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Prestatyn Weekender, 28th February, 1st & 2nd March, 2003

I was going to do a long review which went through each day /session in detail, but it’s now over a week ago, and due to a combination of alcohol and attending another weekender since, I just can’t remember the details ! A couple of things do stand out though: Firstly how well organised the whole thing was.

We arrived on the Thursday afternoon, and right through until we left on the Monday morning there wasn’t a single problem. Congratulations to Pontins and the promoters, four music rooms and an on-site radio station, it must have taken a tremendous amount of work to get it all together.

The live acts, Lou Pride, Don Gardner, and Gwen Owens. I wish I had been around in the States in the Sixties when this type of show with lots of acts was common. All three were superb, they could all sing wonderfully, the band did a cracking job, and although Gwen Owens was probably the most accomplished act, especially with her son and daughter as backing singers, it was Don Gardner that stole the show for me. I missed Ann Nesby, but I’m told she was superb as well.

The DJs on the whole did a good job, although there were a couple of spots which were so tired and boring that the jocks should have been retired at the same time as their records, especially as there was no need for it when there was an Oldies allnighter both Friday and Saturday upstairs. Best spot of the whole weekend came from Mick H on the Saturday night. An hour of out and out rarities, put together in the right order. Awesome mate, awesome. Andy Dyson also played some outstanding records but the abiding memory of Andy is when Mick H stuck the baseball cap full of shaving foam on his head on the Sunday night.

I DJed three times over the weekend, but the spot I enjoyed most was the one on the Sunday evening when I shared 11 pm to 12 pm with Roger Banks. Normally Sunday nights are pure Oldies, well neither of us wanted to go along that route, so we went for an R & B spot. To our surprise and delight the dancefloor filled up and away we went. I have to admit both of us were rather inebriated but Roger’s final words over the mic summed it up “You were great, we were drunk !”

At this point on the Sunday it all becomes a bit of a blur, but the ‘naughty table beer trolley’ made a re-appearance, and when it was emptied, went for a spin on the dancefloor with Jenny and Tracey as passengers. Oops, that’s when it was confiscated from us by Security.

Can’t wait for next year, and over 800 people re-booked before they left on the Monday, so that should tell you something. Cleethorpes will always be my favourite, for differing reasons, but I’ll tell you know, Prestatyn 2004 is going to be the biggest weekender this country has ever seen.