RSCDS Nottingham Branch

We have just completed another enjoyable term of dancing.

In September we were delighted to welcome several new members some already experienced dancers but also some completely new to Scottish Country Dancing.

Both general and beginners’ classes have been run on most teaching weeks. We’ve continued to have a social dance on the first Wednesday of each month allowing all members to dance together, with the more experienced dancers supporting the less experienced.

ADW has been popular again this term with the focus being on choosing a demonstration dance for next year’s ASCDS Festival.

Our September and November Saturday Social Dances were very well attended. Both were lively evenings with Ian Slater providing the music for the November event. Many members are now looking forward to the final social of the year on Hogmanay.

We ended the term with our usual Christmas party; plenty of dancing followed by a welcome cup of tea and a ‘bring and share’ supper.

We wish all our members a very Happy and Peaceful Christmas.

On Monday 15th July seven representatives of the branch provided a demonstration for those attending the Loughborough Baptist Church ‘Holidays at Home’ group. Before the demonstration we were treated to a delicious lunch so we were perhaps not as light on our feet as we would have liked!

Our audience were very appreciative and as we had a little time to spare some of them joined us for a walk through of our usual class warm-up dance to the tune of the British Grenadiers.

Thanks to David for the photographs.

We’ve been planning and looking forward to our Diamond Jubilee Dance all year, and the day finally arrived and what a fantastic time we had!

It was lovely to welcome over 70 dancers from around our region to join us and dance to the uplifting music of George Meikle and the Lothian Band, which was a real treat.  There were even several people present who had been associated with the Branch from the inauguration.  It was an extremely enjoyable night amongst friends – dancing popular dances, with lots of smiling faces, and an excellent Bring and Share supper.

We were very honoured to be joined by Andrew Kellett, the Chairman of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society which was very special and very much appreciated.  With nearly 160 branches of the Society worldwide it was an honour indeed!  Andrew helped our Chairman, Elizabeth Gull, to cut the cake, decorated with the branch logo and he also proposed a toast to the Branch at the supper.  It was all very inspiring.

Everyone present was presented with a specially commissioned commemorative mug organised by Jimmy Livingston.  Margaret Livingston had compiled a wonderful display of archive photos and memorabilia going back over the 60 years, which created a lot of interest during the evening.

It was certainly a night to remember and we all had a very jolly time!

The photos of the evening were taken by David Page.

On Saturday 11th May, after a pub lunch at the Chequers Inn on the canal at Ranby, fourteen dancers represented the Branch in the massed dances at the Association of Scottish Country Dance Societies’ 39th Annual Festival held at the Retford Oaks Academy hosted by the Derby Scottish Association and Burns Club.  This year two of our dancers were joining us for the first time and they really enjoyed the four special practices we had, and the day itself.

Altogether there were around 200 dancers from the East Midlands and South Yorkshire all enjoying dancing to the music of Alan Ross and his Scottish Dance Band.  The kilts, white dresses and sashes looked magnificent en masse.  It was lovely to meet up with friends from other groups that we meet each year, all great fun.

There were five solo demonstration dances this year interspersed amongst the massed dance groups during the afternoon, and our Branch performed the Square Set Medley ‘The Rose of Glamis’ written by John Drewry to mark  the 90th birthday of HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in 1990.  (Glamis Castle was her childhood home). It was very well received!

Video: Roses of Glamis – ASCDS Festival 2019

In the evening, about 100+ of the most energetic dancers stayed on to a social dance, dancing to Alan Ross’s band again.  It was a full-on day, and all very enjoyable.  Next year is the 40th Festival, so plans are already in place to make it even more special.

with Music from Ian Robertson and his band

17th November 2018

It was lovely to welcome 56 dancers from our region to our second dance of the season to the Lutterell Hall in West Bridgford.  This season is our 60th anniversary year since the Branch was formed in 1959, and will culminate in a 60th Anniversary dance in May (details on the Events page!)

The wonderful music played by Ian Robertson and his Scottish Dance Band was an absolute joy to dance to, and inspired us to keep our feet reeling and setting until the very end of the night!  An excellent Bring and Share supper was enjoyed by everyone at the interval.

Thank you to David Page for the collage of photos taken during the dance.  There is also a link for a video taken during the evening by Mary Aitken of the dance Pirongia, which was on the programme.

Our next dance will be a Hogmanay dance on 31st December 2018, 8.00pm to just after midnight at Lowdham Village Hall (tickets £7 and £4 spectators, inc a wee tipple and cake for a toast).  Details on the Events page.