Travel Blog & News 2021
Dancing Holiday 2021
It was great to be back at Dawlish for our Old Time Holiday this November with 86 dancers celebrating getting back to dancing. We would have had over 90 but a few had to pull out at the last minute. There were smiles all round as people met up with friends they had not seen for nearly two years because of the Pandemic. We had a few new people who had not attended our holiday before but because everyone is so friendly they soon felt at home. Once again we had the wonderful music of David Last for the three nights of dancing and it was a virtuoso performance by a virtuoso musician. We had set dances every evening with 3 sets up for the Caledonians 4 sets up for the Quadrilles and 3 groups of 5 up for the Virginia Reel that has become a must have dance on our holiday. Everyone joined in with the fun dances and the Grand March was a spectacular success, although it was a shame we never filmed it this year. Three programmes of Old Time Dancing with everything from Alison Waltz, Anniversary Two Step and Ascot Gavotte to the Venetian Foxtrot, Wedgewood Blue Gavotte and the Wingfield Quickstep. The Social request morning was popular again. As well as spot prizes and a raffle we had games each evening with the chance of winning a variety of prizes. Gold was the theme for the final evening and we held our fundraising activity for our chosen charity. We had a 50p slide to try and win a large bottle of whisky that we had donated. A big thank you to all who joined in and helped us raise £54.50. We also have to thank Supadance, Maestro Music and Brockbank Lane for supporting our charity. We always have a large group from Devon and this year they walked away with nearly all the prizes including the star prize on the gold theme game, a gold hamper that was packed with over 20 items that were either golden or had gold in the name. We have received some wonderful feedback and we are already full with a waiting list for 2022. If you are interested in coming but you are not booked in, contact us to add your name to the waiting list.
Click here for pictures
It was great to be back at Dawlish for our Old Time Holiday this November with 86 dancers celebrating getting back to dancing. We would have had over 90 but a few had to pull out at the last minute. There were smiles all round as people met up with friends they had not seen for nearly two years because of the Pandemic. We had a few new people who had not attended our holiday before but because everyone is so friendly they soon felt at home. Once again we had the wonderful music of David Last for the three nights of dancing and it was a virtuoso performance by a virtuoso musician. We had set dances every evening with 3 sets up for the Caledonians 4 sets up for the Quadrilles and 3 groups of 5 up for the Virginia Reel that has become a must have dance on our holiday. Everyone joined in with the fun dances and the Grand March was a spectacular success, although it was a shame we never filmed it this year. Three programmes of Old Time Dancing with everything from Alison Waltz, Anniversary Two Step and Ascot Gavotte to the Venetian Foxtrot, Wedgewood Blue Gavotte and the Wingfield Quickstep. The Social request morning was popular again. As well as spot prizes and a raffle we had games each evening with the chance of winning a variety of prizes. Gold was the theme for the final evening and we held our fundraising activity for our chosen charity. We had a 50p slide to try and win a large bottle of whisky that we had donated. A big thank you to all who joined in and helped us raise £54.50. We also have to thank Supadance, Maestro Music and Brockbank Lane for supporting our charity. We always have a large group from Devon and this year they walked away with nearly all the prizes including the star prize on the gold theme game, a gold hamper that was packed with over 20 items that were either golden or had gold in the name. We have received some wonderful feedback and we are already full with a waiting list for 2022. If you are interested in coming but you are not booked in, contact us to add your name to the waiting list.
Click here for pictures
October Autumn Weekend Bournemouth 2021
What a great dancing weekend we had with The Old Time Dance Society for the Autumn weekend in Bournemouth at the end of October. It was wonderful to all be back together dancing with friends from around the country. The event was held in the Marsham Court hotel and most of us arrived on the Friday around lunch time and enjoyed catching up with one another in the lounges. Like most hospitality venues the hotel was struggling with staffing levels but the majority of staff were friendly and helpful. The AGM was held on the Saturday morning and was over very quickly because as nothing had been happening there was very little to talk about. As a large group we were based in the larger of the two ballrooms, for the dancing each evening. The floor was not the best we have danced on, it was one of those floors that get sticky if the room gets hot. However, we made the best of it and it was lovely to have the floor full for all the dances, who said we could not remember them!? Charles Brown played some lovely tunes and worked with all the leaders in his free time over the weekend to get the music just right. Hilary and Nigel got the weekend off to a flying start with an excellent programme of traditional old time dances. Hilary had provided a beautiful autumn coloured flower display to dress the stage. As Chairman Paul and I led the Saturday night we had put together a programme of some of our favourite dances and as it has become tradition, when we lead the Alison Waltz, Alison and Tom join us on the floor. A rumour started by Paul that there was going to be a shortage of regalia started members panic buying. Everyone joined in to wish Robert Haywood a happy birthday as he celebrated a special birthday on Saturday. We enjoyed a lovely walk along Bournemouth sea front and a coffee with friends on the Sunday and then Christine and Robert gave us another good evening of dancing to finish off the weekend. They finished with all the dancers on the floor for the friendly waltz, a very fitting end to the weekend.
Click here for pictures
What a great dancing weekend we had with The Old Time Dance Society for the Autumn weekend in Bournemouth at the end of October. It was wonderful to all be back together dancing with friends from around the country. The event was held in the Marsham Court hotel and most of us arrived on the Friday around lunch time and enjoyed catching up with one another in the lounges. Like most hospitality venues the hotel was struggling with staffing levels but the majority of staff were friendly and helpful. The AGM was held on the Saturday morning and was over very quickly because as nothing had been happening there was very little to talk about. As a large group we were based in the larger of the two ballrooms, for the dancing each evening. The floor was not the best we have danced on, it was one of those floors that get sticky if the room gets hot. However, we made the best of it and it was lovely to have the floor full for all the dances, who said we could not remember them!? Charles Brown played some lovely tunes and worked with all the leaders in his free time over the weekend to get the music just right. Hilary and Nigel got the weekend off to a flying start with an excellent programme of traditional old time dances. Hilary had provided a beautiful autumn coloured flower display to dress the stage. As Chairman Paul and I led the Saturday night we had put together a programme of some of our favourite dances and as it has become tradition, when we lead the Alison Waltz, Alison and Tom join us on the floor. A rumour started by Paul that there was going to be a shortage of regalia started members panic buying. Everyone joined in to wish Robert Haywood a happy birthday as he celebrated a special birthday on Saturday. We enjoyed a lovely walk along Bournemouth sea front and a coffee with friends on the Sunday and then Christine and Robert gave us another good evening of dancing to finish off the weekend. They finished with all the dancers on the floor for the friendly waltz, a very fitting end to the weekend.
Click here for pictures
June
After the long break we returned to dancing in May thanks to the help of our hall and local health authority and held our May and June dances with restricted numbers, complying with the guidelines and our pre-dance cleaning regime. It was wonderful to dance again the first time we had been back dancing since our dancing holiday in December. We had hoped that our July dance would be less regulated but as the restrictions were not eased on 21st June we are continuing with the restrictions, fortunately we remain full for our monthly dances with a waiting list. We should have travelled to Uppingham in Rutland this month for Michelle Boddy’s Strawberry Dance but this was a victim of the continuation of restrictions as was the Southern Ball weekend. We are frustrated that we have had to cancel the Southern Ball weekend and disappoint all those who had reserved places. We contacted everyone as soon as the announcement came through that restrictions were not going to be lifted, we wanted to give everyone, especially those who had booked accommodation, as much notice as possible. However, although we are down we are not out…. We have confirmed with the Corn Exchange in Devizes the booking for next year’s Southern Ball on the 16th & 17th July 2022.
So for now we continue with our monthly dances and hope that the regulations will be lifted in July so that at our August dance we can accommodate more dancers and our September Ball can take place on 11th September with David Last.
After the long break we returned to dancing in May thanks to the help of our hall and local health authority and held our May and June dances with restricted numbers, complying with the guidelines and our pre-dance cleaning regime. It was wonderful to dance again the first time we had been back dancing since our dancing holiday in December. We had hoped that our July dance would be less regulated but as the restrictions were not eased on 21st June we are continuing with the restrictions, fortunately we remain full for our monthly dances with a waiting list. We should have travelled to Uppingham in Rutland this month for Michelle Boddy’s Strawberry Dance but this was a victim of the continuation of restrictions as was the Southern Ball weekend. We are frustrated that we have had to cancel the Southern Ball weekend and disappoint all those who had reserved places. We contacted everyone as soon as the announcement came through that restrictions were not going to be lifted, we wanted to give everyone, especially those who had booked accommodation, as much notice as possible. However, although we are down we are not out…. We have confirmed with the Corn Exchange in Devizes the booking for next year’s Southern Ball on the 16th & 17th July 2022.
So for now we continue with our monthly dances and hope that the regulations will be lifted in July so that at our August dance we can accommodate more dancers and our September Ball can take place on 11th September with David Last.
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