This eUpdate is slightly later than intended - entirely due to the beautiful bank holiday weather which distracted this editor from her allotted task. Looking at the news this evening, just under 40 million people in Britain have received their first vaccination and 25 million have received both doses. As London Branch dancers queued for ice cream, joined friends for drinks or dinner, without freezing in the process, or simply enjoyed a stroll in the sunshine, it is clear that life is slowly improving . There is a long way to go of course and a relaxation of all restrictions on 21 June is by no means certain but still, the sunshine definitely helps!
If all goes well, we hope to see many London Branch members and friends at the socially distanced, but gloriously face to face, London Branch 90th Anniversary Garden Party, 2pm-6pm, on Saturday 3 July 2021. This is to be held in the grounds of St Helen's School in Northwood. With ample parking the school is very accessible by car and just a few hundred yards from Northwood Metropolitan Line Tube station (just 30 minutes from Baker Street). Having resumed commuting on this line for the last couple of months, I can confirm that the carriages tend to be sparsely populated and feel very safe. Although we have no formal dance programme, Strathallan will be on hand to play throughout the afternoon. There is no fee for entrance, all venue and band costs are being covered by London Branch. Bring your picnic, bring your friends, let's meet and enjoy each others company once again (more information below).
Ahead of the Garden Party we have the London Branch Annual General Meeting and Ceilidh scheduled for 5pm on 12 June (via Zoom),
Later in the summer, we are delighted to have gained permission to hold 2 ceilidh dancing sessions in Kensington Gardens. Meet us by the bandstand near the Round Pond from 2pm-4pm on Saturday 21 and 28 August for an afternoon of music, friendship and dance.
We hope this will be the sign of better things to come and are looking forward to resuming something closer to our normal programme of dances and classes later in the year.
We are making provisional plans for the return of classes with some bookings already in place to be confirmed in August,. Meanwhile we will be undertaking risk assessments and ensuring that we keep up-to-date with government guidance on sports and recreation, as well as liaising with you and with our class admins and volunteers.
Dates for your diaries include:
AGM and Ceilidh, via Zoom, 5pm Saturday 12 June 2021
90th Anniversary Garden Celebration, St Helen’s School, Northwood, 2-6pm, Saturday 3 July 2021
Dancing in Kensington Gardens, 2-4pm, Saturday 21 and 28 August 2021
New Season Dance, Lower Hall, St Columba's, 7-10.30pm (doors open at 6.30pm), Saturday 18 September 2021
90th Anniversary Grand Autumn Ball, Allum Manor Hall, Elstree, Welcome Reception 6.30pm, Carriages 11.30pm, Saturday16 October 2021
Autumn Wednesday Dance, St Columba's, 7-10pm, Wednesday 27 October 2021
Day School and Evening Dance, St Helen's School, Northwood, Saturday 30 October 2021
Christmas Dance, St Columba's, 7–10.30 p.m. (doors open 6.30 p.m.), Saturday 11 December 2021
More information about each coming event below plus some dancing history, a jigsaw and the answers to Jim Cook's Spring from Home quiz..
If you have any item you'd like to see included in a future eUpdate please do let us know via secretary@rscdslondon.org.uk
Erratum: we apologise for an error in The Reel 316 which gave an incorrect website address for Lucy Clark SCDC. The correct address is lucyclarkscottish.org.
Who remembers Fetter Lane?
Did you dance there?
Do you have stories to tell?
Photographs to show?
Please contact Rachel Wilton
c/o secretary@rscdslondon.org.uk
to contribute to a possible item for The Reel
Many thanks
The Mary Isdale MacNab Archive Dance Collection - New Addition to London Branch Website
New Archive available on the London Branch website
The London Branch website has now added a new Archive which went live from 1 May. This follows on from the series of articles recently appearing in The Reel by Stephen Webb on the dance collector Mrs MacNab of Vancouver, Canada.
The Mary Isdale MacNab Collection gives dancers and teachers a chance to read about Mrs MacNab’s life and see the original dance descriptions first published by the RSCDS in Sets 1-9 from 1948 to 1966 together with various Leaflet dances generally not known about, but identified by Hugh Thurston supported by Joan & Tom Flett. Additionally, this archive lists many dances for which only fragmented handwritten descriptions exist (often in Mrs MacNab’s own hand) and 54 dances by name alone, known to have been mentioned in writings from 1950s & 60s. Users will have the opportunity of developing these fragmented dances collected by Mrs MacNab into working dances - visit the London Branch website to find out how. Finally, a further 12 dances not known to have been collected by Mrs MacNab but, used by her in festivals and the like, are included for completeness. Many of the dances also include links to videos and thanks go to Peter Knight for making many of these available..
Looking further into the summer and beyond to autumn 2021 we have a host of dances and other events planned. However, as we have all learned to our cost in the last year, it can be hard to plan ahead with the degree of certainty we used to enjoy. So, whilst we are delighted to share details with you, we do encourage you to check back on the Branch website and eUpdate in case of changes caused by events beyond our control.
The 2020/21 season has unquestionably been a season like no other. Despite being unable to meet in person, or to dance beyond the confines of our own homes, we still have a good deal of activity upon which to report and ideas and plans to share.
We may not have been able to welcome dancers in person this year but, our online presence has grown since our first virtual event, the AGM plus ceilidh items in September 2020. This was followed by 3 more successful virtual events - the Christmas party, the 'Burns Night at Home' and the recent 'Spring from Home'. These well attended events, and the popularity of their recordings afterwards, give a clear indication that we should consider including a hybrid element in future events. We received great support for our members' survey and will bring more of its findings to the AGM.
Please join us on 12 June to share your thoughts about London Branch and help plan for its future.
Garden Celebration Saturday 3 July 2021
St Helen’s School, Northwood
We hope to hold our 90+1 Garden Celebration event from 2pm on Saturday 3 July 2021 at St Helen’s School, Eastbury Road, Northwood HA6 3AS.
If outdoor gatherings are permitted, the plan is each to bring our own picnics and celebrate with music from Strathallan in the beautiful grounds of St Helen's School (the location of our 2019 day school). The event will be free to all attending, paid for by the Branch. Even if formal dancing is not possible, we hope that this will provide a welcome opportunity for us to socialise once again with dancing friends at a responsible distance.
We are only too aware that Covid-19 can cause even the best plans to change however, so do watch the Branch website and future eUpates for the latest information on this event.
NB: The school is just 5 minutes walk from Northwood Metropolitan Line station and so extremely accessible by public transport as well as by car.
New Season: Saturday 18th September
7.00 – 10.30pm (doors open at 6.30pm)
Launching our new season with a flourish, this dance will take place in St Columba’s Lower Hall and feature the music of David Hall and his SCD Band
Dance Programme:: Pelorus Jack, Mrs Macleod, Cape Town Wedding, Miss Allie Anderson, Cherrybank Gardens, Trip to Timber Ridge, The Bees of Maggieknockater, Asilomar Romantic, The Black Mountain Reel, Kendall's Hornpipe, Mrs Milne Of Kinneff, The Music Will Tell You, The New Rigged Ship, The Haar On Skye, John of Bon Accord, Jean Martin of Aberdeen, Best Set in The Hall, Da Rain Dancin'
90th Anniversary Grand Autumn Ball
16th October
Welcome Reception 6.30pm, Carriages 11.30pm
The Ball will take place at Allum Manor Hall, Allum Lane, Elstree, Borehamwood WD6 3PJ
Dancing to the music of Ian Muir and the Craigellachie Band
Dance Programme: Miss Hadden’s Reel, Fraser’s Favourite, Miss Milligan’s Strathspey, Miss Allie Anderson, Lady Susan Stewart’s Reel, The Gentleman, The Dancing Master, Argyll Strathspey, The Westminster Reel, Major Ian Stewart, The Earl of Mansfield, The Glasgow Highlanders, Farewell to Balfour Road, Cramond Bridge, Culla Bay, The New Rigged Ship, Jean Martin of Aberdeen, The Montgomeries’ Rant
Autumn Wednesday: 27th October
7.00 – 10.00pm (doors open 6.30pm)
In St Columba's Lower Hall., this dance will feature easier and enjoyable dances to welcome beginners and intermediate dancers, to music from Chris Oxtoby
Dance Programme: The Highland Fair, Currie Mountain, Lady Glasgow, Flowers of Dunbeg, It’s All Right, Butterscotch and Honey, Good Hearted Glasgow, Cramond Bridge, Seann Truibhas Willichan, Granville Market, , Catch the Wind, The Silver Grey, Inchmickery, Round Reel of Eight
Extras: The Buttercup, Jessie’s Hornpipe.
Day School Evening: Saturday 30 October
6.00 – 9.00pm
This dance takes place after the annual Branch Day School at St Helen’s School, Eastbury Road, Northwood, Middlesex HA6 3AS and music is supplied by Jim Lindsay and the Day School Workshop Musicians.
Dance programme: Miss Hadden’s Reel, The College Hornpipe, Midsummer Common, The Hollin Buss, The Music Makars, Jean Martin of Aberdeen, Mrs MacLeod, Catch the Wind, The Wild Geese, Seann Truibhas Willican, Polharrow Burn, Miss Allie Anderson, The Silver Tassie, Mairi’s Wedding
Christmas: Saturday 11th December
6.45 for 7.00 – 10.30 p.m. (doors open 6.30 p.m.)
In St Columba's Lower Hall.
Those with highland/evening dress are encouraged to wear it.
To music from Marion Anderson and her SCD Band
Dance programme: EH3 7AF, Jessie’s Hornpipe, Delvin Side, Jennifer’s Jig, The Earl of Mansfield, Sands of Morar, The Hollin Buss, Autumn in Appin, The College Hornpipe, Gothenburg’s Welcome, Midsummer Common, The Rutland Reel, The Dancing Master, Margaret Parker’s Strathspey, Polharrow Burn, The Nurseryman, Miss Eleanor, Sleepy Maggie.
Other dancing,
The Gay Gordons are planning to host a dance each Tuesday 19.30-21.30, from 27 July until 31 August at The Sports Hall, St Marys Centre, Upper Street, Islington, N1 2TX. All London dancers welcomed to this early opportunity to begin dancing once again.
Jim Cook's 'Spring from Home' quiz 2021
As promised in our last eUpdate, here are the answers to the quiz. Correct answers are given in red.
How many questions did you manage to answer correctly?
Q1. Who devised The Spring Fling Reel in Book 50?
A) Mervyn Short.
B) Samantha Burton
C) Wendy Mumford
Q2. Of these seasons, which is the Italian word for "Spring"?
A) Estate
B) Inverno
C) Primavera
Q3. In which of Shakespeare's comedies do they sing the poem called "Spring"?
A) All's Well That Ends Well
B) A Midsummer Night's Dream
C) Love's Labour's Lost
Q4. Which of these is the name of a 1960's pop group?
A) Buffalo Springfield
B) Electric Springtime
C) Spring Mushroom
Q5. Where is the source of Highland Spring mineral water?
A) Cairngorms
B) Grampians
C) Ochil Hills
Q1. Who is the spring-loaded character in the Magic Roundabout?
A) Brian
B) Mr. Rusty
C) Zebedee
Q2. Which sign of the Zodiac commences on the first day of Spring, 21st March?
A) Aries
B) Pisces
C) Taurus.
Q3. The Japanese celebrate the arrival of Spring by hosting mass viewings of which flower?
A) Cherry Blossoms
B) Lilacs
C) Tulips
Q4. There are three UK railway stations whose names start with "Spring". Which one is NOT located in Scotland?
A) Springburn
B) Springfield
C) Spring Road
Q5. What is singer Dusty Springfield's real name?
A) Mary O'Brien
B) Mary Travers
C) Pauline Matthews
Q1. Who composed the ballet and orchestral work The Rite of Spring?
A) Rimsky-Korsakov
B) Stravinsky
C) Tchaikovsky
Q2. Who painted The Spring (otherwise known as Primavera)?
A) Botticelli
B) Caravaggio
C) Titian
Q3. In which month does Spring start in the Southern Hemisphere?
A) November
B) October
C) September
Q4. What is a springlet?
A) Baby South African antelope
B) Baby spaniel
C) Small stream
Q5. What does Spring symbolise?
A) Faith
B) Love
C) Rebirth
Q1. Where is the Sun on the first day of Spring in Europe?
A) Over the Equator
B) Over the Tropic of Cancer
C) Over the Tropic of Capricorn
Q2. Springfield is the capital of which US state?
A) Illinois
B) Maryland
C) Nevada
Q3. Which of these flowers is NOT recognised as a spring flower?
A) Azalea
B) Lilac
C) Pansy
Q4. Famous for its source of spring water, in which country is the town of Spa?
A) Belgium
B) France
C) Germany
Q5. What is a Spring Peeper?
A) Bird
B) Onion
C) Toad
Video - Scotland from Above
Isle of Skye to Ben Nevis
As lockdown gradually eases, our thoughts may be turning to trips away, and what better place to visit than Scotland. So we thought we would share this 25 mins video "Scotland from Above". The video explores the magnificent landscapes of Scotland by taking us on a journey from the Isle of Skye - Eilean Donan Castle - Rum - Eigg - Mull - Iona to Fort William, taking in the spectacular highland lochs and glens. Enjoy the journey - it might help you to plan future trips or remind you of past holidays.
The Branch Puzzle - Isle of Skye
For this week's puzzle we thought we would continue with the theme of the spectacular Scottish landscape and feature an image of the Isle of Skye.
Click on the image to begin the jigsaw puzzle.
We look forward to dancing with you again soon. Don't forget to join the RSCDS London AGM 5pm Saturday 12 June 2021 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85318488597
