The 26th of September 2005

Message To Winscale

Dear Captain Winscale,
You've been a Captain for a long time now. I thought you'd at least be a rear Admiral by now, rear being the operative word. Do you still spend a lot of time in the Fox and Duck. I saw your mate Chris H the other week briefly. You probably don't remember me as I have trouble knowing myself.
The limit was a great nightclub and from '84-'88 when I regularly went there. I came back after two years in London and it had changed completely. Raggamuffin and hip-hop had taken over and all the unsavoury characters that scene attracted. My mate Dave "azo" used to bounce there occasionally but mainly at the Saddle which was rough as f**k.This is where the trendies congregated before descending on the Limit. I remember a classic brawl at the Saddle that continued in the Limit tables, bottles, chairs, people and peanuts were thrown around with gay
abandon (gay not being the operative word). I was hit on the shoulder with a peanut which infuriated me to the point where I unleashed a sabre and randomly hacked off the limbs of about 7 trendies and an old lady (the old lady not being random but more because she was so smelly she put me off my beer which also had a peanut in it). Dave picked up one geezer above his head
and threw him onto a car bonnet the car belonging to black drug dealer known to us as Mr.Frosty because of his poor quality glass eye. I remember his expression as clear as day, just completely stunned at the sight of this bloke sprawled on his car with his foot sticking through his windscreen but a total reluctance to get out of the car as Dave was still roaring like a lion and still demonstrating his superhuman strength.... A wise move Mr. Frosty.

I remember the music and the flamboyant characters and got to hear many new sounds during that time. Devo, Joy Division, Bauhaus, Japan, Bowie, Doors, Velevets, Punk, Psychobilly, New Romantic and more. Clubs today just haven't the balls to play an eclectic mix. Then again looking at the crowds in some modern dance clubs they all look like brainwased, shallow clones to me so it stands to reason.

I think the Limit was fundamental in breaking down barriers between subcultures. One night I was doing pull-ups on a light fitting in the gents when it came off in my hands (no pun intended) when from behind (ooh) a bouncer by the name of Barry got me in a headlock and threatened to ram my face into the taps on the sink. I pleaded for mercy and offered to buy him a drink which worked and he even declined the drink saying it affected his judgement when fighting. We shook hands and let me continue my night. I ran into him again about 7 or 8 years later where he was bouncing outside the Beehive (top end of West st.) he refused to let me and some mates into the Beehive for no
reason. So I started slagging him off saying, "just because you are bolt ugly and probably haven't had a shag recently there's no need to take it out on us", to which he boiled over and lunged at me. I stepped back still taunting him and he then chased me halfway down West st. with me running backwards and still outrunning him shouting "You're a big man in bad shape and with me it's a full time job now behave yourself".

The next time I heard of him he was serving 15 years for shooting someone dead outside Pinkies club at Pitsmoor. Lucky me eh! Although I am writing this e.mail from heaven so it may have been me he shot. By the way heaven isn't all it's cracked up to be. Yes the toilets are f**ked, the floors stickier than Bernard Mannings ar$£h()le but the music's terrible. 24 hour non stop Cliff pilchard.
I guess you all remember the legendary glass collector! It was as if he didn't know he was working in a weird club but he out-weirded everyone in there.
The transvestite I remember was and is Trevor J who I still see around occasionally.

Let's hope someone does another reunion night soon to see how haggard we all look now.

Cheers, Alfred Lord Benny's son

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