THE last dance in their local church hall tonight will hail the end of an era for this York couple who have waltzed the light fantastic for more than half-a-century.

Doreen and Walter Green, of Kentmere Drive, Rawcliffe, found romance on the dance floor of St Clement's church hall, York, in 1953 - but for now they have to hang up their dancing shoes as the hall is shutting. The hall requires repairs which the church cannot afford to carry out and instead, the building is being sold.

The couple are disappointed and although Walter is now 88 and almost blind, they say they will be dusting off their shoes again soon.

Doreen, 74, was introduced to dancing by her mother in the mid-1940s. And it was at St Clement's, while dancing the Waltz Marie in 1953, that she met Walter.

Two years later they announced their engagement.

The light-footed couple continued to share many happy evenings at the hall before putting their hobby on hold - two weeks before the birth of their first child. But after raising their son and daughter, it was time for the Greens to resume dancing.

Doreen said: "At this time we didn't go regularly to St Clement's, but have always had a very soft spot for this hall and its dancing.

"Our favourite occasion was the New Year's Eve dance - it was always a lovely event, and good old-fashioned dance made it even more special than these modern discos."

The years have seen many changes at the hall. Doreen remembers old-time dances during the war to a three-piece band. Later sequence dances were introduced and eventually live music was replaced first with records and then CDs.

Updated: 09:43 Saturday, April 28, 2001