Another piece of Peel history falls to 'the man'...

[Phyll@...]

I though it was worth noting here that they've just started to demolish the Scunthorpe Baths Hall.  It seem to have been overlooked by al the biographers, but particularly anal listeners 
will remember that Peel had a very special relationship with Scunny Baths (i should probibly explain for the un-initiated the Baths were an old swimming baths, which was designed to 
have the pool boarded over in the evening to convert into a dance hall. Long after the pool closing the place remained open as a live venue, with the advent of rock music, moshing, 
pogoing and stage diving the boards over the pool developed a little more 'spring' than might have been a desirable feature of a formal dance floor, and threatened to drop the audience 
into whatever was left of the collapsing pool beneath.)

Through the lean / unfashionable years, of the late 80's and 90's when the John Peel Roadshow was pullled up on chocs most of the year, John still made regular pilgiramages up to 
Scunthorpe for live sets. I understand this was due to a very close friendship with the manager of the baths, rather than a deep seated love of Scunthorpe. And very fine shows they were 
indeed. 

However the place has been closed for the last few years and has just fallen to the developers axe. Ironically just at the point when live music seems to be in the ascendant again. 

Does anyone else remember John's Scunny Baths shows? Or even have any of the attendant posters etc.?






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