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This memory has been bugging me


spiderowl

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I'm not sure why I'm posting this. I have a strange memory which I just wanted to get off my chest. It makes more sense in the light of recent events in the UK, which may not mean anything to those abroad.

 

Many years ago, in my youth, I lived in the north of England. Of course as a teenager I went to dances and youth clubs. Discos were all the rage then, though I didn't go to all that many. I remember I went to one club some distance from my home town. My Dad took me and a friend there. I'm not even sure which friend came with me. What I do remember is that it was a special club night because there was a visiting DJ who was running these disco nights. I've always had this idea that it was Jimmy Savile, but not really thought much about it since. This was a bit special as clubs that had discos were pretty new then. I must have been about 14 or 15 I think.

 

It was all very exciting as I'd never seen a live DJ before, we just had the music in the youth clubs and certainly no celebrities. After the dancing was over, the DJ retired upstairs to his dressing room. Lots of girls wanted to go and see him and get his autograph. Me and my friend also wanted to get his autograph. We'd never seen a star before! Bear in mind that this was the 70s in the north of England. We went to the bottom of the stairs and there were some guys coming down the stairs and seemed like they were rushing to get away. There seemed to be a general air of excitement and animation, for want of a better word. We asked if we could see the DJ and one of the guys, who we assumed must be security or a backstage guy of some sort, said 'You don't want to go up there, you should stay away, there's already too much going on up there.' We were disappointed as he was making it clear we couldn't go up. The atmosphere seemed odd though, as if he was warning us off.

 

We didn't see the DJ and went home disappointed. I'd forgotten about all this until literally the past few days when it all seemed to come back to me. Knowing what I know now about Jimmy Savile's behaviour, it all makes sense. I think the guy was indeed warning us off and the atmosphere, which felt a bit like the backstage guys were ants scurrying about in a panic, makes sense.

 

There is nothing more to say about this really. We didn't go up to see the DJ. We didn't witness anything, it was more a feeling about something going on upstairs we didn't understand. I feel a bit strange about it all now. Obviously I wasn't affected, nor was my friend. I only have a hazy recollection of this, but the memory is quite insistent and I don't know how I feel about it. I am really just reporting it. At least it's not just in my head then.

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From all I have seen and read this sounds very plausible if it was indeed Saville.

 

 

I think you had a lucky escape.

 

 

The guy was a total sicko.

 

 

I dated someone who appeared on his TV show back in the late 80's. My guy was with a big bunch of other guys and JS barely even acknowledged them. It was a different story though with the girls who appeared on that same show JS was all over them like a rash. The lads said they felt disgusted watching him unable to keep his hands to himself.

 

 

I still shudder when I see pics of JS. I recall never ever liking him from a very young age, even to the point where my parents loved the show and I would try anything not to have to sit with them and watch it.

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I guess Saville was not the only celebrity DJ back then that had some "issues".

 

I also guess some of the modern celebrities still do, just better at hiding it maybe.

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It was different then, there was a different sense of morality amongst men. I got the impression backstage was a free-for-all. I suppose it still is, I don't know.

 

I think it was Jimmy Savile because I remember being excited that it was someone famous.

 

I think it's bugging me because at the time I felt the reaction was odd. Why would people react like that to two girls seeking autographs? Well, he was found out eventually, but if my recollection is of a Jimmy Savile club night, there were obviously a lot more people aware of what was going on than we would think.

Edited by spiderowl
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