Some more here from Dingwall..In 1965 , was this some sort of a Joint Promotions effort at a big outdoor stadium or has someone managed to borrow some Joint Stars. It's a big stadium too , a capacity bigger than the town itself. 1966 Continental Matchmakers and 1968 Cape Promotions.. back at the Town Hall.

Yes , a fabulous contribution from Mad Mac , I too had forgotten those early days of ITV and the later introduction in the Grampian area. The area north of Inverness has a population under a quarter of a million even today. Here in the North West I remember getting a frequency booster box to receive ITV in the late 1950's. Not everybody bothered for a long time. Such small screens too in those days of Black and white. Dalmore is part of Alness and another social club. I finish by going back to Dingwall , much later now. Familiar names from the past but no longer Joint men , mixed in with the girls. A lot of inflation on those bills from 1977 into the eighties. British legion as well as the town hall. To think that by the end of 1981 wrestling was finishing at the Kings Hall Belle Vue , and no venue found to replace it , and yet here we have wrestling at Dingwall Town Hall in 1983. For me , a fascinating journey to look at all this. Sadly I have never been up in the Highlands. Enchanting to look on the map at the geography of all those Firths and the Culture away from highly populated area's. No stone was left unturned , wrestling got everywhere.

There is an uncertainty about how well all these bills were put together , copying names , making up names , there was no limit. I also cannot confirm exactly where Jefferson (O'Shea lived) and what became of him. A little bit special are two bills in 1977 two nights running in Invergordon and Tain. Four of the wrestlers work both nights and for sure stop over somewhere. Kellet being one of them and Klondyke Bill. But 230 miles from Ayr is Dale Storm. Could Dale tell us more. Michael Portillo did a series of Great Coastal Railway Journeys and Series 1 Episode 8 was Invergordon to Tain. Who was behind the Promotion of these bouts. Well some inside info here from Andy (Dale Storm) as Hack sent these bills to him. These two bills were part of a full weeks work for Orig Williams. Other venues were at Elgin , probably Aviemore and The Corn Exchange in Edinburgh. What took place was rather different to the bills advertised. It seems that Tony Scarlo was not there. Young Starsky was probably Young Apollo , Gypsy Salvadore probably Manchester's Mickey Gold. Dale was probably on with Steve Taylor and Max Reager with Starsky. Dale also does not recall Bobby Graham and Bruce Welsh either nor Bill Turner Kellett was there and Orig himself would have turned out. All very fluid. With Orig, very likely, a ladies bout would have filled it up a bit , with probably Rusty Blair and Cherokee Princess (Gloria Payne) best guess. The Tain show was organised by Orig whilst the Invergordon show was a Bill Money job paid for by the Club committee. This show was at the Aluminium Smelter Place that has gone now. Still more to follow.

I think the boom for wrestling was now over and for 1969 I can show you a scandalous bill at Dingwall with some really dishonest advertising. This one beats the biscuit. Invergordon was on the far side of the Cromarty Firth about 25 miles from Inverness. A total mystery why in 1970 , Joint Promotions would put on a bout in the Distillery Social Club. With a gate of under 200 , how could they pay 8 wrestlers and a ring crew etc. Well just maybe they got some free drinks to take home. Anyone got any better ideas. Also worthy of note , the minimum price of ten shillings in the social club in 1970 was equal to the luxury price at Belle Vue in the same year. So ringside in effect was double price Tain was right up on this side of the Dornoch Firth. Some shows involving defectors from Joint promotions. No promoter named but Adrian Street headlining. Alness the Averon Centre in the 1970's could hold an impressive 500 and was near Invergordon. No Promoter but Pallo headlining with Andy Robin. But also Orig and Monty Swan. Were they all helping each other. Click to enlarge Dalmore , another Social Club , also part of Alness More to follow

Corrected thanks MM , It caught on in Inverness so maybe it was worth a punt a bit further north. I am going to cover as far as Tain which is about 35 miles from Inverness. Wrestling almost everywhere in this era really amazes me. As we go 1965 to 1966 , I wonder how different North West Promotions were versus Continental Matchmakers. Both Manchester based , was it just a re-brand.

Yes 1965 , not like me to not sneak the date on. If you pull up a picture of the Curling Ponds there does not look to be any seating. It's a very strange venue. I also wonder if it was part of a small tour , maybe a couple of social clubs thrown in. I can't find any bills that would fit a tour to , but social clubs are very small venues. Anglo is so right about the treatment of the fans. Incredibly short sighted and bad for the industry.

O'Shea tried it in Ireland without any variation of the name at all, and was threatened with legal action by Dale Martins. Might have been a couple of years later. I don't think he was as honourable as Cape Promotions for example. Later I think we can produce a bit of inside information on some other towns/shows up that way. The Curling pond is a fascinating twist for a venue , I had never heard of the Muir of Ord.

Was here a lot from 1958 to 1968. RIP

George Nuttall was still boxing up to May 1957. But here at BelleVue maybe that name needed to stay under the Radar. In August and October 1955 It looks like he worked as Jimmy Nuttall. Truly a man of many names. Great billing for Gerry Hoggarth.

https://www.bertassirati.com/photographs.php A late answer on this one. Bert Assirati biographer , Mike Hallinan has just told me that there is a photo on his site of Alec Nuttall. I am as sure as I can be that George Nuttall wrestled as George for Joint , Alec or Alex for the Independents and Charly Nuttall in Vienna. Also as The Black Mask. Was also a pretty decent boxer and sparing partner to Britain's best men nearer the end of his time as a boxer.

You can almost smell it , that he must have wrestled under another name. If he was that good , he must have a career record.

The newspaper bill says Jim Anderson. Looks a better bet , but this name Sanderson is elusive in wrestling circles. Keep looking Osty , I am not giving up yet.

Sounds like a great wrestler but the chippy was more findable. Irlams o'th Heights , Bolton Road.

There was some suggestion in the papers that Hackenschmidt had to slow down and wait for a signal from the ref to finish the two scores , to give value for money.

Yes John , Phil Lyons is right , Gotz looked hurt after trying to throw Carroll backwards , ending up with his own shoulders going to the mat and what looked like a knock to the sternum. Sporting of Jack Carroll to see that he was ok. Two years later Gotz dropped to lightweight to win at the Alhambra. Having done some small bio's on Heritage about some of the wrestlers from this age , it's wonderful to actually see the wrestling that they did. .

Thanks John , great contribution. The venue was The Oxford Music Hall. Filmed by Charles Urban who can be found on the web , famous American film Producer who did an Urbanora series. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Urban

Long career....RIP Dave Larsen

Went home from London 31st May 1935 to new York. Address at that time 64 Waterloo Road and the ship was the American Trader. he was in Australia in 1937. Busy wrestler in North America. Bill below from Vancouver. and working at Belle Vue in 1935 for Kath Look.

A mystery finally solved , the pre war Ghoul actually lost at least 3 times in 1938 in New Brighton before they came up with the idea that he would unmask if beaten. They ran it for a bit , but as a Christmas Special he is finally unmasked and my hunch that he had been Carver Doone all along was right. Somehow Oakeley thought it was ok to get a six seven guy up to seven three.