Fun, fitness & friendship!
It was so nice to look around the hall and see so much tartan at our Tartan Night on 29 May.
Dancers displaying an array of tartans while dancing Violynne, the dance devised by Rod Downey for musician Lynne Scott
I already knew the history of some of the tartan regalia, but some of the items were new to me. With time to chat, I found some interesting stories behind those ‘new’ tartans.
Janet Thomson: Her mother’s kilt brought back to life
Janet was wearing her mother’s muted Thomson Hunting tartan kilt skirt for the very first time on Monday. The story of how Janet and the kilt skirt arrived on the dance floor involves many twists and turns, and a lot of detective work on Janet’s part.
Janet dancing Violynne, wearing her restored kilt for the first time
In 1977, Janet’s mother placed an order for a kilt to be made for her trip to visit clan places in Scotland the following year. At that time Janet’s parents lived in Timaru, and her father was doing research in Southland for a school centennial publication—the right neck of the woods to commission a kilt.
After her mother’s death, the kilt was passed on to Janet’s stepmother who pulled it apart with an eye to re-modelling it, but that never happened. The kilt sat in pieces until recently, when Janet decided to see if she could have it restored so she could wear it.
Amazingly, Janet managed to search out the original order docket for FP Helean Kiltmakers of Dunedin (now Helean and Co). She packed up all the pieces (lining, zip, waistband and a small remaining piece of cloth) and sent them off to Kathryn Corry, Frank (FP) Helean’s granddaughter.
Janet says Kathryn was keen to see the work her grandfather had done over 40 years ago and did a fantastic job of restoring the kilt ready for the tartan night. Or almost ready—at 5.00pm the night before, Janet realised she had better cut away the tacking which had held the pleats in place.
Veronica Young: From Melbourne to Wellington
Less than a month before the tartan night, Veronica became the proud owner of one of the kilts in the club’s second-hand collection. It was love at first sight for this subtly coloured, beautiful fine wool kilt skirt by Fletcher Jones.
The kilt had barely made it onto the club night display table when Veronica walked in the door, spotted it, and said she’d take it—before even trying it on.
This is the second of two kilts donated to the club by Jane Aim. The first was from her childhood and is now worn by Lizzie Tan. It was the first kilt to emerge as Jane cleared out her house prior to moving.
Some months later, at the end of the clearing out process, Jane found a second kilt, which she also donated to the club. Jane told me she bought this second kilt for herself on a trip to Melbourne as an adult and wasn’t sure if she ever actually wore it.
I kept the kilt at home for a few months, wondering if it might be right for me, but eventually brought it along to club. Now this second kilt has found a good home with Veronica and got a second lease of life on the Scottish Country Dance floor.
Veronica at the right wearing the kilt donated by Jane Aim, while Ian at the left is wearing a kilt that’s had many previous owners
Ian Leask: The latest in a long line to own his kilt
We’ve grown used to seeing Ian at club tartan nights wearing a Clan Leask tartan tie given to him by his father. But on Monday, there he was looking very much the part dressed in a kilt.
This kilt was passed on to Ian by Johnsonville dancer Bruce Jones and should have become Ian’s at the club’s 2022 Halloween theme night. However, a medical emergency took priority and the kilt has only recently made its way to Ian.
In trying to find out more about the kilt, it became apparent that Ian is just one in a long line of Scottish Country dancers to own the kilt.
Ian knew it had been passed from Pat Reesby to Bruce, before coming on to him. Contacting Pat, it turns out the kilt came to her from Jill and David Andrews, past Johnsonville and Ngaio dancers. After David’s death, Jill gave it to Pat to find a good new home for it.
We can trace the kilt even further back—David himself inherited the kilt from longstanding Ngaio dancer Murray Allardice.
Murray Allardice at the right at the 2001 Johnsonville Annual Dance. Ian now owns the kilt Murray is wearing. The club’s first Life Members Isla and Eric Norris are second from the right—Deborah Shuker now wears one of Isla’s kilts.
Ian did a little research to find out which clan tartan fabric the kilt was made from. Using the Reverse Tartan Search facility at House of Tartan UK he determined it was the tartan of Clan Murray of Atholl.
It should be noted that as a first-time kilt-wearer, Ian was very careful to wear some shorts underneath his ‘new’ kilt on Monday night. He’d been warned that blokes don’t realise they need to learn how to sit in a kilt!
Prisilla Conroy: A vintage waistcoat
Now that Prisilla dances at two clubs, her tartan wardrobe is coming under pressure.
Prisilla dancing Argyll’s Fancy, wearing her blue tartan waistcoat
On Thursday night, Prisilla wore her usual red tartan skirt to Tawa’s Tartan Night, so what to wear to the Johnsonville Tartan Night the next Monday? As it turned out, she was there in a very smart blue tartan waistcoat.
The waistcoat is not new, in fact Prisilla bought it for around £25 when she was in London in 1978-79. It wasn’t bought for any special event, rather because it was beautiful, but somehow it disappeared to the back of the wardrobe after her trip and was never worn.
At our tartan night, Prisilla’s Laird-Portch of Scotland pure new wool waistcoat finally came into its own, adding colour to our tartan night. From what I see on the internet, Laird-Portch no longer exists as a company, but their high-quality pure wool tartan items are now sought-after vintage items.
It was wonderful to have all these tartans adding colour to our Tartan Night. Knowing their stories adds that extra touch.
Of course, there are plenty more tartan tales to tell. Three of our dancers wear tartan regalia bequeathed by life member Isla Norris.
Read about Maureen Sullivan’s special connection to Isla’s Macdonald of the Isles tartan sash and see photos of Isla wearing the kilt Deborah Shuker wears today. Mandy Clark’s tartan ribbon was also once Isla’s.
Additionally, many of our members have taken the time to write about their Scottish connections, including other tartan tales. Explore their stories here.
Click on the gallery below to see all of Loralee’s photos of this evening of fun and friendship.
Kristin Downey31 May 2023
All photos by Loralee Hyde [...]
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At the Wellington Region afternoon of Early Wellington Dances in April, we danced Ian Simmonds’ dance Percy Reserve (The Linden Collection), which commemorates the many years of summer dancing at Percy Scenic Reserve in Lower Hutt.
1955: Summer Dancing in Percy Reserve, Wellington Evening Post Scottish Country Dancers at Percy Scenic Reserve, Korokoro, Lower Hutt. Evening post (Newspaper. 1865-2002) :Photographic negatives and prints of the Evening Post newspaper. Ref: EP/1955/2562-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/22736027
Percy Scenic Reserve has a fascinating history, originally being the site of the Percy family’s mill, established in the 1840s. The family was one of the pioneer families of Petone, with Joseph Percy and (later wife) Anne Maria Welch arriving as settlers in the early 1840s.
Scene at Korokoro, circa 1860s, with Percy’s Britannia Flour Mill. Photographer unidentified. NatLib image
1902: View of Lower Hutt looking due east from Percy’s Reserve. The edge of Ratanui Tennis Court is at the bottom right. Photo: Barclay Hector Upper Hutt City Library Heritage Collections
From early on, ‘the mill soon became a social hub hosting dances and events.’ Land nearby was later developed as a private garden, and in 1939 three of the Percys’ grandsons gifted the park and its special plant collections to the Crown ‘for the purposes of a scenic reserve’.
‘From the 1950s the reserve was regularly used for a variety of cultural events such as dances and performances.’ Scottish Country Dancing was one of the groups favoured by the Petone Borough Council in those years. (See Hutt City celebrations of Percy Reserve 70th anniversary)
Interestingly there is a family connection to Scottish Country Dancing through past Wellington dancer, Plimmerton Scottish Country Dance Club tutor and later Johnsonville member, Margaret Bailey (now Bailey-Allison).
Margaret tells me her 2x great-aunt was Anne Maria (Welch) Percy, wife of Joseph Percy, who was ‘the mother of all those Percys who didn’t marry, and who bequeathed the family land’. In New Zealand, you never have to look far for a family connection.
The Scottish Country Dancing connection with Percy Reserve began in the 1950s.
1955: A Scottish Country Dancing demonstration
Dancing at Percy Reserve seems to have begun with a Sunday afternoon demonstration in March 1955, at the request of the Petone Borough Council.
Fifty dancers from Wellington district took part, and the white frocks and tartan looked particularly attractive against the background of bush-clad hills. A light mist hanging round the tree-tops only increased the resemblance of the scene to thills of Home.
The NZ Scottish Country Dancer 1955, p 19
Amazingly it was performed before ‘some 700 spectators’, and followed on from a January demonstration on the lawn in the moon-lit Botanical Gardens.
The 1955 season was deemed to be ‘highly successful’ with these two public demonstrations having ‘given fresh impetus to Scottish Country Dancing in the District’. (The NZ Scottish Country Dancer 1955, pp 3,19)
1955-1956: Dancing under lights
By end of 1955, the Petone Borough Council had installed flood lights and a PA system, and offered the Reserve free to the Scottish Country Dance community to dance one evening a week throughout the summer.
This was such an exciting development, the 1956 NZ Scottish Country Dancer had a full page spread on Percy’s Scenic Reserve
Regular evening dancing started on 21 November 1955, broke for Christmas and resumed to coincide with the second New Zealand Summer School held 3-14 January 1956 at Wellesley College, Eastbourne.
On 12 January 1956 at this second summer school, the New Zealand Scottish Country Dance Society came into being, fulfilling ‘a recommendation made some 12 months earlier from the first Summer School’ . (The NZ Scottish Country Dancer 1956, p 11)
What Jack Seton had to say
At that inaugural meeting, dancer and musician Jack Seton was elected the first President of the New Zealand Scottish Country Dance Society. He was also one of three teachers at the second Summer School, and was very excited about summer dancing at Percy Reserve.
Jack Seton MC’ing a Scottish Country Dance. Photo supplied by Ruary Laidlaw
In the Hastings Notes from Affiliated Clubs in the 1956 magazine, Jack writes enthusiastically:
Since I came to lovely New Zealand, I often wondered if I could ever capture the same thrill at a massed display . During the last Summer School, the class together with members of the Wellington and District clubs performed at Percy’s Reserve. The setting, plus the lighting which added colour to the contrast of tartan sashes and kilts against the green sward brought back the same happy feeling, a feeling which made me inwardly proud of the leaders of clubs who have brought our dances to such a high standard of perfection and a love for every member who gave of his best.
The NZ Scottish Country Dancer 1956, p 19
Percy’s becomes an institution
From the 1950s onwards summer dancing at Percy Reserve was part of the fabric of Scottish Country Dancing in Wellington. Some years were better than others weatherwise, with gatherings washed out on occasion.
In 1971 summer dancing was still going strong, with Lower Hutt Club writing:
This year we were very fortunate with the weather for all eight nights’ dancing at Percy’s Scenic Reserve. On the Hutt Club’s nights, approximately 10 sets turned out for dancing under the stars.
The NZ Scottish Country Dancer 1971, p 36
In 1972, Wellington Club reported that ‘on two of our allotted nights the grass was too wet to allow us to cavort’. But large numbers continued to enjoy dancing at Percy’s throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s.
An exciting development in the 1980s was live music at Percy’s Reserve. Peter Elmes’ notes include a dance programme for 26-1-82 at Percys Reserve and the 1984 Dancer magazine mentions live musicians playing at some of the Percy Reserve nights in 1983.
Little other mention was made in magazines during the 1980s or 1990s. Other events took priority, with summer dancing at Percy’s Reserve having become a normal part of the Wellington Scottish Country Dancing calendar.
Clubs might go into recess for the summer months, but warmer weather never seems to deter the Scottish Country Dancer. Outdoor dancing at Percy’s Reserve during January and February … keeps the fitness levels up until clubs recommence in early March.
The NZ Scottish Country Dancer 1995, p 35
The end of an era
After 1995, I can find no further mention of summer dancing at Percy Reserve in my collection of magazines, and come 1999:
In January/February, outdoor dancing was held at Riddiford Gardens in Lower Hutt – each night being hosted by a different club.
The NZ Scottish Country Dancer 2000, p 25
Summer dancing at Percy Reserve was a feature of Scottish Country Dancing in the Wellington Region for at least forty years – a mighty fine run indeed.
A personal note
Rod and I started dancing in 1991 and we have happy memories of dancing in Percy Reserve in the summer (despite being eaten alive by midges). It was a lot of fun, and we were still young, so dancing on the grass didn’t impact our feet the way it does these days.
Rod became tutor of Johnsonville in 1997 and can remember taking some nights at Percy Reserve in that role, so it would seem summer dancing was still going strong at Percy’s into the late 1990s.
Kristin Downey21 May 2023 [...]
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The first Annual Dance of the season brings the excitement of joining with dancers from across the region for a night of live music and good company. It’s also a nice distraction from the approach of winter.
Ngaio Club has opened the Annual Dance season for many years now, with live music appearing some time around the 1980s.
Well-loved band leader Peter Elmes kept a meticulous collection of programmes for all the events at which he played, an amazing resource for Wellington Region history.
Amongst that collection I found Ngaio’s 1984 dance programme, held on 5 May at Newlands College (a new venue for Ngaio that year). So at least as far back as 1984, Ngaio’s dance has been held in early May leading dancers into the winter dance season.
In those days, the age profile of dancers was a little lower, and programmes featured 20 dances, rather than the 17 or 18 commonly danced today. Maxwell’s Rant has clearly stood the test of time, on the programme then and still on it today.
Looking at the programme further, it was also a later start at 8pm. With a later start and a longer programme, those young people of the 1980s got home to bed much later than we do today. What stamina!
See Robert Vale’s report on Ngaio’s 2023 Annual Dance below.
Kristin Downey
Ngaio Club’s Annual Dance on Saturday 13 May was the first annual dance in the Wellington Region of the RSCDS for 2023. It was held, appropriately, in the Ngaio Town Hall, which Ngaio Club members had decorated for the occasion with tartan rugs on the wall, greenery and tartan across the front of the stage and bunting above.
Johnsonville Club made a fine contribution to the occasion, with enough Johnsonville members in attendance to provide two sets out of the five on the floor. Quite a few Johnsonville dancers also belong to the Ngaio Club, so they can dance twice a week. Aileen, who so often plays her accordion for us, was on the stage providing the music along with Hilary on fiddle and Jason on keyboard.
The night of dancing started off with Maxwell’s Rant, an old favourite. There were ten dances in the first part of the evening’s programme with the highlight being A Trip to Bavaria. When this was announced Jason disappeared offstage from behind his keyboard and when he came back he was wearing a green Bavarian hat and carrying a tuba. He then provided a real ‘oompah’ accompaniment to add the perfect touch to the German band-style music of the dance. Everyone enjoyed it so much we got to dance it twice.
A good number of Johnsonville dancers were among those on the floor dancing The Den O’Mains
The first part of the evening finished with Shiftin’ Bobbins, after which the Ngaio Club members carried out three tables of savoury and sweet delights, another of fruit salad and jelly and one for serving hot drinks. The weary dancers were very glad to have a break and a bite to get their strength back as well as the chance for a chat.
Bruce and Charles focusing on a briefing from Ngaio tutor Melva Waite
Re-energised by food and drink we enjoyed a further seven dances, ranging from the unusual Domino Five, very clearly briefed by Melva, to that old favourite The De’il Amang the Tailors which ended the night.
Thank you to the Ngaio Club for treating us to such a great night of dancing.
Robert Vale18 May 2023
Photos: Robert Vale [...]
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At the recent afternoon of Early Wellington Dances, we danced Ian Simmonds’ dance (The Linden Collection), which commemorates the many years of summer dancing at Percy Scenic Reserve in Lower Hutt.
My attention was drawn to the history of Percy Reserve by past Johnsonville member Margaret Bailey (now Bailey-Allison), when she commented that she had a family connection to the Percy family, who donated the land for Percy Scenic Reserve.
Margaret tells me her 2x great-aunt was Anne Maria (Welch) Percy, wife of Joseph Percy, who was ‘the mother of all those Percys who didn’t marry, and who bequeathed the family land’. In New Zealand, you never have to look far for a family connection.
This seems like the time to focus on Margaret, her many contributions to Scottish Country Dancing, and her connections to Johnsonville Club.
Margaret Bailey-Allison at the 2011 Johnsonville Annual Dance, with John Smith and Peter Elmes from the band in the background. Photo: Pat Reesby
Margaret started dancing in 1959 and is still dancing. In that time she has served on four different Region committees, and danced or taught at Whanganui Girls’ College, St Aidens/Linden, Plimmerton, Johnsonville, Mana Juniors, Whitby, Stratford, Hawera, Schiehallion, Nelson, Richmond and St Andrews. She was also a RSCDS New Zealand Branch JAM (Junior associate member) examiner and Committee member.
In her many years of dancing in the Wellington Region, Margaret served on the Region committee, and was involved in region demonstrations and events. She was tutor at Plimmerton Club, Whitby and Mana Juniors and taught for short periods at other clubs when tutors were away or indisposed.
Margaret second from the right in the Wellington Region demonstration team dancing Crown of Kings at a region event in 1991. Current Johnsonville member Loralee Hyde, is third from the right.
Before becoming a member at Johnsonville, Margaret spent many years dancing at Linden Club, and had often enjoyed the annual Linden-Johnsonville exchanges that were part of the earlier history of the two clubs. Margaret’s records also show she was attending Johnsonville annual dances from as early as 1977!
It was not until the 2000s that Margaret (with husband John Bailey), became a member of Johnsonville Club. At that time she also joined the list of Johnsonville tutors, acting as an alternate tutor (in addition to Philippa Pointon), during Rod’s work trips overseas.
At the 2000 Johnsonville Black and White Annual Dance, Margaret is dancing with Jan Bruce in the top set. John Bailey, her late husband, is leading up the middle in the set behind.
Margaret was a generous mentor to a number of younger tutors. Rod remains grateful for her encouragement and advice, especially in his earlier years as a tutor at Johnsonville. Over the years Margaret has continued to support both Rod and the club by donating dance books, and is currently sorting and sending her collection of dance leaflets in his direction.
Margaret and Rod dancing St Nicholas Boat at the Johnsonville 50 Golden Years Celebration in 2016
In July 2004, Rod devised the dance The Spinnaker Hornpipe in honour of Margaret and John (who then lived at Spinnaker Drive, Whitby). Margaret’s love of energetic dances fitted well with a hornpipe, and with the Gay Gordons Poussette – a new and lively progression Rod devised for the dance.
June 2006: Margaret behind Kristin dancing Rod Downey’s dance Kristin Macdonald’s Strathspey at a Johnsonville Club night when we celebrated Kristin’s 50th birthday
Watch a video taken by Joanne Ang of the Johnsonville dancers above including Margaret dancing Kristin Macdonald’s Strathspey at Kristin’s 50th birthday celebration.
Margaret also devised dances, publishing The Whitby Collection in 1996. Her dance The Three-Legged Cat regularly appears on Johnsonville Club night programmes, together with the photo of her cat Tripod, showing a missing front leg. The Three-Legged Cat was also one of the dances that Rod included on the programme for Johnsonville’s Tribute to Wellington Devisers on Monday 28 September 2015.
Watch this video of The Three Legged Cat from Pat Reesby, filmed by John Patterson at the Tribute to Wellington Devisers in the Johnsonville School Hall in 2015.
There is much more that could be said, but why not say it in pictures.
Check out the gallery of Scottish Country Dancing photos of Margaret from 1987 to 2016, put together by club photographer Loralee Hyde.
Kristin Downey12 May 2023
Photos by Loralee Hyde except where noted [...]
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