iN 1961, at the age of 27, Blackburn became the centre of Don Yates’ universe – for while on holiday, he discovered the eighth wonder of the world.

Her name was Audrey, who lived in Pine Street in the Bastwell area and worked as a progress chaser in the purchasing department of Mullards.

And so it happened that Don moved to Blackburn and found a job as deputy to Brian Gee, the general manager at the Locarno Ballroom.

Eighty this year, he has written his memoirs, including stories from his five years with Mecca Dancing in the Locarno Ballrooms in East Lancashire.

Don and Audrey were married at St Stephen’s Church in Little Harwood and went to live in a first floor flat above Kenyon’s confectioner’s shop in Darwen Street, opposite the post office.

The ballroom in St Peter Street, was just across the ginnel at its rear. Ideal!

The early sixties was the era of the dance halls and customers enjoyed dancing to the sound of Al Bennet and with only few families having cars, Mecca laid-on buses to and from outlying districts for its Saturday night dances.

It was also the time when pop music was gaining popularity, so Sunday and Monday nights at the ballroom were disco nights.

It seemed to Don that as the venue was close to the centre of town, it would be worthwhile also starting lunchtime disco through the week and along with a ‘snack bar’, which sold pies and hot dogs, it proved popular with shop and office workers.

Don vividly remembers Marie Reidy of Reidy’s Music in Blackburn centre promoting a local rock group called Lionel Morton and The Four Pennies and the group played at the Locarno.

He wasn’t, however, a big fan of the new sounds and commented: “My friend and ‘oppo’ at Burnley Locarno, had a habit of prowling around the ballroom, when in charge on ‘big beat night’ with a length of cotton wool dangling from each ear, “I couldn’t copy that, but adopted another of his habits of hibernating for long periods in the manager’s office, for my eardrums’ sake. It was always impossible to get DJs and pop groups to reduce the decibels.”

Mecca customers knew that wherever they went in Britain, the local Mecca ballroom would have the same programme each night of the week – Sunday and Monday was disco; Tuesday, old time; Wednesday, over 21 night; Thursday, big beat night; Friday, private functions; Saturday, Palais night.

When old time became unprofitable, it was replaced by bingo.

As Don worked late into the night, Audrey decided to join him and got a part-time job behind the snack bar counter, which was managed by Joan Kehoe.

Said Don: “My 1964 booking diary for Mecca shows that among the rock groups which I booked for Saturday afternoon junior sessions and Sunday and Monday teen nights, were Herman’s Hermits and Freddie Starr.

“We paid the Hermits £17. 10s and Freddie earned £22.10s.

Don then moved to become assistant manager to John Goodings at the Burnley Mecca.During his stint here – he was promoted to manager in 1965 – he organised a variety of events, including Kathy Kirby in cabaret, a local pop group contest, New Year’s Eve party night, Valentine and midsummer dance nights, Bastille nights, and a Miss UK bathing beauty contest, with Alan Whicker chairman of the judges.

When a personality contest, with a trip to Rome as the main prize, did not attract many entrants, Don and colleagues attracted bigger interest, dressed as centurions, giving out invites round the town centre.

In 1966. Don became duty manager at the newly-opened Granada Ten Pin Bowl, just along Centenary Way, before he and his young wife left the area.