Popular Crawley DJ hanging up his decks to start new life in Thailand

The West Sussex-based DJ, who is often remembered as the DJ who ‘did my mum’s wedding’, will be performing his last shows in August.

Gordon started his DJing career at school by putting on school discos and turned professional in 1982.

During that time, Gordon has worked on radio stations, performed in the biggest venues in West Sussex and Surrey, been a resident DJ on ‘Dance to France’ cruises, and went to Sri Lanka to DJ for the UK embassy.

Locals might remember him for his discos at Whispers Wine Bar, Whites in Horsham, Charlestons in Pease Pottage, Cromwells in Kingsfold, Ikon&Diva, Crawley's roller disco, LB-1, The Crown Pub, and The Olive Branch in Horsham.

We caught up with Gordon to talk about his career, retirement, and his new adventure.

Gordon said: “I’ve decided to retire because I’m coming up to 71 and it’s got to the stage where I’m still enjoying it but it’s becoming harder to do. People still come and enjoy themselves but it’s time to do something else.

“My mum is 94 and I’ve been thinking about retiring to Thailand. I’ve been hanging around whilst my mum is still about. She is in good health despite being 94, but we had a serious conversation about her health and she said ‘don’t hang about for me’ and ‘if you want to go and live in Thailand go and live in Thailand. Go while you still have your health’.

“She is the one who has pushed me to do it now. If I don’t do it now when I have a bit of go in me I might regret it.

“I’ve got lots of fond memories of DJing in Crawley over the years. Probably one memory that sticks with me that people still come up to me about is my time DJing in Whispers Wine Bar. I did it for about six to seven years, maybe more. The atmosphere the night created was unbelievable. We used to finish the evening with ‘reach out and touch’ by Diana Ross and the Temptations and people used to hold one another's hands.

“DJing has changed so much since I started. I am what they would call a ‘Personality DJ’ as I would talk in-between the records. So many people can do it with a laptop, you have to make a name for yourself.

“My Thai girlfriend and I have been together for six years, she was originally working away from her land. When we got together and were serious about the relationship, she wanted to go back to the land and do something with it.

“It’s something completely different for me. My lifestyle has always been night time work. Farmer life is the total opposite of that. On the farm, there is only basic electricity through solar panels and a lot of people couldn’t do it. For me, I love it.”

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If you would like to find out how to get a ticket for Gordon’s farewell tour, please visit his Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/gordon.skeggs