Ceilidh 2020: Summer fun for all!

We had perfect weather for our sixth annual summer ceilidh at Johnsonville Bowling Club on Saturday 25 January. Our event this year marks the first of many gatherings at the bowling club, as it is our new club night venue from 2020 onwards.

Attendance was the largest since we began our ‘bowling ceilidhs’ in 2015. Twenty-nine members and seventeen guests enjoyed a very warm afternoon of socialising, bowling, ceilidh dancing and items, followed by our potluck dinner in the cool of the downstairs eating area.

It’s always a pleasure to welcome family and friends to our social events, and this year we enjoyed having children and grandchildren of members joining us. Past treasurer Jenny also came along for the first time, introducing US husband David to his first experience of both lawn bowls and Scottish Country Dancing.

To start the afternoon we gathered on the bowling green where Dale and Frankie from the bowling club gave everyone expert instruction. With their guidance there was bowls fun for everyone, younger and older alike. It was good to see there were a few stars, but for most of us bowling is still a work in progress.

Following bowls, there was time for a snack and a drink, then it was ceilidh time. This year Rod brought us a fun programme of ceilidh and Scottish Country Dances with a North American theme.

Texas Progressive Threesome

We started with the Texas Progressive Threesome, followed by Loon Mountain Reel, and the Boston Two Step. The Scotsman in America was the only strathspey of the day, and it proved a little more challenging, but we made it through for A Trip to Sucker Bay, the Glyn-Garry Swing and finally Last Exit to Soquel.

Last Exit to Soquel

In between dances we cudgelled our brains to find answers to John M’s Scottish quiz questions, then relaxed to musical items from Malcolm and Samantha on the keyboard. We ran out of time for the group singalong, maybe next year?

The evening finished with our potluck dinner – as always a grand spread, catering to all tastes. Then it was clean up time, with plenty of helpers, including our guests.

Thanks to everyone who contributed in one way or another to making this such a successful, social event to start the 2020 dancing year.

See more of the fun in John Patterson and Loralee Hyde’s photos

Print Friendly, PDF & Email