't remember going home once. After the Casino not always another soul event. I liked to explore England and disliked work on Monday. I had drastic excuses. Kim Sutton put a plaster cast on my arm.Worked well looked quite effective.
Friday oldies etc stasted
When the Friday oldies started once a month. By the time Dave Evison was on Sunday morning. You were totally mexhausted mentally and physically. Yet all due respect to Dave. Almost all of his sets after the oldies I danced more on instinct than control. I did every oldies up until the end of 79 some brilliant nights. The Friday oldies was different to Saturday. Not just the age of records. I knew a fair amount but always a few you didn't know
Alldayer Sunday
There where quite a number of good alldayers. In the Wigan Casino era. My favourite will always be the Ritz. The only venue you danced in time with the floor. Not the record. If you got busted at Wigan you got bailed out walking distance to the Ritz.
For a large majority of 2017 Northern Soul. As much as I've enjoyed over 40 years attending. The way values got ignored. Left me feeling ashamed in many ways. Friends and associates. I've watched die maintaining values seen as important. Which in my mind was betraying memories of them. In 1970's England close bonds. Gave the Northern Soul scene values. Those people joining the scene today won't know how. How it feels to have a person 100% loyal. When I had items stolen. By members from the northern soul, I felt sick. When the same bas****s carried on unchallenged. It said to me. Every scrap of integrity had vanished from it. Members who happily share venues with thieves. I honestly hope you get your property stolen. When you're looking for the support nobody will give it. You'll know how it feels to be deserted. In the way you've excused values for others
'Harlesden, the Mean Fiddler
Title refers to file below it. To avoid confusion by visitors
I've always played with more than onestring on my bow
Onething I've never unserstood. People who listen to 1 sort of music nothing else
Yes, they exist but never admit to it. It must be on the same level as fiddling with goats the reaction is about the same. In the heydey of northern soul around 1976. I would go to Wigan Friday & Saturday. Yet Sunday go to a Buzzcocks concert. Howard Devoto and Pete Shelley fascinated me both intelligent with unique ideas and principles for life. They both believed they were right and neither would give an inch until proved wrong. When they were in the studio or on tour it would have been amusing. Especially if they both thought they were right, have to do endless encores. I think I'm correct by saying the Buzzcocks are still touring. Like many punk era bands, it was reliant on the time. You can't make now ever seem like then. Punk rock was unknown designed to get the UK younger generation heard. You see a Mohican haircut now, you think to get a life. At the time of Harlesden Mean Fiddler, when a large number of Punk's gathered. The general public often showed disgust. John Lyndon and Sid Vicious played at the Mean Fiddler. This was the start of Punk rock the Mean Fiddler. Had a very major part in the start of Punk rock. Like Wigan Casino's input to making northern soul no1 cult fashion, the Mean Fiddler did the same for Punk rock. It would have still happened but not when it did. Enough people are trying their best to reinvent the UK music history. To include them in the rewrite, so this might have to be changed
The Harlesden, Mean Fiddler. a benchmark for live music
A host of big name acts playing at the Mean Fiddler. It's one of those venues bands seem to view as. You're not a star until you've played the mean fiddler. The 70's and 80's a lot of smaller venues had big artists arrive at short notice. Maybe only did a few songs and went, but England was safe then. Before you have to pick if it's safe to sit next to him. Or as he got a lot of explosive taped to his body. If they want to blow themselves up fine. But when they include innocent English children with them. It's time for this government to say enough you want to play that way. The SAS will kill 10 of you for every innocent English citizen you kill. They say retribution should be equal to the crime do it that way. Get our country back to being safe again. You can't fight cowardliness with kindness it won't work. To deter underhanded sneaky people you have to adopt their rules then drop a good way below them. The innocent are far too quick to remind us they are paying for the guilty. When they stop hiding the guilty from the law. Associating with others planning to attack UK innocent citizens including children. Maybe the rest of the UK will believe they're innocent. But this debate has no place here. Just I feel it should be mentioned. As I'm appalled the UK government are not taking stern measures to halt this blatant attack on our country. Votes the level parties will drop to for votes
To Highbury Hill and a famous neighbour
I lived in Highbury Hill n5 in 1984. Number 111 right by some ornamental structure can't seem to remember what purpose it had if any. At that time on the opposite side of the road, Highbury Hills most famous resident lived Martin Kemp of Spandau Ballet. Him and brother Gary who lived close by Highbury Fields. Drove matching black XR3i cars. It was around the time Spandau Ballet had a run of hit singles. From frequently seeing Martin Kemp. He never gave it the big star stance at all. He seemed approachable as much as safety could allow him to be. I only stopped there a few months Martin not much longer. I headed Kashrut in Stoke Newington. 108 Lordship Park N16 to be precise. Clissold Park was at the bottom of my garden. I got told don't walk through the park after dark. I worked on Church Street. Through the park in the gate home 10 minutes. I had a pickaxe, I had to take home each night stop it getting knicked if the old bill pulled me, But Star printers to the park few minutes. I never got mugged once. Worth its weight in gold that pickaxe handle. The 30+ camber arches I built on my own. One of the most highly skilled tasks in Bricklaying. Rubbed and gauged camber arches. I was 24 a host of bricklayers had tried before me. Steve the owner had no faith in me being so young. I will mix the mortar you build one then. You don't build them in the mortar, dunked lime putty is what you use. Every other bricklayer used the mortar and they had more experience than you. Fair enough get them back and stop pestering me. No, I want to see if you can build one, I'm going for lunch. I found some 4x4 made a centre it was freezing cold gauged the intrados on the centre 20 minutes later. 1 complete camber arch. Christmas was coming to Steve even found me work in his printing business. 1 of the happiest jobs I've ever had
Paul mcCartney & Wings
illegal use of drugs around music events. In general
For A LARGE MAJORITY in and around the music industry. It was strongly rumoured record companies gave out drugs at record releases. The UK public media often ran wild with reports in the 60's. As I've heard nothing to substantiate the claims since. As drug enforcement was none ex9stant until the 1974 misuse of drugs law reforms. Aimed at recreational weekend use. In clubs and pubs showed a dramatic increase. The new stringent drug enforcement. Was so vague on what did or did not commit an offence. Even with blatant possession of POM medicines in quantities too high to say it was personal use. There weren't the swift action druggies had got used to. It was now hesitant on the walkie talkie asking desk sergeants. If it was an offence or not. I was in court bang to rights, the drugs squad did a random search warrant. Right name 76A Crewe Road Nantwich Chesire. Not expected unprepared it was a pleasure to see Mr Bosson smile. Bugger about going to Crewe to get charged. In the end got 2 years probation. Refused to permit destroying evidence. My Barrister instructed me to refuse. I had my usual banter with the bench. I know the amount it's on the charge sheet. No dipping from you lot or I will tell Bosson. He's got a pretty thief on the bench. I thought nowhere on earth would beat the wide eyes in Wigan Casino before I attended Cheshire probation offices. The probation officer would ask you took any drugs. I'd say it was such a small amount hardly worth all the paper work. You know Garry a tiny amount I can take you back to court, have you got evidence then. Oh back to hearsay. I'll get that threw out at magistrates. Claim ongoing personal vendetta as your a biased c**t. So that was an end to his threats. More gear changed hands in his office than Mr M's balcony. I went about 6 times then stopped. I heard nothing about attending so never bothered going just forgot it. Not long after I got quite a time out of circulation. In which they must have added completed. Take it from me prison is no deterrent to a crime I was in no way persistent or major threat. Yet was treated as a potentially dangerous man. I did nothing other than petty theft of things to survive. To deserve being treated like it. It could have been a reason when released it lasted 3 weeks. I took the blame for charges my brother Gregory got. I was totally innocent yet still got found guilty. As I had recently been released from a long sentence. By the time it reached the court of appeal I'd served the sentence. Freed at the appeal court as you can't be sentenced for the same crime twice. Which the court of appeal agreed I had. Yet completely innocent no evidence at trial. Still convicted the usual sentence #150 pound fine. I was given 5 months in prison. I've got zero faith in UK justice detest police as this was a start of a series of being given injustices. The normal working person in the UK is guilty until proven innocent. If you receive over 4 years, it haunts you for life. Your debt to society is never paid
Kilburn high road
Live music, as always been my 1st choice
Yes, a majority of northern soul events are vynal records. Except for the commercial weekend long events. I went to the first, second, and third Prestatyn. It was a way to warm the place for the upcoming holiday season. That many vowing never to return after an influx of p**s heads, The same people who go to it now moaning about conditions the same I went to a few with SJ, like my interest she went the same way. Everything as a start and an end. We had some great times to look back on. The scene has changed a remarkable amount since we had our tour of UK northern soul. It wouldn't take place now. Hardly any of the old school left. It was a good friendship, a lot better if people could have understood. A platonic friendship can exist between a male and female who respect eachother. All we got was a stereotyped response from onlookers who had to see more than there ever was. I was good friends with her boyfriends. Except 1 who wasn't upto the job. Of doing anything about it. I'm sorry it ever got that far Graham I swear none of the crap you got told ever happened. A shame you believed it when nothing had ever or was ever out of order. These things get blown out of proportion. No harm done ever see me come over we'll blow the froth off a couple
The Beatles, play on the Apple building roof
The video of the Beatles miming the John Lennon song "don't let me down" On top of the Apple building in September 1968. The shoot saw the Beatles team up with former producer Lindsay Hogg. The 2-day shoot had Apple bosses up in arms. As they saw the performance being filmed believed the Beatles were performing live. When the entire 2-day shoot was mimed. I vaguely remember it on the news. For causing traffic chaos in the west London area. In 1970 John Lennon told Rolling Stone magazine. He had been inspired to write "don't let me down" to signify is undying love for Yoko Ono. I remember when they got married they were on Braden's week I think. To explain the honeymoon at that time John Lennon had amassed wealth that could buy anything. Yet the honeymoon was spent in a sack on the floor of Johns Manhatten apartment block. There have never been a better-suited couple in history. The money to do what they wanted John and Yoko were so much in love they wanted the normal simple things. Like privacy at the time John and Yoko were hounded for views on VIETNAM which saw the USA armed forces out of it. Did as much bad as the Vietnamese with Napalm yet every news broadcast highlighted more atrocities done to the USA.
Don't let me down, the Beatles
My dad had 1 rule. He said you did never repeated it
I would very much doubt if another group would ever match the Beatles. Record sales in the 60's dwarfed today. The really amazing thing was you had to get off your ass and fetch it as well. If I'd said to my dad go and fetch this. He would have said boll***s. Well, you're there get me these few things. Put the rest to this all the change I could find. In my hiding place no doubt. A valuable lesson for you. Don't bother hiding it. Chinese burn and you tell me where it is. Get stuffed Slim you stopped my breath that long I was blue. You must have had 9 pounds off me. Cheeky git thirty and tell Sam he'll be really chuffed. One thing gobobs I swear my money gone. I wrote a cheque the bank sent it back. With a letter warning of a forgery. One week he did the pools paid by my cheque. Won got a 500-pound cheque Tony Richardson in the pib cashed it. He gave me 3 pounds the entry fee. At 6 years old I could cut up train tracks with Oxygene Centerline torch cutting equipment. A pair of Addidas trainers and Lonsdale shorts. Working on British rail that will hurt that kid if it fell on him Glad you said that honestly. But why tell me to don't sneak up on him. He keeps forgetting to wear goggles. Flash blind he ain't that careful with his cutter he might burn a hole in that suit. Give you a reason to chuck it in the bin. But he's in one of his vacant brain days. A bloody good chance he'll burn a hole in you as well. You start giving him safety advice it's certain he will put a hole in you. Go steady and watch what you say to Sam. I wouldn't say he's volatile, why not? Mainly because he's mentally unbalanced. If the old Bill carts him off I'm a worker down. Stable he ain't, hard tireless worker he's the best. I've always been unreliable.
My dad had zero tolerance on his good days. Almost all the time he said you did. Without hesitation or paid the price. Onething he took as doubting his intelligence was questioning him why? I learnt young to it first never question him why. Occasionally he'd give somebody out the local pub a few days casual work. He had a great sense of humour as it never relied on insulting or personal content. I was cutting up a load of steel trench sheets. He strolled over casually and said nip to that farm house. Ask the woman for my pig's eggs. Being 6 years old your yet to wise up on things. So off to get his eggs knocked the door. Excuse me, my dad, Garry sent me over. To collect his pig's eggs, ok son hang on there. I'll get them I've put them ready. I hope you're strong they are quite heavy. A few minutes later returns with a sack tied at the top. Whatever you do don't drop the sack. Pig's only lay once every 6 months. Your dad has been waiting for these eggs. Put the sack in my hands, make certain you've got hold of it. Ok, I've got it so she let go. It was all I could do to carry it, by the time I got back. They were sat in the van ready to go home. My dad lent out the window. Hurry up Sam, Ronnie has got a darts match. So trying to look grown up I struggled to get it to the van. Few feet from it my dad got out took it from me threw it in the back. Get in or you're left here for the night. Everybody was fooling around got cash to go on the lash. Whats in the bag Sam it looked very heavy? Pig's eggs for him, I don't want to upset you, Sam. But pig's don't lay eggs they have piglets. Whats in the sack then fatty. Lead off cuts from when they did the roof. Bought them off the farmer's wife, if I'd told you it was lead. You'd moan you couldn't carry it, so I told you it was eggs
New features of website design, by Wix
I hope tnis page, as lifted some of the mystary, about me?
It's always mystified me how even today. A lot of people still regard me as difficult to approach. I'm the first to admit in the Wigan Casino era. Approaching me was a game of Russian roulette has I never answered people I didn't know. Simply because I knew most the faces and anybody else had no interest or value to know. People who shouted at me "Hi Sam" yet didn't know me. I just walked past and totally ignored, like they were invisible. Yet people who came and danced at the front by the stage left. I never had any problem with at all, it was the place I always considered mine. But how rammed it was at times shared was as much anybody else's as mine. The same principle was in Mr. M's. I always seemed to dance at the back left. As you looked from the front every week the same faces Fred from Wigan. I can't remember ever being in Mr M's without Fred being in there. Peter Kadic and 3 who sadly it cost them there life Phil Shelton, Martin Randle and Dave Fisher who was just 16. When some northern assholes. Left him in a field still alive to die. I sincerely hope the bastards responsible rot in hell. Anybody who sells somebody Heroin and dumps them still alive in a location nobody stood a remote chance of discovering in time. What was wrong with leaving him in a street. It might not have saved Dave but at least it gave him a chance. A good example of UK scales of justice I think they got 4 years. I got 2years + 2years + 6 months + 6 months. For giving out a few stitches. It was in the heat of the moment regretted later as I was pi**ed at the time. But I have no mitigation or excuses stuck my hand up to it. The thanks I got when I got out I was back in after 11 days. For a crime that had no witnesses to me doing it. Or evidence that linked me anywhere near it. Yet the magistrate was an old cow who knew me remarked this man as just been released from a long prison sentence. So found me guilty for that reason. By the time the court of appeal took 11 minutes to overturn the guilty verdict as being sentenced twice for the same crime. I had done the original sentence or bar 5 days. I was freed at the appeal court for 5 days. But the conviction for a crime that had no evidence to convict me. Remains on my record, my brother who did it. Died some time back. So I'm hardly going to contest the conviction. I knew my brother did it at the time. One thing you don't do in my family is grass. The main reason I haven't been for most this year. When the scene glorifys grasses and sneak thiefs it ain't northern soul anymore
Trench sheets similar to below
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