HUNDREDS of young people learned ballroom dancing at the dance school run by Anne and Michael O’Hagan.

The couple spent many hours a week at St Michael’s Hall, in Shoe Lane, off New Inn Hall Street, Oxford, passing on their skills.

We were reminded of Anne and Michael by former pupil Bob Hounslow, of Squires Close, Brize Norton, who went on to enjoy a lifetime of dancing with his wife Daphne (Memory Lane, July 26).

Bob writes: “Dancing was their whole life. They held dancing classes on Monday and Tuesday evenings, practised together the rest of the week, gave private lessons all day on Saturdays and held a general dance in the evening.

“On Sundays, they went to London for tuition from the ex-world champion, Victor Barrett.

“Michael also held down a full-time job as a foreman at Pressed Steel, Cowley.

“In the classes, they taught dance steps at bronze, silver and gold medal level and went to endless trouble to ensure everyone fully understood the steps they had been taught.

“If you wished to go on from there, you took private lessons.”

Every six months, the O’Hagans held a medal presentation evening and invited a top class dance couple to give a demonstration and hand out the awards.

Bob recalls: “They were always very keen on the correct footwork and even in the relaxed atmosphere of the Saturday night dance, you knew they were watching you.

“Put a foot wrong and you would be politely taken to one side and shown how to dance properly next time.

“Years later, we would be at a dance and after doing perhaps a sloppy spin turn, look guiltily to the heavens and say: ‘Sorry, Michael’.”

Sadly, Michael died at 52, leaving Anne to carry on the school on her own.

Bob tells me: “His death was not only a sad loss to his family but also to dancing.

“He was a man who had put his heart and soul into introducing so many people to the pleasures of ballroom dancing.”

Any other memories of the dance school to share with readers?