BBC Radio Cambridgeshire’s soul presenter Ian Gray will be winding down the clock to the ’70s at the Halcyon, in Atherstone Avenue, Netherton.

The venue, now also known as the Hungry Horse, became part of the booming Northern soul music scene which swept the country.

Following the heady days of venues such as Wigan Casino, in the mid ’70s, the Halcyon-staged soul discotheques – to give it the down language of the day – every Thursday and Sunday, when hundreds of teenagers and twenty-somethings would dance to records in the Motown mould.

And now, the Halcyon’s manager, Aaron Morrison, is keen to recognise that legacy.

He said: “Trends in pubs change over time, and the Halcyon has been no exception to that, but when we found out what a great reputation this place had for leading the way in establishing a soul music scene here in Peterborough, we invited Ian Gray to come over and host this re-union night.

“We’re hoping that we’ll have a great crowd of both locals, and those who may not have walked through the door for 30 years. “We’re sure that some old friendships will be re-kindled, as this music has continued to attract and hold a long-term interest for many people.”

Northern soul music came into being, as dancers who were weaned on Tamla Motown sought out more of the same, and DJs from the north of the UK searched high and low across the United States for similar songs and sounds.

Ian Gray has been DJing around the area ever since his sixth-form days at Deacon’s School, so is well-placed to both recall and anticipate the big tunes.

He said: “Many of the tracks which became anthems to the dancefloors, firstly up north, but then later throughout the country, were quite obscure recordings from the USA

“It wasn’t unusual for completely unknown artistes to find that their American ‘flop’ was in fact worth a lot of money as a collectors’ item in England, and at the same time was packing crowds on to the dance-floor.”

Admission to the event at the pub, in Westfield Road, Netherton, is free, from 8pm.