THE night of Saturday, November 14, 1981, was one many local people will never forget.

It was 20 years ago today that a massive blaze ravaged Bolton's famous Albert Hall, part of Bolton Town Hall.

The fire started just before 5pm, as the Bolton and District Horticultural and Chrysanthemum Society celebrated its 88th annual two-day show in the Albert Hall.

Treasurer of the society Mr Fred Saunders raised the alarm after he was alerted to the smell of smoke by a group of women in the hall.

Around 30 people were in the room at the time. Town hall porter John Sharples, then aged 39, and his colleague Billy McCarthy helped with the evacuation after setting off the fire alarm.

The fire service was called and 130 firefighters, using 20 pumps and 14 other fire appliances, tried -- in vain -- to save the famous building.

The hall, which was the centrepiece of the imposing Victorian building, was reduced to a charred shell with gaping holes in the roof. Thankfully, the remainder of the town hall escaped damage, due in no small part to the Albert Hall's huge, heavy wooden doors which contained the blaze. Sadly the hall's impressive 108-year-old pipe organ was destroyed.

Hundreds of on-lookers watched in disbelief as the fire took hold. Flames could be seen shooting from the roof of the town hall.

The BEN reported that bystanders were told to pray by a man who walked among the crowd. He asked people to pray for the firemen who were starting to go up extended ladders to tackle the blaze, which was by then at its height.

Once the flames had been extinguished and the town hall was declared safe, investigations started into the cause, but experts were left baffled.

We still do not know what started the blaze. Although a store room underneath the Albert Hall had been pinpointed as the place where the fire started, investigators struggled to find evidence leading to the exact cause.

When the initial shock had subsided, locals became concerned that the Albert Hall should be re-built to its former glory. It was the hub of the town's social and cultural life. Many hundreds of couples had met and fallen in love at the civic dances, which were held there almost every week for 33 years. Local organisations regarded it as the home for their major events. Parliamentary and local elections counts were held there and major international artists had performed concerts in the building.

The hall was used for all kinds of productions including films and TV documentaries.

Major politicians -- including Prime Ministers -- had made speeches from its platform. Other famous faces to grace the hall included rock bands and Royalty.

It was the centrepoint of Bolton's impressive town hall, which was opened in 1873, and cost the princely sum of £170,000 to build.

The interior was planned around the Albert Hall. It was 112ft long, 56ft wide and 56ft high. It could seat 1,000 people and hold 700 for dancing. In 1939 a new platform was erected, along with a sprung dance floor.

Impressive features of the hall included its beautiful ceiling and the famous organ, which towered over the platform. The organ, built in 1874 by Gray and Davison of London, was the source of much pride in the town.

In 1972 the Albert Hall was given an £8,000 face-lift, its first in 17 years, ready for the town hall's centenary celebrations the following year.

While the public was still grieving the loss of the Albert Hall, plans were being made to re-create its splendour.

But it would not be until November 1984 that visitors were able to see for themselves the stunning transformation.

It took three years of non-stop repair and restoration work -- and an incredible £3.6 million -- to re-build the Albert Hall.

All that remained of the main hall from the original design were the doors, which survived the blaze and saved the remainder of the town hall from damage.

A plush new carpet, eight gold chandeliers and ornate red, beige and gold plasterwork created a look of luxury which proved to be a big hit with those who feared that the original character of the Albert Hall would be lost forever.

The Albert Hall became the Albert Halls complex, with a main hall and a lower hall, known as the Festival Hall. A new £200,000 organ was given pride of place.

The new Albert Halls complex was officially unveiled with a glittering ceremony in April 1985 in an evening jointly sponsored by the BEN and Warburtons Bakeries.

The Albert Halls complex is still as popular today as it was before the infamous blaze. It has been used for many concerts and the annual pantomime has become a firm favourite with Bolton residents of all ages.