CHIPPENHAM NEWS: A MOTHER-OF-TWO who met her husband at Goldiggers nightclub has bought its trademark pink neon sign on an auction website.

Tracey Griffiths, 40, of Swindon, was the winning bidder for the last remaining nightclub sign on website eBay this week.

The garden furniture designer, previously of Allington Way, Chippenham, met her husband Dave at the nightclub in the early 1980s.

She has now installed the sign at her home as a permanent reminder of the Chippenham nightclub.

Mrs Griffiths said: "If anyone had said one day I'll be buying that sign when I'm 40 years old I wouldn't have believed them.

"I have so many fantastic memories, we had a great time there and when I saw the sign on the internet I knew I had to have it.

"I was there one night with my friend Tracy, we were a bit of an icon in those days, and Dave and his mate were eyeing us up, but we both fancied his friend.

"Dave came up and asked me to dance and I thought 'I've got the short straw here', but Tracy never saw her dance partner again while I ended up getting

married to mine and we've had 16 years of happy marriage."

Goldiggers nightclub was open for more than 15 years and during the 1980s Mrs Griffiths, formerly Spear, danced to bands including Haircut 100, Banarama, Feargal Sharkey, Depeche Mode and Yazoo.

The mother of Tasha, 12, and Sam, 10, picked up the sign for £350 on Sunday.

It now takes pride of place in a new leisure room the Griffiths family have created in their back garden.

Goldiggers nightclub was demolished in January and will be replaced with 49 flats for the elderly.

The building was originally built in the 1930s as Gaumont Cinema.

Mrs Griffiths said: "I'm really upset it was knocked down. I'm sad for the people of Chippenham because it would have been an ideal location for something really good for young people."

The pink neon sign was rescued from the demolition and put on the internet by Paul Hargreaves of Preservation of Goldiggers Gaumont (POGG).

He said: "I am really pleased it has gone to somebody who is a serious Goldiggers fan and we are confident they are going to take care of it."

Ten decorated plasterboards from the former Goldiggers nightclub are now up for auction on eBay.