Allnighters that ran in the 1960's and 70's lasted for gruelling lengths of time. Northern soul music is for dancing to in a very strenuous way. I did'nt make this up at all. Watch the video that verifies the validity of what I state as true. I had no control on the video content. People who attended allnighters will know the people talking as members of Wigan casino. I don't endorse breaking the law or many of the ways Amphetamines where gotten. But it was a major part of allnighters like Wigan casino, the Torch, and the Twisted wheel. I mention it as it is a reflection of the way it was at allnighters then. People can call me a liar or what they want to it happened so if you went to more allnighters at the time of Wigan casino than me. I don't mind at all a open discussion to clarify what I say as 100% true. To the people who claim I'd hidden behind the secrecy the internet. If this was the case why did I use my name for the website url. Would'nt it of been more beneficial to use something like. I'm a prat scared to reveal my identity. But I'll state as a true fact. Drug abuse was always a really big part of allnighters like the Twisted wheel, Torch, Wigan casino, and all the others at the time. But it was'nt drug addiction like the media liked to label us. It was drugs to enhance stamina and energy. Performance enhancing drugs to boost your performance over long sessions of dancing. Which often lasted as long as 8 hours. Often these events where populated by many of the same people. Who went from 1 straight to the next without sleep or rest. Where they super humans no they took large amounts of amphetamines (drugs) 
                                                                               The content on this page was not a reason why it existed. But a part of it for many who went to allnighters      not                                    every
















 
 


  There where numerous cocktails of illegal controlled drugs that gave people the stamina to dance from Friday night and still be dancing at a alldayer Sunday night. I can state it as a fact there was a group of regular attendees every allnighter that took place. It was what there life revolved around there devotion was get there by any way they could as soon as the climb up the steps to the dance floor was done. They started there mammoth session of dancing. It was far more than the human body could do to maintain such colossal demands on it's resources to keep going without any kind of rest after 3 hours the build up of lactic acid in the muscle tissue would start to stiffen limbs.  A large number at Wigan casino, Cleethorpes, st Ives, and Yate. Apparently where exempt from pain or any signs of fatigue but just carried on. In the early years the casino had a atmosphere and a feeling of excitement unequalled by anything else that you could feel. Last night of the proms, the cup final, Bing Crossby at the Albert hall. Did'nt even get close it was euphoric proportions you had  to be there to know what the casino tingle waiting outside in Station road for the doors to open. It could be better described when put in the context of the time it happened. On the whole allnighters are free of violence. But are places that where fiercely fought for your reputation and the way you looked to the crowd. You did anything you could to get a better ranking by other people.
   After working 8 hours on Friday you then had to be at Wigan casino for the 12.30 am start. Dance all-night until 8 am looking your best the amount of amphetamines you'd taken. Meant resting on the Saturday was impossible you felt wide awake. The day was often spent at a flat with others who did'nt want to appear tired. As it would loose you points it was a very close network you had to impress word went round quick. Saturday night soon arrived you had to be back at Wigan casino for the start. To do another 8 hour session without any sign's of tiredness and looking your best. People would think Sunday you would collapse from fatigue. Nobody could carry on it's impossible for any human to do.  Wrong you where now looking which alldayer you liked the dj line up at. As soon as you decided as it had to have no dj's unpopular at the time or you lost face. If there was an alldayer 5 miles from your home but the wrong dj line up at it. But 1 150 miles away with a more popular dj line up you had no choice but go to the farther distance away event. This meant at 12.00 am Monday you had'nt had any sleep since Thursday night. Where 150 miles from home by 7.30am you had to be at work.
 A majority of the hardcore dancers at the time also had good jobs. They would be at work as usual on the Monday just the same even thou they hsd'nt slept or had any rest since they went home on Friday. This was'nt a once every now and then event. This ritual happened every week of the year I attended Wigan casino almost  every  allnighter it ran I went. At one stage I had 27 Mondays absent from work more due to being a long way from home. By the time I had got there it would of been time to go home. Would of got a lot of grief for going so late in the day. So I mostly went back to sleep and never bothered going when your in a warm bed. Tired out it was a very easy decision to make. Woke up in some beds I had no idea how I got in them
                                                                                                      
 
                               
The reality of northern soul allnighters




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 Like I have already said the list of Amphetamines used is beyond my memory's capabilities. It was like a Mims guide to pharmaceutical's used by chemist shops. A large number of the substances taken where from a burglary at a chemist so very high grade the demands on the body did not really take much precedence. It was very much live for today don't worry about tomorrow it might never arrive. In a good many times your funeral was the next appointment you had on a loss of a young life the only thing guilty was unpredictable strength gear.                                              
It did'nt seem a thing to concern yourself about a lot. The night had just began and there was plenty of gear around so it's going to be a good night and Belle vue was on Sunday. Better get 20 red + browns so the Monday was a very low feeling exhaustion mixed with the hard days work was never a great feeling to bring you back to reality. A big factor was many where now dehydrated the casino was a cauldron in the summer months. People often did not have the fluid needed to replace what they lost through sweat. Dehydration was'nt a thing that sprang to mind after sweating pints of fluid out you need to replace it a pint of milk in the morning was'nt enough. The amount of sweat was massive such intense energy over hours the body needed to rehydrate to function normally. A major contributor to feeling ill with flu like symptom's was dehydration. People excited in the atmosphere that Wigan casino generated where hardly going to seek advice for feeling down the morning after.
   This was not something that started at Wigan casino. Every allnighter as been linked to amphetamine abuse the allnighter concept was a thing inherited from the mods at the Twisted wheel in the 1960's the venue still as a atmosphere of tradition it must of been a amazing to have been there in the mods days. I could only ever imagine the Twisted wheel full of mods. Smartly dressed the street full of scooters how good must of that felt in the 60's relaxed environment. It can't be put in a context that as any comparison to anything still holding events in 2010 the UK. As nothing left like ambition or wanting to be seen with envy by the rest of the world. Almost every person who reads the contents of this page will dismiss northern soul allnighters as law breaking yobs. Without trying to envisage the ways and why's behind it before they condemn the people of Wigan casino. Instead of looking at the complete picture and intense passion of the time it happened. The only harm done to people was confined to the members there. Those harmed where by there own choice nobody was forced to take anything at Wigan casino. It was the intense expectations that was always there not to be the best but to be seen to be doing all of the things you did with 100% effort. Which is not as easy as readers think try running for 8 hours and still maintain a constant speed after 8 hours have gone. That was the reason for the widespread amphetamine use to constantly be giving 100% effort never less. That is what as changed in this once great nation now instead of putting a standard you want to reach. Good enough never trying to excel and be higher than anybody thought possible to reach is a thing no people aim for. Now all you'll get as a response to what was a concept people today are 1:unable to achieve in life 2: in 2010 cant understand it 3: through ignorance of it condemn it as juvenile law breaking louts.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
   In today's world, it's simply as an easier option to state a common view of allnighters. The only comments that allnighters will get by people from another generation are negative or totally inaccurate. It is my own opinion of the people who always get there thoughts in the media as it's the crap they want to hear. So if you think it as any real value over 30 years after the place closed please inform me of it. Or do the sensible option and keep your misguided opinion to yourself as nobody likes a fool with a opinion. When I went to Wigan casino it was a regular event to find somebody on the train or gave you a lift on the motorway. Had never been to Wigan casino in there life but knew somebody who had which made them the UK's leading authority on northern soul allnighters. The rest of the journey was spent listening to a list of biased inaccurate lies. I got dropped of on the hard shoulder of the M6 a few times after saying that's bollocks. It was the ignorance of the people who are eager to condemn. Having no real idea what they where so happy to stand there telling how bad it was. If you said hang on a moment which aspect of it do you find the worst?
   It was 99.9% of the times I asked the question. The response was just inaccurate  stereo type response's from nobody's. The sort of people who join the local neighbourhood watch. Without any intention of improving the neighbourhood's crime statistics but gives them a good opportunity to meet other nosey git's with no friends and time on there hands. The most annoying thing that always seemed to be said. Why should I work all week pay taxes to support these kind of idle louts. Almost every member of Wigan casino had a job. Many where just normal everyday type of people many had no criminal convictions or had ever broken the law. But for some unexplainable reason got tarnished with the same brush by vindictive idiots. Who had some kind of problem with teenagers having a good time. The type of people if you don't understand it condemn it as wrong.
   I'm almost certain if a far broader picture of why the widespread use of amphetamines took place. Then many more people would not be so predictable with the drug addict's label to allnighters. Myself I think northern soul allnighters had the drugs content from the start. It was a well known attribute of the mods fashion that sleep was'nt high on the required list of must have items. So the use of pep pills was associated with being a mod. The smart appearance and high standard of looking good took secondary importance. Right upto the general publics view of every mod was a scooter and a pocket full of drugs. However a mod was turned out in perfect cloths the fact he was a mod. Automatically meant that by association with other mods he took pep pills. The UK had a policy of innocent until guilty was proven beyond any reasonable doubt. Did'nt seem to be a required attribute. As the northern soul scene had it's roots in the mods fashion. The inherited requirement of guilty by association. Seemed to be exactly the same even when UK law stated guilt as to be proven. That as to have an exception included in the mandate. If nosey uninformed gits want to call innocent people guilty we'll turn a blind eye on it. Even if you damage a persons reputation in his work enviroment.
   I have never thought simply the fact you attended a allnighter at any of the top 3 clubs. the Twisted wheel (Manchester) the Torch (Stoke on Trent) or the casino club (Wigan) Would of been sufficient to get a jury to return a guilty verdict. But it cant be the case if you like northern soul. I wonder how many people have had problems caused by malicious accusations targeted at them. Without a question of guilt proven so a innocent person. Which surely would bring into question defamation of character. As to state a fact when you have no proof it is true. Which then results in either financial or your good social standing is libel. So any UK citizen is entitled to protection from unproven slurs. So are entitled to instruct there legal advisors to take the case to a court of law. Where they can restore there character and if lies are proven to have been said. Claim substantial damages as compensation        
  

   The amphetamine abuse as always been inherited from the previous generations of clubs. I have very little or no time to listen to lame excuses that it never happened when it quite clearly did. It is denied by many that believe if you think it did not take place then your innocent of responsibility. However a number of young lives ended at Wigan casino. Nobody was to blame for it totally it was something that happened nobody in particular could be 100% responsible. That would be a ridicules  statement for any individual to make it was just teenagers doing a thing that felt good at the time. Who does things they feel would'nt meet with there parents approval when your a teenager everybody. Ok you get the assholes who live by there parents rules. Would'nt dream of getting smashed encase it would be bought up at the parents evening at the local compressive school. We all had them at school did more grassing than Fission's. Never had his hands down a girls knickers until his mother thought he was grown up. up.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
They where a pain in the ass at the school I went to if I had'nt gone they would of had nothing to talk about. I was that boy every parent dreaded seeing there daughters walking down the road with. But to be honest there are far worse than me in this world I just got caught far more often. My dad was the best dad in the world 6 feet 3 inches of muscle if you told tales on me he had a very bad habit of smacking your dad for it. Lived by a strict code of conduct it was only illegal if you got caught. You never grassed on anybody for anything he grew up in the mods era knew far more about allnighters than I ever imagined. He told me once my mother lost a lot of blood when giving birth to me had transfusions. later was given Purple hearts on prescription he often exchanged them for iron tablets. Gave me his Duromin  + chalkies every script he got cheap as well. If he did'nt like you that was it he never changed his mind knew quite a few of my friends from the northern soul scene.
   Never judge anybody by other people's recommendation's. Unless you want to live your life as some half informed know it all as well.