TRAVEL BLOG & NEWS 2013
December Tour of Christmas Party Dances
Saturday 14th we set off for Leicester to attend Glenfield’s party dance with Dianne & Terry Harris area representatives for Somerset & Wiltshire. There was a nice party atmosphere with Mike & Pat introducing some fun dances into the programme. The bring and share supper had produced the usual excellent spread and a large raffle in aid of Help the Heroes. We left Leicester but did not have to travel all the way home because Michelle kindly offered to put the four of us up for the weekend. As we were staying in Lincoln we had taken the opportunity to book tickets for Juro Dancers Christmas dance in Woodmansey Hull. With June & Ron leading, a bucks fizz fountain, live music, beautiful Christmas decorations and a great programme of old time dancing along with spot prizes we enjoyed another afternoon with friends. We managed to get back to Michelle’s village for the carol service which was nice to round the day off. Early Monday morning we were on our way back South to Normandy because we had been invited to Summertime’s Christmas party dance. With a red and green theme and a happy atmosphere we had a great festive afternoon of old time dancing. Richard was on the bottle again not drinking just spinning for the spot prizes and we are now looking forward to their Bournemouth holiday which we know will be another fun packed weekend. Thanks to Terry & Dianne who did all the driving and to everyone who made us welcome making it a lovely weekend.
The last day of November Saturday 30th Hazel and I had a trip down to Normandy for Summertime’s Old Time dance. It was very well supported with over 70 attending and excellent music by David Last. Very nice programme of old time and classical, one of our favourite waltz’s was on the programme the Winter Waltz. As usual there was a good friendly atmosphere, Richard & Joyce made it a very enjoyable evening along with the help from the younger leaders Hilary & Nigel. Their next old time dance is on March 15th 2014 with David Last. We are now looking forward to their Bournemouth holiday in January 2014, they have a few rooms left, contact Joyce Hutchins for further information.
November 2013 Walking and Dancing Break in Dorset
Eight friends out walking one day had an idea how about a walking break with dancing…. an idea was born. The result was 28 friends booked into a country hotel in Dorset that had a small dance floor that was big enough for us. The Hotel is well known to walkers but not to dancers. We had booked all the rooms and had the hotel to ourselves. The majority of the group arrived for lunch on Monday and then walked through the village to the beach, it was misty the first day but it was very mild for the time of year. We walked along the pebble beach and built a large stone cairn and several small ones to say we had been there.
On the Second and third days we awoke to sunshine and clear blue skies (in November ?) The Hotel located on the south west coastal path gave easy access to cliff top walks and groups set out each morning to walk different sections of the coastal path. On Tuesday the biggest group walked from Eype’s Mouth to Seatown on a roller coaster walk ascending and descending the coastal path included climbing to Thorncombe Beacon, it was worth it for the fabulous views. On Wednesday we walked the coastal path to West Bay and then walked on into Bridport for the weekly market. Some of the group who had not wanted to walk had driven to some of the many beauty spots / attractions in the area but on Wednesday afternoon we all agreed to meet at Charmouth Beach for Fossil hunting.
There were one or two dubious finds but we had a great deal of fun looking although, as you can imagine, we gained some strange looks from walkers who saw a group of pensioners smashing rocks with everything from lump hammers to toffee hammers. They probably thought it was some kind of therapy session. We danced all three evenings on the dance floor, which was just the right size for our group (28). Large enough for us to dance but small enough to allow an intimate atmosphere. The programmes each evening included at least one set dance and 2 or 3 fun dances, mostly old time, with a few modern sequence and ballroom dances. Sue and Janet danced the Chicago swing and we even had a demonstration of the Argentine Stroll. We also managed to fit in a pantomime and Ken’s story time. On Monday as it was Remembrance Day Dot read a story about the last post, three tenors (better known as the three five bobs) made an appearance, during the holiday, to sing Doris Day, Secret Love. Sue wrote a poem, (see below) for the last evening, about the holiday. The only sad part about the break was, due to the sunshine, Margaret as, “Wet Weather Entertainments Manager”, had to be paid off due to the sunshine. In quieter times during the day Oxford and Leicester had a card game running and there were practice sessions for dances like the Blaydon Races and Chapeloise or better known as Gay Gordons Margaret Style. The Hotel accommodation with its excellent selection of rooms, the location, good food, brilliant weather, the walking, dancing and banter all combined to make it a brilliant break.
The Statistics Old Time dances 68 Ballroom and Sequence dances 29
Set Dances 3 Fun Dances 8
We all had a call from this couple in Bath
Let's go on holiday it'll be a good laugh
So we all travelled here, from the north, from the south
To this quaint little place that's known as Eypes mouth
Lots of walking and dancing, we might just get thinner
But have you seen what we got for our breakfast and dinner
Lots of laughing and dancing and we’ve seen some great sites
Does anyone know if Margaret caught crabs in her tights
So it's thank you to Hazel and it's thank you to Paul
These last few days have just been a ball
With a lockstep, feather step chasse corner chain
Perhaps next year we could do it all again
Sue Hamm, Leicester
The Old Time Dance Society Autumn weekend Eastbourne
We travelled to Eastbourne on the Thursday allowing us an extra day to settle in and couldn’t believe how mild it was for October. We stayed at the Chatsworth hotel which is right on the front and just right for a walk along the prom, easy access to the shops and the Assembly Hall where we danced for three evenings. Hazel and I led on the Saturday night and have been overwhelmed by the support we received from members, including friends from Summertime Dancing who came just for the one night. Sadly Malcolm Wilce was unable to attend due to ill health, David Ingley played some super music on the Friday night and recorded music was used on the Saturday and Sunday evenings. I prepared a programme of music on my laptop for
Saturday using a variety of musicians and music including some traditional tunes, some more up to date tunes and of course some sing-a-long tunes. Those attending told us they thoroughly enjoyed our music and dance programme. We included the Winter Waltz a particular favourite of ours and although it was one of the newer dances seemed to be enjoyed by a great many dancers on the night. We managed to get out and about at Eastbourne and enjoyed the area including the marina, shopping and Beachy head, although we went there on Sunday when the storm was building up and we had a job to stand up.
Summertime Dancing report by Nigel Carter 27/10/2013
The OTDS Autumn Weekend in Eastbourne was held on the weekend when the UK was hit by Storm St Jude on the Sunday night. Despite this three members of Summertime (Joyce, Rhona and Florence) went down for all three days whereas Richard and my wife and I could only go down for the main Ball on Saturday night due to prior commitments. Therefore this report only covers the Saturday night. It was a memorable journey down on Saturday trying out the M25 in both directions. As the main hotel was full we stayed in an excellent Premier Inn on the outskirts of Eastbourne. I assume the staff were celebrating Halloween early as they were all dressed as Vampires and ghouls.
Saturday Night Dance
Music for the weekend was to be provided by Malcolm Wilce but he failed to turn up due to illness. Therefore the music was provided by the popular MCs for the evening Paul (OTDS Chairman) & Hazel Harding. Their selection of music was so good that we quickly forgot the lack of an organist. Paul and Hazel generated an excellent fun filled atmosphere and their leading off was greeted with tumultuous applause and cheers. The location for the weekend was the Assembly Hall at the Town Hall. Apparently the floor was extremely sticky on the Friday night so Paul & Hazel and other volunteers spent Saturday cleaning the floor which worked wonders.
The dance programme was varied with something for everyone. There was one fairly new classical dance on the programme - the Winter Waltz which I was pleased to see was danced by the majority present. There were also a range of more Traditional Old Time dances such as the Alison & Chester Waltzes, Serene & Kaybee Saunter and the Waverley Two Step. The Leaders dances were the Tango Solair and the Bambi Blues. The progressive dance was the Anniversary Two Step and the Tango Serida. The set dance was the Lancers which was well supported with eight sets taking part. A very large raffle was held and Richard managed to win a prize which was the icing on his evening.
The evening was a great success and I heard nothing but positive feedback from the other attendees I spoke to. We all enjoyed the evening immensely and hope to see Paul & Hazel running another OTDS evening before long.
Bath Old Time Dancers
August dance was well supported with 44 attending even though it was another very hot evening. It was nice to have some visitors with us including some who stayed for the weekend. The dance programme included a Polka and Mazurka which everybody joined in with, also on the programme some newer dances Shimmering Waltz, Let’s Swing and traditional favourites Classic Gavotte and Saunter Reve.
On the Saturday seven of us took the opportunity to do a treasure trail around the nearby market town of Bradford on Avon. (Anyone attending the Old Time Dance Society Autumn weekend 2014 it is well worth a visit). The sun shone as we set off so we left all our wet gear in the cars, as the day progressed, storm clouds threatened and we dodge the showers by sheltering in a Saxon church and a small chapel. However, by mid-afternoon there was no sheltering as the rain was heavy. Michelle and Sid were dispatched to a nearby shop to purchase umbrellas while the rest of the group waited under an arch. No umbrellas to be found but they purchased designer macs for us all fashioned from black bin liners.
Sunday July 7th we attended Normandy for Richard & Joyce’s second Sunday afternoon dance to celebrate the wonderful sounds of Bryan Smith & his Orchestras. All the music was played from vinyl records. Memories of Bryan playing on Canberra, CD labels and lots of pictures were being shown on a screen at the rear of the stage from a projector. Another great afternoon of old time dancing, it was a very hot afternoon but then it is Summertime. Everyone contributed to the bring and share to make a splendid afternoon tea.
June was a busy month visiting and dancing in Lancashire, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. Having booked Grahame and Bernice Baldwin’s weekend holiday in Morecambe we took the opportunity to make a week of it when they invited Dianne, Terry and us to stay with them. We arrived at lunch time on Monday and we set off on a treasure trail in the pretty village of Whalley. On the Tuesday Grahame and Bernice took us to Saltaire, the town built by Titus Salt between 1851 and
1876 for his workers, when he moved them and his mills out of Bradford, Grahame and Bernice acted as our guides and we can recommend it as a very interesting place to visit. It was a lovely sunny day and we picnicked by the river. Wednesday the hottest day of the week we set off for Blackpool and danced in the tower ballroom all day, enjoying a cream tea and the music of Chris Hopkins and Phil Kelso on the Wurlitzer.
The next morning we headed for Morecambe and arrived just after midday, our rooms were ready so having quickly unpacked we went for a stroll to explore Morecambe as it was the first time Dianne Terry and ourselves had visited Morecambe. On Friday the weather was a little blustery but it was dry. We walked along the front had our picture taken with the Statue of Eric Morecambe and walked out onto the stone Pier where we stopped for coffee. Grahame and Bernice returned to the hotel to great their guests and we found the shopping arcade. The sun came out in the afternoon and we rested ready for the evenings dancing. The Friday programme as all the programmes for the weekend was a good balance of traditional dances, Fylde & Chrysanthemum Waltz’s through to fun dances like Swedish Mascaraed and Virginia Reel. The forecast for Saturday was rain all day and Grahame and Bernice held a request dance for those who did not want to chance the weather. We ventured out and headed for the covered market after a browse and a cup of coffee we decided to catch the bus to the seaside village of Heysham. The rain had stopped and we enjoyed exploring the village with its 17th century cottages, pretty floral displays, the little St Peter’s Church and the ruins of St Patrick’s chapel. In the grounds of the Saxon chapel there are stone graves carved from the rock. We headed back to Morecambe to prepare for another full night of dancing. Rain delayed play again on Sunday morning so we decided to use the car and drive to Carnforth and visit the station heritage centre the station was used to film Brief Encounter. There are interesting displays on steam trains, the history of the British seaside holiday and the British film industry. There is a screen showing Brief Encounter and we were impressed with the Brief Encounter refreshment room which has been restored to its 1940 period glory. Sunday night was party night and everyone joined in with the party atmosphere as we were transported back to the roaring twenties. It was a great weekend, based in a comfortable hotel with excellent food and service, good company plenty of old time dancing to the lovely music of Elizabeth Harrison with lots of fun.
Home for a few days and we were back up the motorway to Lincoln to Michelle Body’s dance in Swinderby. Another full house with a fantastic atmosphere, a good programme of old time dances, including a few newer ones. Michelle produced her usual excellent two course supper including lots of strawberries and never ending jugs of pimms. We stayed with Michelle and travelled on Sunday with her other house guests to Elland for the afternoon dance with Kath and Keith Jackson. Another great afternoon of old time dancing, Kath introduced us to an “old”, old time dance the Quaker Waltz a pretty dance that we would like to introduce at Bath.
The Old Time Dance Society Ball of the Year Weston-Super-Mare
It was a little overcast on the Friday as we made our way to Weston-Super-Mare for the Ball of the Year weekend, only an hour travelling for us this time. As members arrived throughout the day there were discussions on who had followed their “sat nav” and come off the M5 at jct. 21 and had a precarious journey through very narrow lanes and those who had followed the travel information they were provided with and came off at jct. 22. The Webbington Hotel & Spa was our base for the weekend and members set out over the weekend to explore the area enjoying visits to Wells, Glastonbury, Street, Cheddar and the coastal locations in the area. There was a little hiccup with breakfast on the first morning when we all turned up for breakfast together (108). I had warned them this would happen but they thought we would come in gradually, after a few chosen words things were sorted for the following morning. The accommodation, food and service were very good and the staff, were very helpful. Our main objective for the weekend was dancing and the ballroom at the Winter Gardens did not disappoint. It was good to have such a large group of dancers from Bath and surrounding areas attend the Ball. There were 170 dancers on Friday and Sunday with a 190 on Saturday. Peter & Marjorie Bowler provided an excellent programme to start the weekend, unfortunately the start had to be delayed by about 10 minutes because of a local school prom. The youngsters turned up in limousines, fire engines and lorries and with only a small access road, they caused havoc on the promenade and our coaches were stuck in the traffic. The Saturday Ball was led by Sue Bourroughs and Andrew Davies, it was an honour to have them as leaders for the Old Time Dance Society and a joy to watch. Robert & Christine Haywood created a brilliant atmosphere with their fabulous leading to close the weekend. The superb music of David Ingley combined with the leaders programmes created an excellent weekend of old time dancing.
Saturday 18th May we visited Normandy for their Old Time Dance. Another full house with super music from David Last. During the evening pictures that had been taken during the last year at Summertime dance club and holidays were shown on a large screen behind the organist on the stage. A varied programme of Classical and Traditional Old Time dances was enjoyed by all. Richard spun his bottle for progressive dances allocating many spot prizes. Our friends Terry & Dianne Harris also travelled with us, they are the new Old Time Dance Society’s Area Representatives for Somerset and Wiltshire. This is a long journey for us but well worth the travelling.
At the beginning of May we had our friends Grahame & Bernice from Burnley staying with us, we showed them around the local area and travelled to Keynsham, Portishead, Weston-Super-Mare and Hemel Hempstead. We started their visit with dancing at the Keynsham club with leaders Des & Doreen Derrick. The following day with the sun shining we took them on a tour of the City of Bath. On Thursday the good weather continued and after a lunch with Dianne & Terry at their home in Portishead we all went to Weston-Super-Mare for an organ concert by Elizabeth Harrison, who will be playing for the Old Time Dance Society in 2015. We all enjoyed a cream tea on the seafront prior to the concert. On Friday morning we visited the National Trust property, Prior Park, beautiful 18th century landscape gardens. In the evening Grahame & Bernice joined Bath Old Time Dancers for our monthly dance which was well supported with 38 dancers. Their visit ended at Hemel Hemstead for Brian Faulkner’s dance at Adeyfield.
The last Friday of April 2013 we visited Dorchester and paid a visit to Brian Webber’s dance in the boy’s Brigade Hall. We were made very welcome and it was good to see a large group of dancers enjoying old time. We were not the only visitors that evening, are friends Terry & Dianne met us there on their way home from holiday and it was nice to catch up with Michael Mann and his partner Betty who were also holidaying in the area. Michael is one of the founder members of the Old Time Dance Society and it was interesting to talk to him. Thanks to Brian and everyone for an enjoyable evening including the usual fun.
Easter Saturday we attended the old time dance at Summertime dancing and enjoyed the super music by David Last. There was a very good turnout for this bank holiday weekend from members and visitors. Richard & Joyce led a varied programme that included traditional and classical old time dances. There was the usual good fun with an Easter theme that included a slide show of Easter and Spring time images displayed and plenty of chocolate eggs for spot prizes.
The Old Time Dance Society Spring Weekend at Harrogate
At the end of March we joined 90 dancers at the Cairn Hotel in Harrogate for the Spring Weekend. Having listened to the weather forecast we travelled up late on the Thursday night to avoid driving through the snow, this also gave us the advantage of having three full days to enjoy the weekend. As always happens when friends come together there was a happy atmosphere all weekend and we enjoyed three wonderful evenings of Old Time Dancing with leaders Ron and June Urquhart on Friday, and Keith and Kath Jackson on Sunday. On Saturday a group of us ventured out in the snow, walking in the Valley Gardens that had been transformed into a winter wonderland and on the Sunday we managed to complete a treasure trail around Harrogate enabling us to see more of this lovely spa town.
In March 2013 we had a weekend staying with our friend Michelle in Lincoln and enjoyed the dance at Sheffield. We danced the Dolly Weaver, which is on Keith & Kath Jackson's Sunday night programme at the Spring weekend Harrogate. On Sunday afternoon we paid our first visit to Precious Dancers, Sheffield, leaders Grace & Arnold Precious. It was a very friendly afternoon in a lovely venue with a nice dance floor. We braved the snow on Monday morning for a walk through the village to Michelle's local church for the coffee morning, when we went to leave the church there was a blizzard blowing and we thought we would be marooned but luckily it soon cleared. On our return journey home later that day we drove through sun, sleet, fog and snow.
Saturday 14th we set off for Leicester to attend Glenfield’s party dance with Dianne & Terry Harris area representatives for Somerset & Wiltshire. There was a nice party atmosphere with Mike & Pat introducing some fun dances into the programme. The bring and share supper had produced the usual excellent spread and a large raffle in aid of Help the Heroes. We left Leicester but did not have to travel all the way home because Michelle kindly offered to put the four of us up for the weekend. As we were staying in Lincoln we had taken the opportunity to book tickets for Juro Dancers Christmas dance in Woodmansey Hull. With June & Ron leading, a bucks fizz fountain, live music, beautiful Christmas decorations and a great programme of old time dancing along with spot prizes we enjoyed another afternoon with friends. We managed to get back to Michelle’s village for the carol service which was nice to round the day off. Early Monday morning we were on our way back South to Normandy because we had been invited to Summertime’s Christmas party dance. With a red and green theme and a happy atmosphere we had a great festive afternoon of old time dancing. Richard was on the bottle again not drinking just spinning for the spot prizes and we are now looking forward to their Bournemouth holiday which we know will be another fun packed weekend. Thanks to Terry & Dianne who did all the driving and to everyone who made us welcome making it a lovely weekend.
The last day of November Saturday 30th Hazel and I had a trip down to Normandy for Summertime’s Old Time dance. It was very well supported with over 70 attending and excellent music by David Last. Very nice programme of old time and classical, one of our favourite waltz’s was on the programme the Winter Waltz. As usual there was a good friendly atmosphere, Richard & Joyce made it a very enjoyable evening along with the help from the younger leaders Hilary & Nigel. Their next old time dance is on March 15th 2014 with David Last. We are now looking forward to their Bournemouth holiday in January 2014, they have a few rooms left, contact Joyce Hutchins for further information.
November 2013 Walking and Dancing Break in Dorset
Eight friends out walking one day had an idea how about a walking break with dancing…. an idea was born. The result was 28 friends booked into a country hotel in Dorset that had a small dance floor that was big enough for us. The Hotel is well known to walkers but not to dancers. We had booked all the rooms and had the hotel to ourselves. The majority of the group arrived for lunch on Monday and then walked through the village to the beach, it was misty the first day but it was very mild for the time of year. We walked along the pebble beach and built a large stone cairn and several small ones to say we had been there.
On the Second and third days we awoke to sunshine and clear blue skies (in November ?) The Hotel located on the south west coastal path gave easy access to cliff top walks and groups set out each morning to walk different sections of the coastal path. On Tuesday the biggest group walked from Eype’s Mouth to Seatown on a roller coaster walk ascending and descending the coastal path included climbing to Thorncombe Beacon, it was worth it for the fabulous views. On Wednesday we walked the coastal path to West Bay and then walked on into Bridport for the weekly market. Some of the group who had not wanted to walk had driven to some of the many beauty spots / attractions in the area but on Wednesday afternoon we all agreed to meet at Charmouth Beach for Fossil hunting.
There were one or two dubious finds but we had a great deal of fun looking although, as you can imagine, we gained some strange looks from walkers who saw a group of pensioners smashing rocks with everything from lump hammers to toffee hammers. They probably thought it was some kind of therapy session. We danced all three evenings on the dance floor, which was just the right size for our group (28). Large enough for us to dance but small enough to allow an intimate atmosphere. The programmes each evening included at least one set dance and 2 or 3 fun dances, mostly old time, with a few modern sequence and ballroom dances. Sue and Janet danced the Chicago swing and we even had a demonstration of the Argentine Stroll. We also managed to fit in a pantomime and Ken’s story time. On Monday as it was Remembrance Day Dot read a story about the last post, three tenors (better known as the three five bobs) made an appearance, during the holiday, to sing Doris Day, Secret Love. Sue wrote a poem, (see below) for the last evening, about the holiday. The only sad part about the break was, due to the sunshine, Margaret as, “Wet Weather Entertainments Manager”, had to be paid off due to the sunshine. In quieter times during the day Oxford and Leicester had a card game running and there were practice sessions for dances like the Blaydon Races and Chapeloise or better known as Gay Gordons Margaret Style. The Hotel accommodation with its excellent selection of rooms, the location, good food, brilliant weather, the walking, dancing and banter all combined to make it a brilliant break.
The Statistics Old Time dances 68 Ballroom and Sequence dances 29
Set Dances 3 Fun Dances 8
We all had a call from this couple in Bath
Let's go on holiday it'll be a good laugh
So we all travelled here, from the north, from the south
To this quaint little place that's known as Eypes mouth
Lots of walking and dancing, we might just get thinner
But have you seen what we got for our breakfast and dinner
Lots of laughing and dancing and we’ve seen some great sites
Does anyone know if Margaret caught crabs in her tights
So it's thank you to Hazel and it's thank you to Paul
These last few days have just been a ball
With a lockstep, feather step chasse corner chain
Perhaps next year we could do it all again
Sue Hamm, Leicester
The Old Time Dance Society Autumn weekend Eastbourne
We travelled to Eastbourne on the Thursday allowing us an extra day to settle in and couldn’t believe how mild it was for October. We stayed at the Chatsworth hotel which is right on the front and just right for a walk along the prom, easy access to the shops and the Assembly Hall where we danced for three evenings. Hazel and I led on the Saturday night and have been overwhelmed by the support we received from members, including friends from Summertime Dancing who came just for the one night. Sadly Malcolm Wilce was unable to attend due to ill health, David Ingley played some super music on the Friday night and recorded music was used on the Saturday and Sunday evenings. I prepared a programme of music on my laptop for
Saturday using a variety of musicians and music including some traditional tunes, some more up to date tunes and of course some sing-a-long tunes. Those attending told us they thoroughly enjoyed our music and dance programme. We included the Winter Waltz a particular favourite of ours and although it was one of the newer dances seemed to be enjoyed by a great many dancers on the night. We managed to get out and about at Eastbourne and enjoyed the area including the marina, shopping and Beachy head, although we went there on Sunday when the storm was building up and we had a job to stand up.
Summertime Dancing report by Nigel Carter 27/10/2013
The OTDS Autumn Weekend in Eastbourne was held on the weekend when the UK was hit by Storm St Jude on the Sunday night. Despite this three members of Summertime (Joyce, Rhona and Florence) went down for all three days whereas Richard and my wife and I could only go down for the main Ball on Saturday night due to prior commitments. Therefore this report only covers the Saturday night. It was a memorable journey down on Saturday trying out the M25 in both directions. As the main hotel was full we stayed in an excellent Premier Inn on the outskirts of Eastbourne. I assume the staff were celebrating Halloween early as they were all dressed as Vampires and ghouls.
Saturday Night Dance
Music for the weekend was to be provided by Malcolm Wilce but he failed to turn up due to illness. Therefore the music was provided by the popular MCs for the evening Paul (OTDS Chairman) & Hazel Harding. Their selection of music was so good that we quickly forgot the lack of an organist. Paul and Hazel generated an excellent fun filled atmosphere and their leading off was greeted with tumultuous applause and cheers. The location for the weekend was the Assembly Hall at the Town Hall. Apparently the floor was extremely sticky on the Friday night so Paul & Hazel and other volunteers spent Saturday cleaning the floor which worked wonders.
The dance programme was varied with something for everyone. There was one fairly new classical dance on the programme - the Winter Waltz which I was pleased to see was danced by the majority present. There were also a range of more Traditional Old Time dances such as the Alison & Chester Waltzes, Serene & Kaybee Saunter and the Waverley Two Step. The Leaders dances were the Tango Solair and the Bambi Blues. The progressive dance was the Anniversary Two Step and the Tango Serida. The set dance was the Lancers which was well supported with eight sets taking part. A very large raffle was held and Richard managed to win a prize which was the icing on his evening.
The evening was a great success and I heard nothing but positive feedback from the other attendees I spoke to. We all enjoyed the evening immensely and hope to see Paul & Hazel running another OTDS evening before long.
Bath Old Time Dancers
August dance was well supported with 44 attending even though it was another very hot evening. It was nice to have some visitors with us including some who stayed for the weekend. The dance programme included a Polka and Mazurka which everybody joined in with, also on the programme some newer dances Shimmering Waltz, Let’s Swing and traditional favourites Classic Gavotte and Saunter Reve.
On the Saturday seven of us took the opportunity to do a treasure trail around the nearby market town of Bradford on Avon. (Anyone attending the Old Time Dance Society Autumn weekend 2014 it is well worth a visit). The sun shone as we set off so we left all our wet gear in the cars, as the day progressed, storm clouds threatened and we dodge the showers by sheltering in a Saxon church and a small chapel. However, by mid-afternoon there was no sheltering as the rain was heavy. Michelle and Sid were dispatched to a nearby shop to purchase umbrellas while the rest of the group waited under an arch. No umbrellas to be found but they purchased designer macs for us all fashioned from black bin liners.
Sunday July 7th we attended Normandy for Richard & Joyce’s second Sunday afternoon dance to celebrate the wonderful sounds of Bryan Smith & his Orchestras. All the music was played from vinyl records. Memories of Bryan playing on Canberra, CD labels and lots of pictures were being shown on a screen at the rear of the stage from a projector. Another great afternoon of old time dancing, it was a very hot afternoon but then it is Summertime. Everyone contributed to the bring and share to make a splendid afternoon tea.
June was a busy month visiting and dancing in Lancashire, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. Having booked Grahame and Bernice Baldwin’s weekend holiday in Morecambe we took the opportunity to make a week of it when they invited Dianne, Terry and us to stay with them. We arrived at lunch time on Monday and we set off on a treasure trail in the pretty village of Whalley. On the Tuesday Grahame and Bernice took us to Saltaire, the town built by Titus Salt between 1851 and
1876 for his workers, when he moved them and his mills out of Bradford, Grahame and Bernice acted as our guides and we can recommend it as a very interesting place to visit. It was a lovely sunny day and we picnicked by the river. Wednesday the hottest day of the week we set off for Blackpool and danced in the tower ballroom all day, enjoying a cream tea and the music of Chris Hopkins and Phil Kelso on the Wurlitzer.
The next morning we headed for Morecambe and arrived just after midday, our rooms were ready so having quickly unpacked we went for a stroll to explore Morecambe as it was the first time Dianne Terry and ourselves had visited Morecambe. On Friday the weather was a little blustery but it was dry. We walked along the front had our picture taken with the Statue of Eric Morecambe and walked out onto the stone Pier where we stopped for coffee. Grahame and Bernice returned to the hotel to great their guests and we found the shopping arcade. The sun came out in the afternoon and we rested ready for the evenings dancing. The Friday programme as all the programmes for the weekend was a good balance of traditional dances, Fylde & Chrysanthemum Waltz’s through to fun dances like Swedish Mascaraed and Virginia Reel. The forecast for Saturday was rain all day and Grahame and Bernice held a request dance for those who did not want to chance the weather. We ventured out and headed for the covered market after a browse and a cup of coffee we decided to catch the bus to the seaside village of Heysham. The rain had stopped and we enjoyed exploring the village with its 17th century cottages, pretty floral displays, the little St Peter’s Church and the ruins of St Patrick’s chapel. In the grounds of the Saxon chapel there are stone graves carved from the rock. We headed back to Morecambe to prepare for another full night of dancing. Rain delayed play again on Sunday morning so we decided to use the car and drive to Carnforth and visit the station heritage centre the station was used to film Brief Encounter. There are interesting displays on steam trains, the history of the British seaside holiday and the British film industry. There is a screen showing Brief Encounter and we were impressed with the Brief Encounter refreshment room which has been restored to its 1940 period glory. Sunday night was party night and everyone joined in with the party atmosphere as we were transported back to the roaring twenties. It was a great weekend, based in a comfortable hotel with excellent food and service, good company plenty of old time dancing to the lovely music of Elizabeth Harrison with lots of fun.
Home for a few days and we were back up the motorway to Lincoln to Michelle Body’s dance in Swinderby. Another full house with a fantastic atmosphere, a good programme of old time dances, including a few newer ones. Michelle produced her usual excellent two course supper including lots of strawberries and never ending jugs of pimms. We stayed with Michelle and travelled on Sunday with her other house guests to Elland for the afternoon dance with Kath and Keith Jackson. Another great afternoon of old time dancing, Kath introduced us to an “old”, old time dance the Quaker Waltz a pretty dance that we would like to introduce at Bath.
The Old Time Dance Society Ball of the Year Weston-Super-Mare
It was a little overcast on the Friday as we made our way to Weston-Super-Mare for the Ball of the Year weekend, only an hour travelling for us this time. As members arrived throughout the day there were discussions on who had followed their “sat nav” and come off the M5 at jct. 21 and had a precarious journey through very narrow lanes and those who had followed the travel information they were provided with and came off at jct. 22. The Webbington Hotel & Spa was our base for the weekend and members set out over the weekend to explore the area enjoying visits to Wells, Glastonbury, Street, Cheddar and the coastal locations in the area. There was a little hiccup with breakfast on the first morning when we all turned up for breakfast together (108). I had warned them this would happen but they thought we would come in gradually, after a few chosen words things were sorted for the following morning. The accommodation, food and service were very good and the staff, were very helpful. Our main objective for the weekend was dancing and the ballroom at the Winter Gardens did not disappoint. It was good to have such a large group of dancers from Bath and surrounding areas attend the Ball. There were 170 dancers on Friday and Sunday with a 190 on Saturday. Peter & Marjorie Bowler provided an excellent programme to start the weekend, unfortunately the start had to be delayed by about 10 minutes because of a local school prom. The youngsters turned up in limousines, fire engines and lorries and with only a small access road, they caused havoc on the promenade and our coaches were stuck in the traffic. The Saturday Ball was led by Sue Bourroughs and Andrew Davies, it was an honour to have them as leaders for the Old Time Dance Society and a joy to watch. Robert & Christine Haywood created a brilliant atmosphere with their fabulous leading to close the weekend. The superb music of David Ingley combined with the leaders programmes created an excellent weekend of old time dancing.
Saturday 18th May we visited Normandy for their Old Time Dance. Another full house with super music from David Last. During the evening pictures that had been taken during the last year at Summertime dance club and holidays were shown on a large screen behind the organist on the stage. A varied programme of Classical and Traditional Old Time dances was enjoyed by all. Richard spun his bottle for progressive dances allocating many spot prizes. Our friends Terry & Dianne Harris also travelled with us, they are the new Old Time Dance Society’s Area Representatives for Somerset and Wiltshire. This is a long journey for us but well worth the travelling.
At the beginning of May we had our friends Grahame & Bernice from Burnley staying with us, we showed them around the local area and travelled to Keynsham, Portishead, Weston-Super-Mare and Hemel Hempstead. We started their visit with dancing at the Keynsham club with leaders Des & Doreen Derrick. The following day with the sun shining we took them on a tour of the City of Bath. On Thursday the good weather continued and after a lunch with Dianne & Terry at their home in Portishead we all went to Weston-Super-Mare for an organ concert by Elizabeth Harrison, who will be playing for the Old Time Dance Society in 2015. We all enjoyed a cream tea on the seafront prior to the concert. On Friday morning we visited the National Trust property, Prior Park, beautiful 18th century landscape gardens. In the evening Grahame & Bernice joined Bath Old Time Dancers for our monthly dance which was well supported with 38 dancers. Their visit ended at Hemel Hemstead for Brian Faulkner’s dance at Adeyfield.
The last Friday of April 2013 we visited Dorchester and paid a visit to Brian Webber’s dance in the boy’s Brigade Hall. We were made very welcome and it was good to see a large group of dancers enjoying old time. We were not the only visitors that evening, are friends Terry & Dianne met us there on their way home from holiday and it was nice to catch up with Michael Mann and his partner Betty who were also holidaying in the area. Michael is one of the founder members of the Old Time Dance Society and it was interesting to talk to him. Thanks to Brian and everyone for an enjoyable evening including the usual fun.
Easter Saturday we attended the old time dance at Summertime dancing and enjoyed the super music by David Last. There was a very good turnout for this bank holiday weekend from members and visitors. Richard & Joyce led a varied programme that included traditional and classical old time dances. There was the usual good fun with an Easter theme that included a slide show of Easter and Spring time images displayed and plenty of chocolate eggs for spot prizes.
The Old Time Dance Society Spring Weekend at Harrogate
At the end of March we joined 90 dancers at the Cairn Hotel in Harrogate for the Spring Weekend. Having listened to the weather forecast we travelled up late on the Thursday night to avoid driving through the snow, this also gave us the advantage of having three full days to enjoy the weekend. As always happens when friends come together there was a happy atmosphere all weekend and we enjoyed three wonderful evenings of Old Time Dancing with leaders Ron and June Urquhart on Friday, and Keith and Kath Jackson on Sunday. On Saturday a group of us ventured out in the snow, walking in the Valley Gardens that had been transformed into a winter wonderland and on the Sunday we managed to complete a treasure trail around Harrogate enabling us to see more of this lovely spa town.
In March 2013 we had a weekend staying with our friend Michelle in Lincoln and enjoyed the dance at Sheffield. We danced the Dolly Weaver, which is on Keith & Kath Jackson's Sunday night programme at the Spring weekend Harrogate. On Sunday afternoon we paid our first visit to Precious Dancers, Sheffield, leaders Grace & Arnold Precious. It was a very friendly afternoon in a lovely venue with a nice dance floor. We braved the snow on Monday morning for a walk through the village to Michelle's local church for the coffee morning, when we went to leave the church there was a blizzard blowing and we thought we would be marooned but luckily it soon cleared. On our return journey home later that day we drove through sun, sleet, fog and snow.
Dance Guides
