In the summer of 1983, a General Meeting of members voted (by a majority of one!) to ask the newly elected committee to seek ways of paying off the debts and re-opening the club in the image of what it had been in those early pioneering days, a centre for socialism and feminism.
Socialism re-floated.
Socialist Halls Relaunched
Bolton Socialist Hall Ltd was relaunched in November 1983 with the sale of 'One Pound' shares. Under the original rules investors could expect no return on their investment, no annual dividend, and had only one vote no matter how many shares they held.
But there was no shortage of takers.
Other fund-raising events were organised and by the spring of 1984, the committee felt confident enough to announce that the club was about to re-open.
The Brewery Try to Pull A Fast One 1987
However, a little while after the club re-opened the brewery started hounding the new committee for what it said were debts owed by the club - all incurred before the secretary and the other committee members had even joined the club.
Eventually, in the autumn of 1987, the brewery issued the club secretary with a High Court Summons for debts totalling over £18,000.
Thankfully the action failed.
All the costs were paid by the brewery and the club was completely relieved of its heavy burden of debt.