Bowling

Each year I check that indoor bowls is available as a backup option in case of bad weather on the day, but we’ve never had to move indoors – until this year.

For the first time since 2014, the sun didn’t shine on our summer ceilidh on 28 January. But we still had a great day, starting with indoor bowls rather than the usual lawn bowls.

Janet from Johnsonville Bowling Club was wonderfully friendly, patient and helpful in setting us up, and explaining how it all worked. Teams of dancers and family members showed their competitive side with intense discussion and concentration, but it was all in fun and there were smiles all round.

Once the mats and bowls were packed away, and the non-bowlers amongst us had arrived, we enjoyed nibbles and a chance to socialise. The surprise centre-piece of our snack table was a magnificent Scotch thistle contributed by Charles and Tomoko, spurring us on to the ceilidh section of the afternoon.

The dancing

Our trusty tutor Rod always makes it fun for everyone, with a mix of ceilidh dances and easy Scottish Country dances.

This year we started with the Canadian Barn Dance, then Thread the Needle (guaranteed to create confusion and laughter), followed by A Trip to Sucker Bay, Seann Triubhas Willichan and Virginia Reel, finishing with club favourite, De’il amang the Tailors

Our ceilidh performers

I’m always so impressed by the generosity of club members who share their skills and talents to entertain us between dances. This year we had an amazing array of items, really adding to the day’s fun.

Kat and Thomas were up first, bringing us the relaxed vibe of Hotel California as they sang to ukulele and guitar.

Then it was on to one of our most longstanding ceilidh performers. Malcolm has played for us almost every year since the first of the summer ceilidhs in 2014. This year he played two popular keyboard pieces from the past – Blue Tango by Leroy Anderson and Ragtime Nightingale by Joseph Lamb. Unfortunately, he had to whizz off to another engagement, and couldn’t stay on for dinner.

Deborah S and Veronica shared the next performance slot. Deborah kept it Scottish telling a joke about a man buying Dunlop tartan and being sold McIntyre’s … Veronica followed on her alto saxophone with Summertime by George Gershwin and The Midnight Sun Will Never Set by Quincy Jones and Henri Salvador.

Club bard Aline H read three short original poems. The Meadow concerned a favourite place that was destroyed in the name of progress, Hogmanay was her most recent poem, and Running Wild was a poem that came to her in a dream and just needed writing down.

The final performer of the afternoon was Kate, singing two songs in German, Gesellenreise (Life’s Journey) by Mozart, and Guter Mond (Lovely Moon), a traditional German folk-song. It’s so nice to have Kate back in our midst, and she plans to be back on the dance floor this year.

The dinner

With the last item performed and the last dance done, it was downstairs for a wonderful pot-luck dinner. Many thanks to Maureen who took on the job of organising the pot luck food offerings, despite being unable to attend.

Thanks also to all our kitchen volunteers, and those who came early to decorate and set up, or stayed on late to pack up. And to Loralee for her work behind the scenes updating the online registration form.

We all had a lot of fun, and after last year’s covid cancellation of the ceilidh, it is a very encouraging start to the 2023 dancing year.

View Kristin’s photos of bowlers, dancers and performers, making for a great start to 2023

Kristin Downey
10 February 2023