Margaret Bailey-Allison: Connections with Johnsonville | Johnsonville Scottish Country Dance Club

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 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.