THE Lister Hall, an historic and popular venue in Dursley, has been under threat of closure for the last five years as the Lister Club has struggled to pay for increasing bills and the cost of renovations. The Gazette has launched a campaign to save the venue, which needs a substantial amount of money for refurbishment and to repair the roof.

This week Gazette reporter Claire Marshall talks to the first generation of people to use the Lister Hall to find out why it is such an important part of Dursley's history.

THE Lister Hall may be short of funds, but it is not short of history.

Those who worked for R.A. Lister from the 1920s onwards will remember the Lister club and the hall vividly as a thriving social club and a top-class entertainment facility. It was a place to socialise, play sports and watch shows.

Built in 1926 for Lister's many employees, it was always the intention that the hall would be a community facility for all to use.

Hugh Tipper, chairman of the Lister club, said if there is one thing the Lister Hall was associated with more than anything else it was dances.

"Ask anyone who worked at Lister's when they were young and they will say they met their wife at a dance in the Lister Hall," said Mr Tipper.

"The hall has been home to all kinds of things but it has mainly been the boxing, sports, evening dances and music."

The hall has seen some famous faces in its time, including Frank Highfield, a 1960s singer, Syd Lawrence playing big band hits and The Ivy League, a 1960s comedy vocal band.

Today it is still home to dance clubs, charity events and performances from the Dursley male voice choir and the Dursley operatic and dramatic society.

Ted Gaston, 94, started work for the Lister Club when he was 15, and remembers brass bands playing in the hall to packed audiences before the Second World War.

"The Lister club took me in when I was young and I worked there as an odd job man for four years.

"I remember going to watch the boxing matches and the brass band was just marvellous," he said.

Ken Bloodworth, who was a representative of the Lister Club in the 1940s and is the president today, said: "There was nowhere better to go in Dursley than the Lister Hall for dances and it is still very popular now."

Many members carry fond memories of the hall in its heyday. Les Pugh, 92, who worked at Lister's as a young man, added: "The Lister Hall must be saved at all costs."

Please support our campaign by posting your comment below.