SOME will remember it as the site where Oxford’s famous marmalade was made.

There have been plenty of reminders in Memory Lane this year that the building in Botley Road was once home to Frank Cooper Ltd, the well-known preserves company.

But it has had many other uses during its 80-year existence – as a skating rink, cinema, war evacuee hostel and, more recently, as Halfords and MFI stores.

It opened as the Oxford ice skating rink in November 1930. Skaters paid 2s 6d (12halfp) to dance to the music of Max Chappell’s orchestra on the 200ft long, 100ft wide arena.

Professional skaters gave shows there and there were also ice hockey matches, boxing and dances.

When the rink reopened after a summer break in September 1931, the Oxford Mail devoted a whole page to its plans for the new season, supported by advertisers offering skates from five shillings (25p).

In July 1933, the rink was turned into a cinema, with 2,500 seats and admission ranging from fourpence to 2s 10d.

The building reverted to an ice rink in October 1933 for the university term, but six months later, the rink closed for good.

It was replaced by the Majestic, billed as the largest picture theatre in the South Midlands.

The mayor of Oxford, Lily Tawney, refused to attend the opening ceremony because one of the films, I’m No Angel, the Amorous Adventures of a Dancing Girl, featuring Mae West, was “permissive”.

Others had no such misgivings. More than 5,000 people flocked to the first day and mounted police had to be called to control the crowds. It was so hot inside that workmen had to saw out panels of wood to allow cool air in from the vast corridors.

In 1940, the building was commandeered as a hostel for war evacuees from London and was then used by various Government departments.

After a brief spell as a hotel for Pressed Steel workers at Cowley, it was sold to Frank Cooper Ltd, which converted it into a factory for making marmalade and preserves.

When Frank Cooper left the city for Paisley in Scotland in 1967, the building was bought by MFI. Waitrose was said earlier this year to be interested in opening a store there in future.