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butlins' 2009
comments courtesy of Soul Source:
http://www.soul-source.co.uk/
Posted 02 February 2009 - 07:20
PM by 'SHELLIE'
COOPS ASKED ME TO POST THIS AS HIS
P.C. ISN'T WELL
Butlins' Jan 2009
My first experience with Butlins' in Skegness
was in 1989 when I went to work there as the Press Photographer for the PR
office.
It had been four years after I had took my
record collection to a second hand shop for a mere pittance, it was four years
after I had swallowed my last duramine and danced my last dance to Jimmy
Radcliffe at eight in the morning at the Loughborough Town Hall 'nighter.
It was four years after I thought that the
Northern Scene had folded (as many other of us 'returnees' had thought).
It was four years after me turning my back on
the only thing in my life that I would call 'home' that didn't actually have a
bed or family member in it.
Still loved the music, got to know Ray Lewis
(former Drifter), and Jimmy James very well as they both appeared there and were
photographed by me on a regular bases. Still had all the cassettes I had got
together before selling my collection, although they had seen better days and
were becoming quite worn and, in some cases un-discernable.
I had a ball at Butlins', as the Press
Photographer I had 'no rank', the run of the camp/centre and the freedom to
photograph what and who I wanted.
During my seven years working there if any one
had ever even suggested to me that Northern Soul hadn't died off let alone that
it would be surfacing at that very centre in the form of a weekender I would
have most certainly reported them to the Community Mental Health Team and
suggested that a 'sectioning' may be in order.
Twenty years later and the seventh weekender at
Butlins' in Skegness was (by many people's accounts) not only the best one of
the seven but the best weekender they had been to.
Sure the weather was cold but this only, in the
main, affected the ostracised smoker of today's 'smoker-less' society. Unlike
some weekenders the accommodation was and is not only warm but clean, modern and
well appointed, this may not seem a big deal but we've all been to weekenders
where the accommodation has been, to say the least, basic, cold and poor.
That would be okay for when I was a bit
younger, pre-1984 but not now, now we're a bit older and deserve a bit of
comfort served with our northern soul.
The event itself, although the equipment did
decide to almost give up the ghost on the first hour of the first evening it was
soon sorted. Doug Hall along with Butlin's staff got it going and from that
moment on it never seemed to stop.
The tunes delivered on this aging but now
perfectly functional equipment were rarely challenging and not often new to most
people's ears but at the same time (unlike last year) there were very, very few
tunes repeated over a session.
This makes the 'graveyard shift' which I had
the honour of delivering on the Saturday, quite difficult to deliver bearing in
mind I started at three a.m. and by that time the event was already seven hours
old.
The fact that there were no 'repeats' also
showed that those dee-jays not only delivered excellent sets but were aware of
the tunes played by others.
For me, the music suited the event like a
perfectly fitted bespoke Savil Row suit.
The sets I most enjoyed were (and this is just
a personal view) delivered in the afternoons by Max Rees, Dave Hayden from
Cambridge and Martin Stanford from Peterborough.
The afternoon sessions were not only very well
attended but, unlike some weekenders, they were not just for meeting up and
chatting but also for dancing. I have never seen a weekender with so many
dancers on the floor during the 'chill-out' afternoon sessions than there were
at Butlins' in Skegness this weekend.
Other dee-jays played the crowd and plagued
them with classic after classic until they were so entertained they were almost
comatose and dragged off the dance floor by those with a first-aider vein
running through their caring bodies.
John Poole, Pete Taylor, Yocky, Nel, Nick Borst,
Doug Hall, Andy Jackson, Chris Forrest and Andy 'Tats' Taylor et al provided the
fuel that powered this weekender, powered it along a journey of soul, of
northern soul to it's ultimate destination of soul-self satisfaction felt by the
majority of attendees.
The Barnsley Crew came down and sprinkled their
own 'fairy dust' of up-beat attitude and smile-filled dance floor action on the
event as they do so well and of course, Arthur Reeves and the Fat Fellows
treating us to not only Heat Wave but also their incredible interpretation of
Nowhere To Run, all for fun and Charity, well done guys, diamonds of the
top-most calibre.
All-in-all a weekend that I and many others
will not forget for many-a-year.
There were those that are often referred to as
'Handbaggers' occasionally drifting in to the venue late at night but they only
added to the palette that painted such a master piece of a weekend, conforming
to and embellishing the fun and soulful feeling that is and was Butlins'
Skegness 2009.
COOPS
Posted 02 February 2009 - 07:20
PM by 'SOULCREW'
Coops you had a great time too. 
It was our first time at Skegness Butlins weekender.What a ball we had the music
was great wonderful venue, the accomadation was 1st class, the company was
exceptional, and the whole weekend perfect.
A big thanks to Dave and Donna for inviting us, and the Arfur Reeves and the fat
fellas, Angie for all you multipul help,Shelly for the choreograhpy, Mike Foo
Foo for his professional driving and Artexing in places, Bernie for his
titivating of the the hair , make up ,and the photo shoot, Mick Coop's for the
photos and DVD's, Nick Borst and Dougie Hall for all there help, Shaz and
Dangerous Di for collecting for our charity ( Di the entertainment value of you,
Danny damp down and the water bed  )
and A MASSIVE THANK YOU TO EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU FOR DONATION'S OF £347.60 TO
OUR CHARITY 
Been there done it, loved it, we'll be back again for sure next year.
Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts the monies raised will make such a
difference. 
Yocky, Joy, Nel. Jean, Bri, and Ang ( Afur Reeves, the Fat Fellas and there
wife's)
Posted 02 February 2009 - 07:49
PM by 'BARNEY'
cheers mick
you have described it to a T, and can echo your words . the start of the year
for us .we have always loved it, a cracking but in my opinion much under-rated
w/ender.have booked for next year.
nice to see some proper jocks on show too LOL
on the more serious side arfa and the fat fellas have announced el nel is no
longer their manager (drank all the newky brown and scoffed the pies,) and have
appointed JOY as there new manager ,
they would also like to thank shelley choreographer angie make up, joyce
dressmaker and the loveley joy and jean ,roadies. also bernie tour photographer
and general factotum
they would also like to thank all the brilliant people who came from all over
the country to watch and appreciate their performance
finally they would like to thank everyone for their contributions towards a very
very worthy cause what lovely people you all are
thank you very very much
Posted 02 February 2009 - 07:51
PM by 'FATDANCER'
Ya
fooker lads,who was the make up artist they did a fab job on nell,he looked like
jacko from Bo selecta,funny as fook cant wait to see the vid,class weekend dont
know about too much modern tho
biz
Posted 02 February 2009 - 09:00
PM by 'ELNEL'
Wot a weekender I deffinetly cant
remember enjoying one more ,but then again all my favourites ave been given to
us by dave and donna ,wot lovely folk please dont ever throw the towel in cos if
it wasnt for the effort people like you put into these events the scene would
suffer if not die .THANK YOU . I dont think ive ever danced so much or laughed
as much in my life it was brilliant . absolutly terrified when we did the fat
fellas but well worth it for the money we raised for our charrity thanks to
everyone for there genarosity and recieving us so well . me and jean are blessed
with some of the best friends anyone in the world has and sharing times like
that with them is a fantastic gift . Luv ya all Nel & Jean
Posted 02 February 2009 - 10:49
PM by 'TREV'
GREAT WEEKEND BEEN GOING FOR QUITE A FEW YEARS NOW ALWAYS A GREAT VENUE.BUT YOU
GREAT YORK'S CREW CAME EAST AND THE GREAT YOCKY DID HIS STUFF AS ALWAY'S.HE DID
THREE CRACKING SET'S THEN TO ROUND OFF WITH ARTHUR AND THE FAT FELLERS WHAT A
FINISH TO A WEEKEND ENJOYED BY ALL WELL DONE YOCKY YOU ARE NO 1 NEVER A SPACE ON
THE FLOOR YOU DO K.T.F MATE.NICE TO SEE YOU THE LOVELY JOY ALWAYS HAPPY AND FULL
OF PRIDE TO SEE YOU GIVING SO MUCH HAPPINESS TO ALL WHO ATTENDED LOVE TO YOU
BOTH AND THE REST OF THE CREW. TREV AN KAREN (D.B.S.C.)NOTTINGHAM
Posted 04 February 2009 - 10:46
AM by 'STREIGHTUP'
Hi Guy's,
big thankyou to all the gang for dedicating the superb performance to Linda and
thank's to Coops for the absolutely brill movie . Well done for raising a
fantastic amount for charity , wish we could have been there in person to see it
but you know how we're fixed at the minute...
Glad you all had a great time, hope to see you all soon,Linda & Dave xx
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