Cleethorpes

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Film Title: Short Stories (Starring in Cleethorpes)

Description: Documentary film about Ady Croasdale's NS Weekender in Cleethorpes

Ordering: Channel 4's Mail Order Service or Check out the Soul Press

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This film is different to most documenataries in that it is more concerned with characters who attend Northern Soul Events rather than the events themselves. The result is a much more personal treatment than is usually given. Instead of dealing with each of them seperately the producers interleave their stories so that it sometimes feels as though you are watching a television soap rather than a documentary. It is a very successful format which keeps the film moving at a vibrant pace.

The story begins with a Chauffeur standing besides his Rolls Royce outside a railway station waiting for Doris Troy. This reception contrasts starkly with the dingy changing room she later finds herself in. Nevertheless she is very complimentary of Northern Soul and is keen to express her affection for it. Meanwhile the NS faithful they are out on the dancefloor strutting their stuff before the concert begins. Middle Aged they may be but there is no questioning their energy and this moves the commentator to describe them as "A tribe come to its sacred ground". The Promoter, Ady Croasdale sets the scene by listing the different nationalities who are attending but accepts that they mostly come from England with roots in the North.

Lynn Shaw, a single mother from the Midlands is one of the central figures of the programme and we are introduced to her as she pushes her children on a swing. Impregnated at the age of 17 she explains how she got married, then divorced and has since stuggled to balance her family life with attendance at Soul Allnighters. The cameras follow her progress through the various stages of the dancing competition as she successfully makes the last thirty. The commentator, who seems genuinely suprised by what he has witnessed explains how 'Minds are uplifted by the richness of the beat' and recognises that a spilt pint or a discarded piece of chewing gum could spell disaster for a competitor.

The second character of the film is traindriver Wayne Skeffington who is first inteviewed in his lounge proudly displaying a brick which he had rescued from the charred remains of the Casino. So fanatical is his love of soul that he had sacrificed his marriage rather than give it up. As the commentator explained, "Refusing to give up hopes and dreams can clash badly with real life". The cameras then take us on a guided tour of the venue with some excellent NS tracks used as backing music ('I Still Love You' by the Seven Souls in particular). Ady explains that it origionated with the 'Motown Copyists', black musicians trying to earn a living by reproducing Berry Gordy's successful formula. They often failed, not because their music was bad but for any number of other commercial reasons. He then proudly showed his record collection of over 50,000 records.

The third and final character is Stephen Jeffries who we first meet setting up a stall at the back of the dancehall. He is planning to sell some of his records in order to buy others. A maintenance engineer by proffession we see him going through his daily routine of blowing up cliffs. In contrast to the other two he seems relatively affluent with a nice house and an entire room devoted to storing his records. He is also a family man and enjoys a close relationship with his son Lee. The moral, if there is one, is that NS fans come from all walks of life

The documentay reaches its climax with Lynn coming second in the dance competition followed by a snapshot of Doris Troy's concert. Ady introduces the Soul Diva to a very welcoming crowd before she launches into her classic 'Just One Look'. She had already explained, without a hint of bitterness, how the the Hollies and Linda Ronstadt had made big money out of her song whilst she had remained relatively unrewarded. Isn't that just the way it always is? The programme ends with the curtains being opened to let in the light of a new breaking day. The soul crowd start making their journeys home already planning to get to the next event.

This is a fabulous film which gives real insite into the twilight world of the Northern Soul fraternity. The subject was sensitively handled and by its finish you felt as if you knew the characters personally. Good stuff and not one to miss if you can possibly avoid it.