Nostalgic black-and-white photos show iconic Strictly venue Blackpool Ballroom was thronged with dancers in its heyday

THANKS to its lavishly patterned floor, ornate stage and grand balconies, the Blackpool Tower Ballroom is a must-visit for dance enthusiasts.

Now, a nostalgia-inducing series of black and white photographs has revealed what the spectacular venue was like in its heyday.

From smartly-dressed soldiers coyly asking women to boogie to loved-up couples waltzing around the room, the stunning images make you want to grab your dance shoes and hit the town.

Images captured in the 50s show Tower staff dolled up in their gladrags and posing for a group shot.

Partygoers are seen resting their feet and enjoying a tipple at the ballroom’s bar, which is the longest in Britain.

Glamorous shots of the British Professional Ballroom Championships and competitors nervously waiting to be scored by the eagle-eyed judges are also featured.

The ballroom has hosted hundreds of competitions over the years, including the Blackpool Dance Festival, the Professional American Smooth Championships and the Freestyle Tournament.

Shocking pictures taken in 1956 show the devastation left behind after a fire swept through the ballroom floor and restaurant.

Restoration took two years and cost £500,000, with many of the former designers and builders coming out of retirement to assist.

Since 2004 Strictly Come Dancing has filmed a Blackpool Tower Ballroom special.

The BBC1 talent programme hits the road every year and makes a pilgrimage up north with its suitcase full of fake tan, flesh-flashing costumes and glittery make-up.

Contestants including Jill Halfpenny, who dazzled with her Jive, Ann Widdecombe, who sent jaws dropping with her samba, and Harry Judd, who danced the quickstep, have all been fortunate enough to shake their tail feather in Blackpool.

Before the celebrities even think about winning the competition, their sole aim is to get to Blackpool.

The trip is around mid-way through the competition and all the contestants covet the opportunity to perform in the iconic ballroom to show off what they’ve learned so far.

The venue is where the original Come Dancing series was filmed in the 1970s and the block wooden floor is famously springy underfoot (to reduce the impact on the dancers’ joints).

The ballroom is far larger than the BBC Strictly studio at 11 sq m, and the celebrities feel a real excitement and honour to dance there.

For the professional dancers, it’s a return to where many of them will have competed during their careers, with numerous national and international competitions being held there.

The ballroom is located inside the iconic Blackpool Tower and is an institution.

Standing proudly on the Blackpool seafront, the tower is an imposing 158 m tall and welcomes over 650,000 visitors per year.

The Tower was built in 1894 and the magical ballroom with its spectacular architecture and unique sprung floor is world-famous.

There is dancing on the celebrated floor every day, and visitors can take a whirl themselves or watch others during one of the daily tea dances.