Summertime’s Extraordinary Christmas Extravaganza December 2011 |
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Sherry and mince pies were dispensed to the attendees to help fuel their dancing provided by Hilary to celebrate her 60th birthday. Rhona had made a birthday cake for Hilary which was dispensed during the interval. Music Hall acts included Heather with renditions of various ancient songs such as “I am one of the ruins that Cromwell knocked about a bit” and all attendees joining in on the “12 Days of Christmas” coordinated by Gerald. The afternoon finished with the massed choir of the attendees’ rendition of Land of Hope and Glory with Union Jacks being waved. At least half the bought Union Jacks were manufactured upside down which signifies distress. More photos can be found here. NJC 20/12/2011 |
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Summertime’s Christmas Party 2011 |
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The colour theme was gold and red with many attendees entering into the spirit. Prizes for the most colourful bow tie went to Tony and for the most sparkling earrings to Jackie. The afternoon’s refreshments consisted of an enormous American Supper which would have fed twice the number present. We were pleased to welcome Dorothy back to the fold with her new hip. Although still on crutches she could move at twice the speed as before especially when collecting her raffle prize. Towards the end of the proceedings Richard and Joyce presented gifts to some of Summertime’s many backroom workers: Dorothy, Shirley, Maggie, Rhona & Brian, Hilary & Nigel, Heather & Larry, Jackie & Mike and Joan & Gerald. The afternoon ended with the Friendly Waltz. More photos can be found here. Nigel 12/12/2011 |
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Summertime’s Old Time Dance 26th November 2011 |
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Hosts for the evening were Richard and Joyce with the music being provided by Larry Green who was as usual excellent. I particularly liked his rendition of Smoke Gets in Your Eyes for the Crinoline Gavotte. Helping lead off the dances were Summertime’s Teaching Assistants Gerald and Joan. There were also two leaders’ dances where all the leaders present from various clubs participated in a mass start. These were the Tango Serida and Summertime Blues. The programme of 20 dances consisted of the usual mixture of Classical and Traditional Old Time Dances spanning over 100 years with something to suit everyone present. Included in the programme were the Veleta (1900), Empress Mazurka (1954), Waverley Two Step (1956, Crinoline (1952) and Ava Rose (2011) Gavottes, Saunter Shiraz (2008) and the Shimmering Waltz (2011). The progressive dances were Over the Top (1918) and the Rosetta Two Step (1950). Valuable spot prizes bought from the Poundshop were grudgingly generously handed out although Graham again failed to win one. The set dance was the Caledonians. A large raffle with many additional donated prizes was held. A vote of thanks to the Club was proposed by Alan from Alton SDC. The evening finished with the Regis Waltz. A good evening judging by my sore feet this morning. Photos of the dance can be found on a new photo page. The next Summertime Old Time Dance is to be held at Normandy Village Hall on the 25th February with David Last. Nigel Carter 27/11/2011 |
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Afternoon Horror 31st October 2011 |
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T Many of the members were suitably attired for the event and one wag remarked that all that was missing was a coffin for Richard to emerge from. Special mention for costumes must go to Graham, Tony and Heather (see photo page). Joyce has finally been persuaded by Richard to gain Old Time qualifications having been dancing it for over 60 years. This afternoon he presented her with her Trainee Teacher of Dancing Certificate from the UKA which she has just been awarded following her first exam in the tortuous road to full professional qualifications. She was also presented with a bouquet of flowers from the Club. More photos can be found here. Nigel 31/10/2011 |
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Blackpool Sequence Dance Festival -
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After a tortuous journey thanks to the M6 we eventually arrived at the house we were sharing with Jenny & Philip (Alton Club) and Gwen & Mike from Andover. We spent Saturday night taking in the lights and sights with thousands of other, it being half term, then Sunday the business of the holiday commenced. The afternoon session was MC’d by old friends Sue & Ian Webster and although there were a lot of dances we didn’t know, in fact that was the case throughout the holiday, we enjoyed seeing them dance. Sunday night dancing and competitions of all sorts but I was amazed what enormous strides the youngsters seem to take nowadays, perhaps I am just getting old! It was lovely to see the dances done to their best and the beautiful dresses. Monday, already tired, the inventive started then we had a late afternoon session with Helen & Steven. We finished in the evening with more competitions, now really tired. The winners of the inventives were taught Tuesday morning; Glenfield Gavotte by Kelly Sloan & Ellen Harrison – very nice and suitable for clubs. Jamelia Jive by Steven Shaw & Helen Blackburn – again straightforward club dance. Oceanside Waltz by Robert & Louise Aldred – very nice but there was some confusion
over the timing of the hover cross as the demonstration didn’t seem to quite match
the script which states at bar 11 - The evening concluded the finals of the competitions with more social dances and the prize giving etc. It was nice to meet up with friends Jeff & Muriel Aldren, Harry & Sheila Youlton,
Sue & Ian Webster, Helen Blackburn and Beverley Murch- All in all a super weekend which we shall do again when we are YOUNGER! Richard 28th October 2011 (Photo courtesy of http://www.photoeverywhere.co.uk/britain/blackpool) |
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Happy 70th Birthday Tony |
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Tony’s daughter and family brought enough food and wine to feed the starving dancers. Tony and Hilary led off dancing with some rock and roll which was beyond most present so Gerald got everyone dancing to party dances such as the Conga, Four Hand Star, St Bernard’s Waltz, Mayfair Quickstep and Balmoral Blues. The youngest dancer present was Tony’s granddaughter (photo right). We all wish Tony more more Happy Birthdays. |
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Conga Time! |
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Summertime’s Old Time Dance Holiday in Bournemouth September 2011 |
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F On arrival many of us had a bar snacks and a few drinks before unpacking and having 40 winks. One or two were affected by the sun and heat (photo left). Before dinner we all gathered for sherry to meet old friends and new ones. Dinner was filling especially with the dessert of apple and rhubarb crumble which I had. The musician for the evening was Larry Green who played some beautiful music. The evening’s dances commenced with the Mexican Swing to shake dinner down. Dances varied from the newish to the old with dances such as the Ava Rose Gavotte (2011), Saunter D’Amour ( in memory of Bob Oliver who has recently passed away), Granchester Saunter, Helena Quickstep, Idaho Foxtrot and the Fylde Waltz. The Leaders’ dances were the Balmoral Blues and the Stardust Gavotte. Richard and Joyce were also assisted in leading off the dances over the weekend by Summertime’s teaching assistants Gerald and Joan with Gerald now firing on all cylinders following the fitting of a pacemaker. The set dance was the Lancers with some four sets forming. I was almost foot perfect (IMHOP) following studying the OTDS/Savoy Records DVD. The progressive dances were the Anniversary Two Step and the Tuesday Blues. Some 17 dances were danced in the evening with the air conditioning struggling to remove the hot air being generated. A large raffle was held with a very happy Richard who won first prize.
Apart from warming up with the Sindy Swing, Richard taught the Shimmering Waltz and the Anniversary Blues both new Classical dances which have won at inventive competitions this year. These seemed to go down well, with the majority of people mastering them. Dancing finished at 12:15 and the afternoon was free to sunbathe, swim and shop.
An elimination dance (the Alpine Stroll) was held with much dice throwing with the winners finally being Jenny and Sue (photo right). The Smiths Clan’s table descended into much merriment. I believe they must have been suffering from severe heatstroke as they said they were planning the funeral of Herbie’s pet bluebottle which had been deliberately squashed?? Sometimes I feel I have entered “the Twilight Zone” when talking to Herbie and as it made no sense to me I returned to our table where Blondelle informed me my dancing was best when I was taking photographs. An impressive raffle was held with the proceeds going to the Help for Heroes Charity. Over £100 was raised. Sunday: Again another hot and sunny day. The morning consisted of request dances
with the programme containing the Ragtime Swing, Regis Waltz, Waverley Two Step,
Tango Serida, Kaymar Sway, Dinky One Step (Gerald and Joan’s party piece), Gypsy
Tango, Britannia Saunter, Saunter Reve, Waltz of the Bells, Anniversary Blues and
the Shimmering Waltz. In addition Summertime’s Tony and Hilary (ex- The holiday quizzes were won by Gordon (who has been banned from entering again)
and Carol after a tense tie- Photograph of the holiday can be found here. Nigel (2/10/2011) |
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Summertime’s Old Time Dance September 2011 |
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Hosts for the evening were Richard and Joyce (photo left) and the organist was Antonair (Tony) who, together with Richard, always generates a good sing along atmosphere. Helping lead off the dances were Gerald and Joan. There were also two leaders dances where all the leaders present from various clubs participated in a mass start. The programme of 20 dances consisted of a good mixture of Classical and Traditional
Old Time Dances spanning over 100 years. Included in the programme were the Fylde
Waltz (1902), Shimmering Waltz (2011), Gainsborough Glide (1950), Midnight Tango
(1951), Tango Solair (1970) and the Helena Quickstep. The progressive dances were
the Imperial Two Step (1950), Progressive Quadrilles and the Serene Saunter (1959)
with “generous spot prizes. Unfortunately Graham again failed to win (in- The Shimmering Waltz is a very new Old Time Dance invented by Barry Earnshaw and
Beverley Murch- The customary raffle was held with a large number of donated prizes. Photos and a video of the event can be found here. The next dance and the last for 2011 is on the 26th November with Larry Green. Early booking is essential. Nigel Carter 24/9/2011 |
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Film Crew Visits Summertime 19th September 2011 |
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They were there to focus on John Pearce who suffers from COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and dances with a portable oxygen system. The aim of the film is to show other COPD sufferers that they can still have an active life style which will aid their condition. John and his wife Pat lead off the Saunter Shiraz which they danced in formation with circling camera and sound men; a most unusual sight. The rest of us were on our best behaviour even for the progressive dance, the Anniversary Two Step’ which we didn’t muck up as we normally do. This astonished Richard. Further details of the aims and activities of the British Lung Foundation can be found on their web site. |
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Summertime Dancing’s Golden Oldies’ Ball 27th August 2011 |
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MCs for the evening were Richard and Joyce (photo left). Apart from the two leaders’ dances, helping in leading off the dances were Gerald and Joan (Summertime’s Teaching Assistants) Tricia and Brian, Yvonne and Ron, Jill and Sylvian (both partnering Richard) and Hilary and Nigel. It was great to see Gerald dancing again following his recent illness resolved by turning him into the Bionic Man by fitting him with a pacemaker. The dance programme included newer classical dances such as the Ava Rose Gavotte, Let’s Swing and the Sanrio Saunter to older modern sequence dances such as the Rose Lane Waltz and the Glenroy Foxtrot. The two leaders’ dances were the Mambo Magic and the Crystal Blues which were led off by the large number of Club Leaders present. Two progressive dances with “generous” spot prizes donated by Richard were on the programme namely Mexican Swing and the Georgella Blues. Richard upheld Summertime’s tradition by spinning the bottle in such a way to ensure Graham had no chance of winning. A large raffle with many donated prizes was held. Photos of the event can be found here. The evening was a great success showing that these older evergreen dances are as popular as ever. The next Summertime Dancing’s Ball is an Old Time Ball to be held on the 24th of September with Antonair providing the music. Nigel Carter 27/8/2011 |
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Purcell Palace’s Annual Garden Party August 2011 |
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Around 30 Summertime Groupies attended the event; it was difficult to ascertain the actual numbers due to the dense vegetation in the garden. The event also raised £50 for the Help for Heroes Charity which Summertime Dancing supports. The garden was in excellent condition considering the torrential rain that had fallen in the three days previously. There were some beautiful blooms on display , especially the dahlias which can be seen on the photo page although my knowledge is very limited as to the names of the various plants. The weather stayed warm and sunny for the whole afternoon thus proving that the sun shines on the righteous (Richard). Copious supplies of cakes scones and tea (in Richard’s best bone china cups) were
provided; served up by Gordon who had been promoted to Head Waiter and Washer-
Posters were scattered around the garden outlining where future work was required. I believe this was a subtle hint that he was looking for volunteer helpers. One of the highlights of the afternoon was the re- It was an excellent afternoon’s entertainment especially as Richard and Gordon had to do all the work. Richard is now left with the problem of filling in the high heel marks in his immaculate lawn. Photos of the afternoon can be found on a new photo page. Nigel Carter 21/8/2011 |
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Golden Oldies Holiday in Bournemouth August 2011 |
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The holiday started with the customary sherry party where people could get to know one another and renew acquaintances. Out of the around 60 attendees only 16 were Summertime Club members so we had a good representation of dancers from all over the country. At the sherry party I was surprised to see Pat drinking orange juice but then remembered that Olive wasn’t with her and not leading her astray. However Pat did receive brewery advertising on her mobile phone with such well thought out slogans as “Have a good Piddle”. I assume these were sent to her by Olive. Following an excellent dinner with good service we retired to the ballroom. The musician for the weekend was Larry Green recovering from heatstroke having spent
too long outside Marks and Spencer’s in the sun waiting for his wife to finish her
shopping earlier in the week. However his playing was not affected and he played
beautiful music as always. As the heatstroke had affected his voice Richard had
to help out on the vocals (unfortunately). The evening’s dances were a mixture of
older Modern Sequence, Classical and Old Time including the Woodside Waltz, Tango
Las Vegas, Rumba Loui-
The dress theme for the evening was a Touch of Gold. The evening’s dancing followed the same pattern as before with a good mixture of dances including those taught earlier in the day and others such as the Engagement Waltz, Glenroy Foxtrot, Quando Quickstep, Summertime Blues, Ava Rose Gavotte and Bluebird Waltz. Eighteen dances in all were danced. The progressive was the Sally Ann Cha Cha with more chocolate oranges as spot prizes. Supporting Richard and Joyce in leading off were Tricia and Brian, Rosemary and Peter, Sylvian, Anne, Derek and Joan, Jenny and Philip and Hilary and myself. The evening’s raffle raised £100 for Help for Heroes; the charity Summertime supports. Sunday: Awoke to bright sunshine. After breakfast the morning’s dancing consisted
mainly of requests that had not been on the programme for the previous days and we
danced the Soho Swing, Trelawney Tango, Beyzabanu Cha Cha, Rose Lane Waltz, Iris
Foxtrot, Rumba One, Mayfair Quickstep, Tayside Tango, The Veleta, The Alpine Stroll,
and Saunter Together. The winners of the Holiday Quizzes were Jackie and Barbara
and they were awarded bottles of wine as prizes. The morning finished with Auld
Lang Syne and Land of Hope and Glory. Following an excellent lunch (twice during
the holiday Crumble and Custard had been a choice on the menu, a sight to gladden
any mans’ heart) we all went our many ways home. I hope to see many of the attendees
at next year’s Golden Oldies Holiday on the 3rd- Nigel 7/8/2011 |
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British Lung Foundation Visits Summertime Dancing |
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Sarah is producing a film for the BLF to help motivate people who have been diagnosed with COPD to continue to stay active as regular exercise can help improve the condition. All too often people panic when diagnosed with the disease and are frightened to undertake any exercise and this can be a mistake and make the condition worse. John is also a member of a local Breathe Easy Group. Breathe Easy is the BLF support group network, with over 200 groups throughout the UK offering support and information to anyone affected by lung disease. Please visit BLF’s web site for more information on the disease and the work that the BLF does. N.C. 29/6/2011 |
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Summertime’s Old Time Dance -
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It was another warm evening for Summertime’s June Old Time Dance with 81 people attending travelling from far and wide. We were especially pleased to welcome Michael and Brenda (regular Summertime holiday visitors) who had travelled down from Hull. The musician for the evening was David Smith playing for the first time for Summertime Dancing. He played lively sing along music with (unfortunately) Richard leading the singing, and coupled with the repartee between him and Richard this gave rise to an excellent party atmosphere for the evening.
The programme again consisted of a good mixture of Traditional and Classical Old Time ranging from the Veleta (1900), White Rose Tango (1950), Waltz Louise (1951), Kaymar Sway (1964) to the newer dances such as Skye Swing (2009), Crystal Blues and Ava Rose Gavotte (2011). This mix of old and new enables those sequence dancers who are new to “old time” to feel at home. The two progressive dances were the Imperial Two Step (1950) and the Sindy Swing (1984) with “lavish” spot prizes. The leaders’ dances were the Crinoline Gavotte (1952) and Saunter Together (1975).
A large raffle was held with many additional donated prizes and Milford’s luck returned. A vote of thanks to the Club was proposed by Sylvian the President of the Wey Valley Sequence Dance Association. All in all it was very much a lively and fun evening. Photos of the dance and a short video are published on a new photo page. The next Summertime Old Time Dance is to be held at Normandy Village Hall on the 24th September with Antonair. However there is a Summertime’s Golden Oldies Dance with Larry Green consisting of a mixture of Classical and Traditional Old Time and Modern Sequence (no newer than 2007) being held at Normandy on the 27th August 2011. Nigel Carter 25/6/2011 |
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Bracing Scarborough 27th – 29th May 2011 |
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On Saturday morning whilst the others went shopping, I took myself off to Castle Howard, one of England’s finest historic houses, designed by Sir John Vanbrugh for the 3rd Earl of Carlisle. Stunning interiors and world famous collections of furniture, paintings and porcelain. It is also home to the Hon. Simon and Mrs. Howard and their children Merlin & Octavia. On Sunday, we joined Pink Windmill Tours and hostess, Hazel Harding, for an enjoyable visit to Robin Hood’s Bay and Whitby (see photos below. The young lady in the centre of the bottom right photo was persuaded to pose with the group as she had pink hair). Thanks, Hazel. All- Joyce Hutchins 6th June 2011 Photos in this article courtesy of Hazel Harding. More photos taken by Brian Read of Summertime can be found here. |
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Summertime’s Golden Oldies Club Restarts |
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Last night’s programme consisted of: Sindy Swing, Crystal Blues, Feta Foxtrot, Tango Giovanni, Blue Bird Waltz, San Rio Saunter, San Jose Cha Cha Cha, Stardust Gavotte, Georgella Blues (prog), Blue Angel Rumba, Let’s Swing and Waltz Catherine. Richard also taught the Tango Chanel (1974). A video of this dance from a recent Summertime Holiday can be found at the bottom of our February 2011 Old Time Holiday photo page. In addition to the dancing the usual raffle was held. The Golden Oldies Club runs until the 14th September from 8pm- |
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Visit to Waterlooville Tuesday Sequence Club 3rd May 2011 |
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The dance programme consisted of mainly older dances one of which, the Oriana Waltz (1995), I hadn’t come across before. Amongst the dances on the programme were old standards such as the Emmerdale Waltz, Waltz Catherine, Tango Serida, Snowberry Foxtrot, Alpine Stroll, Saunter Chantel, Baltimore and Balmoral Blues and newer dances such as the Ashton Swing and the Tamarack Tango. Eight of the dances on the afternoon programme were ones we dance at Summertime’s Old Time Club. In addition Richard and Joyce provided instruction on the new Ava Rose Gavotte which most people attempted. A regular raffle was held and all the Summertime visitors were lucky. Richard was also presented with a birthday present by Anne (photo left) from the Club comprising a pack of his favourite bitter to help him with the stresses of dancing. It was an enjoyable afternoon’s dancing and the good weather made it a pleasant drive. Nigel Carter 3/5/2011 |
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Another Sell-
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Richard limited numbers to 85 guests to enable comfortable seating. People had again
travelled from all over Southern England for last night’s dance including Oxford
and Kent. We were again delighted to have attending a representative of the Old
Time Dance Society’s Committee - MC’s for the evening were Richard and Joyce with the excellent organist being David Last. They were supported in leading off by Summertime’s Teaching Assistants Joan and Gerald. The dance programme commenced with the Ragtime Swing (1969) to warm people up although this was unnecessary in view of the warm sunny weather we are currently having. The programme consisted of a good mixture of Traditional and Classical Old Time with the majority of the dances coming from the 50’s and 60’s examples being the Gainsborough Glide (1950) Valse Martine (1951), Serene Saunter (1959) and Waltz Debonair (1963). Amongst the recent dances included were Let’s Swing (2010) and the Ava Rose Gavotte (2011). Both these recent dances are proving to be popular in the area and tonight almost everyone danced them. David Last played Stardust to a gavotte tempo for the Ava Rose Gavotte at Richard’s request and it sounded beautiful. The two progressive dances were the Anniversary Two Step (1951) and the Georgella Blues (1950). Progressives work well unless the women dancing as men forget which sex they started off as and change back to women mid way through causing confusion. At least the men never have this problem. However tonight all the women remained the same sex throughout the dances as far as I could tell. In keeping with the date, Easter Eggs were handed out as spot prizes during the progressives. There were two Leaders/Professionals dances, these being the Trelawney Tango and the Serene Saunter and I was surprised how many of the attendees were in fact Leaders or Professionals. The set dance was the Lancers with 5 sets being formed. We joined the expert group from Oxford who guided us through the subtleties of the dance.
A large raffle was held with many additional donated prizes and for once Milford fell on hard times and failed to win their normal quota of prizes. During the announcement for the last dance, the Alison Waltz, a balloon from a previous party floated down from the ceiling and proceeded to upstage Richard (see photo left and photo page). Photos of the dance are published on a new photo page. It was an excellent evening’s entertainment with a dance programme that even I could cope with. The next Summertime Old Time Dance is to be held at Normandy Village Hall on the 25th June with David Smith providing the music for the first time for the Club. There is currently a waiting list now for this dance. Nigel Carter 23/4/2011 |
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Visit to Abbots Langley Old Time Club 16th April 2011 |
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On the evening of Sat. 16th April, Richard and I went our separate ways – he to support Philip and Jenny at the Alton Sequence Dance Club, and me to Abbots Langley Old Time Club to support Chris and Hilary. An excellent journey to Hemel Hempstead in just over the hour. It was a varied and interesting programme ranging from L’Inspiration Gavotte (1914) to The Pimm (1951), Valse Martine (1950), Let’s Swing (2010), Guitar Tango (1965) and Embassy Blues (1956). The progressive dance for the evening was the Alhambra Two Step from 1956 (which was new to me) but proved very popular. During the evening guest leaders were invited to lead dances. A welcome cup of tea and biscuits was provided during the interval during which the raffle was drawn and for once, luck was on my side! Although both Chris and Hilary had been feeling under par during the week, like true troopers, they rose to the occasion to ensure everybody had a good time. Thanks Chris & Hilary. Joyce Hutchins 17.04.11. |
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65 and Still Going Strong -
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Despite the afternoon being a celebration of Richard’s advancing years he still managed to conduct a second teach of the Ava Rose Gavotte which is proving to be a popular classical OT dance in the area. Richard in an unexpected fit of generosity provided Crunchy bars as spot prizes in the progressive although Graham wasn’t present to benefit (in club joke).
Further photos of the afternoon’s session can be found here. Like the Queen, Richard’s “official” birthday will be held in conjunction with Summertime’s April Old Time Dance. Nigel Carter April 2011 HAPPY 65th BIRTHDAY RICHARD |
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Report on the OTDS Spring Weekend in Bournemouth March 2011 |
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Friday: Arrival Hotel check in was 14:00. Along with several others we got to the hotel before the allotted time and waited in the bar testing the various products sold there until our rooms were ready. Having unpacked most guests went for a wander along the prom to make the most of the lovely weather.
Richard’s feet were suffering with an infected toe and he wore a fetching pair of carpet slippers (photo right) for most of the evening. He claimed his feet had been trodden on the previous Wednesday which is why he was suffering but in my view he was suffering from the ill effects of a lifetime of overindulgence in drink and cigarettes ☺. Mike Cooper announced to all and sundry that Richard was “rotting”. A successful evening finished with the Waltz Debonaire. Saturday: Slippers and Daffodils
Awoke to bright sunshine and ate a hearty breakfast. Richard’s toe had continued to deteriorate. In the morning Wendy and David Griffiths had arranged a teaching session to cover some of the dances for the next two days. This was an addition to the advertised programme and was well supported and appreciated by all attending. They taught the Tuesday Blues and the Mississippi Dip, a strange but fun dance which exercised the knees. Richard and Joyce were also roped in to the proceedings and taught the Tamarack Tango. David Ingley kindly provided the music for the teaching session. In the afternoon my wife decreed we should make the most of our National Trust membership
and we visited Kingston Lacy -
Following the slipper incident Richard then had breakthrough of a disco DJ on his
radio mike. This was sorted out by David Ingley’s father. David Ingley was quite
vocal during the evening giving Richard as good as he was receiving. We also learnt
that David had thrashed Mike Cooper in snooker during the afternoon; a fact that
delighted Richard. David played superbly during the evening (in fact I preferred
David’s playing style and organ sound on Saturday Night to the other nights) -
During the Imperial Two Step progressive spot prizes were awarded donated by Summertime Dancing. The winners were chosen by the customary bottle spinning. As Richard was without his traditional bottle, Sid and Clive had gone beyond the call of duty and selflessly emptied a wine bottle at dinner to present to him. The set dance was the Caledonians which as for the previous nights set dance descended into chaos in one or two of the sets. A raffle was held during the interval which made £131. By the end of the evening Richard’s sceptic toe had worsened and after a few drinks at the bar he was seen limping to his room. Sunday: Markets and Garden Centres Awoke again to sunshine and blue skies once the sun has burnt through the early morning mist. The Summertime Dancing contingent decided to visit Wimborne Market and then stop at any garden centres we accidentally found on the way back to the hotel whilst following the random directions of the GPS. Richard managed to buy some plants although apparently they were in the “wrong pots”. Pink Windmill Tours organised a rowdy coach trip to Poole having found an unsuspecting coach driver to take them. I gather intensive choral practice was undertaken on the two coach journeys, I assume with a view to improving the singing during the evening’s dancing. I have to report that during the evening’s dancing I heard singing from two men which was even worse than Richard’s.
The Unholy Trinity (Bath,Oxford and Leicester) were again on form introducing much hilarity into the evening. This started with them dressing up as pirates for the Marine Four Step also enlisting Richard as one of their crew (photo left). Having had horticultural lessons that day they were now able to differentiate between daffodils and chrysanthemums and to make up for the previous night they presented chrysanthemums to Wendy, Joyce and Pat. They also showered Wendy and David with Sherbet Dips as they were leading off the Mississippi Dip. Two couples were celebrating their wedding anniversaries; Jack and Sheila (52nd) and Ian and Hazel (35th). David and Wendy put on an additional dance, the Lilac Waltz, to the music of the Anniversary Waltz. Bunches of heather were presented to Wendy and David by the Leicester crew prior to them leading off the Heather Waltz. At the end of the evening Leicester followed Summertime’s tradition of finishing with Land of Hope and Glory leading a procession around the room whilst flying a large Union Jack. Monday Morning: Homeward Bound The weekend exceeded my expectations with good dancing, and a great fun party atmosphere catalysed by the Unholy Trinity. Paul Harding and the rest of the Committee are to be congratulated on their hard work in organising the event. Not surprisingly the OTDS spring holidays are very popular and in fact the one for next year on the Isle of Wight is also sold out with people (including me) having to go on a wait list already. Photos of the event can be found here. Nigel Carter 28th March 2011 |
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Summertime’s Old Time Dance February 2011 -
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MC’s for the evening were of course Richard and Joyce with the organist being Antonair
who jollied us all along with his lively playing. The dance programme consisted
of a good mixture of Traditional and old and new Classical Old Time ranging from
the Veleta (1900) and Over the Top (1918) to Saunter Serenata (2009) and the Tamarack
Tango (2010). The set dance was the Quadrilles (see photo above) entered into with
gusto by the attendees with Headmistress Joyce on hand to push and pull the unsure
into the correct position. Richard and Joyce were supported in leading off by “volunteers”
- At one stage in the evening we were plunged into semi darkness as Gerald decided to hang his jacket on the lighting dimmer switch. He was suitably chastised by Richard and led away to the stocks. A large raffle was held with Richard being satisfied by winning a prize. It was fantastic to have a sell out event as this helped generate an excellent atmosphere. Hopefully our next event will be as well attended. Summertime’s next dance is on the 23rd April which is also celebrating Richard’s birthday when he celebrates a major milestone in his life! In a fit of very rare generosity Richard will also supply Ploughman’s Supper and wine to celebrate. Photos of the dance can be found here. Nigel Carter 27/2/2011 |
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Summertime’s Old Time Dance Holiday in Bournemouth February 2011 |
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Richard was prevented from going in the Terrace Ballroom in the afternoon to set
up by a crowd of young, sweaty ballroom dancers who were strutting their stuff with
arms and legs waving around in a very professional manner - After deodorising the Ballroom, the usual sherry party was held in the Ballroom at 18:00 so everyone could get to know each other and exchange gossip. We were pleased to welcome several new faces on the holiday who were going to be subjected to Richard’s strange holiday humour for the first time. As Pat was accompanied by Olive she was led astray and started on the sherry. The hotel had to send for another bottle!! Dinner was in the restaurant with ample portions with the hot dessert being “Sticky Toffee Pudding” to ensure the dancers would be too “heavy” to cope with the evening’s dances. Undeterred Richard started with a progressive Sindy Swing. The first evening was to Cds as David Last was playing for us from Monday to Thursday night. Richard and Joyce were supported in leading off by Ray and Jean, Ron and Yvonne, Gerald and Joan, and Archie and Sylvia who led off their party piece the Blues Glide. The evening finished with a tangle of hands in “Waltz of the Bells”. Monday: After a stormy night which shook the front of hotel we awoke to a good breakfast.
Dancing started at 10:30 am with the Honky Tonk Swing to wake everyone up. Richard
taught an old dance which used to be popular - The evening dance started after dinner and had a gold dress theme with most joining
in with a wide array of gold sparkling clothing (and that was just the men). The
evening’s music was provided by David Last he played beautifully as usual. Unfortunately
many of us had had the “Fruits of the Forest Crumble” and this did not help our dancing
at all. However the first dance was the Georgella Blues to try and get us moving.
The set dance was the Caledonians and five sets were formed and danced with gusto.
Herbie and Gerald’s set invented a new form of the Caledonians with many novel features.
David Last played the original music for the Moonlight Saunter -
Richard put his glass on the window sill and went outside to have a smoke. Unfortunately he forgot the window was now between him and his glass and tried to pick his drink up injuring his wrist in the process but he bravely carried on. The dance taught in the morning, the Tango Chanel, was on the evening’s programme and most seemed to have remembered it. The evening finished with the Alison Waltz. Unfortunately as a luncheon was scheduled in the Ballroom for Tuesday we had to pack all the equipment away for the night. David Last had a cunning plan whereby he would take all his equipment to his room using the hotel flatbed trolley and the service lift. We then discovered the service lift was at the back of the kitchens so had to manoeuvre the trolley around the kitchen around the kitchen appliances and shelving. We then discovered the lift was no larger than the guest lifts and would not take the trolley so everything had to be manhandled into the lift and out at the other end. The cunning plan like all others was doomed to failure.
The evening’s dances consisted of requests made by the guests in the previous days. And a very mixed programme it was consisting of: Ragtime Swing, Regis Waltz, Saunter Chantel, Dinky One Step (led off by Herbie and Pauline), Bermuda Foxtrot (led off by Yvonne and Ron), Flirtation Two Step (progressive), Tango Giovanni, Britannia Saunter, Latchford Schottische, Rialto Two Step, Midnight Tango (led off by David and Brenda), Frederica Schottische, Saunter D’Amor, Gargrave Gavotte (led by Heather and Larry), Winfield Quickstep, Desmond Blues, and the Lilac Waltz.. Richard and Joyce demonstrated the naughty version of the Winfield Quickstep that he and Joyce used to do as teenagers in Chiddingfold in the last century. Richard used to cycle to the dance club on his penny farthing until he met Joyce who had a car. The “naughty steps” seemed to consist of leaping backwards at one point in the dance. A large raffle was held with Rhona drawing the tickets but Richard never wins when Rhona is drawing. However when she won and went to collect her prize, Gerald took over drawing the tickets and immediately drew Richard’s ticket winning short lasting gratitude (see photos). Wednesday: Awoke to a grey and misty day although it was dry. Again we had the
day off and most hit the shops again although the more cultured visited the Russell
Cotes Museum opposite the hotel. The evening’s music was again provided by David
Last and commenced with the Mexican Swing. Unfortunately the hotel had cleaned the
floor (they stated they had only used water but it did not behave that way -
After dinner the evenings dance had the theme of a Black and White Ball - The music was again provided by David Last who was on fire with a superb performance. Also helping Richard and Joyce lead off were Gerald and Joan, Yvonne and Ron, Ron and Jean, and David and Brenda. The results of the quizzes were announced with James and Erika winning the “Photo Quizz” and Clive and Margaret the “Animal Quizz” with a perfect score. A magnificent raffle with donated prizes was held which raised £100 for the “Help for Heroes” Charity. The evening finished in the traditional way with the Friendly Waltz, The Queen and Land of Hope and Glory with much arm waving. Friday morning: Left for home with blistered feet. An excellent week of dancing despite the dodgy floor on Wednesday night. Photos of the event can be found here. Nigel Carter 11/2/2011 |
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Summertime Dancing’s Old Time Club 31st January 2011 |
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This Monday’s Club meeting was made special as we celebrated one of our younger member’s Hilary (1)’s 60th Birthday (photo left). However she has a long way to go to catch up Vi featured in our last article. Hilary and her husband Tony are former Old Time Competition Dancers and have been members of Summertime Dancing for many years. Hilary baked cakes and sausage rolls to celebrate the event and these were much appreciated by the gathered hoards. As Tony is scheduled to go into hospital soon to have his remaining organic knee replaced with a bionic implant Richard decided to utilise the remaining life in his knee and have him and Hilary lead off the Tango Serida (photo above right). Hopefully following the knee replacement he will be able to reach new heights in his Mazurka’s and out jump me ☺. We all wish Tony every success with the forthcoming surgery. The afternoon’s teaching session centred on revising the Wedgewood Blue Gavotte with Richard trying to undo all our bad habits with emphasis on when to lead with the toe or the heel. I find it hard enough to remember whether to lead with my left or right foot. The afternoon ended on a winning note for Richard who won twice in the raffle. Nigel Carter 31/1/2011 |
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One Hundred and Still Dancing -
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Vi is a member of three sequence dance clubs including Wey Valley SDA Clubs -
Apart from dancing. her main leisure activity is knitting. She produces beautiful knitted toys and clothing with the proceeds going to charity. All her friends hope to see her dancing for many years to come. Nigel Carter 28/1/2011 |
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Summertime Old Time Holiday in Bournemouth 7th -
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The weekend was led by Richard and Joyce, supported by Gerald and Joan. Richard also had many helpers in leading off dances through the weekend so as not to tax his strength. We were spoilt musically having both David Last and Larry Green playing for us over the weekend. Needless to say both played superbly. Friday evening started with a welcome sherry in the hotel bar followed by dinner in the ballroom. In fact dinner was served in the ballroom on both evenings and this arrangement worked very well. The food was as usual very good although I wish they would serve apple or rhubarb crumble every night rather than just for the Sunday lunch! Richard had arranged for bottles of hand sanitising gel to be at the entrance to the ballroom to prevent colds and flu being spread around the participants and affecting attendance on his next holiday.
Saturday started with a filling breakfast in the hotel restaurant. The morning's dancing session consisted of a mixture of teaching and 10 dances. Richard gave tuition in Let's Swing and the Tamarck Tango; both being newish Classical Old Time dances. Let's Swing is proving to be a simple yet popular swing and both dances appeared to go down well with the majority of the attendees. The afternoon was free for exercising the bus passes and shopping or walking along the beach before dinner once more in the ballroom.
After breakfast on Sunday, dancing consisted of a request session. Richard obtained volunteers to lead off those dances he couldn't remember. The Oxford party led off the Edwardian Gavotte and Chris and Hilary Everitt led off the Vienese Sequence Waltz which I had never seen before and enjoyed attempting it. Other requests included Saunter D'Amour, La Czarine, Milbrook Foxtrot, Cuckoo Waltz, Tango Solair, Ragtime Swing and Tango Serida. The two holiday quizzes were won by Jackie and Mike and Carol and David. We finished with the Friendly Waltz, Old Lang Syne, Land of Hope and Glory conducted by Clive and Margaret and the Queen. Following a filling Sunday lunch including crumble we all left for our respective homes. The only complaint about the excellent hotel I heard was from Jenny who complained the toilet roll was situated too far from the toilet in her room for (see photos) her little arms to reach! All in all it was as usual a fun filled exhausting weekend. Photos of the evening can be found here. Nigel Carter 10th January 2011 |
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Summertime Dancing and the Vyne SDC New Year's Eve Party 2010/2011 |
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The evening commenced with a glass (or two) of mulled wine, courtesy of Ron and Yvonne, to get people into the festive spirit. The dance programme consisted of a mixture of old and new sequence dances including classical old time. Examples of the range of dances are: Four Hand Star, Waltz Catherine, Amethyst Waltz, Glenroy and Florentina Foxtrots, Sindy and Let's Swing, Queen of Hearts Rumba and Rumba Adora and Tango Serida and Tamarack Tango. Altogether some 24 dances were danced. Assisting Richard and Joyce and Ron and Yvonne in leading off the dances were Gerald and Joan, Bernard (for his speciality of the Sindy Swing), Joan and Derek, Maureen and Peter, Jean and Ray and Pat and John. The party atmosphere was kept alive by the usual run of progressive and elimination dances with spot prizes being awarded for the skill of being in the right place on the floor. It is an interesting scientific fact that the bottle spun to award spot prizes always points to the same end of the hall which must mean the hall was built on the slant. Refreshments consisted of a Bring and Share Supper and a wide range of delights was available for the assembled hordes. Dorothy and Shirley orchestrated the kitchen and their team of helpers. The large raffle held after the interval, with many donated prizes, raised £85 for the Help for Heroes Charity. Just before midnight Father Time (AKA Gerald who needed little disguise) entered the room and did a tour of inspection waving his scythe in a menacing manner. After the stroke of midnight the New Year Fairy (AKA Heather) with a slightly bent wand entered the room and pranced around in an elegant manner before embracing Father Time (photo left). The event was choreographed by Larry (resplendent in full Scottish Dress) who was also the Narrator. Heather was going to dress as a new borne baby but Pampers did not make a large enough nappy. The New Year was toasted with wine and orange juice (for the drivers) provided by Richard and Joyce. This was followed by the customary Auld Lang Syne and Land of Hope and Glory and much kissing and hand shaking ensuring colds and flu were distributed evenly amongst all attendees. The evening's dances wound up around 00:30 with the Blue Bird Waltz and the Queen. Photos of the evening can be found here. Nigel Carter (1/1/2011)
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Summertime's Christmas Party 13th December 2010 |
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The dress theme for the afternoon was red and green and everyone looked very festive. Many people also wore festive adornments on their heads (see photos). Gerald had attached mistletoe to his hat and got a little carried away and had to be reined in. The dances were chosen to be those that would not tax our brains too much this close to Christmas. Interspersed with standard dances were progressives (which progressed amongst confusion caused by changing the dance and number of positions the ladies moved forward), swap the parcel and elimination dances. The elimination dance was finally won by Veronica and Gwen after much dice throwing. Gifts were presented by Richard and Joyce to some of the many people who had helped during the year: Rhona and Brian, Heather and Larry, Jackie and Michael, Dorothy, Shirley and Maggie and Hilary and Nigel. A card hand painted by Larry was presented to some of Summertime members who are off on a cruise to escape the English weather (see photos). Food was provided via a Bring and Share happening with plenty of food to keep everyone happy. A well stocked raffle was also held with many prizes donated by the attendees. The afternoon finished with the traditional Friendly Waltz. Fortunately, unlike last year, driving home was straightforward with no snow and black ice. Photographs of the proceedings can be found here. The Club formally reconvenes again on Monday January 3rd although there is a New Years Eve Party being held in conjunction with the Vyne before that. Nigel Carter 13/12/2010 |
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Richard & Joyce were unable to run the club on the last Monday before Christmas due
to other commitments. As a result the Club was “hijacked” by DJ’s Nicey and Nastie
(photo left-
Joyce and I made a rare trip up North to the Festival which she had never been to
before and myself not for many years.
.JPG)
Two hundred dancers including Rhona & Brian Read, Florence Slaney and myself from
Summertime Dancing journeyed to Scarborough for the Old Time Dance Society’s Ball
of the Year week-
Last night, 18th May, Summertime’s Golden Oldies Club restarted for the Summer Season
with almost 50 attending. Golden Oldies Club dance programmes include a mix of classical
old time up to the present time and modern sequence dances no newer than 2007. The
hosts for the evening were Joyce and Richard supported by their teaching assistants
Gerald and Joan.
On Tuesday 3rd May, six members of Summertime Dancing, including Richard and Joyce,
travelled to Waterlooville to attend a session of the Waterlooville Tuesday Sequence
Club. The Club is led by Anne and Mike Jessop although due to a mishap with a
folding chair involving his thumb, which is too painful to describe, Mike was unable
to lead off and Anne was helped by other members of the Club. He did however manage
to play the music although occasionally he had trouble gripping the CDs. 
Four members of Summertime Dancing Old Time Club (Richard and Joyce, Hilary and Nigel)
travelled to Bournemouth for the Old Time Dance Society’s Spring Weekend at the Wessex
Hotel -
After an excellent evening meal we were entertained by the MCs and Leaders for the
evening Pat and Mike Cooper who provided a wide and varied programme although one
or two of the dances were a complete mystery to me such as the Crazy Rag which Joyce
did her best to teach me as we galloped around the floor, and the Davian Waltz. As
most couples were struggling in this latter dance Mike and Pat walked us through
the dance which I very much appreciated although I still got my Glissades and Pas
de Valse steps mixed up. The progressive dance was the Anniversary Two Step which
was challenging in view of the large number on the floor forming one circle. The
set dance was the Quadrilles with some seven sets forming up. One or two sets descended
into chaos whilst applying their own modifications to the formal script.
After dinner, the evening’s dancing was led and MC’d by Wendy and David Griffiths.
The varied programme was accompanied by David providing interesting information
on the history of the dance. Three of the dances chosen were in their centenary
year these being the Marine Four Step, the Mississippi Dip and the Pride of Erin
Waltz. The set dance was the Lancers which was just as chaotic as the previous evenings
set dances. 
Sunday
James Forster had produced badges promoting Old Time Dancing (photo right) which
sold out in two minutes of Richard announcing that they were for sale. James is
using the proceeds to promote Old Time Dancing. A leaflet of useful dance information
has been compiled by James and is published on this website on the 
Tuesday:
Thursday:
A good crowd of Old Time Dancers descended on the Wessex Hotel Bournemouth for Summertime
Dancing's first holiday of 2011. This year was thankfully free from the weather problems
that beset us this time last year. In fact we had glorious sunshine and blue skies
for Saturday and Sunday.
David was the organist for Friday evening's dance. On the first dance David's music
vanished whilst Richard and Joyce were leading off so they had to mime the first
sequence. The organ started working after Richard provided David with new batteries!
The dance programme consisted of 18 Traditional and Classical Old Time dances, examples
being the Veleta, Kaybee Saunter, Waltz Debonair, Gainsborough Glide, Saunter Shiraz
and Skye Swing. Both progessives were two steps to keep us warmed up namely the Flirtation
and the Rosetta Two Steps. Spot Prizes were awarded during both these by the usual
bottle spinning. The set dance was the Quadrilles which was performed with gusto
(photo right). Assisting Richard and Joyce in leading off were Hilary and Chris (Everitt),
Tricia and Brian, Jenny and Philip (Nicholls), Heather and Larry with their party
piece the Gargrave Gavotte and Gerald and Joan.
Saturday evening's dance was themed a "Touch of Blue" (see photo above), however
the mood was anything other than "Blue" especially during the Lancers where much
merriment and confusion reigned. I blame Joyce's ambiguous calling for my errors.
The organist for the evening was Larry Green who added his own brand of humour to
the evening. The 18 dances included the Waverley Two Step, Empress Mazurka, Doris
Waltz, Helena Quickstep and Bedworth Blues. The progressive dances were the Four
Hand Star, Progressive Tango and a "Paul Jones" consisting of Saunter Together, Sindy
Swing and Trelawney Tango. Assisting Richard and Joyce in leading off were Pamela
and Brian, Tricia and Brian, Jenny and Philip and Gerald and Joan. Gerald had to
don Gordon's chinese jacket before leading off leading to accusations from Richard
that he was moonlighting in the hotel laundry at night. Larry complemented his playing
with some singing which Richard attempted to mime to (very badly). Larry also entered
into a barking competion with Jasper (photo left), Brian's dog, who had showed great
interest in the dancing although he found the floor too slippery for his paws to
cope with and therefore spent most of the time peering out from under a table. The
Saturday night raffle raised £81 for the "Help for Heroes" charity.
On Friday 31st December 2010, Summertime Dancing in conjunction with the Vyne Sequence
Dance Club held their New Year's Eve Party. The hosts for the evening were Richard
and Joyce (Summertime) and Ron and Yvonne (The Vyne). Richard was the MC for the
evening ensuring the pace or the dancers did not flag. Despite illness in the area
a full house of dancers from both Clubs and other clubs in the area attended the
event. The evening was thankfully free from the snow, frost and ice which had caused
the cancellation of many club nights and dances in the area in the lead up to Christmas.
The hall was suitably decorated for the evening by Hilary with Pat providing a beautiful
flower arrangement.
Over 50 festive Summertime supporters turned out on a (unlike last year) snowless
Monday for the Summertime Dancing's Christmas Party. Festivities were conducted by
Santa Richard and his Head Elf Joyce. Larry presented Richard with a Christmas hat
to match his attitude to Christmas (photo left).
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