OUR photograph of the Brine Baths in Victoria Road from 1948 has certainly stirred a few memories.

It was a swimming pool in the summer, but during the winter when the pool was covered over it had many other uses including a dance hall, a theatre and a boxing ring.

As a child Len Moss, of Moss Road, remembers being taken from Victoria Road School for lessons to teach him to swim.

But after the war he was back again as a theatrical make-up artist for the Harlequins when they first came into existence.

"We used the dressing room as the make-up room," said Len, now aged 82.

"I'll never forget because I couldn't drive and someone from the Harlequins used to pick me up in an open sports car and drive me there.

"It was used as a theatre when the pool was covered over during the winter," he added.

It was also used as a boxing ring as our programme from Wednesday, November 7, 1951, which has been kindly given to us by Norman Greatbanks shows.

Featured on the programme was Dennis Sayle, from Northwich, who was official contender for the North Central Area and also middleweight, Eric Metcalfe.

Someone who will never forget the dance hall was a young Ken Winnington who had just come home on leave.

The date was December 7, 1944 and Ken, who lives in Hartford, and had arrived home two days earlier, went to a dance at the Baths.

"I'd only been back two days and I met my wife Joyce at the dance and we're still together 53 years later," said Ken.

Meanwhile in the 1930s, Frances Conneely (nee Watkin) and her cousin Thelma Hodgkinson (nee Holt), were let out of school 10 minutes early along with other pupils from Brunner Mond School, in Barnton, to catch the bus to the baths.

It was threepence return and threepence to go into the baths.

Frances, who now lives in Manchester, then recalled the dances.

She said: "The dances were well attended all through the war, we had a great time.

"The dances at the time were slow fox trots, tangos, quickstep, general excuse me and Paul Jones. The Yankees couldn't dance for toffee.

"We cycled each way - no street lamps or road signs in the blackouts and your bike was always where you left it, no-one ever stole it."

Meanwhile if you've ever wondered what has happened to the old dance floor from the baths, look no further than the Royal British Legion Club in Firth Fields, Davenham.