THE return of Stricttly Come Dancing to our TV screens at the weekend was all the reason we needed to delve into the archives to demonstrate that Bolton has never needed any excuse to ‘keep dancing’.

This selection of photographs shows that when it comes to hitting the dancefloor Bolton folk certainly know how to strut their stuff.

The picture (far left) shows Bolton girl Olivia Heyes with her American partner Tytus Bergstromas they prepared to compete in the under-21 International Latin Championships in 1990.

Stepping back further in time (left) Bernice Smedley, 16, and Keith Tomkins, 17, won the local heat of the Twist Championships of Great Britain at Bolton Palais in 1962.

Also discovering winning ways were members of Highfield Youth Club, Farnworth, (bottom far left) who triumphed in the Bolton district round of the Steppin Out disco championships in 1979. The trio - Christine Marsen, Angela Egerton and Suzanne Webb - were set to compete in the county final at Manchester’s Ritz Ballroom.

Blonde duo Tracey Davis and Tracie Gee danced their way into the final of the Greater Manchester Young Entertainers’ festival in 1988. The pair from Bolton’s Bradford Street Youth Club were headed to the regional final.

Back in the ballroom Emma Summer and Jonathon Broadbent from Westhoughton (below) celebrated after winning the Starcoast World Juvenile and Junior Dance Festival in Pwellheli taking the under-10s title in 1993.

A search for a ballet star was held at Bolton Town Hall in 1985 (top right) when a ballet workshop was organised by Northern Ballet.

Not all dancers stay indoors as this piecture (right) shows. Folk dancers were keen to show off their traditional routines in a Bolton park in 19064.

Finally (below right) members of Danceland at Little Hulton proudly display the trophies they won at the junior ballroom and Latin competition organised by the International Dance Teacher Association at the Forum, Wythenshawe in 1991.