NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE AND DISTRICT RSCDS
NEWSLETTER
Autumn 2010
Welcome to a new season of dancing
Ellen Gregory and June Walker, founder members of the Branch,
cutting the cake at the Jubilee Ball held on 26th June 2010
MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAIRMAN
I would like to wish you all the best for the new dancing year in this our sixtieth
anniversary year. As you know we had an Anniversary Ball at the Lancastrian Suite,
Dunston in June. This was a great success with about 150 members and guests attending.
Following the many positive comments we have received about this venue we are looking
to use it again, hopefully for the Highland Ball in 2011. Please do support this
year‟s ball at Wallsend so that we can be confident that we will have sufficient
attending in 2011 to make it viable. A particularly pleasing aspect of the ball was
that we had two people attending who have been members for sixty years - Ellen Gregory
and June Walker. It was sad that Mary Cooper, who had also been a member for sixty
years and secretary for many of them, was unable to attend due to a fall. Another
special anniversary event was the coffee morning at the Mansion House in Newcastle.
I was very sorry to have missed this as I was with the Branch demonstration team
on that day travelling back from appearing in a festival in Northern Portugal. I
gather it was also a great success with about 100 members enjoying the house, garden
and the company of old friends. Following its success we are having an afternoon
tea, details on the enclosed flyer, to give those members who do not dance so much
these days an opportunity to meet, chat with old friends and make new acquaintances.
Please let us know if you would like us to arrange a further such function after
Christmas.
While catering for our established members is very important to the Committee we
are keen to attract new members and so various events have been organised for „Dance
Scottish Week‟. In particular we will be having a Wallington type afternoon‟s dancing
at Gibside on Saturday 25th September. While this is primarily intended to persuade
more people that dancing is fun and good for you we do need experienced dancers to
come along and help the less experienced dancers in what is a very attractive setting.
Please do come if you are free that afternoon.
As usual we will be having informal dances in October, December, January, March and
April and plans for the Festival 2011 are well advanced. We are making some changes
to the Day School turning it into a day of dance and we hope many members will be
able to attend some or all of it (Saturday 5th March). More details will follow in
the January newsletter.
We have published a book of country dances and a book of ladies step dances marking
our anniversary. CDs for both will be available shortly. We hope you enjoy these
dances and that many of you will want to purchase the books and CDs. These will be
available at dances but may also be purchased by contacting any Committee member.
Similarly we hope you will want to purchase some beautiful anniversary mugs. More
information on these items is on the Branch website (http://www.rscds-newcastle.org/).
If you have never visited the website please do. It has a plethora of useful information
on it: dates, crib-sheets, maps, etc.
In conclusion I hope you all enjoy this anniversary year and look forward to dancing
and chatting with many of you throughout the year
Peter Avery (Chairman)
PROGRAMME UNTIL JANUARY 2011
THURSDAY 9th SEPTEMBER - DANCE THE NEW BOOK - BOOK 46 at Gosforth Parish Hall (opposite
the Gosforth Metro) Teacher – Deb Lees
It is primarily intended for teachers and those taking classes but other experienced
dancers are welcome.
17th to 25th SEPTEMBER - DANCE SCOTTISH WEEK WHAT’S HAPPENING
Sheila Trafford will host a Taster Session at MORPETH – St. George‟s Church Hall
on SATURDAY 11th SEPTEMBER 2 – 4 p.m. Admission Free.
Carol Sanderson will host a Taster Session at HEXHAM – Lockhart Room, Moot Hall (just
off the Market Place) on WEDNESDAY 15th SEPTEMBER 7.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. Admission
Free.
SUNDAY 19th SEPTEMBER - Seaton Delaval, the National Trust‟s most recent acquisition
in the North East, opened this Spring. Inspired by the fourth plinth in Trafalgar
Square, Centrestage is an opportunity at Seaton Delaval for local groups to showcase
their skills. We have been fortunate enough to be given Sunday the 19th September
to demonstrate Scottish Country dancing. As a prelude to Dance Scottish Week a Branch
demonstration team and a children‟s team will be performing during the afternoon.
It is hoped that this will show visitors what fun we have dancing and inspire them
to come along to some of the events on offer and to have a go themselves. Please
encourage friends to come and see what Scottish Country Dancing is all about. We
will be dancing between 1.30 and 4.30 pm.
Deb Lees and Roger Malton will host a Taster Session at NEWCASTLE SANDYFORD, ST.
ANDREW’S CHURCH on WEDNESDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER 7 to 9 p.m.
SATURDAY 25th SEPTEMBER - We have been given the opportunity to dance at Gibside
National Trust and will be running an Open Air Dance with recorded music on Saturday
25th September from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. We plan to run this on similar lines to Wallington
encouraging visitors to join in some simpler dances.
RSCDS members will have free admission for the afternoon - just tell them you are
coming to dance as you come through admissions. If you are a National Trust member
please bring your membership card as it is of considerable benefit to the property‟s
funds.
We will be dancing on the grass directly in front of the Chapel. Unfortunately there
is no wet weather alternative. Gibside is an interesting place for a visit and has
undergone lots of changes recently - a new and enlarged tea room and shop, Orangery
and Victorian Gardens, the walled garden extensively planted out and the Stable block
opened up to visitors.
Please come along and support this new venture in an area where we haven’t danced
much before.
To conclude the week a “Simply Social” Scottish Dance will be held in the Knott Memorial
Hall, HEDDON ON THE WALL on SATURDAY 25TH SEPTEMBER 7 p.m. to 10.30 p.m. There will
be a mixture of dances, some ceilidh some Scottish but all will be walked through.
This is an opportunity to introduce the less experienced to an evening of dance.
SATURDAY 2nd OCTOBER at HARRATON Music by Lindsay Weir. Convenor - Giles Bayliss
Programme -
Giles was a member of the Newcastle University Dance Club and now attends the Thursday
Branch Class in Gosforth. He was elected to the Branch Committee this year. Over
the years he has been involved in Branch trips to folk dance festivals in Europe
and has recently joined the North Tyneside Pipe Band. He hopes the Washington dance
will appeal to dancers of all abilities and assures a warm welcome to the first dance
of the season.
SATURDAY 23rd OCTOBER at DUMFRIES
Dance Scottish for Pudsey - BBC Children in Need - 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Sixteen of our young people will be taking part in this non-competitive Festival.
The dancers have to perform their chosen dances in fancy dress to reflect the title
of the dance. The dances which they themselves have chosen to perform are ‘The Christmas
Tree’ and ‘Wheels Round the World’.
The event is being organised by Iain Hale and Sue Petyt of Dumfries to raise money
for Children in Need as well as giving the opportunity to publicise Scottish Country
Dancing to a wide audience. Pudsey will be there!
THURSDAY 28th OCTOBER - FORMATIONS CLASS at Gosforth Parish Hall (opposite the Gosforth
Metro) Teacher - Peter Avery Please let Peter (on 07900215036) or a Committee Member
know if there are any Formations/special dances etc. you would like to be taught.
FRIDAY 12th NOVEMBER at WALLSEND MEMORIAL HALL - HIGHLAND BALL
Music by Robert Whitehead and the Danelaw Band. Convenor - Peter Avery Details and
an application form are enclosed with this Newsletter.
Please support this event. As the Chairman has stated, in view of the positive comments
about the Lancastrian Suite - the floor, the food, the car parking, the Committee
is investigating the possibilities of transferring the Highland Ball there in future
years. We are already committed to holding this year‟s Highland Ball at Wallsend,
but initial enquiries suggest that the move could be viable for 2011. Further information
will be shared when it is available but in the meantime I would urge members to support
this year‟s Ball as otherwise the Committee may be left with no alternative but to
cancel the event and move to an informal dance in its place.
SATURDAY 13th NOVEMBER - DANCING FOR PUDSEY BEAR A FAMILY DANCE in the KNOTT MEMORIAL
HALL, HEDDON ON THE WALL 4.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. Music to be agreed. Convenor - Carol
Sanderson
Dances will be simple and will include some ceilidh dances. Please encourage any
families, whether they already dance or not, to come along . It is a lot of fun.
This event will include the presentation of Certificates and Medals by our President
Mike Barlow to the twenty-five young people who took the Society’s Medal Tests in
July.
Five young people from the Gosforth class and twenty from Hexham came together to
take these tests. The assessor was Mrs. Fiona Turnbull with Mrs. Marilyn Healy, who
was being trained as a future assessor, also present. I am delighted to be able to
report that all the girls passed. The full results were: Introductory Grade - 2 distinctions,
2 credits; Grade 1 - 2 distinctions and 4 credits; Grade 2 - 6 credits and 2 passes;
Grade 4 - 2 distinctions and 1 credit; Grade 5 - 2 distinctions and 2 credits.
We offer our congratulations to all the young people who took part and hope that
these results will inspire them to continue with their dancing
SATURDAY 4th DECEMBER at BLACKFRIARS Music by Michael Philip.
Convenor - Christine Belcher
Programme (subject to possible alteration)
With a view to possibly being able to send a team to the festival with four men Noel
took me and Skipper took Stan Ward to the Branch Class which was then run by Miss
Crone. She was satisfied with our standard of dance so we were taken into the team.
At that time highland dress was not very common among dancers so doublets, lace and
the sporrans were hired for the event.
Allen Warren
DANCAS do MUNDO (WORLD DANCES) WAS CERTAINLY AN EXPERIENCE
This year I went on my first trip with the Newcastle Branch. We went to Portugal
to take part in their Festival - Dancas do Mundo (World Dances). We were joined by
Germany, Brazil, Slovakia, Spain, Mexico, North Assetia, Russia and of course Portugal
(several local dancers).
While on the trip I discovered there was a lot of waiting around. It started on the
journey there - delay at the airport and then two lost suitcases. On arrival we were
greeted by our two guides Rita and Vania. The suitcases eventually arrived and we
were on the move. We visited the castle in Santa Marina da Fiera and then paraded
through the town. The costumes were stunning, very colourful and unusual. Casa da
Gaia organises the Festival and their President, (Domino os Florin), gave a speech
after the parade and there was an exchange of gifts. That evening we came back and
did an opening performance. It was strange that we were the only group that doesn‟t
dance professionally but we were still received well.
While staying we had about six variations of the same soup, apparently, although
I don’t think anybody could confidently say what was in it. Accompanying the very
tasty but mystery soup was a whole lot of bread rolls and for a main course some
mystery meat. All very delicious despite the lack of knowing what you were eating.
While there we went to the beach twice in Esphino City and had ice-cream. These trips
also included waiting an hour on the (hot!) bus for the Mexicans to arrive.
We performed in Agueda twice one of which was on a lake. It was commented that there
was a definite “buzz” after that performance. There were also fireworks at this and
several other performances. We arrived back at the school where we were staying at
2.25 a.m. that night and had „reinforcement food‟ which was a very large platter
of cheese and sometimes to be original ham sandwiches as well.
Several members of the team tried latin dancing but did not pursue it when it came
to ‘Latin Night’. There was also a masked/fancy dress party and White Night. Both
consisted of socialising while drinking and if you really wanted, or was forced,
dancing.
We enjoyed some very nice homemade cake at several performances and had an interesting
tour of a wine cellar at W. & J. Graham’s. They make Port that is sold all around
the world.
On one day we did two performances. One in Louredo and the other in Sao Miguel de
Souto at the Gala des Jacoes. After our performance some of us went inside and had
some coca cola and cake, yum! We sat on the floor of the mostly empty building, as
the floor was cool and it was generally where we ended up.
We performed at Milheuros. Alcanena was a two and a half hour coach ride each way.
Not including waiting around for Brazilians. Broga was a very nice location. It was
a very interesting place to look around. After this performance I was introduced
to the art of changing on a moving bus, oops.
On our day off we went to Porto for the day. A very beautiful place to look around.
We went to the Cathedral and found the best ice-cream shop I have ever been in (it
was good to have air conditioning). We also got a boat and went along the river in
Porto under the seven bridges. This was definitely one of the highlights. A brilliant
day!
As a couple of people left through the two weeks we found ourselves learning new
dances, or at least, they were new for me. Who knows Gay Gordons?
The closing gala in Argoncilhe where we had been staying was a performance from each
country then a closing performance that involved four people from each country and
a flag carrier. It was a brilliant end that we watched while balanced on the edge
of a flower bed. Good times.
So overall there was a lot of waiting around. Plenty of food. Some brilliant performances
to take part in and watch. A phenomenal trip with a brilliant team. Yes, I want to
go next year, but I couldn’t say why!
Jo Rann (17)
Gillian Reed, Andrew Ferguson and Sara Andrews - Alcanena
RSCDS SUMMER SCHOOL, ST. ANDREWS
Youth Director Deb Lees, her husband, Roger Malton and Alan Davison from Hexham all
attended the third week of the 2010 Summer School at St Andrews. They opted to take
part in the Beginners’ Highland Class under the direction of teacher Pam Dignan with
accompaniment by pianist Sue Bolans.
After four days of hard work all were asked to perform a sword dance as a demonstration
at the Younger Hall during a social evening organised by the RSCDS in conjunction
with the St Andrews Tourist Board.
‘It certainly was an experience I will never forget’, says Alan, who until attending
the school had never danced a Highland step before. ‘To be asked to take part in
a dance demonstration at the Younger Hall is quite a privilege. Luckily I had plenty
of support from Deb and Roger and the performance was very well received by all who
attended.’
The R.S.C.D.S. Summer School runs over a four week period and caters for all levels
from absolute beginners to very advanced and those wishing to take their Teaching
Certificate. There are also classes for musicians on certain weeks.
‘I had a wonderful time,’ says Alan. ‘Good food, fabulous location, great camaraderie
and fantastic dancing.’
Together with swords Alan Davison, Deb Lees and Roger Malton
R.S.C.D.S. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AT PERTH 5th to 7th NOVEMBER 2010
John Cass, Roger Malton, Carol Sanderson, Veronica Thomson and Jean Wright will be
representing the Branch. They will give brief reports from the various sessions in
the next newsletter.
MEMBERSHIP MATTERS
Over the last few weeks I have been processing a steady stream of subscription payments
- many thanks for all of you who have paid promptly. There are still some gaps and
I’d be glad to receive any unpaid subscriptions as soon as possible so I can close
the books for the year!
For the first time I have been able to list on the advice letter that came with your
membership cards all members linked to the same household. I do need to verify the
accuracy of this information so if family members are missed off or you have a stranger
listed please let me know.
Your login details for the RSCDS Headquarters website are also included. The web
address is www.rscds.org, and the sign-in box is prominently displayed on the home
screen. If you have any difficulty signing in please contact HQ. There were some
issues with the list we were given so some details may not have been transcribed
properly. Do have a go - it’s the only way to get to grips with the new technology.
Membership numbers are still reasonably healthy but we are still concerned that
the numbers coming into Scottish Country Dancing are not sufficient to balance the
losses. We have various new dancer initiatives including Dance Scottish Week, our
programme of Simply Social dances (aimed at people with less experience of Scottish
Dance), our Ceilidhs, Wallington Hall dances and various others. Do support us. Do
you have any fresh ideas on how we could draw more people into Scottish Country Dance?
Roger Malton
ENCOURAGING NEW MEMBERS TO JOIN
We’re often asked the question, “Why should I join the RSCDS?”
There really is no easy answer to this, and it requires a bit of thought before replying
especially when the person concerned is enjoying dancing within a club and rarely,
if ever, attends RSCDS events.
The RSCDS does a tremendous amount of work in promoting and developing Scottish Country
Dance so that it can be enjoyed by future generations in all parts of the world.
Members do get particular benefits – locally we offer member discounts for Branch
events - but the real benefit for many members if that they can support the work
of the Society by being a member.
• Subscriptions and donations make a massive financial contribution and enable
the work to go ahead – training of teachers, publications, etc.
• Healthy membership numbers give the Society greater influence over
government policy relating to traditional dance and music, increase the value of
publicity and also help to draw in sources of finance.
• Membership is the gateway to contributing to Scottish Country Dance through
volunteer action, possibly by serving on a Central or a Branch Committee, or simply
helping out at Branch functions. Locally a vibrant membership will enable the Branch
to run a full range of events and ensure that Scottish Country Dance remains strong
in the future.
Roger Malton
• Congratulations and best wishes to our young people who have taken
examinations this year and may by going off to University.
• Congratulations and best wishes to Mike and Maureen Barlow, Robin and
Marion Luscombe and Gillian and Keith Stewart who are all celebrating their “Ruby
Weddings”.
THE BARLOWS’ DANCING YEARS
Maureen and Mike met while they were teenagers at the Royal Grammar School Scottish
Dance Club run by John Douglas. The club had been started by Joy Knowles and was
for the sixth form from RGS, Church High and Central High. Maureen had started aged
9 at the class run in Kenton by Eileen Leach, known as the Kelpies, and had danced
in the Children’s Festival when it was held in the Northumberland Baths which used
to be boarded over in the winter and used for a variety of events . After they were
married John and Jan Douglas introduced them to the RSCDS by taking them to a dance
in the Civic Centre. They danced together at a class run by Jan down at the coast.
Maureen had also joined the class in Ponteland run by John Cass in 1970. Cass‟s lasses
includes Sheila Trafford and Freda Phillipson. Under pressure from some of her Girl
Guide unit, Maureen taught Scottish Dancing so the girls could earn badges. Later
Maureen agreed to hold regular cases and to be able to do this she gained her Teacher’s
Certificate after attending sessions taught by John Douglas.
Mike did not escape as he was invited to join the Committee and helped Chris Blair
with books and records. They started to run an annual family dance so the children
could enjoy what they had learned and then their parents wanted to learn so they
could ‘keep up’ and Mike’s class in Dalton Village Hall started and a second Teacher’s
Cert. joined the family. As the children got older Maureen started a once a month
class for the older ones with Carol Sanderson, Sylvia Malcolm and Freda on the piano.
The New Tyne Dancers won the demonstration trophy three times at the Newcastle Festival
and had a lot of fun dancing. Mike has been Branch Chairman and is now President.
He still works on books which the branch publishes. Scottish dancing is good for
you providing fitness and friendships. We have enjoyed sharing our dancing years
and look forward to this remaining a part of our lives even if some of the technique
is now a distant memory!!
Mike and Maureen Barlow
FOR SALE - Three Adult Kilts and Fifteen Children’s Kilts (Age 8 to 10) For further
information contact John Cass on 0191 2576882
CLASSES
NEW OPPORTUNITY FOR INTERMEDIATE DANCERS
The Thursday night Branch Class starts again at Westfield School on the 16th September,
at 7.30 p.m. However, from the 30th September the class will start at the new time
of 7 p.m. The first part of the class will be aimed largely at intermediate dancers
who would like to improve their dancing technique and extend the range of figures
and dances in their repertoire.
The main class will continue from around 8 p.m. with a „cross over‟ period where
both intermediate and more advanced dancers will work together. Intermediate dancers
will be very welcome to stay for the full evening. Dancers already attending the
Thursday class are very much encouraged to come for the earlier start as often as
possible. This is both to encourage and support newer dancers and also to have the
opportunity to improve their own technique!
This is a new venture as we are very much aware that there are few opportunities
to develop more advanced dancing skills. I do hope that you will all support it.
Deb Lees (Teacher)
