News archive

We recently caught up with 80-year-old Walter Dolphin – one of our residents from Breightmet, granddad of five and a star of the BBC’s hit programme, You Make Me Feel Like Dancing. If you missed it in January, this two-part special sought to transform The Palais de Danse (the former Ikon and Ritzy nightclub on Bridge Street) into its dance hall heyday of the 50s and 60s, and get Bolton people dancing again.

Brought in as an original Palais regular, Walter’s infectious personality ensured he was very much a leading man in the dance troupe led by choreographer and presenter, Jack Murphy. This is what he had to say about the experience:

Walter, how did it all come about?

"My mate Fred, who was also involved, plays in a band called Geriatric Jazz. We’ve got a sense of humour you know! He rang me up and asked if I’d be interested in taking part in a programme that was in the pipeline to recapture the dancing days of Bolton. I said “sure” and a few weeks later one of the production team from London came to a jazz night I was at. We talked about what The Palais used to be like and, the next thing I know, I’m going to three dancing lessons a week to prepare for a one-night only reopening, which became the focus of the show."

What did the Palais de Danse mean to you?

"Everyone went to The Palais. It was brilliant. I’ve always loved music, especially Jazz, and so I enjoyed dancing there. Friday was the big night but it seemed to be open all the time. People would go when the shops shut on Wednesday afternoons and even lunch breaks through the week, which meant it was common for people to get in trouble at work for what they were wearing!

"Dancing styles changed over the years - jiving becomingmore acceptable thanks to the American servicemen who went to The Palais during the Second World War, and lots of people met their partners and spouses there."

What were your highlights of taking part in the programme?

"The choreographer, Jack, asked us to learn a swing dance that we’d perform with our partners, all lined-up in a sequence. What he didn’t say, later shocking me with it, was that we’d first do it in front of The Macron crowd at a Wanderers’ game to build public interest in dancing and the Palais re-launch.

"Fair to say I needed some persuading as I go to home matches and it was right in front of where I’d usually sit with my pals. Fortunately, we got a great reaction. The big highlight, of course, was the culminating night at The Palais. There was a terrific turnout for it, with different ages involved, and it brought back a lot of memories. The TV crew helped to create a great atmosphere by decorating the dance hall as it once was and a 16-piece band played live."

What reaction has there been to you being on the show?

"My family is very proud of me and my friends are still having a lot of fun with it. They surprised me one day by putting up pictures from the show in our local club and they put me on a t-shirt too!"

“Just the other day, I was on Newport Street in town and a woman from Wigan recognised me and we got talking about The Palais as she used to go there too. I told her she could see more footage of the re-opening night on YouTube, so I started to write down the details on a piece of paper. Then I heard someone at the back of me say: “Look, that guy from the TV is signing autographs!”

"The whole thing has been an experience I’ll never forget, though I don’t think people would let me anyway."