FEW Barrow buildings can have provided more fun or hosted more stars than the Rink.

Its long and fascinating story has been told by Barrow big band music enthusiast Ray Hewson in a new book called The Rink Files.

Mr Hewson said: “Enjoying a night or two at the popular venue on the Strand – now part of the Barrow Morrison’s supermarket – was very much part of Barrow vibrant leisure scene for decades.”

The building is best known as The Rink but has been called the Drill Hall, Casino Skating Rink, the Palais Ballroom and Barrow Bowl.

It has seen the top names in dance band music, pop music, union meetings, boxing, world-class table tennis, wrestling and darts.

Mr Hewson lists all of them and adds background information on many of The Rink performers and what was happening in Barrow and the wider world when they visited.

There is also a host of photographs of star names and illustrations by Mr Hewson’s cousin Brian Miller, who died recently.

The resident band for many of the years Mr Hewson went to The Rink was the Music Masters.

He said: “I’m no expert, I just know what I like and for me and many others the Music Masters was a band par excellence.”

The band won the All Britain Semi-Professional Dance Band Championship in 1957.

Back in its Drill Hall days some 3,000 people were crammed in during the mid 1880s for a meeting on Home Rule for Ireland.

Barrow AFC was born there as a result of a meeting in 1901 and in August 1891 it has a royal visit by Princess Louise to open a charity fair for Barrow’s St George’s parish.

In November 1909 it hosted the Royal Italian Circus – with a full orchestra and 200 performing animals.

A music and dance licence was granted in 1929 and on December 21 it opened as the Casino Wonder Rink with admission at 1/6 (7p) – including skates.

The wonderful mix of entertainment continued and in December 1936 some 2,500 fans watched boxing – with another 500 turned away.

April 1949 saw the visit of the Joe Loss Orchestra – with its signature tune of In the Mood.

Mr Hewson said: “The orchestra was one of the most successful acts of the big band era and his records are still played today.”

Other stars followed in the 1950s, including The Ray Ellington Quartet, the Johnny Dankworth Seven with singer Cleo Laine, Ted Heath and His Music, George Melly, Vince Hill and Acker Bilk and His Paramount Jazz Band.

The 1960s also brought some of the big acts of the pop music era, including Joe Brown, The Shadows, Gene Vincent and guitar player Bert Weedon.

Billy J. Kramer and The Dakotas appeared in June 1963. Tickets were six shillings (30p) and Bill’s big hit was Do You Want To Know A Secret which was number two in the singles chart.

On September 30 in 1965 the Barrow Mayor Tommy Taylor opened the 10-lane bowling venue Barrow Bowl after a £100,000 revamp.

He said: “Barrow Bowl was certainly the top leisure centre for the town during the late 1960s and 1970s.”

In the 1980s it was TV darts stars and top comics who brought in the crowds, including Roy Walker, Les Dennis and Phil Cool.

The Rink Files is available in very limited numbers for £10, including postage, from Ray Hewson at 2 Cumbria View, Walney, LA14 3HP