Wigan Casino

On the regional news on ITV1 at 6.30 last night they were talking about the all-nighters at The Casino which started 50 years ago this week. They went inside and to see those dancers on the ballroom floor which we all knew and loved. The boyfriend and I used to love going to the Emp there but of course it was the waltz and quickstep for us. One man was saying about the fantastic sprung floor and another was saying condensation was dripping down onto them. Brilliant watch brought back so many happy memories.

On Friday, BBC Breakfast, will be coming from the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, where they are celebrating Wigan Casino's 50yr anniversary



LINK

LINK

" ...... where they are celebrating Wigan Casino's 50yr anniversary "

No. Wigan Casino's 50yr anniversary has long gone.
It's the 50yr anniversary of 'the first all-nighter at Wigan'.
There were several Northern Soul venues long before the Casino started.

I was there...watched a few good Motown bands too...

BBC News item about it LINK

There’s a great photograph exhibition in Wigan to celebrate. Interesting items to see in the Museum of Wigan Life as well.

after watching some of those on that news report i,m sure they wanted gas & air when they came off the dance floor .

Give me th’emp dances any day, quickstep jive foxtrot waltz ..those were proper dances.. glorious nights..I practically lived there in my youth.

The woman on the couch is a friend of ours Chris Fiddler from Hindley Green. She was married to the late Rugby League player Jimmy Fiddler, She's as daft as a brush.

There's nowt wrong wi being daft

What did it say over the door?

Good for you Tonks, wonder what it said in the 59s 60s .

It was called the Empress Ballroom, in the olden days!

And the Palais, then the Casino Club, for 16 years or so!

Palais de Danse

WRONG, WRONG, WRONG !

The Rock 'n' Roll years and the Jiving between the mid fifties and mid sixties were far better, especially at the now gone Palais De Dance in Bolton.

Great times which will never be repeated!

OC.Things like that are impossible to compare.

If I ever have a lottery win, I’m going to have a plaque made with ‘The Empress Ballroom’ to put on the wall.

Tonker

What's WRONG, WRONG, WRONG !

THAT, THAT, THAT !

It yoo mean where was the Casino in relation to that plaque, yes, it is wrong, or is the information on the plaque wrong ?

As you walk down the arcade past the escalators and stairs, and go round the corner, that corner on the right and those shops are where the pavement and front aspect of the Casino were located

No. On that site stood a building which had stood there for many years. The Casino Club opened there in 1964, not 1973.
The 'All-Nighter' started in 1973.
The 'Northern Soul Club' was a separate entity which was based at 10 Baytree Road, Beech Hill.

An exhibition in the old WHSmith’s in the Grand Arcade, on till 21st Oct (Video)

Thu - Sat, 10am - 4pm

Why are they not celebrating the anniversary with a dance?

It's all Wigan council bullshit, ena. They make it all up as they go along. One daft lie always needs to be backed up by another dafter lie.

What a load of twaddle.

At the time, 1973, there was a general feeling amongst young adults that the Wigan Casino was well past its sell-by date. The place was damp and literally falling to bits. During this period, a group of leather trench-coated plastic mods decided to start an all-night 'elitist' club. They met there and swiveled their way to sunrise every Saturday evening.

That's about it.

What followed was the much-delayed opening of Mecca's Tiffany's in late 1975. This plush new nightclub put the final nail in the Casino, but the 'plastics' hung on for another eight years.

There was nothing special about this nocturnal club or its 'odd' members, or should there have been, but much was made in later years about the music they swiveled to.

That's about it.

Listening to the music now and looking at these seventy-year-old balding pensioners swiveling to it, is mildly amusing.

I much preferred the Temperance Seven.

Thought you would have preferred Hi Ho Wolverhampton!

Another interesting topic ruined!

So, let's get it back on track.
All the bullshit that is spoken about Wigan Casino usually comes from people that never went there, all this talk about this "legendary building" with its special atmosphere is just total nonsense.
I used to go in the early 70s to listen to Live Music from the group's on stage, it was OK cos it was live, but that's about it for the OK bit!
The beer was watered down and drunk by 16/17yr olds who after a couple of pints would fight anyone, the bouncers would throw them down the stairs and then laugh about it.
The Northern Soul was just a money making racket made up by DJs and other likewise talentless people.

Jarvo ......... 1975 my arse!
Blackpool Mecca was before The Casino Club in the Soul era.

"Blackpool Mecca was a large entertainment venue on Central Drive in the seaside town of Blackpool, Lancashire, in North West England, first opened in 1965. In the 1970s, it was particularly known for The Highland Room, which was a major Northern Soul music venue.

Northern soul at The Highland Room
The Highland Room was used as a soul venue from 1967 to 1979 and it became one of the most popular venues on the Northern soul scene."

At least you've let it run for two weeks before spoiling!

Who da thowt you’d be an expert on this an all

BTW jarvo’s reet about Tiffany’s on standishgate opening around about 1975

Posted by: riocaroni (602)
At least you've let it run for two weeks before spoiling!

truth hurts

link

The truth is a long way from what’s being promoted by the council.
And that link what’s been posted by Baz is wrong.
Bullshit. Untruthes, Outright Lies.
Typical of Wigan, more than anywhere else.

Again, the 50’th anniversary is of the “all-nighter”. The ‘event’.
NOT of the Casino, as stated.

Wiganers will believe ‘owt!

well moan to the people who posted it on YouTube then

Brasstoff:

Tonker: I'm talking about Wigan Mecca.

Wiganers will believe owt

Can’t be many of them then,because according to you,most of us live in Wigan Borough,and not Wigan

I thought Northern Soul originated at 'Twisted Wheel' in Manchester in 1966! Not that it had acquired the name at that time, but the drugs, the allnighter, type of music and the dance style were there.

I believe Dave Godin or Godwin,a record shop owner in the south of England coined the phrase Northern Soul

Northern soul my arse!

Couldn’t agree more Jarvo

In 1971 I would go to smiths travel in market st to book the free coach to blackpool mecca. I used to book between 20/30 seats every Saturday. We would go to blackpool go round the town, making sure we got to the mecca before 11 o'clock. The music in the Highland room was brilliant and we all had a great time. The coach back to Wigan left at 2 am and quite a few times several of us missed the bus due to meeting up with young girls, as you did. We listened to soul and Tamla with no pretence to being in a clic. We also went to the casino on Fridays and the monoco at hindley on monday. A bit of speed was used but mostly it was to listen and dance to the music. Memories I wouldn't swap for the world.

riocaroni

Did yoo ever go to Bolton Pally or Blighty's at Farnworth

Went to Bowton pally on a mates stag do. Went blighty a few times as well as a lot more clubs of which there was no shortage in the seventies?