Readers' letters: Heady days at Coasters roller disco

Where Art I? Edinburgh Sketcher, 23 January 2023

I was a DJ in various nightclubs in the 70s and early 80s. I DJ’d at Coasters when it was a roller disco – which was all the rage then!

Saw a girl skating round and fell in love. We celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary next year.

She had turquoise suede skates with yellow wheels and rainbows on the side. Still have them somewhere in the loft - very retro nowadays.

People leave a roller disco gig at Coasters in 1979. Picture: Simon Clegg.

I remember introducing various bands who came to play, including Boy George, Altered Images etc.

If a skater fell over, Coasters had people with a whistle who would step in and help them up and make sure there was no big pile up of people on the dancefloor!

If I remember rightly one of them was a very young John Leslie.

People would come up to the DJ booth and request tracks - the most requested was Uptown Festival.

It was the 80s, so lasers were the new thing and we were one of the first to have a big laser show. The equipment was above my head in the DJ booth and it made a great effect for dancing.

My friend Jim was one of the bouncers; Cathy worked at the bar and her husband Angelo and his brother were managers at various times I think. It was a really fun place to work – great laugh, great memories.

There was a programme on TV years ago looking back at the Festival/Fringe (BBC, Panorama perhaps). Coasters had a float that went along Princes Street. I was one of the staff who skated about on the road alongside the float.

I had videoed the TV programme but lost the footage years ago. If anyone has access to it or knows how to find it I would love to find a copy

Peter Bell, Edinburgh

A thriving nation? I don’t think so

The UK is spiraling. Public services are collapsing, poverty is surging, life expectancy is falling and the rich are getting richer. Not exactly a recipe for a thriving nation.

And what are the Tories doing while the UK burns? They are passing legislation to criminalise anyone who may take part in or organise protests before they happen.

They are requiring expensive photo IDs in order to vote that will suppress the electorate by 2 million people, those most likely to oppose the Tories.

They are curtailing the right to strike by legislating minimum service guarantees for public services that can’t currently meet those guarantees because of government cuts.

And they’re blaming immigrants for the sorry state of the UK. It’s hard to imagine a more out of touch and cruel government.

Amid this dystopia, it’s a pity the Scottish Government chose Gender ID as the issue on which to challenge English rule, rather than the restoration of our sovereignty.

Leah Gunn Barrett, Edinburgh

Step up and help us help stroke victims

My mum was fearless, strong and energetic, loving and supportive. However, like so many others she lost her powers following her first stroke in 2017.

Like so many others, stroke has left a devastating effect on my family. However, many people don’t realise that the vast majority of strokes are preventable. That’s why I’m supporting the Stroke Association’s Stride for Stroke campaign!

This year, the charity is challenging us to walk 1.3 million steps – one step for every stroke survivor in the UK today! That might sound like a lot but it’s actually the recommended 10,000 steps a day for 130 days.

Kaye Adams, Glasgow

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