IT’S nostalgia time here at iomtoday.
Well-known DJ Chris Skillicorn, who spent many years working at Summerland’s Piazza Level, as well as The Cave, was prompted to get in touch with our site after reading a Quirks of Life column in the Isle of Man Examiner bemoaning the lack of a good night out in Douglas.
{http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/columns/angela_gregory_nye_at_the_piazza_level_1_4085648|The column, by reporter Angela Gregory,|NYE at the Piazza level} harked back to the busy 1990s when New Year’s Eve in particular used to attract a huge crowd to Summerland’s Piazza Level.
Not only did Chris send some written reminiscences of that time but he also dug out some footage he took at both venues. We have attached it here on iomtoday.
The newsroom had fun people spotting and hope you do too. Some of the haircuts and outfits have proved pretty entertaining.
Chris, who has reams of similar footage at his home in Summerhill Road, Onchan, wrote: ‘I have been a DJ in various places from 1971 to 2008. A lot of this time was spent working at The Cave and Piazza from 1997 to 2002, when I moved to Paramount City until I decided to leave in 2008.
‘I had many good times working there during the time that Noel Quigley was bars and then general manager. He and I first met when he was working on security at the Hawaiian Bar in the 1970s. Also it gave me a chance to work with long time friend Mark Beresford where at Summerland he was not only DJ but electrician and entertainments manager. We were able to arrange and work with many artists including Edwin Starr, Tony Christie, Suzi Quattro, Bros Grimm, Steve Gibbons, 2Unlimited, Simon Bates and Jackie Brambles to mention a few.
‘Mark went on to work at Paramount when it opened (in approximately 1994) and I was fortunate to work with him again in 2002 until his untimely death a few years ago.’
The footage includes some from Nemo’s Cave on December 18 1999, the Easter athletics presentation and disco in 1992, New Year’s Eve 1989/90 at the Piazza Level, the opening of The Cave in 1989 after major refurbishment and other clips of The Cave and the Piazza Level during that period (some in TT weeks).
‘I tried to find some footage which showed the size of the Piazza Level where, when Mark and I worked New Year’s Eve we could get up to 2,000 people in (a large crowd but I have worked in The Lido which has had 5,000 plus in),’ said Chris.
‘I have a lot of good memories of places and people over the 38 years I worked as a DJ, from the Palace Lido/Hawaiian Bar/King’s Club/Whispers/MGM/The Groudle/The Cave/Paramount with many other locations and hotels in those years too.
‘Hope you find the DVD of some interest and it keeps your memories alive.’