I was born in 1961 in Ormskirk, just 12 miles west of Wigan. Looking back, I think soul music was always somewhere in my blood. My father was a merchant seaman sailing out of Liverpool in the 1950s, and when I was growing up he used to tell us stories about nightlife in New York and seeing his own idol, Nat King Cole, live on stage on Broadway.

Living in the North West, the soul scene was already all around us. Manchester and the Twisted Wheel were less than an hour away, and Blackpool was not much further. In the early 1970s, my older sister and future brother-in-law were taking coach trips to Blackpool Mecca every Saturday night, and they were also the ones who bought me my first soul records: Motown Chartbusters Vol. 3 at Christmas 1969, and then a year later, The Motown Story. That was where it really began.

A few years later, the Civic Hall in Ormskirk began running Northern Soul nights that allowed under-18s in, because there was no alcohol being served. The local DJs — The International Road Show — drew crowds from miles around, and one of the highlights was seeing The Exciters perform live on stage at a Sunday all-dayer in 1976.

Then came my first visit to the cathedral of Northern Soul: Wigan Casino. I went with my mate Mark Hinchliffe, who even lent me a pair of his three-button waistband bags to wear. I told my mum I was staying at his house after a party, but instead we caught the last bus to Wigan — and my Northern Soul journey truly began.

I can still remember that night: pushing and shoving my way into the Casino, terrified as a short, young-looking 16-year-old that I wouldn’t get in. But once I was inside, I was completely intoxicated by it all — the smell, the heat, the sweat, the rhythm of the music and the incredible dancers. I was hooked.

That journey is what eventually brought me here — to the creation of this website, to the founding of the Thames Valley Soul Club, and now to Northern Soul Radio. My aim is simple: to share this culture with as many people as possible and create something that honours the music, the heritage and the joy of the scene.

Through the station and through our events, I want people to come together, hear the music, dance their socks off, and go home thinking what a brilliant time they’ve had.