THE Forum, in High Street, Oxford, organised a ‘last dance’ three years before it closed.

All the signs were that the popular venue would shut its doors for the last time on December 30, 1961.

That was certainly the impression given to the 300 people who flocked there that night for an end-of-year dance.

In fact, as we recalled last week, it survived for another three-and-a-half years, until June, 1965.

The Oxford Mail on January 1, 1962, reported: “The closing down dance at the Forum was not after all the sad affair that had been expected.

“There is now a chance that dances may continue there for several more months.

“The Forum is due to be pulled down later this year so that St Edmund Hall can build a new dining block.

“It looked as if many regular dancers, who don’t want to go to the Town Hall or Carfax Assembly Rooms, would have nowhere to dance on Saturday nights.

“But halfway through the evening, the resident band leader, Stan Rogers, stopped the music and announced that he was negotiating with the college to form a dancing club at the Forum until the building was demolished.

“I am seeing the bursar and will let everyone know what happens.

“We will find somewhere for you to dance before we finish.”

Forum manager Thomas Jones reflected ruefully that the closure of the Forum would be a loss to the community.

He said: “A lot of our boys and girls first met here, got married, held their wedding receptions here and keep on coming to the dances.”

At midnight, Stan Rogers led the band into Auld Lang Syne and the dancers drifted away to their cars and taxis.

The Mail added ominously: “The following morning, the black iron gate had gone up across the entrance to the Forum and one of Oxford’s only three central dance halls had closed for good – unless Stan Rogers can get a reprieve for it.”

Stan, in fact, worked his magic and dancing continued there until the final dance on June 19, 1965.

Any more dancing memories in Oxford to share with readers? Write and let me know.