The idea of including Wigan casino as a item of historical value. May amuse some people however look at it from a detailed history view. The Empress ballroom if it was still there today would without doubt be a listed building due to it's features. A gallery round 3 sides used to enable a clear view of the stage the ornamental plaster work on the facia of it. Would be difficult to find a better example of hand crafted plaster work in the UK today in a public place. The dancefloor was entirely made of Maple a perfect surface for dancing. Many of today's venue's use cheaper inferior materials which is false economy as they soon deteriate. If they had the same amount of constant use the casino's dance floor had. Would'nt of lasted the first year it opened but to my last visit in 1979 was just as good as my  first in 1974. All that  the empress ballroom required was capitol investment from a corporate investor like a pension fund. It had already been proved that it could be a sound investment for people with profit in mind. Just how you got Wigan council to grant a licence for a similar event was a bit more difficult to explain   

   The time at Wigan casino allnighter was never long enough. When your happy amongst people that share the same interest as you. Your enjoying the happy, friendly, relaxed atmosphere the night as been good, 1 of the best for a long time. 8 hours flew past people wondered where you got the determination to go to an alldayer from. It was never a problem to go on to another event you did'nt need a big push. You where full of self belief you felt like you where on top of the world. The weeks the Friday oldies where on often left you exhausted by Sunday but it was'nt a option. That you would'nt go to an alldayer the div's who had just started going could go home. You never missed your reputation was your face was seen at every event worth being at. You did'nt seem to value your own health as a priority. The thing that was important was looking good getting noticed by onlookers you would'nt get noticed sat on your ass. The place was on the immense dance floor where you had the best dancers in the UK. It was'nt just how well you danced but, the way you danced could be a sign of your home town. The length of time you had been on the scene. The people you knew there where they known faces and worth knowing or div's. The opinion people had of you was rarely anything to do with your record collection. Which was good as I had about 3 records in my collection. I danced to them it made no great difference what was on the label. It sounded the same never got the hang of this must be on this label to get played. Sounded the same to me so I did'nt care what it said on the label. The same sound came out the speaker's end of discussion     

  In years to come Wigan casino should appear as a historic event in history books. Who thinks anything that happened there is a thing to be ashamed of. So would not feel it as any value in the history of the north-west of England in my opinion your wrong. To attract over a 1000 people to a all night dance club from every part of the UK and beyond beat studio 54 as best club and be the massive success it was. Deserves to have a mention as a item of interest and deserves to be there as well. There was a lot of lets just say a less approved of activity at Wigan casino taking drugs. However you feel about that part of it why not include that as well. Not to approve of it but it cant be changed now can it but at the time happened so include it. I know not everybody there took amphetamines to dance non stop all night. You got the occasional oddball who could stay awake all-night and enjoy it but more relied on amphetamines to boost there energy. So it was a significant number of people there to warrant mentioning it took place. The rights and wrongs of this is quite frankly a different matter entirely. People can condemn it for ever that wont change it happened. Only there ignorance of understanding it to be honest but it wont change it at all. What's been done cant be undone denial of it is no excuse for doing it. The fact it was a very long time ago when many where teenagers. Is a bigger excuse as simply the youth doing the same as the others is a far more reasonable reason.

In recent years the internet as developed into a good source of information. For your northern soul fan for gaining some quite good facts. It might be getting a detailed account of a club long since closed down or looking for the name of a record you liked. But the artist and title you  never heard and even through extensive research at events. The detail's remain not known. It was the only time you had heard it played at a event. The site above has been a good resource for that purpose it as a good array of records to listen to. With the details with it

   It is great now anybody has access to unlimited sources of knowledge. People often say it was better in my day what a load of crap that is. When I was a teenager you had to collect so much change to ring a girl you only met 2 or 3 days ago. Geoff Capes would of struggled to carry it but this girl was the love of your life. Perfection from the things you remember while wrestling her in somebody's flat. On the pretence you where very tired and wanted a lie down but proceeded to make the a sudden surge of vigorous energy. Which was the youth in you coming out to play. Trouble was it made the bedroom look like a bomb had gone off  

   Now that so much information is readily available to all. The people full of bull-s**t as increased to high levels. Like the amount of badges Wigan casino sold, unfortunately the people who went can tell them apart so save the stupidity please. They are tatty cheap imitations of the real badge's sold at the casino sellers on eBay send there thanks'. No matter what people may think of the ways we choose to enjoy our youth. It wont ever make me feel it was a mistake it was'nt many qualities valuable in life. A vast majority of today's youth would benefit from the community of sharing people that attended Wigan casino. Certainly knew the benifits of sharing and selfish people had no real place at the casino.