Roller Skating Rink, (Palace Cinema), 6 Church Street, Westhoughton, Bolton

NEW SKATING RINK - The new skating rink was opened on Friday evening. The building has been erected from the designs of Mr. George Tonge of Southport, architect, Councillor Amos Atherton of Bolton being the builder. The estimated cost is about £1,500. [Bolton Journal & Guardian - Friday 11 March 1910 Page 7]

SKATING RINK FOR WESTHOUGHTON - On Friday evening a new roller-skating rink in Westhoughton was opened to the public, the event creating considerable public interest. The building, which is large and commodious, well adapted for its purposes, is situated neat to the Westhoughton Lancashire and Yorkshire railway station, Church Street, just opposite the old silk mill. It is 130 feet long by 70 feet wide and represents an outlay of about £1,500, the floor being maple decorated in white while Phillips light Wilmslow skates are used. In addition to the skating room there are refreshment rooms, cloak rooms, skate rooms, lavatories, etc a band stand and it has electric light fittings. The architect is Mr G Tonge (Southport) and Councillor Amos Atherton of Bolton the builder, with Mr J. P. Ball as foreman.
[Bolton Daily Chronicle 5 March 1910 page 5]

The craze for roller skating proved short-lived and by 1914 the building had been converted into the “Palace Cinema” with seating for 1,000. Closed in the 1950s It always remained known, until closure, as ‘The Rink.’ Billiard Hall above.

Reference    Bolton Journal & Guardian - Friday 11 March 1910 Page 7 
Reference    Bolton Daily Chronicle 5 March 1910 page 5