Northern soul

Tell us your experiences of The Golden Torch. What was the definitive track of those times and what did it feel like to be part of the legend?

Eddie Platt
The pictiure of the plaque says 1972, it should be 1973

carol
the best venue ever, i and my sister were there with tombo sparky, they always went to the twisted wheel in manchester, we went home to sandbach after dancing to fantastic soul music and showing off our new fashionable attire thinking we were the bees knees ha ha, made lots of lovely people, many fond memories saw lots of bands, then we moved on to the place in hanley!

dawn riggett
ahhhh..THE TORCH....I still have my woven badge,the odd flyer,& my membership cards.I was there with Major Lance Live at The Torch.I remember hitching back to Yorkshire via a coca cola at Nutsford Services.I remember the police searching us one night for illicit drugs!!!!!...oooohaaaa...but we'd already eaten them!!!

Top Cookie
Stoke the No.1 city for northern soul? Are you mad? An important one, for sure, and the Torch is indeed legendary, but in northern soul does have a No.1 city then that has to be Manchester... no contest!!!

Noel John
It is sad to hear that the Mary Fox soul night is now over on BBC H&F/Stoke! I know that this is really about the Torch, but we have to 'Keep the Faith' everywhere! I noticed an entry from Jerry Lott below, yes I knew Jerry from Brockworth and a guy called Phillip Odenukwe (not sure about spelling!!) who used fill his mini and attend the Torch regularly from Glos (which I bought from him). In between attending great all nighters like the Torch, we would keep going by dancing in Sandycroft Youth Club Churchdown, Brockworth Youth Club and anywhere that would put on a Northern Disco in those days. I have sent below to BBC Glos, doing my bit: "Hi both, a brilliant programme has just ended on BBC Hereford and Worcester called 'Youth Club Classics'. I could listen to this in Cheltenham on Saturday evening! It has ended following a few good years on air only because Mary has moved onto another slot. This programme was great for anyone who used to attend a Youth Club from say the 60's to 70's and played mainly soul, northern soul and reggae from that era, but also a few other styles. I guess it had it's roots in Stoke from Mary's point of view, which used to have the Torch venue in those days a great Northern all nighter! I am from Churchdown Glos and used to attend Sandycroft Youth Club, Tracy's and Tiffany's club's in Gloucester where we listened and danced to the same music which Mary played. There is still a huge following for this music in Gloucestershire, regular events are always packed at Dowty Club Staverton (Soul Fusion-Neil Self and Riverside Soul Gloucester-Mike Eskins). Please can you look into running a similar programme for BBC Gloucester?"

willie
yes kathi the crystal had a basement called the goldmine played differant music than up on the dance floor great times

jimmy liddy
hi johnny lynn i was 17 in 1970 . i loved to dance myself . but frank booper woud make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up in those days .when he hit the floor.i saw him at the kings hall a year ago i had not seen him since 1974 . i had a chat with him he woud not have known me back then . we woud meet him and the other lads from st helens . widnes. and warrington. on piccadilly station before heading down to the wheel. do you remember boby horton . and sadly deceased . alan pilkington. hi kath taylor we have fond memories of the crystal with the newcastle lads .

D CAWLEY
hi mary we went to the torch in the late 60s, we also used the embassy club in Burslem,the embassy used to give out pass~outs so we could go to both clubs on the same night, i rember seeing Dave Berry

Craig Simpson
Hi MaryI too have great memorys of the torch and the music and acts i saw there,my favorite act by a mile was The Alan Bown Set, the best band i ever heard live and the best kept secret in british pop as they never had a big hit,i can see them now the searing vocals of Jess Roden and the sax playing of John Helliwell (who later joined Supertramp) was a joy to behold, a truly great band.

Johnny Lynn
I went to The Torch.. i can still see Major Lance slipping and sliding across the stage.Dave Kettle and i are in a picture on the back cover of the LP Live at the Torch. ML was a great dancer.. but so was Frank Booper,Matchy, Slip, and one or two others..i would like to think i was included.It was the poeple that made The Torch.. but also that little bit of stardust that adds someting special.i still have a piece of of the wall in my garage and i will ask if it can be put in my grave with me... perhaps then the true reason as to why i went to the Torch in the first place will be dead and burried with me.Take Care all..Johnny Lynn

gc supersoul
As a 15 year old i jumped around to Walk like a man Johnny Moore and Eddie Parker Love you Baby. Millie Jackson My mans a sweet man always takes me back. I still have my cherished badge but can't find my yellow membership card! KTF

kathi taylor
thanks jimmy liddy for your memories of al green. Do you remember the Crystal in Newcastle. Old mates from those days were Tony (Titus) Oates & Mark Jellyman.

Jerry Lott
Sweaty, atmospheric, I travelled from Glos & Chelt to hear great music and savour an undergound soul club atmosphere.Dance all night, soaked in sweat and come outside to the depths of winter was not funny. Saw Roy c live and he was utter crap! he sang "shotgun wedding" 3 times and "after the wedding" twice, that was it!It had a something that wigan never had, cant put my finger on it.Walked in one night and the whole place was jumpin to sam & Kitty "Ive got somethin good" Not one person stood still thats my vivid memory of it.

steve chamberlain
i went to my first ever allnighter on my 15th birthday at the golden torch.went with my aunties boyfriend on the pillion of his lambretta sx200.there was about 20 scooters, all went from chester,it was exciting and scary.id just got my first tonic suit,blue and red,with red checked ben sherman and black como shoes.it was what id wanted in all the world at that time.the hair had grown from the suedehead to the rod stewartish feather cut.most blokes had this look,in chester anyway.i looked older than 15 so got in ok.anyway the others were all older,19.20,and regulars at the torch.id gone only coz of my association to my aunts boyfriend ,he was a main man,a face.loads of scooters outside on this little street.from what i remember the place was packed with all types of folk,not just your mod type.sweaty,fantestic,tiring but never boring.saw for the first time the dances that northern soul became,infamous,this was truly underground.all northerners,southerners thought this was a joke scene that we were backward .they were into funk.i suppose it was but how could you resist this.awsome.you have to put this into the context of the times.i was a council house kid from chester,theres a big working class population in chester,no phones,no internet,3 tv channels,this was truly underground.today its a bit easy,pick a culture,get kitted out next day,hey im a mod.in those days you really had to be commited.clothes were hard to find.i took it very seriously,perhaps too much so.there was also alot of trouble mostly between rival scooter areas.not much with grebos.if they came looking for you .and we once made that big mistake it was time to hide,ha,ha.yes they wore german helmets and looked 40,prob only 22 tho.sorry ive gone on too much and off the subject.my first and last visit to the torch was so memorable its defined me .i went on to the wigan casino from 74 when fashions were less rigid tho scooters were still around in the north.all ive got to say about the torch is im glad i went, what music,my faves from that time the younghearts alittle togetherness,bobby paris,the superlatives,love you baby eddie parker...off the top of my head.ps dont tell my mum and dads.they think i stayed over at my mate ernies house!!!sorry for going on.ktf...ps i did try to go to some northern soul events lately,but god they are as nothing to the real deal of the 70s.sorry but its all a bit naff.lacks a whiff of danger,of something special !!perhaps its because you had nothing then,now its easy.if you enjoy it now then thats wonderful im glad,but the torch the casino and all the other smaller clubs were of their time and will never be bettered.steve.

jimmy liddy
just read kathi taylor coments yes al green did play the torch i think 1972 do you rember flnny sadly missed we were the newcasle lads

phil gibbard
I went to the Torch every weekend. from cheltenham as did at least a few coach loads of us it never used to be on every weekend as Up the junction in Crewe did every other week.then the local council closed crewe . so it was the Torch from there on in, Great place, the owner even took me home one morning as he was seeing a local lass. Ena Glover was my northern dancing pal.

Chris Homer
Martin Ellis introducing Major Lance onto the stage on the night of the recording of the live album. Still makes the hair on the back of neck stand on end. Keep the Faith

mark
thanks for keeping the memory alive. Kids aint got nothing these days told what to listen to at the moment

dave morgan
i was brought up on the music from the torch thanks to my brother phil morgan a dj in the old days phil recently passed away on the 16th dec.which alot of people no. theres one thing i hav to say to my bro a massive ty for getting me in to northern. now at them alnighters i burn my feet up dancing to the music he leart me. good night and god bless bro will meet again soon lov you dave

willie
i've still got a pic of us outside the blue grotto cafe rhyl on scooters 1967 having come from the torch.

phil sheridan
Mary,sorry but we couldnt hear your a sweetheart, but im sure you are !!thanks for the mention of Tetley walkers Warrington, the other week, you have real power as i got in for free !! its on tonight and im gonna have to pay this time, have a great Xmas you and all the listeners.Phil Sheridan Warringtonreal

mick johnson.
You lucky people. to attend a disco so famous you must be honord.I spent ten years attending the Highwayman rock nights so i know your feeling. Nice one folks. lets share stories. Thanks a mill, Mike.

brian hughes
"one wonderful moment" after wonderful moment the torch is missed. Jr Walker live, i still tingle thinking of that night.out on the floor playing while i writeNorthern Soul, we will never say goodnight.Right On!!

neil
i went only 3 times to this soul mecca .saw major lance twice.the live recording was and is the best ever night of my life, so much energy, and being a young lad,only 16,it was seared in my brain. ican still remember arriving home and getting in the bath reading the record lists ,then 4 hrs later my mother shouting at me to wake up.id been awake 2 days ,great times still get people asking me if ive got my records but i say nooooooooooooooo there in the loft for my daughters to sell or play still got the tickets and membership cards . progressed to various haunts wigan blackpool sheffield bolton and lots of local places,im priveleged i was there ,how many say they were and wasnt, fav song right track billy butler .cost 5 pounds one weeks wages i felt like a god

colin martin
I was singer with soul band called THE BUBBLE SHOPPE. We supported jr walker and the all stars at the torch.What a great place along with The Crystal and Staffords Top OF the World, which we also played, Soul Was king. A venue well stamped in my heart. i am still today singing out Mustang Sally etc in many venues , but sadly none will match THE TORCH.

kathi taylor
I remember the Torch in 1971/72 - does anyone else recall Arthur Conley live at The Torch ? I remember that he held my hand while he sang "they call the wind maria". Anyone remember the track Queens of Fools ? Was it by Barbara Mills ? Where is Keith Minshull these days ? Is my memory cheating me - did I see Al Green there as well ?

Stan Bayliss
Stan Bass/VocalsTerry Guitar/VocalsPhil Guitar/VocalsTony Drums/Vocalstogether we were The Orbeats and played on stage the second night of the Torch opening in the sixties.

willie
i saw the nice with pp arnold at the torch 1967

Chas Brookes
Anyone remember "Mushroom Promotions"? "Gollum'a Cave?" We put on Edgar Broughton, Black Sabbath,T. Rex.1971 I think it was. I still have the poster.

willie
yes pete,the wheel for me was the best& the bongo,land of a thousand dances.

Pete Dillon-Leeds
IMO better than the Casino, second only to the Wheel! Great days not for long enough, but the invisible 'wall' of atmosphere as you walked in was unforgettable! The Superiors & Fuller Brothers do it for me!

willie
to phil,stafford.the kings hall stoke and the torch were teddyboy haunts we went to the embassy burslem and the brc stafford 1963-66 great mod venue, at the torch there was the golden torch sunday club (1965) whitch i've a club card,we would go to all the clubs starting fri-sunday nonstop it was great.

Peter Warburton
Many great saturday nights were spent at te Torch the best night of all was Major Lance Live we used to hira van fom Atherton called U drive and we would pack full of us torchies and yes I would be the driver to the club Pity I cant go back in time but the memories are great Yes I would relive it all again

Tara and leah
this site is wickid man!! yer man you know what a mean!

Arthur Taylor, ex Peterboro
I dont mind admitting that I made quite alot of money at the time from the Niters and Torch was my favourite ever. I would only go once a month but it was a special nite always.I knew many of the faces at Tunstall and if evryone now who says they were there when were actually there then I would have made even more money. Like someone I know in Peterborough has commented! I only remember seeing him there twice!

martin bailey
i can remember having a row in the stinking Torch toilets with my mate phil about whether or not a dog barks on the chorus of the shakers'one wonderful moment'...it is there I swear. we only ever heard the bloody record at the torch and the bali hai in newcastle on sunday nights.but the sound of that dog barking still haunts my soulless nights and any time i am driving through stoke on trent i always keep my eyes peeled for wonderful moments and barking dogs...

maxinne,congleton
i used to go to the torch in the mid 60 s when the dj was barm barry and groups like dave dee and the small faces were there anyone else remember that

phil sheridan
As I listened on the internet, there was something Idid needFor Mary on Radio Stoke, my Torch poem to readI tuned in to “listen again”, with hopes so highBut there was one thing, that made me sighYou read it great, it rhymed so wellAs my ode of the torch, you did tellBut maybe you, were not to blameBecause the thing not right, it was my nameThanks for reading it, yes you did it Brillbut please tell all the folks, my name is PhilPhil Sheridan22 Sycamore LaneGreat SankeyWarringtonWA5 1Jn

maxinne
my friend and i went to the torch in the mid sixties, when the dj was baremy barry and groups such as dave dee,dozy,beaky,mich & tich and the smal faces plyed there. anyone else remeber them

jimmy liddy
hi just reading the storyscan any of you remember who had the discatron playing earl van dykes 6x6 on kidsgrove station waiting for the midnight train to piccadilly station for the wheel alnighter it was 1970with .flynny.hepher.kosa.billy hetherington. rob wheatman.seamus rafferty.there were others to who were they.we had to leave the torch at about 10.15 to get the bus to kidsgrove in those days.

Jammy
seeing Major Lance at the TORCH was a night i`ll never forget,after all these years it still only feels like yesterday when we used to go up from Brownhills {WHAT A PLACE}

Alan Edge, Wirksworth
Always remember my first night at the Torch what an atmosphere,comradare between people, and the pounding soulful vibrance of those unique, (often unknown)records,completely amplified by the size of the venue. If you could capture the vibrance and sheer soulfullness of the place in a bottle it would be the best ever remedy for any form of depression known to man and would even outsell Buxton Water!!! now theres a thought.

JOHNNY LYNN
LOVE YOUR PROGRAM... I WAS ONE OF THE MANY THAT DANCED THE NIGHT AWAY AT THE TORCH... IT WAS THE BEST ALLNIGHTER EVER!!!! AND IVE BEEN TO A FEW STARTING WITH THE DUNGEON IN NOTTS IN 1965 YES I WAS THE DIFINATIVE MODY BOY.... I STILL HAVE A PIECE OF THE TORCH IN MY GARAGE... BUT HAVE MANY GOOD RECOLLECTIONS LOCKED AWAY IN MY MIND... THEY INCLUDE TAKING KEV ROBERTS TO HIS FIRST ALNIGHTER AT THE TORCH.... IF YOU WOULD LIKE ANY INFO RING ME ON 01623756190 ANYTIME ..... KEEP SOULGERING ON!!!!!

TERRY RIDER
first proper allnighter I ever went to,and is still the most awesome place for sheer atmosphere that I have ever been to,and i've never stopped going to this day.It was not so much the music,more the fact that it was as far removed from your ordinary disco as you could imagine.Just how an allnighter should be dark,dingy,very,very dodgy and a bit scary (Iwas only young),but great never the less. Saw MAJOR LANCE there live when he made the contempo album...OH and this is for MARY first met the legand that is Matchie there and guess what? he's still about at nighters dancing his arse off.....

Howard Earnshaw
THe most uptempo music venue that ever played northern soul music!!

PAUL DONNELLY /peterboro
Wigan was great, The Wheel was awesome unfortuantley they haven't discovered a word that describes Hose St in it's prime.Peterbough.

angela brown edge
i went to the torch when i was 17 i was a mod me and my friend rita black it was great happy days

michael harvey [kong]
hi mary ,just wondered if anyone remembers the nt arthur conley was performing at the torch,he came on stage sporting this really big afro hair do ,,well he was shaking hands at the front of the stage as they do,while he was singing ,if i remember right it was the first song,anyway as he bent down to shake a hand this girl grabbed his hair and pulled this wig off,showing his very short hair ,he was gob smacked and just stood there ,until everyone shouted carry on ,which he did ,great nt a true pro...keep the faith

michael harvey [kong]
hi mary ,i starting going in 70,but its the first visit i remember most[amongst a lot of others]a cold sat night with three friends ,jimmy, bertie and phil..i had just been made a member of this group ,who were to become good friends..anyway they told me ,we were going to the torch on sat ... total bewilderment,the torch whats that !!...music was the answer i got ...i remember getting there and having to stand in the queue forever...we paid our money and started that walk down into what was a dive,but i only noticed this at a later date..because there was this sound assaulting my ears...without hardly being aware of it my feet were moving [ me who had never danced a step in his life] my knees were dipping as i looked around at this mass of people,totally lost in this music,dancing there hearts out....they say you can lose your heart to a woman [not found that to be true as yet],well i had just lost mine to northern soul...lots of things have moved me over the years, but very few like this did,it made me alive!!...and within a few wks i was back dropping along with all the rest..great times...and do you know mary ,all the times we went to the torch ,we went only for the music and our friends,we were not there for the birds [not that we turned any away ]or getting drunk,just a sense of being a part of something special and private to only a few...sad ,sad day when it closed,but at least keith and dave keep the flag flying..i may not be able to do a backdrop anymore,but i still get on the floor and dance like mad when minnie plays standing on solid ground,by sidney barnes..do you know i will sit in the george some nights listening to minnies or young ben,s choices,but my mind is back at the torch,enjoying again the best days of my life and people like you who never got the chance to go there,hey we all miss out on something good in our lifes,but at least you got the music girl...i will love it till the day i die and that well may be the day i cannot get up and dance to NORTHERN SOUL [KEEP THE FAITH]

Andy Backler Belper
My first encounter with the Torch was Sept.1972,my first all-nigter.Went with the Derby lads in 3 cars.What an initiation!! I,d never seen so many people in one venue.It was heaving.Never spoke for about 20 minutes,just taking in the atmosphere.It was phenominal,the buzz of the place,and it was not all chemically induced!!After this first visit it had to become a regular thing.Seeing soul legends live like Bob and Earl,Major Lance (twice),Junior Walker,Edwin Starr was brilliant.The sad thing is it only lasted until March 1973 when it closed,but it set my apprenticship on the soul scene,which i still attend to this day.The Golden Torch -Fabulous Atmosphere - Fabulous Records - Fabulous People -Gone, but never ever forgotten!!

judy
I used to travel on the back of a scooter to the torch from Stafford. My legs tingled for an hour after I got off. It was magic. I recall two guys called Tombo and Sparkey who also used to come to the Twisted Wheel Club in Manchester!!

Chris (Stoke)
Used to get the bus from the Meir with my friends for great times at the TORCH. Hot,smokey nights watching or dancing the night away. There were people from all over and you were always proud to be from Stoke because of the nothern soul scene. Can anyone remember the Starlight in Stoke town centre.

Sue Heeley
I Listen Again to Mary Fox most weeks and have just been reading all the comments about The Torch - WOW - it sounds as if it was amazing - wish I could have gone there. I love the old 60s and 70 photos of you all. I too am a huge Northern (and Southern) Soul fan who lives on the south coast and love being able to listen to all the great old soul music via the internet. I grew up in Brighton and started dancing there every week at the age of 13 at the Top Rank, in about 1964 and have never really stopped dancing if I get the opportunity! The two seminal tracks that did it for me were "Road Runner" Jnr Walker, played at the Top Rank, and "Soul Man" Sam & Dave played endlessly by Johnnie Walker on Radio Caroline. I danced to Geno Washington under the arches along the Brighton seafront in about 1966/67 - unforgettable - what a lovely guy. I wish you luck with your plaque - of course The Torch should be immortalised. Keep the faith!

Jeff Hobbins
i got my kicks out on the floor hey hey hey

monte mountford [ tunstall ]
THE TORCH ,meeting and making friends, from all over the country, in small club in a back street in tunstall. s-o-trent. out on the floor. you get your kicks. so glad i was there all those years ago, apart from the flooded smelly gents,I am so proud to say that i was and still am a northern soul fan because of THE TORCH. happy days . monte. 55years young. I listen to your show on most friday nights with very keen interest. ps can you tell OB im thinking of him we go back a long way . monte .

Raymond mounford
wonerfull place terrific Sounds that's enough rosco robison, i feel so bad, hitch it to horse brilliant dance song, she blew a ggos thing wow, more more more

Barry, Crewe
Phil makes a good point about the Torch's different eras. When I went in the 60s I don't remember the phrase 'Northern Soul' being used. Sure, Motown was the main music but you could hear ska or "southern" soul, that is Otis Redding, Sam & Dave and all the great Stax artists. It was the great mod meeting point and the self-styled elite and the fashions were a million miles from the styles that came in with the "northern" all-nighters.

Phil, Stafford
Not sure "Willie" is correct in saying the Torch (or the GT as it was colloquially known)was a Teddy Boy haunt before the Mods moved in. I recall pop/beat bands like Dave Dee, Dozy etc, The Iveys (later to become Badfinger)and especially The Alan Bown Set playing there in the early to mid-60s. Lads at school who came from Tunstall would come in with tales of the Torch. What's intriguing is that most of the memories related here are from the Northern Soul era in the early 70s, but it should be said that it was a great venue for soul from about 67 onwards. Long before Major Lance became identified with the Torch, I remember The Showstoppers ('Ain't Nuthin But a Houseparty' there), and of course Geno. Chris Burton also ran a 'Blues Night' there circa '69 - John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, The Nice, Chicken Shack, Savoy Brown and Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac all performed there as the stupidly divisive soul/rock "tribal" thing kicked in. Anyway, enough of the ramblings of an arthritic middle-aged music fan. Good luck in your campaign, Mary. OF COURSE the Golden Torch should be immortalised with a plaque - it was/is part of the culture of the city. Your message board and your show prove that it lives on. Good on you! Cheers, Phil in Stafford

Boe
its Travis "Wammack" put it in google with scratchy attached to it and bingo a guitar solo from tennessee

tony kershaw
still dream of nights at the torch, with my girl kathleen. my pal;s told me about this club, and the music, we al met up there, it was the summer of 68, i dont think it was called northern soul then, but it was al the same 45s, my favorite, usuall at the end was im gonna miss you, the artistics, and i sure do, ive been to hose st several times over the years, to linger and picked up a couple of old bricks out of the debris, which i built into my bungalow over the front door, im gonna sign off now, im wellin up,

sue trayers
I pressed the "send" button by mistake on last message.Should read, besides the rest of the e-mail, it was fantastic, hot, used to sit - when we weren't dancing - upstairs, in the seating in the corner, adjacent to the bar in the middle. To lean over and see everyone dancing on the floor downstairs was just brill, running downstairs when a favourite came on and then not moving off the dance floor for another four hours. Oh forgot another, its all coming back now, Val from Grantham who won the dancing competition, girlfriend of Neil Broadly who sadly passed away.

steve "wolly" warner
originally from rugeley,a hotbed of soul, now exiled in stafford a relative baby as im only 45 years young!!!never did the torch,unfortunately,did wigan about 6 times,mr ms once....spoke to people who did the torch ........never heard a bad word about it..ktfsteve

Steve Malpass
Travis Womac,"Scratchy",does any one remember this magic tune, from the good, great old days. We would start off at the Cats and then as many as possible, climb into my Triumph Spitfire and fly up the road to the Torch. Believe it or not , I once squeezed four of us in, including, big "Robbo", from Wolverhampton. I have been in Southern Africa for the last 27 years, 10 years as a safari guide, but I have never forgotten those magic days, the memories will stay with me for ever. Long live the Golden Torch.

Angie from Preston
What can i say?...those long tortuous treks hitching up the motorway,or blagging a lift from the Mecca,all those wonderful ppl...Tony and Judith Jebb were my idols...the dancing, but oh my god...the music...that music that stirred your soul and uplifted you!! Made everything worthwhile..and i still can't listen to One Wonderful Moment without doing the Torch Walk in my living room..!! Good..good days :)

Les McLean
I loved the Torch, I used to arrange coach trips from Newton Aycliffe in the North East. Carrying our 'dancing shoes' in Addiddas bags with soul badges galore stuck to them.The tingling with excitement when your favourite tracks came on.Brilliant times and fond memories.Probably Queen of Fools by Barbara Mills is my all time favourite

anthony payne
Ive been living in Canada for 27years,but i was born inNewcastle under lymes & stillremember all the good times &shere Adrenelin spent going to the torch,i remember the walk home the next morning,i had a pretty good collectionwhich is still at home in at my dads,one of my favourite song at that time was Edie Parkers Love you Baby.

Stephanie. originally from Penkhull
Saturday nights of 72 and 73 at the Torch were what we lived for a mob of us from Shelton, Boothen and Trent Vale used to travel up there on scooters and line them up outside chrome and mirrors gleaming. I met my first love there,got my heart broke there and then met the man i'm still married to now. We are both still passionate about Northern Soul and nothing will ever come close,the dancing,the clothes just the way we were,pure magic i'm just grateful we were there to live it what more can i say except " Right On and Keep The Faith "

guss coventry
Iwent to see the Stylistics and after agreat night me and my friends(all from Coventry)decided to book in a hotel around the corner, and to our amazement the Stylistics were in the room next to us.

judith jebb
Our honeymoon was at the torch, a coach from blackpool with over 50 of us 11 march 1972

Malc Falle (Brittany, France)
My first vist to the Torch was in Jan or Feb 1972, this was to see Major Lance live and was my 22nd Birthday present from Dave and Gary Harrogate, close friends from Coalville, Leics. It was the first time I had been to anything like that and it was an unbelievable atmosphere, I remember that the persperation was dripping from the walls and ceiling and our cloths were drenched and filthy when we came out, what a night though. Dave and Gary remain friends to this day and we still keep the faith. My favourite Torch record is Sam & Kitty, I've got something good.

trevor
never got there myself infact i was quite late onto the scene,but its great to see that its still going .

Malc Burton ( Doncaster )
Ah , The gents toilet .... I went to one all - nighter in 1972 , dressed in a new light grey mohair suit . Just after midnight , I needed to spend a penny , so I made my way .... got onto the bottom step and went full length on my back in the inch or so of urine on the floor . I had to beg items of clothing to get changed into , and the suit was left there . The Torch was part of my life and 34 years on , I still miss it .

john murphy
I went the torch i wasn't a regular because of my age it was towards the end but i remmember being blown away by it all after that it was the mecca wigan etc ive lost touch now but i'll always be a soul man. Lamont dozier is the one guy i'd like to see live!

allan quinn
To young for the torch,but leo finn & my brother were mates.grew to love the music.leo if you read this your a top bloke

willie
1965 the golden torch was a teddy boy haunt until we mods moved in. the rest is history

christine evans
remember val morris judy dean,christine,my track has to be long after tonight is all over.. sliced tomatoes, black is black instrumental.. beautifull night.darkest days . remember torquay. weekends. what happened to sparky from stoke joey his friend, steve perkins, most memorable moment was Excuse me Major Lance asked me out, when Iwas at the bottom of the stairs, I gave him a light for his cig,and he sent one of the band to come and ask me to go up to chris Burtons office I was terrified,remember burgandy cortina gave numerous members of torch lifts home also back to my flat on sunday to macclesfield, to get ready for burton on trent sunday nights.brilliant times, and what was that song we all used to sing...oh yes, "One wonderful moment" fabulous memories.

Kim Bohacz
I hope you all get your plaque , its got to happen . Im in Stoke visiting from kent and last night went to a small NS / Motown night . I chatted to some of the dancers who all spoke about The Torch with such love and wonderful memories . The DJ played the last record the Torch ever played , and the emotion on the dancefloor gave me tears in my eyes . Good luck to you all , and keep on fighting for your plaque.

LEO FINN
I reckon if it was'nt for the Torch I would never have been to Stoke at any time in my life.I used to come up from Blackburn (Lancs)at weekends and sort of fell in love with the place.I would wander around Burslem and Hanley(have a drink in a pub called The Angel)and generally mix with people. The torch means a lot of things to me but mainly Major Lance.I remember Frank "Booper" New and a guy from those parts nicknamed "Goldie".Booper could have shown a Dervish a thing or two when it came to spinning like a top.Best I ever saw.And yes Mick Knott I was there in Blackpool.Keep the faith all.

Steve White
I think I first went to the Torch in 1973, Cats first then onto Tunstall was a Saturday night feature for a long time. DJ's I remember were Alan Day who had some great sounds, sadly no longer with us, Keith Minshull, Tony Jebb and a very young Martin Ellis. There were some great live artists, Major Lance, saw him at the Cats and Torch in the same night, Same & Dave played the last all dayer and were brilliant, this was before they fell out. Roy C was the worst, anyone remember that one, "shotgun Wedding" played over and over again ?? Va Va's, Mecca and of course Wigan followed but the Torch was by far and away the best

Robert Watkins
I feel a little wet in the eye when I read all the wonderful memories of ‘The Torch’ , retold hear. I remember my brother Gary (Bootlace), sadly no longer alive, talking to me a wide-eyed little brother, about his experiences and showing me how to do the swallow dive and back-flip, all on the lounge carpet - thanks to all of you.

Donna Morgan
I am a torch 'baby', both of my parents were regulars there. I love hearing stories about the place, and am now into Northern Soul myself. I also own a Vespa which has a Golden Torch badge on the front. I just wish I could have been around to enjoy it first hand.

mick knott
I CAN REMEMBER GOING TO THE TORCHE EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT IN THE EARLY 70s.THE MUSIC,THE SMELL,THE GIRLS.AT THE TIME I HAD A LAMBRETTA MOTOR SCHOOTER AND WOULD PARK IT IN LINE OUTSIDE WITH THE DOZENS OF OTHER SCOOTERS,ALL SHINING AND BRIGHT WITH THE CHROME REFLECTING THE OUTSIDE LIGHTS OF THE TORCHE.TONY TERRATT WAS THE DJ WHO AT ABOUT 12-30am ANOUNCED THAT THERE HAD BEEN INNCODENT OUTSIDE AND IT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA TO GO AND CHECK IT OUT.ALL THE SCOOTERS HAD BEEN KICKED OVER AND GONE DOWN LIKE A ROW OF DOMMINO,S.BROKEN GLASS, BROKEN CHROME,BROKEN HEARTS. SOON REPAIRED. EVERY MOD IN STOKE MADE THEIR WAY TO BLACKPOOL TO SEEK REVENGE ON THE THEN CALLED ROCKERS.THE REST IS HISTORY AND THE EVENTS BROADCAST ON THE NEWS AT TEN.....HAPPY DAYS

jimmy liddy
barbra lewis .some day we are gona love again .keith minsull was a big influence in 1970 he brought some great sounds to the torch before the alnighters started there we at the wheel i was one of the lucky few from stoke to go to both clubs lucky for me i dropped out and got married.i did go to the mecca ,catacombs,blue orichd,with the lads on your photo of newcastle family im on the back row second from right

Patricia
Hi two names you forgot to mention along side tombo are chat and oscar they wre also in the incrowd and big friends of tommys (tombo)

Graham 'Mif' Smith
I first travelled to the Torch after my intoduction to Northern Soul at Wolverhamptons Catacombs club.. (Thanks to Ted Hall for getting me into this scene) What a place the Torch was, just getting through the entrance door was an experience. What a crush to get in. Once inside that thumping beat sounded around the interior and the hairs on your neck would stand on end. I feel proud to have visited the Torch, it was indeed the place to be. Sadly now its lost,as is the Cats, but memories remain. KTF Mif Wolverhampton

jimmy liddy
the torch i was lucky to be part of it .and the wheels final year .and the mecca. a favorit sound .slipping around by ART FREEMAN or some day were gonna love again by barbra lewis or chains of love. by chuck jackson .just a few theres so many.

Greg
I've only just been put onto this site and it's given me goosebumps. I first heard Northern Soul in Queens Park Youth Club in about 1971 and spent the next 4 years totally entranced by the whole scene. Unfortunately I managed to get to the Torch once as Whitchurch Civic, The Cheshire Cat and the Raven , Prees where my usual haunts. That one night in The Torch will always be the highlight though. I'm still at it though, once a month I'm out dancing myself into a coma and still lovin it, keepin the faith. Keep up the good work, it's a treat to find other like minede folk.

David
Living in the leeds/bradford/huddersfield area the soul scene was OK until a mate mentioned the Torch. Being the only one that could drive 5 of us packed into my HB viva and set off one Saturday September '72. 2 hours there seemed a long time but the drive was worth it. Just one night was all it took. We had to be there every week. Made fantastic mates would usually meet up with guys fom Liverpool and manchester at Knutsford services on the way down. Giving lifts to those who hitched, somes times having 7 or 8 in the car.Even met my wife there, we went on to the end. Stilled married to the same wonderful soul girl and we are out most weekends soaking up the sounds.

derek harwood
i remember me and a friend going up to the torch from the west midlands to get tickets for the ojays after a long chat with chris burton we come away thinking great as this was our first time at the torch only to get a letter later saying that the concert had been cancelled due to ill health and we never did sample the torch atmosphere i wonder if any one else remembers this