DURING the toe-twinkling years of the late 'forties and early 'fifties, it was possible to go dancing in St Helens on every night of the week. And to have a wide choice of venues!

I got clocking up the number of ballrooms and local hops scattered around the district with my old friend and fellow-bopper of that golden age, Cliff Pennington, a son of Haydock now living at Clinkham Wood.

And we came up with an amazing 14 venues that we personally used to haunt in and around the town.

How's this for a memory-jerking list: Co-op Ballroom; Boundary Road Baths; the town hall; St Helens YMCA; George Street assembly rooms; Peter Street Institute; and the parish halls of Holy Cross and St Peter & Paul, Haresfinch.

Over the 'border', in Parr, there were the Oddfellows Hall and St Philip's.

At Haydock we had English Martyrs' parish hall; while Earlestown boasted the Peanut Hall, Viaduct Institute and the Sea Cadets.

All, as far as I know, have long since put up their dancing shutters.

Now, I wonder how many others from those halcyon days of stove-pipe trousers, Teddy jackets, string ties, feminine billowing skirts, be-bop crepe-soled shoes and stiletto heels can add to that list, and perhaps provide an extra memory of two?

IF so, please drop a line to Whalley's World. I'd be delighted to be waltzed back in time.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.