Hello Everyone,
Well, Covid is well behind us now.
Can we even remember what it was like except we are reminded now by the yearly
injections.
During that time it was being said that the lockdown meant many older people who lived
on their own suffered from loneliness and needing to have the heating on more often
maybe meant that older people who were not so well off would turn their heating
down to save money and so what came out of this was many parishes setting up small
Community Cafes where people could meet each other
and have some time in what they were calling a 'Warm Space'.
And so there were volunteers in our village who started up a Community Cafe on
Tuesdays morning, in the Hall where we dance, and so we have started to go there on
Tuesday mornings taking with us a couple of ladies (widows) who live in our
road. As no-one really knows everyone in the community where they live it gives us the
chance to actually meet some other people in the village.
And that's what it's like with Square Dancing, meeting other people you haven't known
before and even if you're a little shy they will always come and talk with you.
We have dancers who come from the various towns around us and it's a while since we've
actually had someone from our own village. Despite all our advertising.
Look in Round and About and see us in the classifieds.
With Square Dancing you can not only make friends locally but going dancing abroad
has led to many dancers making friends from other countries, so who knows where the
limit is.
A little story - Back in the late 80's a couple who were dancing with us moved to
America to work and so in 1991 they invited to come and holiday with them and go
and dance at the U.S. National Square Dance Convention.
They lived in the Palm Desert (of which the well-known Palm Springs is part of) and
we drove (I didn't) all the way to Salt Lake City, home of the Mormons,
where the Convention we being held. For the event a lady Square dancer in
Cambridgeshire made a Western shirt for me, white, edged with a Union Jack pattern on
the yokes, cuffs and pocket flaps. Betty made herself a skirt from the Union Jack
pattern. They are not worn very often, we've been to Canada and Australian National
Convention and taken them and worn them at Conventions in this country. During the year of
the Queen's Jubilee, Age U.K. held a series of parties around the area and one of
them was at Steventon Village Hall (where we dance of course) so we made sure we
went, and as all decorations during this period seem to have been Union Jacks we
decided to wear our outfits which attracted some attention. For a start it's not
often that you see anyone wearing a western shirt. We had our
pictures taken and had a lady come and interview us and have appeared in a video
put out by Age UK.
So that's it for now, if we have grabbed your interest come and try us
out on one of our Open Evenings on any Tuesday in September starting at 7:30pm
- till 9pm with a drink and biscuits.
Regulars stay on till 10pm which you will soon become.
At Steventon Village Hall OX13 6RR. Any other time please e-mail.
Eric WEBB
Your Caller.
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last updated - 20th September 2024
