Hello everybody, my name is Glenn Hunter from Macclesfield in the U.K. I guess my northern soul history was originally inspired by my older brother, who was a regular at the legendary Golden Torch in Stoke, so the music from his bedroom in those early days, like the Formations, Jamo Thomas, Showstoppers etc. set me on a 37 year mission of buying, watching, collecting, and listening to all things northern and soulful.

My first serious northern nights [after the inevitable youth club] were at the Top Rank at Hanley, circa 1972, where a young Richard Searling had just started plying his DJ trade along with Keith Minshull and Colin Curtis. Other venues for me at the time included the Heavy Steam machine in Hanley also the famous Whitchurch all-dayers.

I see in Dave Ferguson's bio he mentions the "free buses" to the Mecca in Blackpool–well we had these in Macc in 73/4 too. These busers also made me a bit of a regular at the Highland Room but once the "big one" opened at Station Road in Wigan, there was no going back to Levine's "New York Disco" for me.

Like most people, I had a "northern break" from the late 70s, although I continued to collect mainstream soul 45s and LPs and attend loads of concerts in between getting married and raising a family. Then in '88 I started to go to the soul nights at the Hyde Botanical club co-run by my good friend and then workmate Chris Churm. This is the guy more responsible than any other for setting me back on the carousel ride that is northern soul. Since then it's been head down, collect, listen, buy and learn, whilst attending as many soul nights and niters as possible, even running my own night in Macclesfield at the popular Underground club in the 90s.

I was highly chuffed when Dave asked me to review 20 records for the website from my collection, I hope you like my choices. I like all kinds of soul - crossover, R&B, Deep, but my first love has always been traditional 60s northern.

Glenn Hunter