STANDFIRST

MAY'S Festival of Making in Blackburn saw synth pop pioneer Martyn Ware reviving the Northern Soul heyday of the town centre's Tony’s Empress Ballroom. Bill Jacobs look into it's past and find a fascinating history of dancing from the 1920s to the early years of this century.

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The unprepossessing Victorian building in Town Hall Street look an unlikely centre of controversy and dance crazes, but it hides a fascinating story of how the young people of Blackburn entertained themselves for more than 80 years.

In the 1920's Tony Billington took the lease for the first floor form owner Johnny Weall, who owned the auctioneers shop below, and took out the town's first licence for music and dancing.

From the beginning Blackburn's worthies and councillors on the Watch Committee were concerned at what was going on.

At the height of the 'Roaring Twenties, Tony's introduced the Charleston to the town, which as one fan of the venue said 'was a bit of change from the Valetta and the Military Two Step'

With its own house band and visiting dance orchestras, Tony's prospered between the two World Wars, so much so it was renovated in the 1930's with an extra storey for offices and fully-sprung dance floor for the customers added.

Mr Billington's introduction of settees around the main room, alarmed the Watch Committee and caused a major controversy over possible 'inappropriate behaviour' by revellers.

The number of people who in later years dropped in to point out the very sofa where they met their spouses or on which their parents got together suggests the committee may have had a point.

After the war came rock and roll and Tony's became a centre for young people seeking to 'go jiving'.

The application for drinks licence caused further consternation as the 60s turning the 70s.

Following the closure of Wigan Casino in 1981, followers of Northern Soul, the fast-paced dance music from the United States to which athletic young people did back-flips and other acrobatic moves were looking for somewhere to go for their 'All-Nighters'.

In 1988 Tony's came to their rescue when it obtained a dusk-to-dawn licence despite police objections and fears from councillors it would become haven for drug pushers and users of the amphetamine 'Speed', seen as essential to a long and good night by some aficianados of the music.

From then and throughout the 1990's up to 250 people flocked to Tony's from all overt the UK as it achieved national fame as 'the cornerstone of the Northern Soul scene.

But the history was still there as the venue was reputedly haunted by the ghost of Johnny Weall, often reportedly seen in the office or on seats around the dance floor along with occasional visits from the shade of a former doorman.

The 'All-Nighters' featured on Granada Reports, in the dedicated magazine of North Soul fans Manifesto and even made a 10-minute slot on the BBC's iconic music programme The Old Grey Whistle Test.

But eventually in 2003 the iconic venue where tens of thousands of Blackburnians learnt the moves for so many different dance crazes finally closed and was bought by Blackburn with Darwen Council.

The 'Soundscape' created Mr Ware (founding member of both The Human League and Heaven 17), featuring a high-energy performance by dancers Lauren Fitzpatrick and James Whitehead who too part in the film Northern Soul part-made in King George’s Hall, has revived interest in Tony's.

Now as pressure starts to grow to make the ballroom once again an entertainment venue, the council is looking at first how to preserve the severely dilapidated structure for the future and then potentially bring it back into use as part of efforts to revive Blackburn's night-life.

Perhaps a new era awaits for the historic building which has seen tens of thousands of local residents taught the moves for so many different dance crazes and given them the space to practise and enjoy them!