DO you remember those heady, sweaty dance nights at Wigan Casino where people in Ben Sherman shirts and peg front flares lit up the dancefloor with their acrobatic routines?

Northern Soul, with its Hawaiian shirted, leather soled late 70s style is on its way back to Blackburn in the form of a new exhibition - and an appeal has been launched to every old swinger in town to dust off their memorabilia and help make it a success.

The search is now on for old records, badges and other memorabilia from the era of Northern Soul.

Steve Morris, exhibitions officer at Blackburn Museum, is hoping that local soul lovers will help him in his search for genuine souvenirs of the era, such as the badges people could buy at the events, programmes, the peg front trousers, Hawaiian shirts and other fashions.

He is also hoping fans may be able lend the museum rare promotional tracks for the exhibition, which will be accompanied by music from artistes such as Ike and Tina Turner, the Soul Sisters and Major Lance.

It is all part of a revival being planned for next year, when a festival of Northern Soul will be held, along with a series of all night raves, to mark the 25th anniversary of the first ever dance all nighter held at Wigan Casino.

Anyone with anything to lend the museum should contact Steve Morris on 667130.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.