There's not many of you Yorkshire boys and girls out there that will not know the name Dukesy - generally on the bill at the major YSA rallies with the Soul intention (forgive the pun) of providing some top notch northern or rampant R&B. But how many know what the man is about? We give him a full internal right here on YSA ONLINE.
Dukes - tell us how you got into the scooter scene? which came first - the soul or the scoot?
The Soul came first, DJin at Deighton Youth Club, aged 14, when my school mates were off down the newsagents nicking Mars Bars at dinner time; I was off down the Huddersfield Monday Market spending my milk round wages on records. At weekends me and a few mates used to ride round the ridings fields on an old GP we bought for £25!!
What are your earliest scootering memories - your first scooter, and the ones you let get away and wished you had still?
Like I said previously earliest memories, us schoolboys on scooters on the riding’s fields early 70’s, then seeing John “3ft” Fellows, Kev “Dosser” Cruickshanks, Bob “Scotty” Davison road legal in Deighton on Ochre Jet 200’s. My first road legal scooter, 1980, a white Vespa P200E from Lens Scooters Shipley,( later to be custom sprayed as Blue Moon) I let all my scooters get away and I wish I had them all back!!!! Custom Vespa’s, Blue Moon, Staircase Mystery, Lenspeed 225, Satisfy My Soul (cutdown). Lambrettas, 1980’s AF Rayspeed GP200, 1980 Indian GP200, 1959 Li Series 2, GP180 Boys in the Hood, Li Silver Special, 1971 Italian Ochre GP200.
What clubs were you involved in, and do you still keep in touch with old buddies from the past?
Involved with a few clubs, Halifax Scooter Club “The Fleet” (original and still the best) Huddersfield Luddites SC, Huddersfield Suicide Squad, (Eh Mumphie)!!! Formed Delirium SC with Nuggie, Blimph (well known lads on the scene), Started Huddersfield SC 1984, (they’ve just celebrated 25 years this year) went solo for a while, then Millennium SC, again went solo for a while, moved over to Scarborough and joined up with Scarborough Castle Coasters SC. I still keep in touch with most of the lads and lasses from the old days, also must say, I miss some very very good friends from Halifax/Huddersfield SC’s who have sadly past away.
You often talk of your rivalry with the bikers - can you tell us any stories?
Billy’s as we in Fleet used to call them!!! Had some run ins with the Elland Billy’s, A couple of incidents stick in my mind, I used to travel over to Halifax from Huddersfield in the early 80’s. Once got buzzed by 2 lads on a Yammy RD tried to kick me off up towards Rastrick, I pulled over and they sped off, well pissed off, I put scooter out of sight got the old faithful (BB.BAT) out of my side panel and waited on the bend of the road, sure enough about 5 mins later back down they came…Needless to say I jumped out introduced the rider to BB, straight across his chest, shoulders, the one on the back would have got it as well had they have hit the tarmac!!
Another time me, Aky, (God rest his Soul) Cookie & Nick from the Fleet visited Huddersfield Luddites SC at the Warren House on Manchester Road, while we were having a pint and a natter inside we got word some biker was in the car park trying to slash tyres on the scooters, we ran outside to see one biker speed off but one of them running onto Manchester Rd trying to bump start his bike……(there is a God!!) Aky set off like a man on a mission with us in pursuit, caught up and twatted him just as the bike coughed into life, he went spinning onto the pavement, into the railings landed on the ground….the rest was history as you say. People may say that’s out of order but in them days it was dog eat dog I’m afraid.
What Scooter or scooters do you currently own? Any plans to add any others?
Have a 1964 Italian Lambretta Li fitted with a SX200 engine, sweet!! Despite all the bad feelings towards them, truth be known would like to have a Vespa GT300.
What do you enjoy about the Rallies today? would you say they are better on the whole than they were in the 70s and 80s, or worse? Or just different
I enjoy today’s rallies with the formation of the Yorkshire Scooter Alliance and event put on for us, I must say that today’s rallies are….mmmmmm…different, because when you were there in all those moments the past it was brilliant!!
What has been your favourite rally last year?
YSA/Dutch Lions Holland Invasion without a doubt, my 50th birthday celebrations most of which came as a massive surprise to me, I wont be ashamed to admit, a few tears were shed there, fantastic time with fantastic people!!!
You bring your son, Nathan on the rallies. What does he think about the scene, and do you think he will stay involved and get a scooter too?
Nath is a nailed on scooterboy of the future, he loves the scooters, the music, the friends and he gets most upset when he cannot attend a rally/event. He has already earmarked a certain Li with a SX200 engine as his steed when he is old enough!!!
I know you are passionate about music, and already know your favourite songs, but can you share these with the readers, and why you love them so much?
Soul, Motown, 70’s Reggae and 60’s Ska is the music I was brought up on, from my early days at Deighton Youth Club with a regular Disco playing all the Black Music Sounds right up to todays do’s, the music gets into your blood, always reminds you of the good, bad and indifferent times in your life. People often call me an anorak for me preferring Vinyl to any other media, but it go’s deeper than just being a record for me, it’s the label, the history, wondering about its origins, who owned it, had it been played in the States/Jamaica on a radio station and then forgotten about only to turn up for 30p in a charity shop in Cleckhuddersfax!! Ruby Andrews, Just Loving You and Darrell Banks, Open the Door to Your Heart are 2 particular favourites of mine, listen to them, they are not only great soul records, they live the life of the singers with passion, love, desire, feelings, so much so they were chosen by me and Julie, my wife as songs at our wedding ceremony.
Do you have any other passions, apart from uninhibited and gratuitous sex?
Love 50/60’s American Cars, would love to own one, one day and cruise Scarborough seafront playing The Temptations “Aint Too Proud To Beg” full blast. My other passion is my family, whom I love dearly.
You have a vast record collection - do you know how many records you own, and which is your most prized record?
Boxes all over the house!! Must have collected upwards of 2,000 records, all of them are prized because each one tells a story of a period in my life, it wouldn’t be fair to single any out, but Ruby Andrews and Darrell Banks have a great significance.
Are there any rarities that you are looking out for at the moment?
I am loving the old Gritty early 60’s soul/R’n’B music at the moment and have been collecting that sort of stuff. Lots of great records out there I would love, but would settle for a copy of Joe Hinton I Wont Be Your Fool on Arvee records.
If someone came up and asked you to play "the Snake" by Al Wilson, would you play it, or suggest a far better alternative?
Although its not one of my favourites, anyone who really knows me knows I would play it, because they are the paying punters at events I DJ at and if they ask for it and I have it I will play it, although there is some fantastic underplayed soul stuff out there to listen to, some people still like the old classics and I think its only fair that they have there time on the decks. Don’t like the “Lets leave all that stuff in the past” attitude of some DJ’s. Live and let live I say, if it floats your boat do it, try everything once….except Incest and Folk dancing Lol!!!
What are your plans for 2010 in terms of music and scootering events?
Keep on collecting the old Vinyl, looking forward to DJin at various at events, Scooter and Soul related throughout the year, (some crackers coming up in 2010) looking at new ventures, opportunities, events, music/scooter wise. Looking forward to a new dawn with the YSA and making it more of a force to be reckoned with in the future.
The Soul came first, DJin at Deighton Youth Club, aged 14, when my school mates were off down the newsagents nicking Mars Bars at dinner time; I was off down the Huddersfield Monday Market spending my milk round wages on records. At weekends me and a few mates used to ride round the ridings fields on an old GP we bought for £25!!
What are your earliest scootering memories - your first scooter, and the ones you let get away and wished you had still?
Like I said previously earliest memories, us schoolboys on scooters on the riding’s fields early 70’s, then seeing John “3ft” Fellows, Kev “Dosser” Cruickshanks, Bob “Scotty” Davison road legal in Deighton on Ochre Jet 200’s. My first road legal scooter, 1980, a white Vespa P200E from Lens Scooters Shipley,( later to be custom sprayed as Blue Moon) I let all my scooters get away and I wish I had them all back!!!! Custom Vespa’s, Blue Moon, Staircase Mystery, Lenspeed 225, Satisfy My Soul (cutdown). Lambrettas, 1980’s AF Rayspeed GP200, 1980 Indian GP200, 1959 Li Series 2, GP180 Boys in the Hood, Li Silver Special, 1971 Italian Ochre GP200.
What clubs were you involved in, and do you still keep in touch with old buddies from the past?
Involved with a few clubs, Halifax Scooter Club “The Fleet” (original and still the best) Huddersfield Luddites SC, Huddersfield Suicide Squad, (Eh Mumphie)!!! Formed Delirium SC with Nuggie, Blimph (well known lads on the scene), Started Huddersfield SC 1984, (they’ve just celebrated 25 years this year) went solo for a while, then Millennium SC, again went solo for a while, moved over to Scarborough and joined up with Scarborough Castle Coasters SC. I still keep in touch with most of the lads and lasses from the old days, also must say, I miss some very very good friends from Halifax/Huddersfield SC’s who have sadly past away.
You often talk of your rivalry with the bikers - can you tell us any stories?
Billy’s as we in Fleet used to call them!!! Had some run ins with the Elland Billy’s, A couple of incidents stick in my mind, I used to travel over to Halifax from Huddersfield in the early 80’s. Once got buzzed by 2 lads on a Yammy RD tried to kick me off up towards Rastrick, I pulled over and they sped off, well pissed off, I put scooter out of sight got the old faithful (BB.BAT) out of my side panel and waited on the bend of the road, sure enough about 5 mins later back down they came…Needless to say I jumped out introduced the rider to BB, straight across his chest, shoulders, the one on the back would have got it as well had they have hit the tarmac!!
Another time me, Aky, (God rest his Soul) Cookie & Nick from the Fleet visited Huddersfield Luddites SC at the Warren House on Manchester Road, while we were having a pint and a natter inside we got word some biker was in the car park trying to slash tyres on the scooters, we ran outside to see one biker speed off but one of them running onto Manchester Rd trying to bump start his bike……(there is a God!!) Aky set off like a man on a mission with us in pursuit, caught up and twatted him just as the bike coughed into life, he went spinning onto the pavement, into the railings landed on the ground….the rest was history as you say. People may say that’s out of order but in them days it was dog eat dog I’m afraid.
What Scooter or scooters do you currently own? Any plans to add any others?
Have a 1964 Italian Lambretta Li fitted with a SX200 engine, sweet!! Despite all the bad feelings towards them, truth be known would like to have a Vespa GT300.
What do you enjoy about the Rallies today? would you say they are better on the whole than they were in the 70s and 80s, or worse? Or just different
I enjoy today’s rallies with the formation of the Yorkshire Scooter Alliance and event put on for us, I must say that today’s rallies are….mmmmmm…different, because when you were there in all those moments the past it was brilliant!!
What has been your favourite rally last year?
YSA/Dutch Lions Holland Invasion without a doubt, my 50th birthday celebrations most of which came as a massive surprise to me, I wont be ashamed to admit, a few tears were shed there, fantastic time with fantastic people!!!
You bring your son, Nathan on the rallies. What does he think about the scene, and do you think he will stay involved and get a scooter too?
Nath is a nailed on scooterboy of the future, he loves the scooters, the music, the friends and he gets most upset when he cannot attend a rally/event. He has already earmarked a certain Li with a SX200 engine as his steed when he is old enough!!!
I know you are passionate about music, and already know your favourite songs, but can you share these with the readers, and why you love them so much?
Soul, Motown, 70’s Reggae and 60’s Ska is the music I was brought up on, from my early days at Deighton Youth Club with a regular Disco playing all the Black Music Sounds right up to todays do’s, the music gets into your blood, always reminds you of the good, bad and indifferent times in your life. People often call me an anorak for me preferring Vinyl to any other media, but it go’s deeper than just being a record for me, it’s the label, the history, wondering about its origins, who owned it, had it been played in the States/Jamaica on a radio station and then forgotten about only to turn up for 30p in a charity shop in Cleckhuddersfax!! Ruby Andrews, Just Loving You and Darrell Banks, Open the Door to Your Heart are 2 particular favourites of mine, listen to them, they are not only great soul records, they live the life of the singers with passion, love, desire, feelings, so much so they were chosen by me and Julie, my wife as songs at our wedding ceremony.
Do you have any other passions, apart from uninhibited and gratuitous sex?
Love 50/60’s American Cars, would love to own one, one day and cruise Scarborough seafront playing The Temptations “Aint Too Proud To Beg” full blast. My other passion is my family, whom I love dearly.
You have a vast record collection - do you know how many records you own, and which is your most prized record?
Boxes all over the house!! Must have collected upwards of 2,000 records, all of them are prized because each one tells a story of a period in my life, it wouldn’t be fair to single any out, but Ruby Andrews and Darrell Banks have a great significance.
Are there any rarities that you are looking out for at the moment?
I am loving the old Gritty early 60’s soul/R’n’B music at the moment and have been collecting that sort of stuff. Lots of great records out there I would love, but would settle for a copy of Joe Hinton I Wont Be Your Fool on Arvee records.
If someone came up and asked you to play "the Snake" by Al Wilson, would you play it, or suggest a far better alternative?
Although its not one of my favourites, anyone who really knows me knows I would play it, because they are the paying punters at events I DJ at and if they ask for it and I have it I will play it, although there is some fantastic underplayed soul stuff out there to listen to, some people still like the old classics and I think its only fair that they have there time on the decks. Don’t like the “Lets leave all that stuff in the past” attitude of some DJ’s. Live and let live I say, if it floats your boat do it, try everything once….except Incest and Folk dancing Lol!!!
What are your plans for 2010 in terms of music and scootering events?
Keep on collecting the old Vinyl, looking forward to DJin at various at events, Scooter and Soul related throughout the year, (some crackers coming up in 2010) looking at new ventures, opportunities, events, music/scooter wise. Looking forward to a new dawn with the YSA and making it more of a force to be reckoned with in the future.