Our Story
We’re a couple of old ravers who will always hold a deep affection for The Eclipse – the first of the UK’s all-night (legal) rave venues. Growing up in a politically charged and uncertain era, the rave scene was our perfect escape: a world of hedonism, freedom, unity and pure hardcore energy.
Fast forward to today, and we’re both creative professionals – one a photographer, the other a graphic designer – who felt inspired to create something special to celebrate and preserve the legacy of The Eclipse. This limited edition poster project is our tribute to those unforgettable nights and the culture that shaped us.
With the blessing of Stuart Reid, we’ve made it happen. We couldn’t have done it without him. Respect to Stuart for keeping the spirit alive.
This is just the beginning. We’re working on a full range of official Eclipse merchandise to honour the club and its impact on dance music history. Stay tuned.
Peace, Love, Unity – Rave On.
Stuart Reid’s Story
The introduction to Stuart’s, soon-to-be published, book – The Eclipse:
“Stuart, you must know someone with a big house?”
I did.
July 1989. The big house, Fenny Drayton, Warwickshire, 600 clued up, drugged up dance fanatics danced the night away. Resounding success.
28th October 1989, at a secret location in a field in Barby, Northamptonshire, so secret that 6–7,000 people turned up! The farmer thought it was quite a lot of people for a Halloween party, as did the police who had been in a traffic jam for 4 hours on a road that ran through the village. Police presence was noted, 2 CID officers arrive at 3 am and lock both doors to their car, which was not that unusual, except that they were still inside the car at the time! Raving did that to some people! A raver called ‘Catler’ goes steeple chasing, of his nut, over all the hedges, off into the Sunset with no clothes on. Raving also did that to some people.
10th August 1990, “It's a fad. It will be over in three months” – Superintendent at the Little Park Street Police Station, Coventry. Obviously his crystal ball was having a bad day, because on 13th October 1990, history was made by the opening of Britain’s first legal all night dance club, ‘The Eclipse’ in Coventry. The line up consisted of Fabio, Mickey Finn, Sasha, Tony Ross, Evil Eddie Richards and Dobbo.
From that day on, each and every Friday and Saturday from 10pm until 8am, The Eclipse opened its doors to Britain’s dance followers. It was not unusual for people to be still queuing at 6am such was the attraction of the club.
Our policy of bringing over European and American artists and combining them with the best of British worked well and such line ups could never be repeated again; Joey Beltram next to Sasha; Kevin Saunderson next to Grooverider, plus all the top PA’s available, from N-Joi, Moby, K-Klass, Sub-Sub, The Prodigy and more. This high standard set was universally acknowledged with recognition from the readers of DJ Magazine voting The Eclipse as the best club in Britain in 1992, with quotes of ‘Mecca of the Midlands’ and ‘Unparalleled success’ in Mixmag.
The membership of over 74,000 people included clubbers from Italy, Germany, Japan, Ireland and America, as well as regular visitors from all over the UK.
I leave the last word to ‘anon’ a unnamed raver who had pulled me by the shirt sleeve, while I was standing on the balcony overlooking the huge dance-floor, ‘ere, that bloke is wanking!’, he says. I thought I had seen it all, couples getting to know each other intimately in toilets, dance floors, cupboards, stairways, cars, car parks, the occasional offer of free fellatio to security to let people in on busy nights, all girls I should hasten to mention, offers of £80–£100 a ticket to get in, every excuse known to man to get on the guest list, from Prince’s manager to Lord whoever, to visits from Bananarama, EMF, The Farm, The Happy Mondays, Gary Clail and even Seymour Stein, Madonna’s record manager. But here was the ultimate, a 20 year old youth furiously masturbating at the front of 1,000 people on the main dance-floor, ‘e’d off his face. As ID magazine said, “Beats putting your hands in the air”, raving did this to some people.
The account you’re about to read, is my own memories from my time running The Eclipse and other promotions from the late 80’s to the late 90’s. I am the founder and creator of The Eclipse in Coventry, my name is Stuart Reid. This is The Eclipse story …
Watch this space! …
10 Years a Cat A
Stuart also spent 10 harrowing years as a Category A High Risk prisoner in some of the UK's most secure and infamous prisons. As one of the most closely monitored inmates, Reid endured the relentless scrutiny and strict controls that come with being labeled a High-Risk prisoner. His time behind bars was marked by the constant threat of violence, the claustrophobic monotony of life, sometimes in isolation, and the psychological challenges of navigating a world where survival often depended on understanding the unspoken rules and dynamics of prison life. Despite the harsh realities of his confinement, Reid's decade in these high-security facilities offered him a rare and profound insight into the complexities of the penal system, the fractured lives of those within it, and the often-overlooked humanity of prisoners.
Reid chose to write a book, 10 Years a Cat A, about his experiences to shed light on the hidden world of high-security prisons, a reality few outside of it truly understand. He felt a compelling need to share his story, not just as a personal catharsis, but as a way to give voice to those who are often silenced by the system. Through his writing, Reid aims to reveal the brutal and dehumanising conditions faced by inmates, challenge the perceptions of what it means to be a "dangerous" individual, and spark a conversation about the effectiveness and ethics of the UK's most secure prisons. His book is not just a memoir but a call for greater transparency, understanding, and reform within the criminal justice system.
