Johnsonville Scottish Country Dance Club | Fun, fitness and friendship!

Fun, fitness & friendship!

- Loralee Hyde: A lifetime of photography
  Nearly 50 years of photographing Scottish Country Dancing It wasn’t until I inherited thousands of photos and slides from my mother Tess Hyde after she died in 2018 that I fully realised where my love of photography came from. In this treasure trove of photos, I discovered my mother had kept her own mother’s collection of dozens of photos of her family from the late 1890s onward. The first photo my grandmother had of my mother was taken in 1924 when she was just three weeks old. Mum had told me she’d been given a Brownie box camera when she was in her early twenties. That started a lifetime of recording family life and activities including birthdays, weddings and travels. My father Jim Hyde was a keen photographer as well, capturing records of farming life in the 1930s on the family farm in Horahora, near Cambridge. Dad kept a diary in 1937 when he was aged 16, detailing life on the farm and his first year of paid farming work for a neighbour. His diary entry for 22 February says, “Mr Scarlett took me to town. I bought a camera for 9/3.” (9 shillings & 3 pence; around NZ$0.92). In 1962 mum finally got a high quality camera which could take colour photos; a Zeiss purchased duty-free by her mother and step-father when they went to the 1962 Commonwealth Games in Perth, Australia. Right through the 1960s and early 1970s she took slides as they were cheaper to develop than colour film. In the late 1970s she changed to colour film when she and my father toured Britain and Europe. An early start to my photography journey 1964 Off to the beach for a holiday (with my camera around my neck) with my sister Karen at the left. On the family farm near Cambridge. Photo scanned from a slide by Tess Hyde. 1963 One of my first photos. My mother (with her Zeiss camera around her neck), brother Morris and sister Karen on holiday at Mount Maunganui. Mum passed her Brownie on to me in 1962 and that started me off on my photography journey, initially taking photos of our family activities. The Brownie was old by then and didn’t produce great shots so I was thrilled to get a new camera for Christmas in 1962 (I can’t remember what type it was). From that time on, I invariably had a camera around my neck at family celebrations and holidays. Near the end of the 1960s, I got a Kodak Instamatic, a very popular camera with ‘magic flash cubes’ that clicked on to the top of the camera. Early photos of dancing By the mid-1970s I’d moved on to a Pentax Spotmatic, a 35mm single-lens reflex camera which I used for years. My friend Christine (who now lives and dances in Rockingham south of Perth) introduced me to Scottish Country Dancing in Hamilton in 1974. I was hooked from the first evening. My sister Karen started dancing in Hamilton at much the same time. 1974 In the centre with my Pentax Spotmatic camera in Taranaki with Christine and Trisha, who both started Scottish Country Dancing at a very young age in Huntly. Photo: Karen Hunwick (nee Hyde) I soon began taking photos of dancers and dancing. However, the flash on my Pentax Spotmatic wasn’t strong enough to take good photos of people actually dancing in the low-light conditions of many halls. So I generally stuck to photos of groups, particularly when dressed up for special occasions such as theme nights or ceilidhs. 1982 Enjoying the Down on the Farm theme at the Hamilton Queen’s Birthday Weekend School. I’m second from the left with my sister Karen at the right. Enjoy more photos in this article ‘Dressed for the Part’ reflecting the fun we’ve had ‘dressing for the part’ from the 1970s to the present Moving to Wellington I moved to Wellington from Hamilton in 1983, initially taking up dancing at Lower Hutt Club before moving on to Ngaio and then Johnsonville. Some of the halls we danced at did have good lighting. Even with a limited flash, at times I managed to get reasonable photos of dancers taking to the floor. Wellington Region Events in the 1990s Take a look at the fun and friendship of some of the Region’s events through the 1990s (including the names of all the tutors in the photo below). Wellington Tutors at the 1993 Region Top Event 2000 Johnsonville ‘Black & White Annual’ Dance—with Kath Ledingham (Secretary 1991-1994) and Paula Binkhorst (President 2004-2006) (with long-term Linden tutor Ian Simmonds behind Paula). On the stage are musicians Peter Elmes and Merren Simmonds with MC Rod Downey. 2000 Johnsonville ‘Black & White Annual’ Dance—with the floor full of sets. Former Johnsonville Club member and tutor Margaret Bailey (now Allison) is on the left coming up the middle of the set. Her late husband John Bailey is in the couple behind. Former Johnsonville Club President Catherine MacAulay stands at the right of the top set. Johnsonville Club Tutor Rod Downey is at the left of the photo. I spent 2003-2004 in Tanzania with Volunteer Service Abroad (VSA); an amazing opportunity for wonderful wildlife and landscape photos. In 2004, I got my first digital camera, a Lumix DMC-FX1 which had a small zoom lens; great for capturing wild animals but not so good for photographing birds (which I was increasingly passionate about.) The size of the images was just 3 megapixels, compared to the 12 megapixel photos available on many mobile phones nowadays! Although there wasn’t any Scottish Country Dancing available in Tanzania, I still had the opportunity to dance occasionally. Here I am dancing with Maasai women at a friend’s family celebration. I handed my camera to the driver who took us out to my friend’s home in the grasslands in northern Tanzania. He enjoyed taking some great shots! 2004 Dancing with Maasai women in northern Tanzania A digital single-lens-reflex camera: A boon for better photographs My photography of both dancing and birds took off when I got my first digital single-lens camera in 2008; a Panasonic Lumix with a small zoom lens. Being able to take clearer and close-up photos was a revelation. As this camera produced higher-quality images of dancing, I recorded more and more events for Johnsonville Club along with other celebrations throughout the RSCDS Wellington Region. Hogmanays Welcoming in the New Year with toe-tapping music and fine dancing at a Hogmanay is a special celebration for Scottish Country Dancers. 2008 Johnsonville dancers at Hogmanay at Onslow College – Désirée Patterson at the left, Kristin Downey with John Homes behind her, Joanne, Rod Downey and Selwyn 2010 Johnsonville Club hosted Hogmanay in Newlands Centennial Hall 2010 Hogmanay – Acting Region President Bernice Kelly, Piper Ross Edwards, MC Rod Downey & First Foot Chris Totton See other Memories of celebrating Hogmanay in Wellington from 2006-2018 including more from the 2008 and 2010 celebrations above. New Dancers’ Celebrations New Dancers’ Celebrations welcome new dancers to the wider Scottish Country Dancing community, with experienced dancers attending in support. In 2013, Johnsonville Club hosted this event at the Newlands Centennial Hall which was decorated with the newly produced club bunting along the walls. 2013 New Dancer’s Celebration. Johnsonville dancers Debbie, Lee and Shelley who helped at the bunting bee, are dancing in the top set See my memories of New Dancers’ Celebrations since 2013 plus photos from Johnsonville Club archives Tributes to those who have contributed to Scottish Country Dancing in Wellington The archive of photos Johnsonville photographers have produced over the years provides a visual history of those who have made major contributions to dancing in the Region or who are no longer with us. Click the links below to see more about some of these dancers and musicians: 2022 Kelburn’s Farewell Kelburn Club held its final dance on 19 June, closing after more than sixty years. John Gregory was presented with a Tribute from the Region to mark his enormous contribution to dancing. 2022 Barbara Kent: 30 years at Johnsonville Club 2021 Bernice Kelly, President of the RSCDS Wellington Region from 2005-2010 2019 Tribute to Maureen Robson A special Region dance on 7 December paid tribute to Maureen who retired after teaching Tawa Club for 38 years. Peter Elmes with his button accordion 2018 A photo history of musician Peter Elmes and his band from 1990-2018 Peter Elmes played a special role in the musical history of Johnsonville Club 2018 Tribute to Peter Elmes On 24 November, a Region tribute dance marked Peter’s retirement from playing his beloved button accordion for Scottish Country Dancing. 2017 A Tribute to Betty Redfearn Betty was tutor at Kelburn for 46 years until her retirement in 2015. The joy of special Scottish Country Dancing occasions I got my current camera, a Nikon D7200, together with a great zoom lens in 2015. With this camera I can get wonderful shots of birds…as well as continuing to photograph special dancing events in the Region. 2021 Wellington Region 60th Anniversary Ball A fine dinner and dance to commemorate 60 years of the Wellington District Branch of the New Zealand Scottish Country Dance Society. 2021 Ngaio 50th Anniversary As a member of Ngaio Club from 1990-1992, I was thrilled the club asked me (along with John Patterson) to take photos at this celebration, another evening filled with the joy of fun and friendship. John Patterson snapped me across the hall (again, with my camera around my neck) watching Doug Sinclair piping in the 50th Ngaio Anniversary cake carried by past President Margaret Pitt. 2018 NZ Branch 50th Anniversary Ball at Government House With swirling kilts and fabulous colours of the ballgowns, this evening proved a grand celebration with a welcome from The Governor General, The Rt Hon Dame Patsy Reddy. 2018 The ‘official’ photographer at the RSCDS NZ Branch Ball. Photo: Bill Douglas I also shared an article about a photographer’s view of the Branch 50th Ball—how the smiles of the dancers, their laughter and the fun had by all made photographing the event an enjoyable assignment. 2016 Johnsonville Club 50 Golden Years Celebration A significant occasion for our club. See all about this grand event and the photos taken by me and fellow Johnsonville Club photographer John Patterson 2016 Johnsonville 50 Golden Years Celebration. I’m photographing a trio of Presidents cutting the 50th Anniversary cake – RSCDS Wellington Branch President Philippa Pointon, RSCDS New Zealand Branch President David Williamson and Johnsonville Club President Kristin Downey. Photo: John Patterson 2016 With a presentation from Johnsonville Club for the communications work I’d done for the 50 Golden Years Celebration – photography, design and developing the club website 2014 Wellington Region 1920s Ball An elegant evening of dancing in a beautifully decorated ballroom to celebrate the decade in which the RSCDS was formed. To make sure I occasionally get a photo of me dancing, I sometimes hand my camera over to someone on the side-line, asking them to get some shots, like the one below. 2014 Region 1920s Ball. I am dancing with Johnsonville Club members John Homes and Rod and Kristin Downey. 2012 Wellington Region Diamond Jubilee Ball This Ball at Government House celebrated the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll. The Governor General Lt. Gen The Rt Hon Sir Jerry Mateparae and Lady Janine welcomed us and joined in some of the dancing. The smiles of the dancers, their laughter and the fun had by all made photographing the event an enjoyable activity. Lady Janine and Sir Jerry Mateparae joined in the dance with RSCDS NZ Branch President Fiona Bullivant and Lesley Nicol. Current Johnsonville member and guest tutor Jeanette Watson is dancing in 4th man’s position in the set. Continuing to make memories… I’m still working hard to get good photos of birds. Although dancers move around, I’m more likely to anticipate where they’re going than for birds which flit around or simply fly off! Photographing a wee toutouwai (North Island robin) at Zealandia Ecosanctuary in Wellington Doug Mills, Nicole Trewavas, Andrew Oliver and Andrea Wells dancing a poussette in The Flower of Glasgow at the Wellington Region Hogmanay on 31 December 2021. New Zealand Scottish Country Dancer 2022, Volume 69. There’s nothing quite like photographing the joy of Scottish Country Dancing; attempting to catch the moment dancers smile to their partner or across the set, and covering well. As shown in my photo on the cover of the New Zealand Scottish Country Dancer 2022, Volume 69. My plan is to continue recording dancing celebrations and tributes, so we can easily reflect on the fun we’ve had and the friendships made. Loralee Hyde30 August 2022... Read more...
- Ian Leask and Christine Crewdson: First impressions of dancing
  I was reflecting on our Annual Dance, and thinking how nice it was to see this year’s beginners doing so well on the dance floor. As a club we are strongly supportive of our new dancers, and it’s very satisfying to see people who’ve joined us at beginners’ classes in February, having such a good time only six months later at our Annual Dance. Life being what it is, only two of our beginners were able to make it to the Annual Dance, and I asked those two if they would be prepared to write something about their experience as beginning dancers. Christine Crewdson and Ian Leask kindly agreed to share their experiences, and within three days had sent me their impressions of their first six months as Scottish Country dancers. Ian and Christine’s stories are different, but with quite a few similarities. Both turn out to have Scottish heritage, neither of them had any previous dance experience, and both of them were surprised by the mental challenges involved. Read Ian and Christine’s first impressions of dancing below to find out what brought them to Scottish Country Dancing, what makes them keep coming, and their Scottish family connections. Kristin Downey Ian Leask: Improving fitness and memory Ian Leask at the left dancing Summer Waltz Mixer with Verne (a fellow 2022 beginner) at the Johnsonville Mid-Winter Summer Social in July 2022. Photo: Loralee Hyde Back in February 2022 I saw the Independent Herald article about the Johnsonville Club beginners’ classes and noted that the tutor was that maths professor guy who used to surf with my son Craig more than 25 years ago. Scottish connections My great grandfather William Leask left Orkney in the mid 1850s and went whaling and gold mining before settling on a farm in Omakau/Ophir, Central Otago. My great grandmother Ellen followed him out from Orkney several years later and they were married in New Zealand. So, with the definite link to Scotland and a rather more tenuous link to the Johnsonville Scottish Country Dancing Club, I thought I’d go along because I had always thought Scottish dance music sounded compelling and some of it quite beautiful too. Fitness and memory I’d been told that this form of dancing is great to help improve one’s fitness and memory. Improved fitness I could understand but memory? It took exactly one evening to sort me out on that score and reinforce something I knew already – that my short term recall is not good and there is plenty of room for improvement there. Beginners’ classes Those three introductory classes were great. Rod and the other experienced members showed amazing patience and tolerance and encouraged us the whole time (and they still do). They were probably quite pleased to see some of the other starters who are pretty light on their feet, but really must have wondered about the wisdom of persisting with a leaden-footed tramper like me. But persist they did. The number of beginners dropped off over the next few months but a hard-core six or so have stayed the course so far. Ian dancing at the Johnsonville April 2022 Tartan Night just a couple of months after Beginners’ classes. At the front is Janet (another 2022 beginner) dancing with Charles. Ian’s tie is Clan Leask, given to him by his father about 30 years ago. Photo: Robert Vale Progress After 6 months of attending club nights and some regional basics classes I think I’ve made some progress. The memory deficit is probably still the most frustrating bit. After a walk-through for a simple 32 bar sequence with 5 or 6 key elements and then a final (albeit high speed) briefing from Rod, you’d think a half intelligent person would be able to remember what to do and where to go. Even more so when the same sequence is then repeated 7 more times to really make it sink in! But that works only some of the time. Often, when direct contact with my partner has been lost the hard disk gets corrupted and there’s a big blank as I’m wondering where to now? Keep a cosmic connection with your partner Rod said. But where is she? One or more steps ahead. I’ll need to take this short cut to reach the next waypoint on time. Finally, with helpful directions from the odd person on point duty and a firm nudge here and there we’ve got to the end of the 32 bars. And then it all starts over. In strathspey time it seems to happen too quickly but in jig and reel time it really is relentless. Don’t worry my partner says at the end, it took me at least 5 years before I could relax. Jeez, that’s cheerful. At my age I’ll need to be careful or that might not happen. Ian at the top of the set at the left, ready to tackle the jig Lonely Sunday at the Johnsonville June 2022 Tartan Night Photo: Loralee Hyde Conclusion? I’ve enjoyed the club evenings immensely and the Annual Dance was a great experience. Overall it has been good, if sometimes frustrating fun. But with everyone willing you to improve you couldn’t be in better company. I’ll be back for the challenge next week! Ian enjoying the more challenging John Markham’s Rant with Moira in the set at the rear at the Johnsonville Annual Dance in August 2022. Photo: Loralee Hyde Ian Leask28 August 2022 Christine Crewdson: Appreciating the laughter and encouragement Christine Crewdson at the left dancing A Camp of Pleasure with Brenda at the Johnsonville Mid-Winter Summer Social in July 2022. Photo: Loralee Hyde When did you start dancing with Johnsonville Scottish Country Dance Club? In the February 2022 Beginners classes. I hadn’t done any dancing prior, so it’s been a steep learning curve. How did you get into Scottish Country Dancing? It’s something I’ve wanted to try for a long time but didn’t quite get round to it. I saw a poster inviting people to beginners’ sessions this year. Since I was easing out of the workforce, I decided this was the time to have a go. I thought it would be enjoyable exercise but didn’t realise the mental challenges it involves – so that’s an added bonus. What do you most enjoy about Scottish Country Dancing? I’m enjoying meeting new people and discovering how truly friendly and encouraging they are. Everyone I’ve met at Johnsonville Club, the Region Basics courses and from other clubs are so welcoming, patient, positive and supportive. It’s very refreshing and energising. I’m hoping the mental and physical challenges will keep my brain functioning. In addition, Club newsletters include snippets of interesting information to encourage follow-up learning. Tell us a bit about any Scottish connections you may have. My paternal grandmother was Elizabeth Burnett Johnstone (daughter of Elizabeth McKenzie and Charles Johnstone). She was born at Banks, Strichen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland and emigrated from Dundee to New Zealand in 1926. My father retained a strong interest in his heritage and, until he died, he always wore a tartan tam o’shanter. Christine’s late father Tom (aka TAGS, his initials) from around 2000 in his tam o’shanter driving the steam engine at Paekakariki My maternal grandmother was born in NZ with the maiden name McTaggart. She was an active member of the Scottish Society in Levin for many years. Mum did Highland Dancing as a girl too. What sorts of activities have you been involved with at the club over the year? This is my first year so mostly it’s been getting to know people and learning about the dancing community. I haven’t weaned myself off spreadsheets yet, so I’ve done a little bit with those for the Club on wet days, updating historical membership lists and cataloguing the club’s dance books. What club activity stands out for you? Christine enjoying Andrew’s Dance at the Johnsonville Annual Dance in August 2022, wearing her new Johnstone tartan sash brought back from Scotland by her son. Photo: Loralee Hyde I thoroughly enjoyed the Annual Dance – it was so energetic and entertaining. On a more regular basis I appreciate the laughter and encouragement at Club nights and trying to master new dances. Previously, I always focussed more on lyrics than music so now I’m learning to listen more carefully to the music itself. Tell us something about your life outside of Scottish Country Dancing. I’ve been a Systems Accountant for various Govt Depts over many years but gave that away in March this year. I’m divorced, with 2 adult children and 2 grandsons. In June 2021, my daughter and I bought a house together in Khandallah for us and her cat. I’m still adjusting to being out of the workforce. Mostly I’m occupied with family – especially settling my mother into a rest home and trying to sell her house. I enjoy walking, yoga, reading, crosswords and pottering in the garden. Christine Crewdson28 August 2022... Read more...