Latest News Fun, fitness & friendship!Ngaio Club: Celebrating 50 years of dancingThe first big event on the Wellington Region 2021 dancing calendar, Ngaio Scottish Country Dance Club’s dinner and dance celebration of 50 years of dancing, was a resounding success! Sets filled the floor at the Ngaio Town Hall to celebrate Ngaio’s 50th, including Elena from Johnsonville at the left enjoying Scott Meikle Ngaio is proud to have achieved the golden milestone of dancing for 50 years since the club was formed in 1971. To acknowledge the support of those who were involved with the club over the years, the evening started off with a celebratory dinner at the Ngaio Scout Hall for current and past members. What a wonderful occasion to catch-up with old friends! As guests arrived at the hall decorated throughout with gold, they were greeted by Ngaio President Andrea Lynch and offered drinks by bartender Pat Waite, dressed for the part. The excited laughter and chatter increased as more guests arrived. A number of Past Presidents of Ngaio were welcomed to the gathering including Nicky Sinclair, Margaret Pitt, Shirley Kalogeropoulos, John Markham, Helen Rowe and Dame Margaret Sparrow. A number of Johnsonville Club members were at the dinner as they also belong to Ngaio Club – Ngaio Secretary Moira Scott, Elizabeth Ngan, Moira Broughton, John Markham, Wendy Donald, and Fiona and Bruce Jones. Proof of one of the advantages of dancing at a second club! From the left, Johnsonville members Fiona, Wendy and Elizabeth joined other Ngaio current and past members at the celebratory dinner Former members of Johnsonville, Shirley, Pat Reesby and Joan Clayton also enjoyed the festivities. A photographic history of the club was on display, drawing in guests who pored over the albums, exclaiming in delight at memories of past social occasions and dances. Guests were invited to enjoy a wonderful buffet dinner of beef, salmon, chicken and salads prepared by a Save the Children local group as a fundraiser, followed by a selection of delicious desserts. All aimed to fortify those going on for an evening of dancing at the club’s annual dance in Ngaio Town Hall. A further contingent of Johnsonville dancers joined others flocking in from around the region to the dance. Jason, Aileen and Hilary played toe-tapping music throughout the evening, getting dancers on to the floor To lively music from Jason Morris, Aileen Logie and Hilary Ferral, 10 sets of dancers filled the floor for the first dance Salute to Summer, devised by Marie Malcolm, founder and long-time tutor of Ngaio Club.1 Johnsonville’s Robert Vale with Brenda enjoying Salute to Summer by Marie Malcolm As the evening progressed, MC Melva Waite gave us snippets of the club’s history since Marie formed the club 50 years ago in 1971 and explained the reasons for some of the dances being on the evening’s programme. Marie supported and mentored Maureen Robson and Philippa Pointon as they went through the process of becoming certificated teachers. The second dance on the programme, New Year Jig, was devised by Maureen. Unfortunately, Philippa was unable to attend the 50th celebration. From 1983 to 1998, Gary Morris assisted Marie with teaching at Ngaio. His dance, The Reverend John Macfarlane, was one of the reels featured in the first half of the programme. Dancing The Reverend John Macfarlane by Gary Morris – Johnsonville dancers in view include Charles, Tomoko, Prisilla, Maureen, Fiona and Désirée Three of Marie’s favourite dances also proved popular with dancers on the night; The Minister on the Loch, The De’il Amang the Tailors and Mairi’s Wedding. Gary Morris and Dame Margaret Sparrow cutting the 50 years celebratory cake One highlight of the evening was Doug Sinclair piping in a celebratory cake carried by Margaret Pitt who has danced at Ngaio for 38 consecutive years. She also made the cake! Gary Morris and Dame Margaret Sparrow (both Life Members of Ngaio Club) proceeded to cut the cake to acclaim. Following an abundant supper, Melva described how a 3-couple strathspey was devised for the club’s 30th anniversary, then a 4-couple strathspey for the 40th. To mark 50 years of dancing, Melva devised a 5-couple strathspey called Ngaio Gold.2 For this special occasion, accordionist Aileen Logie composed a tune, also called Ngaio Gold, for the dance. This was played as the first of the four tunes in the set.3 Three 5-couple sets took to the floor to dance the world premiere of Ngaio Gold. A fitting way to commemorate the club’s 50th anniversary. Johnsonville members dancing the world premiere of Ngaio Gold included (in view) Elena, Tomoko, Jeanette, Maureen, Prisilla and Moira Thanks so much to Andrea, Melva, Moira and their team for organising such a superb dinner and dance to celebrate 50 years of dancing. A night to remember with many new memories of fun and friendship made! Click here to see more of Loralee’s photos Watch Pat Reesby’s videos:The De’il Amang the TailorsNgaio Gold Loralee Hyde Loralee HydeNgaio member 1990-199212 May 2021 See a tribute to Marie from Dame Margaret Sparrow, Harbour City Happenings, Volume 14 No. 1, May 2011[↩]Download the instructions for Ngaio Gold[↩]Watch Pat Reesby’s video of the dance to hear Aileen’s tune[↩]... Read more...First Tartan Night at Khandallah Town HallOur Tartan Night on Monday 19 April was a great ‘first’, and we can only hope all our future tartan nights in our new club home are such tartan-filled, sociable, and fun evenings. Johnsonville members who can’t make it every week really made the effort to be there for this special occasion – the first Tartan Night we’ve held at Khandallah Town Hall, and the first time we’ve had a live band in the hoose. A hall filled with tartan including the club’s bunting set the scene for dancing Rosnor Abbey The hall was delightfully buzzy with six sets plus, Rod at the helm, and lively music from Aileen Logie, Hilary Ferral and Jason Morris. Jason, Aileen and Hilary with Rod Tartan rugs, saltires and some of the club’s tartan bunting brought a festive atmosphere, and the band’s dashing new tartan tabards and vest added extra colour. The lovely ambience of the hall was made even more inviting with the opening up of the adjoining lounge, where dancers could sit and chat. Rod designed the programme to suit new dancers, and it was a pleasure to see Johnsonville new dancers doing so well, and to welcome one of Capital City’s new dancers amongst our eight guests. It always adds so much to the night to have dancers from other clubs join us. Rosnor Abbey was the first dance on the programme, and those oft-forgotten rights and lefts at the end had us laughing from the beginning! It seems no matter how often we practise, and how often we remind ourselves, we do as the music tells us, and are ready to start again without those rights and lefts. Our sanitiser-volunteers worked hard circulating between dances to keep our hands covid-hygienic, thank you all. Whenever I needed hand sanitiser, I had only to look around and there was a bottle approaching. With four more dances under the belt, and great toe-tapping music to inspire us, we danced The Reel of the 51st to lead us into supper, and what a supper it was. Club members excelled themselves with delicious supper dishes, and Elizabeth Ngan and the supper team made it all look seamless – despite this being the first time they’d organised supper in the new venue. A high-spirited The Reel of the 51st led us into our excellent supper Since we can’t set up supper tables in the hall while we’re dancing, the team had a great tea-trolley storage system set up in the kitchen. When the time came, team members trundled out trolley loads of food, transferred it all to tartan-clothed tables, and had the tea and coffee ready to roll. After a very sociable, chatty supper, we were ready for the last four dances on the programme. For our new dancers, this was not only their first Tartan Night, but their first opportunity to be there at the end of the night, as we finished with club favourite The De’il Amang the Tailors. We’re still feeling our way as to how we set up the hall for Tartan Nights, and have to be quite organised to get it all done in the short window between Pilates finishing and our start time. Many thanks to all those who contributed to making the evening run so smoothly. The many volunteers at the beginning for set-up and at the end for pack-up, turned their hand to whatever was needed. Many people also gave their help in the kitchen. Altogether it was a great team effort, with new and long-standing members working together. We’ll be passing on the club’s special thanks to the Pilates class and teacher, who generously let us come into the hall the minute they’d finished, and while the teacher was still packing up her gear. All in all another fine night’s dancing, and another successful ‘first’ achieved at the club’s new home venue. See more of Loralee Hyde’s photos here Watch Aline Homes’ videosRosnor AbbeyMr Michael Bear’s ReelThe Coleraine Rant (see more about Rod’s dance here) President: Kristin Downey Kristin Downey22 April 2021... Read more...Easter School 2021 in the SouthJohnsonville Club Secretary Robert Vale attended the 2021 Easter School, organised by Quentin Currall and the Lawrence Scottish Country Dance Group in the goldfields town of Lawrence down in South Otago. Robert and Brenda Vale at the left dancing at the Easter School. Photo from Otago Daily Times video See what Robert has to say about the delights of dancing in South Otago below. The School kicked off on Good Friday evening with an enjoyable social dance in nearby Waitahuna. Friday evening social dance in Waitahuna War Memorial Hall. Photo: Robert Vale Classes began the next morning, from 9:00 to 12:00, with two to choose from, Development or Further Development. I chose the latter, which was taught by our own Jeanette Watson. Free time after classes was a chance to enjoy the local delicacy of a South Island cheese roll before the evening’s Formal Dance in the very grand Coronation Hall in Milton, on SH1 about half an hour from Lawrence. All the dances were walked so it was less scary than it might have been. A delectable South Island cheese roll. Photo: Robert Vale Saturday evening formal dance in Coronation Hall, Milton. Photo: Robert Vale On Easter Sunday there was time to explore the delights of Lawrence in the wonderful warm weather, before classes in the afternoon, followed by a dinner and Ceilidh in Beaumont, where we were advised to avoid flushing the loos in the hall so as not to overload the septic tank – ah, rural life. Finally Monday morning featured a Combined Class for the whole group back in the big hall in Milton before we all set off on our travels. I came away both having had a really good time and feeling I had learned a lot. Watch a video of the fun, friendship and fitness at Easter School from the Lawrence Scottish Country Dance GroupSee an Otago Daily Times article and video on how the School exceeded expectations. Secretary: Robert Vale Robert Vale15 April 2021... Read more...Celebrating St Patrick’s day 2021St Patrick would have been proud Dancers did a great job of wearing green for St Patrick and the Emerald Isle on Monday 15 March. Every shade of green was on show, and if you looked closely, there were shamrocks and celtic knots and symbols to be found on T-shirts, socks and silver. Wearing green and having lots of fun while dancing A Trip to Ireland Rod’s programme inspired great music from musician Aileen Logie, and we definitely had a night of ‘fun, fitness and friendship’, with a few challenges thrown in! Aileen played wonderful sets of tunes for us to dance to, including The Reconciliation, a different tune to play We began with A Trip to Ireland, then two RSCDS dances The Wild Geese (referencing Irish soldiers) and City of Belfast, as well as Rod’s dance The Coleraine Rant which premiered at the club’s 2019 St Patrick’s day celebration. It honours both the New Zealand wine, and the Irish county of the same name. In the middle of the first half, we were lucky enough to dance the world premiere of The Parting Glass, newly devised by Rod for 2021’s St Patrick’s Day. It is a dance for everyone, with no difficult formations or footwork, and is named for the wonderful old song tune claimed by both Ireland and Scotland. Dancing the World Premiere of Rod’s dance, The Parting Glass! With five dances under the belt, we were ready for supper. Elizabeth Ngan offered a very inviting display of green-themed goodies, with green eggs, popcorn, chuppa chups and feijoas (she always includes something healthy). There were green serviettes and Irish place mats, and Liz Hands served us freshly-baked green cookies with white chocolate, just the thing to give tired minds a boost. Back on the floor, it was time for the experienced to try out Rory O’More, amid a few tussles with arches and under-the-arm movements. Having fun is what it’s all about, and there was a lot of laughter with this one! Seeking Irish-themed dances for St Patrick’s Day, Rod came across the jig Paddy in the Car, and strathspey The Orchards of County Armagh. Theywere both new to us, but really enjoyable, and I’m sure dancers would be happy to see them again on another programme. We finished the night with old favourite The Irish Rover,for those who knew it. A fine finish to a very good night. This was our first special club night in our new home at Khandallah Town Hall. It was also our first live music night for 2021. It was a beauty, may there be many more like it to come. See more of this green-themed evening’s fun and laughter in Loralee Hyde’s photos from Kristin Downey18 March 2021... Read more...Pipes in the Park: A Scottish Country Dancing ConnectionHeld in brilliant Wellington weather at Waitangi Park on Saturday 27 February, Pipes in the Park was a day of piping, highland dancing, Irish dancing, clan and food stalls – and of course some Scottish Country Dancing. It’s always nice to see Scottish Country Dancing on display, helping add colour to the day and raising our profile. The Scottish Country Dancing demonstration was organised by Elaine Lethbridge (Tawa dancer and teacher of Newtown Juniors), at the request of Pipes in the Park. Elaine’s volunteers came from Capital City, Kelburn/Lower Hutt, Linden and Tawa, and included dual Capital City/Johnsonville member and tutor Jeanette Watson. Johnsonville dancer Deborah Shuker was one of a number of Scottish Country Dancing spectators and shared her thoughts and photos for us to enjoy – see her story below. Member of many years Laurence Black, and partner and past member Maddy Schafer were also there soaking up the Scottish atmosphere. Despite not dancing with us for quite a few years now, Maddy thoughtfully provided us with this photo. Scottish Country Dancing with Johnsonville member and tutor Jeanette Watson at the right Photo: Maddy Schafer Kristin Downey Deborah Shuker: A feast of things Scottish At Waitangi Park on a beautiful hot sunny day there was a feast of things Scottish – stalls about clans and kilts, plus crafts, and food (which wasn’t noticeably Scottish). The earlier items were dancing – Highland dancing by groups from beginners to very experienced and massed groups. Then the Irish dancers the same mixture of abilities but more dances, and different costuming. The Scottish Country Dancing set danced on the grass as the stage was a bit small for safety. Dancing on grass is difficult but they did a great exhibition, some of which would only be fully appreciated by those who know about timing and covering. Dancing on the grass in brilliant sunshine. Photo: Deborah Shuker Having tutors from three clubs in the group leant lots of expertise, and all those kilts gave lots of colour. There were six dances altogether, and I recognised one as Shiftin’ Bobbins, which we often do at club. 1 Recruiting new dancers! Photo: Deborah Shuker We finished the day watching two Pipe Bands perform, and then headed home for a much-needed cold drink! Deborah Shuker11 March 2021 * Elaine Lethbridge advises that other dances done were The Silver Grey, The Hunting Horn, The Barmkin, Minister on the Loch, and Pelorus Jack – all done four times through, except strathspeys which were three times through. A mighty fine effort.[↩]... Read more...New dancers 7Steps, Formations and Progressions Our tutor Rod Downey provides a list of steps, formations and progressions covered in Johnsonville Beginners’ Classes Click the short video links below to have a look if you’d like a reminder. Steps Skip change of stepSlip step (in this case in a circle)Strathspey Travelling Step (and Strathspey setting)Pas de basque step (you can also look at other videos here) Terms / Formations Up (towards the music)Down (away from the music)Cast off / cast up (turning away from your partner, pulling back your shoulder)Hands round (circle)Hands across (wheel)Lead down the middle and up (right hand in your partner’s right hand)Dance up/down the middle (‘dance’ rather than ‘lead’ means partners join nearer hands, not right hand in right)Turn right hand and left handStepping up/downRights and lefts (danced in a square giving right then left hands)Advance and retireBack to backSlipping down the middle and upHalf figures of eight across (The video shows the first couple crossing, casting off, and then doing a half figure of eight across.)Allemande (in Strathspey time)3 couple promenadeFull figures of eight (both across, and on the sides)Pass right progression (which is one of Rod’s so you won’t find it online). The key being that 1C and 2C only pass partners for 1 bar before turning right.‘Teapots’ (not an official name!) which is two lots of 3 hands across and back, with the dancing couple changing endsPoussette (a square formation – you’re either moving or turning, never doing both)Corners (first and second) Dancing Rights and Lefts in the dance Argyll’s Fancy at the Johnsonville Tartan Night in April 2019 Progressions Once to the bottom (a 4 couple progression) Here is a dance with this progression.2 couple progression in a 4 couple set. Here is a dance with this progression.3 couple progression in a 4 couple set. Here is a dance with this progression, and the numbers on the dancers. Click here to listen to the music or practise some steps Rod DowneyMarch 2021... Read more...Robert Vale: Dancing on the Grass (and on the Lino)From the Dominion to Dundee When dancing shuts down over the summer, Wellington dancers still enjoy their sport thanks to the annual Dancing on the Grass organised by the Wellington Region of the RSCDS. This takes place on four summer Tuesday evenings on the grass in front of the Old Government Buildings in Lambton Quay. Before getting on to the dancing, what about the venue? The building was designed by William Clayton to accommodate all of New Zealand’s public servants. Originally intended to be made of concrete so as to be fireproof, that proved too expensive and so it was constructed all in Kauri instead, made to look as if it was stone, presumably to make the government look solid and dependable. It was, as building projects often are, over budget when completed in 1876. Surprisingly, for nearly fifty years the building was heated with open fireplaces, but because of its wooden construction, smoking inside was banned right from when it opened, unlike in Wellington’s wooden-bodied trams which even provided smokers with metal plates fixed to the woodwork on which to strike their matches! Having served the Colony of New Zealand from 1876, the Dominion of New Zealand from 1907 and housing government Ministers until 1921, the Old Government Buildings are now the home of the Faculty of Law of Victoria University. But what about the dancing? Dancing is outside (on the grass) in front of the main entrance, so we provide a bit of a spectacle. In previous years tourists on Lambton Quay liked to stand and watch but there weren’t many tourists this year. One night this year one of the bus drivers gave us a toot on the horn and a wave as he drove down towards the city. Dancing on grass is quite a novel sensation. It’s certainly different than dancing on a flat floor, it’s a bit bumpy and in summer if there’s not been much rain it can be quite firm and scratchy. There’s also a large floodlight sticking out of the grass which you need to look out for when casting behind your line. Some people wear their dancing shoes and some like bare feet. There are little acorn-like things hiding in the grass which can give you a nasty surprise in bare feet, like stepping on a piece of the kids’ Lego in the dark. Dancing on the grass on 2 February. Robert is dancing just to the left of centre (with the statue of Peter Fraser, New Zealand’s Prime Minister from 1940-1949, behind him). Photo from video by Pat Reesby Each of the four summer dancing sessions is led by a different tutor from one of the Wellington clubs. The dances are usually the fairly familiar ones that appear on many club dance programmes throughout the year although there were a couple of exceptions this year that confused quite a few of us. The tutors generally choose dances that are not too complicated and they’re walked, so it’s all a lot easier than trying to dance from just a briefing. And what about the Lino? Well, being Wellington in the summer, it can be wet and it can be cold. This year, for both those reasons, we danced inside for two of the four sessions. The inside space is the student café of the VUW Law Faculty (it offers a very cheap vegan lunch). The door to the café is round the other side of the building from the grass and the main entrance. The café is a good sized space with one extra feature, which is the series of columns that hold up the floors above. These are cunningly placed so that you have to dance round them when casting, or dancing a figure-of-eight, which adds to the excitement. And the flooring in the café is lino, or to give it its proper name, Linoleum, which is made from jute and linseed oil. There’s a fine Scottish connection, as the city of Dundee was famous for “jute, jam and journalism”. Known in the 19th century as Juteopolis it was the centre of the global jute trade. Dundee was also famous for producing Keiller’s marmalade and for still being the home of D C Thomson, the publishers of well-loved comics like The Beano and Scottish cartoon strips The Broons and Oor Wullie. Dancing on the grass is a great way to enjoy some dancing when clubs are closed for the summer. You get to meet people from other clubs, you might then see them later in the year at a dance. One of the four nights this year was a beautiful warm, still night and it was magical dancing outside as the dusk fell. There’s also something special about being able to dance right outside the heart of government, just across from the Beehive. This year it felt extra special to be able to dance at all, given the situation in many less fortunate countries. Being able to dance in front of Parliament (or at least the Beehive) seems so unlike what might be permitted in the UK, the USA or even in Canberra, where the people seem less able to get close to the seat of power. Robert Vale13 February 2021... Read more...Aileen Logie: Rabbie Burns – Scotland’s National BardMany Johnsonville dancers were at the club’s Bowling Club Ceilidh on 30 January where the theme was Burns. Part of this was the Address to a Haggis in Scots – probably largely unintelligible to many! If you’re wondering what all that was about, read on. Aileen giving a fine rendition of the Address to the Haggis at the club’s summer ceilidh. Photo: Kristin Downey Burns night is celebrated in Scotland on the 25 January – Robert Burns’ birthday. He lived from 1759 to 1796, dying young at 37 years, but packed a lot into his short life. January is cold and dark in Scotland, so this is a winter feast with warming fires, whisky and poetry/singing/dancing involved. It’s very popular and second only to Hogmanay. Burns was a man of the people, not rich, good looking and utterly charming to the ladies (to whom he comes across as irresistible). He believed all people are born equal, rebelling against the established (unequal) religious and moral views of the time. The New Atholl Collection commemorates the bicentenary of Robert Burns’ 1787 Highland Tour. We danced Senator Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia from this collection at our summer ceilidh. This sums up the epitome of Scots’ character and his poetry and songs strike the heart-strings of all Scots – hence his abiding popularity. Indeed the Scottish Parliament was opened in 1999 with Sheena Wellington’s wonderful rendition of Burns’ poem/song – A Man’s a Man For A’ That. Burns saw that many Scottish cultural traditions, historical records and literature, and tunes were being lost and he set out to collect these and keep them alive. His many poems were often set to existing older tunes for either singing or dancing. He himself was fond of dancing. The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society catalogue features many ‘Burns’ dances – too many to mention them all, but there are some done regularly at Johnsonville such as Corn Rigs and The White Cockade, and we did Ha ha the Wooin’ o’ It at our Summer Ceilidh. Other well-known ones include – Burns Hornpipe, The Star o’ Rabbie Burns, Salute to Rabbie Burns, Dainty Davie, Green Grow the Rashes, Birks of Abergeldie, Deuks Dang Ower My Daddie, Ca’ the Yowes, Kenmuir’s On ‘n Awa’, My Love She’s but a Lassie Yet. There are also lots of Burns tunes commonly found in sets for other dances – again the list is too long to detail. Rabbie was a contemporary of Niel Gow – a well respected tune composer (you’ll know many of these too!) and they met up a few times. The lead tune for The Barmkin was composed by the two men together while having a drink at the Inver Inn in 1787 (tune title – Landlady of Inver Inn). So, what happens at a Burns Supper? There is a celebration of his poetry and songs with many toasts. The haggis was a symbol of working class fare, nourishing poorer people and at the same time using up all parts of animal efficiently (much as sausages do). The haggis is brought into the room on a silver salver with great ceremony and a piper leading the procession. The Address to the Haggis can be simply translated into sections: 1st and 2nd verses compliment the haggis on its fulsome appearance (chieftain of the pudding race), fat face and buttocks like distant hills, also enticing amber bead droplets exuding through the pores. 3rd and 4th verses describe the knife cutting into the haggis (gushing entrails bright) and the glorious sight and smell. People rush forward with their spoons to partake until their bellies are fit to burst and the head of table says a thankyou grace. Aileen plunging the knife into the haggis while Graeme who piped in the haggis stands alongside. Photo: Désirée Patterson 5th and 6th verses poke fun at those who dabble in continental faddy food (ragout, olio, fricassee) which would make a sow sick and good folk vomit. Such poor devils are weak with thin legs, small fist and not fit enough to run across a field or flood. 7th and 8th verses compare a haggis fed man – his tread makes the Earth tremble and any blade in his hand would whistle while cutting off legs, arms and heads like the top of a thistle. To finish, it beseeches those choosing food for Scots to avoid watery stuff in wee bowls but give them haggis to earn their gratitude. Haggis is always served with Neeps (Swede turnip) and mashed Tatties….and whisky. It is usually preceded by The Selkirk Grace by Rabbie Burns. Some hae meat and canna eat, — And some wad eat that want it;But we hae meat, and we can eat, Sae let the Lord be thankit. In a nutshell, Rabbie brought us many well-loved stirring poems and songs, ranging from beautiful to satirical. He created valuable collections of tunes, history and culture of his times. His humble beginnings were working with his parents on the farm in Ayrshire in the Borders. It was a hard life punctuated with landlord troubles, colouring his attitude to figures of authority abusing their power. His ‘artistic temperament’ made him very popular, including siring 14 children by four different mothers. After using up all his money, he later took a job as an exciseman (oh, the irony) and settled down with his wife Jean Armour. He died of heart failure. We remember him often by singing Auld Lang Syne at the end of every Scottish Event – his most enduring poem about friendship. Other often quoted lines include: O would some power the giftie gie us to see ourselves as others see us. (O would some power the gift give us to see ourselves as others see us.)The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ menGang aft a-gley,An’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ painFor promis’d joy. Aileen Logie7 February 2021... Read more...‘Bowling’ into the new yearJohnsonville held its first summer ceilidh at Kristin and Rod’s place in 2014, dancing in the living room and on the deck, in perfect Wellington weather conditions. But by 2015, larger numbers of members had us shifting the ceilidh venue to Johnsonville Bowling Club, with the bonus of adding bowling into the day’s activities. Saturday 30 January was our seventh ‘bowling ceilidh’. Once again the weather favoured us and we had a grand time – on the bowling green, on the dance floor, and at our pot luck dinner. This year’s atmosphere was buzzy right from the start. There was lots of chit chat and catching up while we waited to get onto the bowling green, with time to get the dance floor decorated with the club’s tartan bunting, and our long-serving tartan tablecloths brightening up the downstairs dining area.1) Bowling Club members set us up to bowl, and guided those who’d never played before. Since most of us only bowl once a year, our efforts were often unpredictable with warning shouts of ‘incoming!’ alerting us to bowls approaching from unexpected quarters. Of course, some of us did quite well, and all of us had a good time. A quick snack and a drink, and it was time to ceilidh. Some years we have few members available to share their talents, but this year was a bumper year for ceilidh items, perhaps inspired by the ‘Rabbie’ Burns theme of the day. Fitting in with the Robbie Burns theme, Graeme piped in Aileen carrying a haggis. Photo: Kristin Downey We began with items by the Scots in our midst. New member Maggie Boag was up first entertaining us with a lively performance of the poem Aince Upon a Day by William Souter. She was followed by our club musician Aileen Logie on accordion. Husband Gareth joined in on guitar, as they played a moving bracket of popular Scottish tunes written by Robert Burns. Then it was time for our first dance moves of the year. Rod warmed us up on the dance floor with his dance Spring Chick Waltz Mixer to the music for Burns’ poem Comin’ Thro’ the Rye. Next we danced The Linton Ploughman in honour of Burns, the ploughman poet. Spring Chick Waltz Mixer – a perfect dance to start off a ceilidh! Photo: Désirée Patterson Across the afternoon, we interspersed ceilidh items with Burns-related dances. Kate Quigley played two piano pieces (Spanish Donkey-Driver by Jeno Takacs, and Rush Hour) as well as joining John Markham in singing a beautiful duet (Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes by Ben Johnson, and Ave Maria by Jacob Arcadelt). Malcolm Leitch accompanied. New member Graeme Stuart gave us an entertaining ‘Wee Yam on Tin Whistle’ (his words), supported by Aileen who stepped in to accompany him on piano for a host of familiar Scottish tunes. Then it was back to dancing. We all had a lot of fun with the ceilidh dance Bonnie Lassie Party Dance, and that was followed by Scottish Country Dance Ha! Ha! the Wooin’ o’ it (named for a line out of the poem Duncan Gray by Robert Burns). For our last set of ceilidh items, Malcolm returned with his expressive piano solo of Fantasia on Scottish Airs by Stuart Templeton, including melodies of Robbie Burns poems such as Scots Wha Hae and Auld Lang Syne. The last performance for the day was Sono Barnes and her lovely flute items Salute de Amor by Edward Elgar, and Dance of the Blessed Spirits by C. Gluck. Sono’s not been dancing for the last couple of years, and it was very nice to have her back amongst us, and back on the dance floor. The final dance of the afternoon was Senator Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia, written to commemorate the bi-centenary of Robert Burns’ Highland Tour of 1787. Then it was downstairs for a very special event. The haggis is the centrepiece of Burns celebrations everywhere. But what is a haggis without a piper, or a speaker to welcome and honour this ‘great chieftain o’ the puddin’-race’? Many thanks to our piper Graeme, and to Aileen for her spirited rendition of Burns’ poem Address to a Haggis. Who knew she could be so fierce with a knife? Their traditional drams of whisky were well drunk and well deserved. At the line ‘An’ cut you up wi’ ready slicht’ in the Address to the Haggis, Aileen plunged the knife into the haggis and cut it open from end to end. Photo: Désirée Patterson We finished the day with a fantastic feast of shared pot luck dishes, and a lot more chit chat. Thanks to everyone who contributed to the day’s success. We couldn’t have done it without our MC Rod, ceilidh performers who generously shared their talents, kitchen workers with Elizabeth Ngan at the helm, and those who set up and packed up. Behind the scenes treasurer Allison Kay managed the finances, Loralee Hyde developed the online registration form, and Maureen Sullivan co-ordinated pot-luck dinner offerings. Having made the Bowling Club our home for the 2020 dancing year, it was especially nice to continue that connection. The summer ceilidh gave us the opportunity to catch up with some of those bowling friends who welcomed us each Monday night – something we can look forward to doing next year as well. Kristin Downey3 February 2021 See more of Désirée and Kristin’s photos including our members sharing their talents The tablecloths deserve a paragraph to themselves. They are now 33 years old, appear at every club function, and are loaned out for other events (members may have spotted them at the 2020-2021 RSCDS Wellington Hogmanay). The red tartan tablecloths were made and presented to the club in 1988, by life members Isla and Eric Norris on the occasion of the club’s 25th anniversary of opening up membership to those outside the original church group. (They have also now been joined by a green tartan more recently gifted by Liz Hands.[↩]... Read more...2014 Wellington Region 1920s BallMemories of an elegant evening Going back in time to the Roaring Twenties, groups of elegant dancers entered a beautifully decorated ballroom ready for an evening of dance and friendship: flappers in dresses decorated with beadwork, sequins or embroidery, feathers in their hair and long swirling strings of pearls; men in striped jackets, white trousers and boater hats or resplendent in black Prince Charlie jackets and kilts. Loralee Hyde and Rod and Kristin Downey arrive at the 1920s Ball Wellington Region President at the time, Philippa Pointon, says the committee decided to have a 1920s ball to celebrate the decade in which the RSCDS was formed. Thanks so much to the committee of Melva Waite, Kath Ledingham, Eileen South and Philippa, who was also MC for the evening, for organising this grand affair on 5 July 2014. The ‘1920s’ committee: Melva Waite, Kath Ledingham, Eileen South and Philippa Pointon As dancers arrived, they were offered punch by three smartly dressed bartenders; Kevin Lethbridge, Pat Waite and Peter Warren. Ready to serve the punch: Kevin Lethbridge, Pat Waite and Peter Warren Everyone had the opportunity to pose in their finery in a gold photo booth, made especially for the purpose by John Gregory. Thanks to John for pulling together all the fantastic decorations for the evening, with the photo booth continuing to feature at formal occasions including the Johnsonville 50 Golden Years Celebration in 2016. Johnsonville ‘1920s’ dancers: Aline and John Homes, Rod and Kristin Downey with Sono Barnes in front, Malcolm Leitch, Désirée Patterson and Pat Reesby Lively music from Aileen Logie, John Smith, Peter Elmes and Terry Bradshaw (with some sets containing 1920s tunes cleverly arranged by Peter), got toes tapping and dancers on to the floor throughout the evening. MC Philippa Pointon with Aileen Logie, John Smith, Peter Elmes and Terry Bradshaw Old favourites on the programme included The Sailor, Cadgers in Canongate and Sugar Candie. Dances published by the RSCDS in the 1920s were represented by Flowers of Edinburgh (Book 1, 1924) and Blue Bonnets (Book 3, 1926). Johnsonville dancers: Kristin & Rod Downey, John Homes and Loralee Hyde “A great night was had by all”, Philippa says. “I don’t think the Charleston had ever been played on an accordion before!” Check out these photos for more memories of a fabulous evening of fun and friendship with elegant costumes abounding and memorable dancing and music Watch Pat Reesby’s video of Village Reel below Loralee Hyde20 January 2021... Read more...
